Find out what it's really like to sail on the largest cruise ship in the world
When I was first invited as an editor of this website on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, one of the two largest cruise ships in the world, I didn’t immediately RSVP yes. While some may think that’s crazy—who wouldn’t want to go on an all-expenses-paid cruise?—I was worried about sailing on a 2,805-cabin ship that can hold up to 5,610 passengers. Would I spend half my time trying to find my way back to my cabin? Would my feet ache from all those extra steps? How could food for that many people possibly be edible, much less any good? And my kids worried that, like that other cruise ship that was once the world’s biggest, the Titanic, it might hit an iceberg and sink. (Not likely in the Caribbean, thank goodness!)
But my family is an adventurous bunch, and I liked the idea that there was a kids club and ample entertainment that would likely keep my two preteen kiddos happily occupied. Plus, I had read glowing reviews of Star’s sister ship, Icon of the Seas, which launched in early 2024. So I signed us up for the three-night sailing in August out of Port Canaveral, Florida.
Read on to find out which parts of Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas left us breathless and what could be improved upon to see if it might be the right choice for your next vacation.
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How was sailing on such a large ship?
Before I go into what we loved, I want to answer one of the top questions I get asked about Star of the Seas: Is it hard to find your way around on board? I get it. That was one of my top concerns too, as I pictured myself walking down an endless hallway a la The Shining. But the ship is so well designed that even my directionally challenged hubby never got lost, hand to God.
For starters, Star of the Seas is divided into neighborhoods. Those include Surfside for younger kids, which has a splash pad and carousel; the open-air Central Park, with its sophisticated eateries and lush greenery (34,000 live plants!); and the grande dame of them all, the Royal Promenade centered on The Pearl, a three-deck-high Instagrammable “pearl.” The areas are so different and instantly identifiable, it leaves no doubt as to your location.
The key, though, for me was that the eco-efficient elevators are alphabetically labeled. I always knew how to find our cabin because once I reached the ninth deck, I turned toward elevator J, no matter which bank I used. Genius!
Another directional clue on our deck was the artwork. The ship is home to 15,000 unique pieces of artwork, including murals, paintings, sculptures and photos. For me, this meant that when I saw a photo of a neon pink Walkman, I knew I was almost back to our cabin.
What wowed me on Star of the Seas?
There really is so much to do and see on this Royal Caribbean mega ship. We never got bored once, even on our full day at sea.
Endless and amazing activities
One of the top ways Star of the Seas truly shines is in activities—there’s way more than we could have possibly done on our three-day sailing.
Waterslides galore
Star is home to a whopping six waterslides, a mini golf course, rock climbing, pickleball courts and so much more. My 10-year-old daughter has never met a waterslide she didn’t like, so on our at-sea days, you would find us on Deck 20, careening down the slides. There was never much of a line for any of them, perhaps because there are so many other entertaining options.
Zip-line off the ship
One of the marquee activities is the Crown’s Edge zip line, which extends out over the ship, 154 feet above the water. Both my husband and I signed up for it. This might sound like bravado, but it wasn’t that scary. Yes, looking down and seeing the Caribbean Sea instead of the ship’s deck did make my pulse race. But the experience was so quick, I didn’t have time to get scared. And for that, I’m grateful.
Lounges and the kids club for every age group
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As a family, we spent an afternoon (and at least part of all three evenings) at the Spotlight Karaoke bar. Family karaoke is limited to the daytime, which is just as well since it meant fewer people had to suffer through my daughter and I singing an off-key version of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong to Me.” In the evening, the level of talent is seriously upgraded with amateur crooners (all passengers) taking their turns belting out well-known ballads to the supportive and welcoming crowd.
My kids spent an afternoon at the Adventure Ocean kids club. At 12, my son is at the top of the age limit, but he and my daughter enjoyed playing video games and making crafts.
High-energy shows and nightly entertainment
The fun on Royal Caribbean doesn’t end when the sun goes down, thanks to these shows and entertainment options.
High-voltage “stage” productions
I was a little skeptical when I first heard about SOL, the ice-skating dance show that’s put on nightly at the ship’s ice-skating rink. Would it be a snoozy set of ice dancing? It didn’t take long for me to realize this was definitely not the Ice Capades show of my youth. It was a fast-paced virtual tour around the United States, starting in Miami with salsa-dancing skaters in the morning and ending in SoCal with ice skaters doing skateboarder-esque, daredevil jumps on a half-pipe—I still haven’t exhaled! (P.S. Yes, you can skate on the rink during the day when rental skates are complimentary.)
