Star of the Seas Review: Royal Caribbean’s Grandest Spectacle Yet

Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, the newest in the fleet, officially debuted in August 2025. But even with capacity for more than 7,500 guests (plus 2,300 crew members), the first thing you notice about this massive ship is not its size, it’s the vibrancy.

Every turn reveals another splash of color — a larger-than-life mural, a glittering sculpture, or a playful piece of hallway art — making the ship feel like a floating festival of design across its 20 decks and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.

I was aboard the inaugural sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida, which lasted three nights. That was definitely not enough time to see or do it all. That says a lot, coming from someone who tends to move through my travels at lightning speed and generally hates relaxing.

In terms of what to see, there is something vying for your attention in every corner. You might stumble upon a whimsical ice cream cone statue standing proudly in a corner or wander down a hallway lined with cheeky, unexpected wall art and staircases splashed in bold paint instead of the usual beige. It’s a visual sugar rush that hits harder than the dessert counter at the Windjammer buffet onboard.

I left this ship wanting to come back to do (and see) even more.

Because this was a special preview voyage, Royal Caribbean covered the costs associated with my stay, but that did not influence my thoughts on this ship.

• Best for: Families who want non-stop entertainment, travelers who thrive in big crowds and cruisers who want variety in dining and activities.

• Skip it: Travelers who prefer quiet, small-ship intimacy, have zero interest in water slides or hate navigating a crowd.

• Standout features: Massive water park, whimsical art, top-tier shows, variety of included restaurants and unique stateroom layouts like the Infinite Balcony.

• Potential dealbreakers: Pricey suites, extra fees for many attractions and specialty dining, sensory overload in busy areas.

At 1,196 feet in length (which is almost the same length as the Empire State Building if it were turned on its side), the Star of the Seas is huge. The ship is primarily grouped into one of eight neighborhoods, some of which are more clearly dedicated to different ages or interests than others. They are:

• Surfside: A colorful, open-air neighborhood designed for young families. Highlights include a splash area for kids and a carousel.

• Thrill Island: An outdoor deck featuring the world’s largest water park at sea, the FlowRider surf simulator, an obstacle course, sports courts and mini golf.

• The Hideaway: An adults-only retreat with an infinity pool, whirlpools, lounge seating, and a beach club vibe complete with a DJ and cocktails.

• Chill Island: A sprawling, multi-deck pool zone with four pools and multiple bars (including a swim-up bar).

• AquaDome: The most architecturally impressive neighborhood, consisting of a glass-domed space with panoramic views. Its centerpiece is the high-tech AquaTheater, used for shows.

• Central Park: This lush, open-air garden is lined with restaurants, wine and cocktail bars, live music and romantic stroll-worthy pathways.

• Royal Promenade: This bustling two-deck hub is filled with dining, bars, lounges, shops, entertainment venues and art installations.

• Suite Neighborhood: This VIP enclave is exclusive to suite guests and includes private decks and restaurants.

Though this guide won’t cover everything on the ship, here were the highlights.

Embarkation and first impressions

Boarding was surprisingly quick — about 15 minutes from curb to ship, thanks to Royal Caribbean’s app-based pre-check-in. That efficiency matters on a vessel with the population of a small town.

The first major space you’ll hit is the Royal Promenade, a futuristic, whimsical “town square” style area. It’s home to the crown jewel of the ship’s art pieces: a monumental 45-foot-tall sculpture called The Pearl. This kinetic artwork shimmers like an oversized golf ball sprinkled with glitter.

Then, I headed outside to the Central Park area, which is an outdoor shopping promenade lined with plants — yes, 30,500 real plants. It’s easy to forget you’re at sea when you’re in Central Park.

I stayed in what’s called an Infinite Balcony Cabin, which is not an actual exterior balcony. Instead, it’s got a floor-to-ceiling window that converts into a “balcony” by opening halfway to let in that cool ocean breeze — all at the touch of a button. I actually prefer it to a traditional balcony stateroom because the interior felt more spacious.

Other clever use of space included built-in storage in pretty much every nook and cranny, modern touches like USB-C charging, upgraded lighting and smart TVs. Plus, colorful pillows and upholstery (like a palm tree print pillow) help the room look brighter.

Families seeking more space can opt for larger rooms. The standout of the largest rooms is the Ultimate Family Townhouse — a three-story suite with a slide, cinema room and backyard that sleeps eight. It can cost $75,000 per week. Worth it for ultra-luxury families? Maybe.

For most, interior cabins typically start at less than half the price of a balcony (or infinite balcony). This type of room is the best value if you’ll spend most of your time outside the room anyway.

There are more than 40 places to eat or drink onboard, with a mix of eateries that are included in your cruise fare, plus some specialty dining (which incur an additional fee).

Unlike smaller ships that might only have one or two included restaurants, this one has about 10 included with your fare. You could easily do a three-night (or longer) cruise without feeling like you missed out by skipping the paid restaurants. You’d likely only get bored with the free stuff for sailings longer than five nights.

I am a sucker for a food hall, and I’m increasingly seeing these at sea. (I first fell in love with the cruise food hall concept when I sailed on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Aqua ship.)

Royal Caribbean has built food halls before, but Star of the Seas adds in three new stalls which all happened to be my favorites in the AquaDome Market. Menu items include:

• Barbecue staples such as pulled pork and beef brisket.

