Royal Caribbean is one of the most well-known—and well-loved—cruise operators worldwide. The cruise line is notorious for its large ships, lively entertainment and family-friendly activities, which make for a high-energy vacation that will never leave you bored. With the debut of the Icon Class of ships in early 2024, Royal Caribbean upped its game even further. The Icon of the Seas was met with wonder, as it was larger and grander than any other ship.
And yet, the cruise line recently topped even that: The Star of the Seasjust set sail in August of 2025, making it the largest cruise ship at sea. With over 40 dining options, Broadway-level entertainment and a Category 6 waterpark as the cherry on top (literally, on top), the Star of the Seas claims to provide thrills, chills and wows to satisfy every type of passenger. We got a seat (or should we say, stateroom) on board to experience one of the ship’s first sailings, and it’s safe to say we were thoroughly thrilled, chilled and wowed by the time we disembarked.
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The Ship’s 20 Passenger Decks
Having never been on a cruise before, this ship blew us away from the moment we stepped on. Sure, you see cruise ships from afar while they are docked at ports here and there, but the size of one—especially this one—can only truly be grasped once you’re on board. The ship has 20 passenger decks to explore. Deck 5, the main floor from which we boarded and disembarked, felt like the lobby of a Vegas hotel—but make it family-friendly. One thing that stood out to us from the get-go was the open concept of the ship; many levels are viewable from the decks above or below, which makes the space and opportunities feel endless. Restaurants, bars, cafes and luxury shopping all welcome you in with open, doorless floor plans.
We were excited to check out the top decks, with their open-air pools and the highly anticipated waterpark, but we definitely didn’t expect to find an entire park in the middle of the boat. On Deck 8, you’ll enter into the outdoor “Central Park,” complete with tree-lined paths and park benches. Our stateroom was on this deck, and we were surprised by how much we appreciated walking out into the open air every morning and grabbing a coffee at the Park Cafe (psst: the self-serve coffee dispenser is motion-sensored). A jazz bar, a garden-wrapped walk-up bar, a champagne counter and a specialty Japanese restaurant (with an ice cream window) can also be found in the park.
Endless Dining Options
With over 40 dining options from grab-and-go cafes and markets to formal dining rooms and specialty restaurants, you will not go hungry on board. We enjoyed the Windjammer Buffet for both breakfast and lunch, as the two mealtimes offer different food options. The buffet was bigger than we expected, with many different areas organized by category of food and/or cuisine. We did enjoy the breakfast food more than the lunch offerings, which wasn’t a problem for us as there were so many other mid-day dining options available. During both visits, the dessert table was, of course, our favorite part; who can resist perfectly displayed cakes and pastries free for the taking?
Another dining area we frequented is the Aquadome Market. This market has five different food counters, from Mexican to Thai. We enjoyed the lemongrass chicken and pad thai probably more times than is acceptable in three days, and we were also impressed by the brisket and mac and cheese from the barbecue counter.
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Guests are given a key card that acts as their room key and ticket to many pre-booked activities; you’ll find your dining time and table number for the formal dining room on the card, too. You are free to visit the dining room for dinner at your allotted time any day of your cruise. We only made it once, as we had too many places to try in three short days, but we were equally impressed with the food and the service. The French onion soup was quite good, and the spring pea risotto was fresh yet filling. We welcomed the slightly elevated feel of the dining experience as a change to the more casual meals we enjoyed throughout our days.
Other honorable mentions include El Loco Fresh, the poolside, self-serve Mexican spot on Deck 15, and Sorrento’s Pizza on Deck 5, a grab-and-go joint that serves pizza by the slice and is open past midnight.
The Staterooms
As first-time cruise passengers, we were curious to check out our stateroom, as we’d heard mixed reviews of the average cruise ship room from friends. Our room, while small at first glance, was exceptionally functional, and we never felt cramped. Royal Caribbean clearly knows what it’s doing when it comes to room design; there is ample storage and closet space for the modest room size, so you can comfortably unpack and store all your belongings and luggage. We used both the couch and desk area every day, too. Our bed was very comfortable, but the best part was waking up to the sunrise view out of our balcony doors every morning.
The bathroom followed the same small-but-functional style, and it had better-than-average lighting. Our bathroom only came with bar soap and a 2-in-1 body wash and shampoo product, so bring your own toiletries if you’re picky.
The Chills
The Star of the Seas has seven different pools. There’s an infinity kiddie pool for families with littles who still want to enjoy the ocean views, and there’s an adults-only infinity pool with a beautiful bar located conveniently next to it. The Hideaway Pool was the most obviously glamorous pool on the ship, but we equally enjoyed Swim & Tonic, the swim-up bar pool, and the in-water loungers at the Cove Pool. One thing that really impressed us was that for a ship so big, with so many passengers, the pools never felt too crowded, and we always managed to find a spot to hangout or a lounge chair to relax on.
The Fitness Center can be found on Deck 5. Ever wanted to walk on the treadmill while staring out at the open ocean? Your chance lies here. There was plenty of equipment, complimentary towels and even a partially outdoor walking/running track just outside the gym.
The Thrills and Wows
While the ship is definitely family-friendly, we found there to be a good balance of activities for adults and kids. The shows, some of which include Back to the Future: The Musical and H2WHOA!, were entertaining for guests of all ages. We do suggest booking seats in advance, as they filled up quickly.
Deck 7 is home to the Surfside neighborhood, which is targeted to kids. The carousel, climbing structures, arcade and kids-meal approved dining options will keep kids of all ages entertained and happy. And we can’t forget the waterpark—the largest one at sea! Drop slides will suit the adrenaline-junkies, and multi-person or single-rider tube slides provide the same fun for those more risk-averse (like us).
For adults, Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues bar in Central Park is a great place to grab a drink and enjoy live jazz music. The Dueling Pianos bar also got rave reviews, though we didn’t get a chance to experience it for ourselves. Even on our short sailing, there were themed parties held nightly on Deck 5, where people would gather dressed on-theme to mingle and dance.
Why We’d Get Right Back On the Star of the Seas
We were definitely spoiled by our first cruise. In fact, we weren’t necessarily interested in this type of vacatiom before sailing on the Star of the Seas, but we were instant cruise converts. The ship eased all of our preconceived notions (seasickness? Not a bit. Cabin fever? The opposite; we wanted to stay!) while suprising us on the daily. It felt like we’d never run out of areas to explore, places to eat or things to do. We’d get back on in a heartbeat.
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