Royal Caribbean gives 1st look at Port Canaveral-bound Star of the Seas

Royal Caribbean gives 1st look at Port Canaveral-bound Star of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas will take the title of world’s largest cruise ship when it debuts out of Port Canaveral next year and the cruise line Tuesday revealed the first details about features coming to the massive vessel.

The 20-deck sister ship to Icon of the Seas, that debuted out of PortMiami this year, will come in incrementally larger than Icon’s 248,663 gross tons, according to cruise line officials. That puts both ships in the new Icon class about 15,000 more gross tons than the Oasis-class vessels that held the world’s largest cruise ship title before Icon’s debut.

“Star of the Seas is the second bold act of this exciting, new era of vacations first introduced with Icon of the Seas, and it’s putting the world’s best vacation on the map at yet another top travel destination,” Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a press release.

Still under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, the vessel will have a 5,610-passenger capacity based on double occupancy, but will approach 8,000 passengers plus 2,350 crew at full capacity.

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With just over a year before its debut, the ship’s maiden voyage is Aug. 31, 2025 out the Orlando-area port with seven-night alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries on tap. When it arrives, it will sail alongside Royal’s newest ship this year, Utopia of the Seas, which debuted this summer doing three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries.

Just like Oasis-class ships, the Icon class features multiple neighborhoods including the popular open-air Central Park in the middle of the ship and the Royal Promenade. Instead of the boardwalk at the aft, though, Icon-class ships have a family-friendly playland called Surfside.

But the most prominent feature of the Icon class is the AquaDome, a massive steel-and-glass dome at the top of the ship that is home to the AquaTheater.

And just like Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas will feature a six-slide waterpark.

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Among 40 places to eat and drink on board will be the Lincoln Park Supper Club, a high-end specialty dining that’s similar to Empire Supper Club that debuted on Icon. For Lincoln Park, though, it will come from 1930s-era Chicago instead of 1920s New York.

The Thrill Island neighborhood on the top deck has not only the Category 6 waterpark, but also the quick-and-scary Crown’s Edge attraction that takes riders on a short zipline trip out over the water 154 feet below. Also returning are the FlowRider surf simulator, rock climbing wall and mini golf.

Also up top is Chill Island, home to four of the ship’s seven pools including the swim-up bar Swim & Tonic.

The Surfside neighborhood at the aft has the Splashaway Bay kids play area, a carousel and even a bar with both kids and adult drinks.

The AquaDome’s return will again feature the AquaDome Market food hall, Rye & Bean coffee bar, Hooked seafood and The Overlook bar and Overlook Pods. The main draw is the AquaTheater once again featuring an indoor waterfall during the day and the high-energy aqua shows with diving, aerobatics and robotic arms all in play.

The ship will also have The Hideaway, with a suspended infinity pool 135 feet above the ocean.

The Royal Promenade will have its own version of the massive kinetic art sculpture called the Pearl along with a big chunk of the ship’s dining and bar options. That includes the second iteration of the popular Dueling Pianos bar.

Central Park will again be home to Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues and pickup windows for sushi and champagne.

The ship is mostly a mirror image of Icon of the Seas based on details released by the line so far, but new venues and what entertainment will be coming on board will be revealed at a later date.

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