10 side-by-side photos show how a Royal Caribbean cruise ship transforms with colorful lights at night

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figcaption>Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas during the day and at night.The ship has four outdoor decks that all guests can enjoy at night.

Kids on the ship have a 1 a.m. curfew.

All the pools close by 11 p.m., according to Cruise Compass, a daily schedule received on Royal Caribbean cruises.

Decks 15 and 16 are the pool decks.

But the decks are stunning at night, with lights beneath the water.

Above the pools, more lights change colors. I thought the rainbow glow over everything made the decks feel magical.

From the upper decks, guests can see the glows of the Central Park inner neighborhood on deck eight.

The outdoor deck full of plants lights up yellow at night. It reminded me of my own neighborhood at home during the holiday season.

Down on deck six, there’s another outdoor neighborhood, the Boardwalk.

Reminiscent of a carnival, it’s even brighter and more colorful at night.

Some lights in front of restaurants are on during the day, like the ones in front of this candy store.

Sugar Beach is a candy store that’s right across from the carousel on the Boardwalk.

But above them, additional lights come on at night, making the space even more colorful.

I thought the neon lights at Johnny Rockets enhanced its classic diner feel.

At the back of deck six, the Aquatheater glows neon at night.

Pictures of stars fill the screens.

I found that when night came, the best place to be was deck 16, for the sunset views followed by glowing pools.

Exploring these mostly-empty, lit-up decks after hours was one of my favorite parts of the trip.