• Southeast Asian classics like pad thai and beef panag.

• South American staples like empanadas and arepas.

Then there’s the Windjammer main buffet — the largest in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

It’s also the most aesthetically pleasing of any Windjammer. Whereas versions of Windjammer on other ships offer weak theming, this one is beautiful to relax in. Even the handwashing stations are cute.

It’s a good dining option to get pretty much any type of food you want, whether that’s a fresh salad with raw veggies and grilled chicken or a practically endless array of pastries.

For a sit-down meal, the main dining room is exceptionally swanky. It’s three stories, which makes for an airy feel.

If you’re interested in some of the ship’s specialty restaurants (which usually incur an extra fee), here were the standouts from my sailing that felt memorable and worth the price.

This restaurant serves California coast-style food, including Baja fish tacos and crunchy mango lime shrimp tostadas. The vibes were bright and airy, and the fish was higher-quality than what you’ll find in the main dining hall.

This is a reservation-only fine dining experience with a multi-course tasting menu and live jazz. I’d definitely book this for an adults-only date night on a longer cruise.

This is dinner and a show rolled into one. My chef was part magician, part stand-up comic — flipping knives, tossing eggs for people to catch in their mouths and keeping the whole table laughing.

As with most ships, drinks come at an extra cost. On Royal Caribbean, the drinks feel unique and cleverly curated.

As a sucker for an espresso martini, my favorites were the coffee-infused cocktails at a bar called Rye & Bean. Other highlights included bubbly anything at a bar appropriately called Bubbles.

And for bars that blend entertainment, Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues and the dueling piano bar (which are found on many Royal Caribbean ships in the fleet) also were highlights.

Many of the ship’s neighborhoods are kid-friendly, and they’re all ultra-colorful. It almost feels like the same people who designed Mickey’s Toontown at Disney theme parks moonlit on this ship.

The Surfside neighborhood is a kid-focused area with a small splash area, slides, a carousel (with fun animals to ride including…a pineapple?).

It’s the spot where younger kids would hang out — or kids of all ages seeking Instagram content. This area has the biggest, boldest visuals, with bright colors like pinks and purples.

There’s also an arcade here, though games cost extra.

Thrill Island is better for older kids and thrill-seeking adults. Highlights include a ropes course called Crown’s Edge. It’s a white-knuckle, don’t-look-down kind of experience as it literally swings you over the ocean.

Category 6 is the largest water park at sea, with multiple slides including a raft ride and a mat racing ride.

It also includes the return of a favorite attraction on many other Royal Caribbean ships, the FlowRider surf simulator.

The area also has a few other activity areas like a multi-purpose sports court, rock wall and mini golf.

The kids’ club, called Adventure Ocean, is huge, made up of multiple rooms mostly divided by age group.

Its theater was the most beautiful cruise ship theater I’ve seen, resembling a forest hideaway complete with twinkling lights built into the ceiling.

I tried one of the workshops at the kids club and got a kick out of it. The workshop had STEM-focused activities, like building blocks of all kinds for different age groups. There were plenty of games, including foosball and an interactive, digital game table. I didn’t stick around as I am 33 going on 13, but I can easily see kids not wanting to leave.

There are pockets of calm throughout the ship, but true tranquility seekers will still find the ship’s energy relentless.

The Hideaway is an adults-only infinity pool with DJ beats and Ibiza vibes. On the other side of the ship, there’s another pool area for ages 16+ called Cloud 17.

In the Aquadome, there are “Overlook Pods,” special lounge chairs. It’s my favorite spot on the ship to sit, sip a coffee cocktail from Rye & Bean and watch the waves.

The Vitality Spa & Fitness Center is two stories with Peloton bikes, a group fitness studio and a jogging track. The cardio machines had portholes instead of sweeping ocean views, which was a slight letdown.

Fares for Star of the Seas vary wildly depending on itinerary and stateroom type.

At time of writing, a 7-night sailing in a standard balcony cabin starts around $2,400 per person (assuming two adults per cabin), while suites can command $10,000 or more and that’s not including add-ons like drinks packages, Wi-Fi or specialty dining. Budget travelers could opt for an Interior room for about $1,200 per person.

That’s about the same as the Icon of the Seas, its sister ship that debuted in 2024. Though, it can easily cost more than double the price of one of Royal Caribbean’s older ships, like the Ovation of the Seas.

But none of that is a bad deal. $1,200 across seven nights is less than $200 per day, and that includes your lodging, meals and activities.

Sure, there are certain activities and meals for an upcharge, but it’s easy to skip them. And everything from the food to design to entertainment is high quality on this ship. What’s more, this ship has far more to do than any of Royal Caribbean’s other ships.

Often the best deals are posted directly on Royal Caribbean’s website, though sometimes authorized third-party travel agencies like Undercover Tourist offer deeper discounts. It’s also available to book on points with certain credit card travel portals.

Star of the Seas: Is it worth it?

Star of the Seas is colorful, maximalist and unapologetically showy. If you love the immersive feel and scale of a theme park, you’ll feel right at home here. It’s a place where grandparents can relax in Central Park while the kids hit the splash zones and the adults rally for dueling pianos at night.

Bring your appetite, your camera roll and maybe a second pair of shoes, because you’re going to want to see it all.

(Top photo by Sally French)