Coming summer 2025, Royal Caribbean’s third-in-line new ship, Star of the Seas, today is officially on sale. Bookings are expected to break records, as did those of Icon of the Seas when it went on sale in 2022.
The icon-class beauty will sail seven-night itineraries from Port Canaveral (Orlando) alternating to the eastern and western Caribbean—including Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Roatan, Honduras; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay Its inaugural cruise will sail on August 24, 2025.
By the time the ship sails, CocoCay will offer its newest attraction, its first adults-only oasis, Hideaway Beach (opening January 2024), with a private beach, pools and cabanas.
The first Icon-class ship, Icon of the Seas, will debut in January 2024. In a hint at what’s to come on Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean said there will be a beach retreat, a resort escape and a theme park adventure, across eight neighborhoods including Thrill Island, Chill Island, AquaDome and the popular open-air Central Park. There also will be four signature stages – air, ice, water and theater – and a lineup of activities for adults, kids, and teens.
There also will be cutting-edge entertainment, including a towering waterfall in the AquaDome, skaters performing against a digital backdrop in Absolute Zero, and Broadway shows on the main stage.
Other Icon-Class highlights on Star will be the Category 6 waterpark, with six waterslides, and Crown’s Edge “part skywalk, part ropes course and part thrill ride.” There will be seven pools, including a swim-up bar and a one-of-a-kind infinity pool suspended 135 feet above the ocean. The Surfside neighborhood is being designed for young families, with “new experiences that will be revealed at a later date.”
As far as design, Star of the Seas is expected to look much like its sister, Icon of the Seas—currently the largest cruise ship in the world. With 20 decks and 2,805 staterooms, it holds 7,600 guests and 2,305 crew. Star’s Orlando-based itineraries will provide an alternative to Miami-based Icon.
