Everything You Can Expect on Royal Caribbean’s New Star of the Seas

Royal Caribbean is just a few months away from unveiling its second entry into the Icon Class of ships, the Star of the Seas, which is set to make its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, in August 2025. Families, couples, and groups can enjoy new experiences and returning favorites in entertainment, dining, and nightlife on the second ship in the Icon Class. Let’s look at what we know so far about the ship.

Royal Caribbean Raised the Bar With Star of the Seas

According to Cruise Radio, five iconic air, stage, water, and ice productions are part of the Royal Caribbean entertainment lineup. At the top of the list is “Back to the Future: The Musical,” which will make its cruise line debut on Star of the Seas and includes live music, dancing, and visual effects. Other new plays include “Pirates & Mermaids,” a family-friendly AquaTheater production that combines humor, dance, and diving, and “Create,” a Royal Theater production about a robot named KRE-8.

Additionally, the AquaTheater will present the stunt show “Torque,” and the Absolute Zero ice arena will debut “SOL,” a visual extravaganza with a sun theme. The Attic for comedy, Dueling Pianos, and the outdoor Bubbles bar in Central Park are just a few of the nightlife options available onboard in the evenings.

Royal Caribbean has also expanded its dining selections. Three new food kiosks, offering South American street cuisine, Southeast Asian specialties, and barbecue, have been added to the AquaDome Market.

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Windjammer, the fleet’s largest buffet, and Surfside Eatery offer casual fare. Lincoln Park Supper Club, a brand-new location, provides a jazz-inspired dinner show experience with 1930s Chicago-inspired beverages and food.

During her seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, Star of the Seas will make calls at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Additionally, Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island will be included in itineraries starting in December 2025.

Icon of the Seas Hit the Ocean in 2024

The other ship in the Royal Caribbean Icon Class, the Icon of the Seas, hit the ocean in January 2024, much to the chagrin of environmentalists.

The ship is enormous, with eight distinct “neighborhoods,” six waterslides, seven swimming pools, and 20 decks. With a capacity of 7,600 people, it is roughly five times larger than the Titanic. The ship weighs 250,800 metric tons and is almost 1,200 feet long from bow to stern, which makes it the world’s largest ship on the ocean, even bigger than Carnival’s upcoming Festivale.

The release of “Icon of the Seas” coincided with an increased desire to travel. However, it has also sparked debates over how large cruise ships affect the environment.

Although it burns cleaner than typical maritime fuels, the ship’s use of liquified natural gas (LNG) raises some environmental issues. LNG contains a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere about 80 times more effectively than carbon dioxide. Addressing our climate catastrophe requires reducing methane emissions.

Last year, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) documented alarming methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships, exceeding current regulation requirements. However, the use of LNG as a maritime fuel is rapidly growing. According to the ICCT, LNG has the potential to produce more than 120% greater greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle than marine gas oil.

According to Royal Caribbean International, every kilowatt of energy consumed on the “Icon of the Seas” is analyzed for energy efficiency and emission savings. However, it is unclear if this will be sufficient to counteract the negative environmental effects of such a large vessel.