Dare we say super star? Royal Caribbean’s biggest-ever ship promises even more of the “adventures for all ages” than her sister in the fleet.
At the gala inaugural of the 5,600-guest Star of the Seas in Port Canaveral, enthusiastic Floridians lined the shores to see her embark on a maiden preview voyage. After a christening ceremony, she’s started weekly cruising from Florida to the eastern and western Caribbean.
This Star’s got eight distinct neighborhoods and more than 40 venues for dining and imbibing, with 17 of them included in the fare. Along with activity zones familiar to Icon and Oasis- class ships like Central Park and the Royal Promenade, there are new features like Thrill Island and the AquaDome.
And there are changes and tweaks to set Star apart from her sister Icon of the Seas that arrived in 2024. The most obvious change is the AquaDome Market, which adds three new restaurants: The South American-themed La Cocinita ,the Pig Out BBQ and Mai Thai. These replace Mac’s (mac and cheese), GNGR (Chinese) and Toast & Garden (sandwiches and salads) in the area on the Icon of the Seas.
Another notable change is the Chicago-themed Lincoln Park Supper Club on Star of the Seas, instead of the Manhattan-vibed Empire Supper Club on Icon of the Seas. With a floor show playing Chicago-style jazz and show tunes, the menu includes dishes made famous in Chicago. There’s even a Great Lakes fish entrée: walleye. The steak cuts are all USDA prime along with a wagyu beef option. Each course is paired with cocktails that include a notable caviar appetizer. It’s a splurge, with a cover charge of $200 a guest, reduced to $130 for passengers who buy Royal Caribbean’s Unlimited Dining Package or those in the Royal Suite Class Star level.
The shows are also different on Star of the Seas, with the debut of Back to the Future: The Musical. Another featured show, Create is brand-new and developed for Star of the Seas. It follows the journey of a robot and is a more typical production show.
Torque, the water show at the AquaTheater on Star of the Seas is a new production different from Aqua Action! on the Icon. Torque features a light show and is performed by high-divers and synchronized swimmers, with impressive choreographed dives and water dancing.
Star of the Seas also has a new show in its indoor skating rink. SOL traces “one day in the sun’s path.” It features the biggest skating cast on any of Royal Caribbean’s ships, including a trio of ice rompers wearing hockey skates who do rollerblade tricks on iced ramps.
Star of the Seas also features a waterpark with innovative rides, including a free-fall Pressure Drop and a mat-race slide, Storm Chasers. Of course there’s a Splashaway Bay for children.
“Icon is a next-level vacation experience designed for our key target market: families,” said Michael Bailey, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International at the inaugural. He explained that means multiple generations traveling together to create shared memories. He credited the ship’s neighborhood concept for enabling those moments and pointed to Net Promoter Scores for Icon-class ships that exceed 70— a level rarely seen in any industry.
Bailey emphasized that guest feedback is central to how Royal Caribbean develops its products. He said the cruise line’s Voice of Customer team analyzes responses from the 7.5 million guests sailing this year, aggregating comments into insights used across the operation. While Icon and Star are closely related, Bailey said Star will introduce a series of refinements drawn from guest and crew feedback. These include electrical outlet placement and door design, refreshed specialty dining concepts, updated color palettes and furnishings, and new entertainment productions.
Royal Caribbean is also expanding its destination portfolio with a new collection of Royal Beach Clubs, opening in Nassau, Cozumel and the South Pacific. The first, on Paradise Island in Nassau, will debut on Dec. 27. Bailey described it as “beautiful—cabanas, pools, experiences, restaurants, the whole shebang—including the largest swim-up bar in the world.” Beach Clubs are designed to complement Perfect Day at CocoCay, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy both experiences on the same sailing. By 2027, more than 90 percent of Royal Caribbean’s Caribbean capacity will call at either a Perfect Day destination or a Beach Club.
Bailey said the balance between complimentary and specialty dining remains central to the experience. “Philosophically, when you sail with Royal Caribbean, you should be able to eat and dine complimentary across multiple options,” he said. Specialty dining, by contrast, serves a different purpose. “It’s often a date night or special-occasion experience where guests want something unique.”
Short cruises remain a strong entry point for new-to-cruise guests, giving travelers a low-commitment way to sample the experience. he said. “Jumping on a ship on a Friday and returning on Monday is easy. If the experience is not for you, it was just a weekend.” He noted that these shorter sailings often serve as a gateway, encouraging hesitant travelers to try cruising before moving on to longer itineraries like the week-long voyages on Star and Icon of the Seas.
Star of the Seas is offering year-round alternating seven-day itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean from Port Canaveral. Icon of the Seas sails weekly from Miami to the Caribbean.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
