Boarding the World’s Largest Cruise Ship Was Not in My Plan
Even as an avid cruiser, I had no intention of sailing aboard any of Royal Caribbean’s latest massively sized cruise ships.
In fact, Icon of the Seas has been sailing out of the Port of Miami for more than a year, yet I still chose to hop aboard smaller ships. Well, that changed last week.
I was not looking to book another cruise until I was presented with an offer for Star of the Seas that I could not refuse. Club Royale, Royal Caribbean’s casino program, offered me a complimentary cruise at a rate that was less than what I pay for my weekly grocery shopping bill. I did the math and I could not say “no.”
A 4-night “Preview” cruise aboard a BRAND NEW ship and all I’d have to pay is taxes and port fees, gratuities, and parking. The only catch was that I’d be sailing in less than a week so I’d have to pack and get things at home “vacation prepped” within days. With no time to contemplate, I immediately said “YES” to Star of the Seas.
Amazing Facts About Star of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Start of the Seas ship now sails from Port Canaveral, Florida, offering 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. My Preview Cruise was a shortened 4-night cruise with two sea days and one day at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay private island.
Star of the Seas is the second ship in the Icon class of ships following the debut of Icon of the Seas in 2024. While looking at both ships from a distance they look identical, Star of the Seas is a “hair” bigger, so it takes over the title as the “largest cruise ship in the world” from Icon of the Seas.
Specific facts:
:: Star of the Seas measures 1,196 feet long and 219 feet wide.
:: Weighs 248,663 gross registered tons
:: Offers a maximum passenger capacity of 7,600
:: 18 guest decks plus 2 crew decks
:: 2,805 staterooms
I heard them describe the length of the Star of the Seas cruise ship as being as long as 3 football fields. According to my step counter watch, I walked 69,368 steps on the 4-night cruise. That clearly puts the ship size in perspective.
This Family-Friendly Ship is Designed by “Neighborhoods”
There are 8 neighborhoods built within the ship offering areas that each age group will love:
<1> Royal Promenade: Encompasses decks 5 and 6, offers musical entertainment, bars, the Pearl Café, Starbucks, shopping, guest services, Next Cruise, and most importantly, Sorrento’s Pizza.
<2> Central Park: Guests can literally walk through and open air park with real trees and flowers and occasionally real birds and butterflies, among the piped in bird sounds. There are multiple restaurants, bars, and shops, as well.
<3> Surfside: This cleverly designed, family-friendly neighborhood on deck 6 offers hours of fun with a working carousel ride, kids’ splash zone, arcade, and food options geared just for children.
<4> AquaDome: This large domed indoor space and theater on Deck 15 is where you’ll see the aqua show, “Torque” along with the amazingly delicious Aquadome Market.
<5> Thrill Island: Deck 16 is an adventure oasis including 6 water slides, pools, bars, and food, mini-golf, sports court, rock climbing, Crowns Edge ledge, and many more activities.
<6> Chill Island: Located on multi-decks 15, 16, and 17, Chill Island is home to multiple pools, whirlpools, food, bars, and – of course – Sprinkles ice cream.
<7> The Hideaway: This is an adult-only section with the most amazing (but small) suspended infinity pool in addition to whirlpools and lots of multi-level lounging options for spectacular ocean views from the back of the ship.
<8> Suite Neighborhood: This is a private area (Decks 16, 17, & 18) exclusive to guests staying in suites. Features two restaurants, a bar, and sun deck for suite guests.
28 Different Stateroom Categories, All Different Price Points
Most people will not cruise unless they have a balcony stateroom but as I don’t need to point out, balcony rooms, suites, and specialty rooms come with a hefty price tag. I was very happy to have been offered an interior stateroom on deck 8 for the low-priced casino comp offer that I received. You see, I have no problem with an interior stateroom since I barely spend any time inside the cabin.
However, to my surprise, I was assigned a Surfside Family View Interior stateroom that has a window overlooking the children’s Surfside Water Park area. It gets better. My room was all the way toward the back of the ship, so when I looked out my window to the left, I could see the ocean. It was like getting an ocean view stateroom without paying the higher cost. I was also pleased that the water park area was closed to young swimmers at 6pm each night, so the continuous squeals and screams stopped at 6pm.
