MIAMI — Royal Caribbean is a veteran in the realm of voyage holidays – and it recently unveiled its new crowning glory.
The Star of the Seas is a 20-deck, 1,196-foot long vessel that accommodates a staggering 5,610 guests at a time – earning it the title of world’s largest cruise ship.
‘The world’s best family vacation turns up the volume on family fun with unbelievable thrills, chill and wows for the whole crew,’ the company proudly states.
The Star of the Seas is a 20-deck, 1,196-foot long vessel that accommodates a staggering 5,610 guests at a time – making it the world’s largest cruise ship
In addition to ‘six record-breaking waterslides and a fear-inducing challenge high,’ the ship also boasts ‘seven unique pools’ and more than ’40 ways to dine and drink’.
Daily Mail was invited aboard for an exclusive three-night preview excursion from Orlando, Florida, to the company’s own resort in the Bahamas ahead of The Star’s official maiden voyage on August 31 – and the new cruise offering was staggering.
Tickets for the seven-night Western Caribbean adventure – beyond its maiden voyage for which prices are inflated – start at $1,272 per person ($2,544 per room) for the most “budget-friendly option.”
The Star (left) protruded high into the skyline in the dock and later comfortably dwarfed one of its sister ships – Symphony of the Seas (right)
The “Interior” room is compact with no window of its own and is not suitable for those who get easily claustrophobic.
However, The Star’s most popular room option is the ‘Balcony’ offering – coming in at $1,514 per person ($3,027 per room) – which offers sweeping views of the ocean for a true experience out at sea.
Various other options are available – all the way through to a luxury $11,926 for a Royal Suite – but every offering appears to have the necessities covered.
The Star is proudly presenting itself as having ‘adventures for all ages.’ Pictured: The Star’s Central Park
But is The Star really worth the price tag?
The most striking thing about Royal Caribbean’s new vessel is its size.
It dominated Port Canaveral in Orlando even before setting sail, with approaching passengers struck by its overwhelming proportions from the outset.
Eateries and bars are also packed on board in abundance with The Star boasting more than 40 across a range of cuisines from American to Thai to Mediterranean. Pictured: Royal Promenade
It protruded high into the skyline and later comfortably dwarfed one of its sister ships – Symphony of the Seas – when docked.
The size – although visually impressive – does have its downsides.
The amount of walking required to navigate from front to back as well as up and down was not lost on passengers.
And the distances, along with the addition of corridors being long and slightly too narrow for maneuvering around each other with ease, left some, including myself, feeling drained.
For example, the walk to the main Dining Hall on Deck 3 from a room on Deck 10 took five minutes (and 19 seconds) from door to door – not exactly grueling but a little impractical.
Casual lift discussions as early as day two heard one passenger joke: ‘My feet are sweating’ and ‘I think I’ve got blisters already.’
There are two lift lobbies – one at either end of the ship – but wait times often proved to be longer than hoped and may only be further delayed when The Star reaches full capacity.
But it isn’t all bad.
The monstrous size does mean there is a lot packed on board to keep almost all passengers busy.
The Star is proudly presenting itself as having ‘adventures for all ages’ as it attempts to keep up with the shift in demographic of cruise passengers, which has evolved in recent years.
While it used to be a market for retired customers (65 years and older), the average age of cruisers was 46.7 in 2018.
And, in an updated report about cruise passenger age groups in 2024, shockingly the largest proportion of customers were aged 20 to 39.
Just 33 percent were over 60 years old, 31 percent were between the ages of 40 and 59, and 36 percent were 39 or under, according to State of the Cruise Industry Report 2025.
Entertainment on The Star is wide ranging and includes a stage show of Back to the Future as well as others featuring magic, comedy, ice skating and aqua stunts.
Despite the latter being plagued with several technical issues before being pulled completely for the evening during the preview voyage, it is clear that Royal Caribbean has spared no expense for all of its on-board performances.
For those who wish to enjoy adventure on their own time, there are several pools, jacuzzis and water slides – as well as a surfing machine, mini golf, games arcade and basketball court to name just a few of the amenities.
One unfortunate realization was the pools are mostly very shallow – or featured sunken bar stools and tables – meaning none were appropriate for anyone hoping to go for a proper swim.
Most were also tightly packed throughout the day and nabbing a sun lounger nearby often took some negotiation – a scene presumably going to get even busier when the ship does reach full capacity.
Finding an appropriate spot to leave valuables or clothes poolside was also tricky and perhaps many would have benefitted from having a bank of lockers near each hotspot rather than the open cubbyholes for shoes and towels.
Eateries and bars are also packed on board in abundance, with The Star boasting more than 40 across a range of cuisines from American to Thai to Mediterranean.
By RAVEN SAUNT/Daily Mail
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