Just 20 months after making history with an entirely new class that raised the bar as the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean is at it again.
In January 2024, Icon of the Seas set sail on its first official cruise from Miami. This weekend, the second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas makes its debut, sailing from Port Canaveral.
This will put the two largest cruise ships on the planet homeported just within 200 miles of each other.
At nearly 250,000 gross tons and carrying more than 7,000 passengers when completely full (not to mention nearly 2,500 crew), words just don’t do justice to the size of the new Star of the Seas. These ships are simply unlike anything else at sea.
However, it’s the features onboard that are found nowhere else that have most people talking.
Like its sister-ship, Star of the Seas offers the Category 6 waterpark. All told there are six different waterslides, ranging from drop slides (no word on potential changes following a recent slide break of the drop slide on Icon) to family raft slides for passengers to enjoy.
There are eight different neighborhoods and seven swimming pools aboard the ship. This includes the cruise line’s swim-up bar (Swim & Tonic) and the largest pool on a cruise ship anywhere (Royal Bay), that mirror Icon of the Seas.
There is also a suspended pool (Hideaway Pool) across the back of the ship that provides a spot high up with sweeping views of the horizon.
At the front of the ship, Icon features the AquaDome that includes an indoor aquatic theater, lounge space with wide views, and a massive indoor waterfall. Central Park with its 33,000 live plants also makes an appearance on the ship.
Need a place to eat? Or maybe a drink? Across the 20 decks on the ship, there are 40 different restaurants, eateries, and bars. So no matter what you’re in the mood for, there will be an option.
And for entertainment, there’s no shortage of options. Star of the Seas will feature five signature shows from classic stage performances to water shows in the Aqua Theater and even skating performances at the ship’s ice rink.
While Star of the Seas arrived at Port Canaveral for the first time a week ago, this weekend marks its first official passenger cruise. The ship will offer several 3/4-night short cruises CocoCay until the end of August. From there the ship will have 7-day Caribbean cruises for the foreseeable future.
Seven-night cruises start at $1,300 per person. Kellie Gerardi, the 90th woman in history to fly to space will serve as Godmother of the ship.