Stateroom categories include:
:: Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony
:: Infinite Ocean View Balcony
:: Infinite Central Park View Balcony
:: Surfside Family View Balcony
:: Surfside Family View Interior
:: Interior Plus
:: Sunset Junior Suite
:: Surfside Family Suite
:: Infinite Grand Suite
:: Sunset Suite
:: Sunset Corner Suite
:: Icon Loft
:: Ultimate Family Townhouse
Multiple Pools on Star of the Seas to Take a Dip
On the top decks, you will not only have seven pools to choose from, but you’ll also get to enjoy a six slide water park on the back of the ship. There are two adult-only pool areas plus there is the entire Surfside neighborhood and Splashaway Bay Aqua Park (with lots of interactive water play elements) devoted to young families. Every morning, you’ll have the opportunity to join in the fun of pool aerobics along with your fellow passengers.
FREE Entertainment: Shows are Off the Charts!
Starting with entertainment, there are three brand new shows on Star of the Seas. As with all theater-type shows aboard Royal Caribbean ships, Back to the Future: The Musical, Torque aqua show, and Sol, the ice-skating show are included in the cruise fare. Also included were “Headliner Shows” that changes talent per cruise. Our cruise featured a phenomenal juggler one evening and a mesmerizing magician another evening.
There is a comedy show onboard but I was unable to get reservations as The Attic Comedy Club is a very small venue and I only booked my cruise the week prior to embarkation. That leads me to an important note: Be sure to make reservations in the Royal Caribbean app as soon as the calendar for your cruise is available. Although shows are free, reservations are “sold out” very quickly.
If you enjoy music, there are also continuous musical performances around the ship, most located in bars or other club-type rooms, not to mention karaoke performance opportunities. I spent a lot of time enjoying a harpist in the Central Park area in addition to jazz, guitar instrumentals, and Latin music. One musical highlight of my cruise was witnessing incredible talent in the “Dueling Pianos” bar. As you can expect, two pianists exchanged entertaining, humorous banter based on the random song requests from the crowd.
Daily Activities Onboard
As for daily activities, there is something for everyone, just about happening every 30 minutes throughout the day and night. From trivia contests, scavenger hunts, and other contestant-type games to dance parties and parades, you could keep continually busy or pick and choose what events you want to participate in. I loved playing the trivia games because the Royal Caribbean activities team are the funniest people and made playing more than just a fun game. Not included in the cruise fee but still fun activities are Cash Prize Royal Bingo and the Club Royale Casino.
If you love activity, visit the fitness center, or the courts on deck 17 to play basketball, soccer, dodgeball, or pickleball. There is also mini golf, rock climbing, and laser tag. The brand-new Crown’s Edge ledge that overhangs above the ocean is great for walking and check out the Flowrider simulated surfing, available for the adventurous passengers.
The Vitality Spa offers massages, facials, and other pampering services in addition to free health seminars and consultations.
If you love shopping, there are many stores from souvenirs and duty-free alcohol, to perfume and jewelry. If you’re an art lover, stop by the Park West Gallery to “guess the weight of the art sculpture” and browse unique art selections for purchase.
Back to the Future Theatre Show
I have to share a truth. I was not excited to see Back to the Future: The Musical on the Star of the Seas cruise. I did not want to devote 100 minutes of my cruise to see a remake of a movie into a musical. I WAS WRONG! The onboard production far exceeded my expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed the production. It was one of the best musicals that I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship.
Torque Aqua Show
Torque is a must-see show in the AquaTheater located in the AquaDome. It was sheer exhilaration at its best with a high energy, intense music-filled performance featuring acrobatics on the ground, in the air, and in the water. It’s a high dive stunt show that impressed me so much that I had to watch it a second time.
Sol Ice Skating Show
Royal Caribbean has taken a typical ice-skating show and amped it up to levels that make it the most unique performance on the ice at sea. I don’t want to give away the extra special ice-skating talent at the Sol show, but the performance is much more than a beautiful solo skater or a beautiful figure skating pair. You will be amazed at the level of skating.
Countless Dining Options
It’s impossible to feel hungry on Star of the Seas. There are nearly 30 dining venues to choose from, half are complimentary while the other half are specialty venues requiring a fee. Take it from me, you will love the free food options on this ship so much that you’ll never have to pay an additional penny for food while on the cruise unless you want to try a specific specialty dining restaurant.
