Royal Caribbean's newest mega-ship launches next month, and while many features of the next Icon Class ship are identical to those of Icon of the Seas, a few key tweaks will give Star of the Seas a defining personality of her own.
It's common for cruise lines to make changes to their ships as they gather feedback from guests and crew members. Although the updates might seem subtle, such as an extra hot tub, they are intentional and aim to enhance the overall guest experience.
As such, Star of the Seas builds on the foundation set by Icon of the Seas, the highly anticipated Icon Class namesake that debuted in January 2024.
From new stateroom technology and dining options, here are 9 big changes you can expect to find on Star of the Seas.
Read more: Royal Caribbean Reveals Star of the Seas
New shows
The Wizard of Oz was a smash hit on Icon of the Seas. However, Royal Caribbean is raising the bar even higher with its new musical coming to Star of the Seas: Back to the Future: The Musical.
The production won't be exactly the same as the Broadway musical, but the basis will remain true to the storyline of the beloved 1985 film. It will also have the largest orchestra at sea.
Additionally, there will be new AquaTheater and ice skating shows for guests to enjoy. Torque is Star's high-diving spectacle and will feature "the most synchronized swimmers of any AquaTheater show," according to Royal Caribbean.
The ice skating show is called Sol. Featuring the largest ice cast in the fleet, the high-energy performance "traces the sun’s path from coast to coast" with extreme stunts and impressive visual effects.
Like with all theater shows aboard Royal Caribbean ships, Back to the Future: The Musical, Torque, and Sol will be included in the cost of the cruise fare.
Changes to the AquaDome food stalls
Royal Caribbean's brand-new food hall on Icon of the Seas offers a variety of quick, complimentary bites — think macaroni and cheese, crêpes, gyros, noodle bowls, and more.
Although they aren't getting rid of the AquaDome Marketplace on Star of the Seas, they are making changes to the available food stalls.
Three stalls are getting swapped up to bring new flavors to the high seas. Pig Out BBQ, Mai Thai, and La Cocinita will effectively replace GNGR, Mac's, and Toast & Garden.
The new venues will focus on dishing up tasty barbecue, Southeast Asian favorites, and Latin American street food.
Sailing from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida
Like Icon, Star of the Seas will also call Florida home, but she won't sail from South Florida. Rather, Star of the Seas will offer weeklong cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida.
Orlando is one of the top vacation markets in the world, so Royal Caribbean's decision to homeport Star of the Seas at Port Canaveral makes a lot of sense.
The location offers travelers easy access to the area's famous theme parks and attractions, including Universal Orlando's brand-new theme park, Epic Universe.
Not only that, but unlike Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest ship that debuted in 2024, Star of the Seas offers longer itineraries from Port Canaveral.
Utopia exclusively offers 3- and 4-night getaways to the Bahamas. However, cruisers sailing aboard Star of the Seas will visit a wider range of destinations, from Basseterre, St. Kitts, to Cozumel, Mexico, and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten.
Facial recognition cabins
Royal Caribbean is always striving to implement new technology aboard its ships to enhance the overall guest experience, and the line's latest innovation is facial recognition cabins.
A small number of staterooms aboard Star of the Seas will feature this new technology, serving as a pilot to test the keyless room entry with just your face.
It's likely it will be rolled out to more staterooms, perhaps even to additional ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
New Chief Dog Officer
Rover, Royal Caribbean's first-ever "Chief Dog Officer," is remaining on Icon of the Seas. However, Star of the Seas is getting her very own lovable pup: Sailor!
Sailor was born in February 2025 and has already stolen the hearts of thousands, thanks to updates shared on the Chief Dog Officers' Instagram page.
Like Rover, Sailor's duties will include meeting guests, strolling through Central Park, and playing fetch in the Bridge!
Read more: 19 Things You Didn't Know About Royal Caribbean's Cruise Ship Chief Dog Officer
Revamped Surfside neighborhood
The open-air Surfside neighborhood on Icon was clearly inspired by the Boardwalk, but was designed to appeal more to families with younger children.
Marketed as the "Stay-All-Day" neighborhood, it's got everything from restaurants to bars, a kid-friendly waterpark, an arcade, a candy store, and more.
On Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean wants to make this space even better by appealing to older and younger children.
To accomplish this, new features will be added to the Playscape and Splashaway Bay. Moreover, the Water's Edge pool will focus more on children, rather than being a space that adults and kids can enjoy together.
Cheaper inaugural fares
It cost a pretty penny (or two) to be one of the first people to sail aboard Royal Caribbean's brand-new class of ship. However, now that Icon of the Seas has been in service for over a year, Star of the Seas is launching with noticeably lower fares.
For example, when Icon set sail, it wasn't uncommon to see fares as expensive as $2,500 per person for a standard inside cabin.
According to Royal's website, base fares on Star of the Seas start at around $1,300 per guest for interior staterooms in September 2025, less than one month after Star makes her official debut.
Rethemed supper club
On Icon of the Seas, the Empire Supper Club is themed after New York City in the 1930s. Everything from the cocktails to the live jazz music and art deco décor evokes the "glitz and glamour" of the era.
The supper club is getting a revamp on Star of the Seas. Renamed the "Lincoln Park Supper Club," the $200-per-person specialty restaurant will feature a Chicago-inspired theme.
As such, the cocktails, menu, and music will be reimagined to reflect the spirit of Chicago, rather than the Big Apple.
According to a sample menu shared by Royal Caribbean, guests can expect dishes like crab ravioli, wagyu prime rib, steak tartar, and the famous Palmer House brownie.
Extra hot tub
One of the minor changes on Star of the Seas is the addition of an extra hot tub. Royal Caribbean initially planned to add the hot tub on Icon of the Seas, but they removed it over weight concerns.
After reevaluating the design, they concluded that they actually could have kept the hot tub on Icon of the Seas, but it was too late. Consequently, the extra hot tub was added to Star's designs early on.
It’s a small tweak, but the extra hot tub helps give the 5,000+ passengers onboard another option when unwinding at sea.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
