I just cruised on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Star of the Seas, and there were some things I liked more than others during my time onboard.
Star of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world, and she truly lives up to her name. The number of things to do onboard is astronomical, with more restaurants, bars, activities, and entertainment options than I ever thought possible.
I spent four nights aboard Star of the Seas to see what the ship was all about. During my short cruise, I found little to complain about. I loved the production shows, trendy food hall, colorful pool deck, and general atmosphere around the ship.
However, there were three things I didn’t love about cruising on Star of the Seas, including the staggeringly high price tag and subpar itinerary.
These are the three things I loved and three things I hated about my cruise on Star of the Seas.
First, I loved the ship’s layout, and it never felt crowded
I cruised on Icon of the Seas last year and Star of the Seas this year, and after two cruises on Icon Class ships, I still can’t believe how uncrowded these vessels feel.
Star of the Seas can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members, leading to a maximum capacity of nearly 10,000 people onboard.
Although the specific number of passengers varies from sailing to sailing, you can generally expect to see at least 5,600 guests aboard any given cruise.
Read more: Royal Caribbean Ships by Size: Biggest to Smallest
Despite this, the ship rarely (if ever) feels crowded. Royal Caribbean drew upon design elements from other ships in the fleet to enhance the layout and passenger flow on the Icon Class.
The Royal Promenade, for example, fully loops around on both deck five and deck six. This makes it easy to go from one end of the ship to another without having thousands of passengers in one narrow thoroughfare.
Additionally, the pool deck spans three entire decks. I never felt like I had to maneuver around large crowds to get around, and there were always pool chairs available at any point throughout the day.
I hated the price of the cruise, which was sky-high compared to other ships
There’s no denying that a cruise on Star of the Seas is expensive. These ships are arguably the best in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, and the cruise line knows it. Fares on both vessels in the class, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, are anything but budget-friendly.
I paid $2,210 for my interior cabin on a 4-night cruise, which included taxes, fees, and gratuities for two adults. For the same price, I could have booked a longer, 7-night cruise on a ship like Harmony of the Seas. This ship offers almost as much to do as Star of the Seas, but is priced significantly lower. You can find weeklong itineraries for as little as $900 per guest.
Icon Class ships offer a cruise experience unlike any other, but you’ll pay the price for it.
Read more: 4 cruise ships to book right now instead of Royal Caribbean's expensive Star of the Seas
I loved the entertainment, including Back to the Future: The Musical and the mind-blowing ice-skating show
One of my favorite aspects of cruising on Star of the Seas was watching the live productions.
While all of Royal Caribbean’s ships feature production shows, there’s nothing quite like the entertainment options on the fleet’s newest vessels. Star of the Seas promised stellar entertainment, and it certainly lived up to its expectations.
The ship’s full-length Broadway show, Back to the Future: The Musical, combined impressive live talent with digital projections that transported me straight to 1985. With such immersive digital effects, I felt as if I were watching a movie rather than a live production on stage.
The ice-skating show (Sol) and AquaTheater show (Torque) were also exceptional.
From high dives to back flips on ice, Royal Caribbean combined daring stunts with special effects for a truly mind-blowing viewing experience.
Entertainment is one area where Star of the Seas shines, and the ship's entertainment is several steps ahead of entertainment on older Royal Caribbean ships.
I hated my cabin’s location, even if I saved money
My interior cabin on Star of the Seas was as basic as they come. The tiny, 156-square-foot room featured a bed, desk, closet, small armchair, and private bathroom, but that’s just about it.
Inside cabins on cruise ships are nothing special, but they provide the essentials you need for a comfortable stay. I knew what to expect with my windowless cabin, so I was content with the basic, closet-sized room.
Nonetheless, I hated the location of my cabin. When I booked my cruise, I reserved a guarantee room, which meant that I could not pick my exact stateroom location. The room would be assigned to me at a later date from a selection of “leftover” cabins that had not yet been booked.
Read more: Take a tour of my interior cabin on Star of the Seas
A few weeks before my cruise, I was assigned cabin #14345, located all the way at the aft of the ship on Deck 14. Once I got onboard, I quickly realized why this cabin had not been booked.
Not only was the long walk from the elevators to the cabin cumbersome, but the room was located directly below The Hideaway Bar, which blasted music well past midnight each evening.
Even though I saved money by booking a guarantee cabin, I think I’d pay extra to choose my cabin location next time.
I loved the AquaDome Market, Royal Caribbean’s complimentary food hall
The AquaDome Market is Royal Caribbean’s food hall aboard Star of the Seas. It offers five food stalls: Crème de la Crêpe, Pig Out BBQ, Mai Thai, Feta Mediterranean, and La Cocinita.
I tried dishes from all five stalls during my cruise, and I was pleased with each and every one.
First off, it’s hard to go wrong with a freshly made crêpe. My sweet tooth was in heaven with endless, complimentary dessert crêpes. I truly couldn’t get enough of them while onboard.
For a quick meal, Mai Thai was my go-to, which dishes up Thai favorites like Pad Thai and Panang Curry. As someone who lived in Thailand for a few months, I have pretty high expectations for Thai food. Although I wouldn’t say the food is as authentic as my favorite street food stands in Chiang Mai, I still found the dishes flavorful and spicy.
Food halls are growing in popularity among the cruise industry, and I’m glad to see Royal Caribbean heading in the same direction. These grab-and-go spots are a nice change of pace from the traditional buffet, and I appreciate the variety of ethnic cuisines available rather than just standard American fare.
I don’t love the itinerary options on Star of the Seas, which visit the same ports over and over
I don’t love the itineraries offered on Icon Class ships. Due to their huge size, there are limited ports that can handle these megaships. Therefore, you’re likely to see itineraries visiting the same destinations over and over.
Expect to see ports like Nassau, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Cozumel, St. Maarten, and Costa Maya offered on these itineraries.
Although there’s nothing wrong with these ports, I generally prefer visiting more off-the-beaten-track destinations. Given the chance, I’d much rather visit a far-flung port like Mystery Island, Vanuatu, than my umpteenth visit to Nassau, Bahamas.
Read more: Guide to Perfect Day at CocoCay,
My short cruise on Star of the Seas only visited Perfect Day at CocoCay, but I spent most of the day onboard instead of ashore. Given the high price of the cruise, I wanted to make the most of my time on the ship. I can visit Perfect Day at CocoCay on any Caribbean itinerary, but I can't always sail on an Icon Class ship!
Fortunately, itineraries on Icon Class ships are soon to be more enticing. When Legend of the Seas launches next summer, she will offer cruises in the Mediterranean, visiting ports like Civitavecchia, Palma de Mallorca, and Barcelona.
Despite the few faults, I absolutely loved my experience on Star of the Seas
No cruise ship is perfect—even the biggest cruise ship in the world. Yet despite a few faults on my Star of the Seas cruise, I had a wonderful experience onboard.
From the moment I embarked, I was continuously blown away by the ship’s design, amenities, and attractions. Whether racing down the waterslides, sipping a cocktail at the Hideaway Bar, or singing along to the tunes at Dueling Pianos, I never ran out of ways to have fun aboard the ship.
Sure, the price was high, but it included a lot in the fare. With high-quality entertainment, an entire waterpark, and over a dozen complimentary restaurants, you don’t need to spend extra to have an amazing time onboard.
My four days onboard passed by way too quickly, and I’m already counting down the days until I can sail on the next Icon Class ship when she launches next year.
Jenna DeLaurentis
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while in port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea.