We also took in Torque, a hard-core diving show. Yes, you read that right. The show features divers and swimmers putting on death-defying feats set to heavy metal. Surprisingly, it really works, though you may want to bring earplugs if you’re sensitive to noise.
We didn’t have time to see the Back to the Future musical, but I would certainly make time for it on a subsequent sailing.
Discos and more for every taste
We were also huge fans of the nightly pop-up entertainment. The first night of our sailing featured a midnight balloon drop, and the second was a ’90s hip-hop party. But our favorite of all was the silent disco party on the third and final night. Guests are given cordless headphones and can switch between three DJs, playing Latin beats, pop or hip-hop, to find a song they can groove to. It’s freeing to do your own thing on the dance floor, and I haven’t boogied so much in ages! My son was a huge fan of the experience and was drenched with sweat by the end of the evening.
Perfect Day at Coco Cay
Our itinerary included a visit to its original Perfect Day at Coco Cay in the Bahamas. Now, if you’re going to give a destination such a lofty name, it better live up to expectations—and I’m here to tell you that it did!
The island is divided into two parts, Thrills and Chills. My 10-year-old daughter is a waterslide aficionado, and my 12-year-old son is a wave-pool devotee, so it’s no surprise that we spent the bulk of our day at Thrill Water Park.
Thrills at the water park
The water park is home to 13 waterslides, ranging from racing rafts, float rides built for four and a 135-foot-tall waterslide. While we did not go on all of them, I’m proud to say that according to my Apple Watch, I did walk up 34 flights of stairs that day!
You’ll also find zip lines, splash pads and the aforementioned wave pool here.
To keep the water park from getting too crowded, passes are required for entrance.
Beachside chills
My daughter and I also ventured into the chill side of the island. We stopped by Oasis Lagoon for frozen drinks at the swim-up bar before venturing to the beach. You can’t visit the Bahamas without a dip in the Caribbean, after all.
I never did make it to Hideaway, the adults-only beach club, as I was with my kids, but I heard it was nice!
Surprises galore
One of the things I loved the most about Star of the Seas is that there’s a surprising detail at nearly every turn. That includes playful sculptures of a melting, dropped ice cream cone and another one of a giant set of three dice.
Best of all was the nightly roving piano player. We first came across him IN the elevator, playing—what else?—”Piano Man.” Everyone who encountered the steampunk-styled piano player reacted with sheer delight. Nice touch, Royal Caribbean!
What could have been better?
While the food and food choices on Star of the Seas are plentiful, it was one of the ship’s weaker points in my experience. We ate most of our meals, including all our breakfasts, some lunches and even one dinner, in the Windjammer Buffet. For breakfast, I enjoyed avocado toast, while my husband had made-to-order omelets, and my kids ate more pastries than I would have liked. For lunch, there were endless salad options, plus sandwiches and chicken tenders, while dinner saw the same salads and a carving station. The food was … what you would expect on a ship of this size.
We ate in the main dining room only one night, which was the right call for us. My jerk-encrusted pork chop was well done and served with brown rice, brown bread and a brown sauce, which made for one very brown plate.
I did enjoy the many smaller dining options, including the Aquadome Market, which is like a fancy food court with options for ethnic cuisine. The pad Thai at Mai Thai was my family’s favorite. For late-night snacks, we appreciated Sorrento’s, a 24-hour pizza place, located directly across from the karaoke bar in the Royal Promenade. While it wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever had, it hit the spot for those late-night munchies.
Star offers 12 specialty dining eateries, including Izumi and Lincoln Park Supper Club, for a surcharge. But alas, we were not able to score a reservation on our sailing.
Would I recommend it?
Definitely! Would I pick it over a beach vacation or other trip? Possibly. It would depend on what I was in the mood for. It was amazing to have so much to choose from, and we didn’t have to plan our days in advance. Still, it can be exhausting to have that much fun and be surrounded by that many people all the time.
Star of the Seas is an excellent vacation option for families with kids of all ages. It’s also the right kind of trip for folks who don’t like to plan every aspect of their vacation in advance and for anyone who likes a lot of activities. I even recommended it to my 80-year-old mom. I could see people her age appreciating hitting many different ports without the challenge of traveling to an airport or new hotel.
For more information or to book a cruise, visit RoyalCaribbean.com.
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