Free Dining: Included with Your Cruise Fare
I was blown away by the abundance of complimentary food selections on Star of the Seas. I don’t think I’ve eaten this much on a cruise in many years.
While the main dining room offers a sit-down menu with a top-notch wait team assigned to each table, I prefer the huge Windjammer buffet or the more fast-food related venues. Sorrento’s Pizza is available from 11:30 am until 3am and the Pearl Café is open 24-hours with grab and go foods, coffee, tea, and fruit drinks. Specialty coffees and teas are available at the Pearl Café for a fee.
Choose from 14 complimentary dining venues on Star of the Seas:
::AquaDome Market – Select dessert crepes, Mediterranean, Thai, Barbecue, or Mexican foods.
:: Basecamp – Smash burgers, tater tots, pretzel bites, and chicken fingers
:: Coastal Kitchen (for suite guests)
:: El Loco Fresh – Get the best burritos and make your own nachos and tacos
:: Main Dining Room – Formal menu changes each night
:: Park Café – breakfast and lunch
:: Pearl Café (Mostly free but specialty coffees and teas have a fee)
:: The Grove (for suite guests)
:: Sorrento’s – All you can eat pizza
:: Sprinkles – Get an ice cream cone multiple times per day
:: Surfside Bites – Best churros and French fries
:: Surfside Eatery – Buffet with lots of kid-friendly foods
:: Vitality Cafe (some fees apply)
:: Windjammer Marketplace – Endless buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Specialty Dining with Added Surcharges
With so many free dining options, I did not even consider paying for a specialty restaurant. However, each restaurant listed below comes highly recommended by other cruise passengers and most of the surcharges are deemed worth the extra money.
Here are the 14 dining venues on Star of the Seas that require a surcharge:
<1> Hooked Seafood
<2> Lincoln Park Supper Club
<3> Celebration Table
<4> Chops Grille
<5> Chef’s Table
<6> Izumi Hibachi & Sushi
<7> Izumi in the Park
<8> Sugar Beach
<9> Desserted
<10> Playmaker’s
<11> Pier 7
<12> Starbucks
<13> Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar
<14> Trellis Bar (bar bites)
Do I Think Star of the Seas is Too Big?
If you asked me prior to my cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas whether I thought the cruise ship was too big, I would have (without a doubt) said that it’s too big for me. However, having had 4 full days and nights exploring the ship, I think that with the way the ship is separated into neighborhoods made it easy to navigate. With 5,000+ passengers on the cruise, everyone is spread out in different parts of the ship. I never felt like it was too crowded. And I always found a pool lounge and even found space to cool off in the not-so-big pools in the adult-only areas.
I also want to mention the state-of-the-art elevator system that solved the problem of waiting and waiting for an available elevator as on older ships. Instead of boarding an elevator and pressing the button for the deck you want to travel to, there are multiple iPad like devices outside the elevators where you select the floor you want, and the iPad tells you which of the 12 elevators you need to ride. When you get inside your designated elevator, there are no buttons to push because the elevator already knows where you’re headed.
Star of the Seas: My Last-Minute Comments and Suggestions
The most important comment that I can make is that cruising aboard Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ship for 7 nights will not be cheap compared to older ships in the fleet. You need to keep an eye out for their big sales and take advantage of the savings.
When you book a cruise, you pay the initial fee and have the option of paying the mandatory gratuities ($18 per day, per person) ahead of the cruise or while aboard. Other than the gratuities, you should not have to pay another penny aboard the ship unless you choose to shop, dine at specialty restaurants, play bingo or casino games, or participate in a few other fee-based activities.
I must also mention the additional fees for beverage packages (alcoholic beverages are not free on the cruise) that you most likely would purchase ahead of time. I do not drink alcohol so I cannot comment on the drinks or bar service.
If you asked me what I enjoyed the most besides the food and theatre shows, I would say the ability to simply relax by the pool or in the pool, sit and enjoy live music, and pick and choose which activities I wanted to attend, from early morning until late at night.
My last suggestion is that you look out for “Sailor” the Star of the Seas’ golden retriever. I had the pleasure of meeting Sailor and enjoyed watching this 4-legged furry beauty frolicking throughout the ship. There is no posted schedule, so you need a little luck spotting her.