I was one of the first on Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship-everything you need to know

From the minute you walk on board Star of the Seas, you know you're in for a full-blown, technicolour, all-singing, all-dancing holiday experience. There's a constant state of exuberance that can be quite overwhelming for the uninitiated, but once you're a Royal Caribbean fan, they've got you for life.

Star of the Seas is 1,196ft long-that's 364 metres-and 20 decks tall, with 18 guest decks for a maximum of 5,610 passengers and two decks for 2,350 international crew. Fittingly, for a Star ship, American astronaut Kellie Gerardi agreed to be godmother after superstar Diana Ross had to pull out from the August 31 maiden voyage.

What's it like on board?

At the heart of the ship is Royal Promenade-as on all Royal Caribbean ships-and this is where you'll find the liveliest bars and a variety of free cafes and restaurants, as well as high-end retail therapy-mostly jewellery and watches.

During the day, the ship's equivalent of a central atrium is comfortably busy, but once the sun sets, it's party time every night-and on this new Icon class ship, it's twice the size of those in the rest of the fleet.

The top five decks-from deck 15 up-are full of larger-than-life leisure activities-seven pools including the largest pool at sea and the largest swim-up bar at sea - a waterpark with six record-breaking waterslides, FlowRider surfing, zip wire, a ropes course, rock climbing, mini-golf... all in Caribbean-style settings with equally colourful bars and eating opportunities. It's the American dream!

There are also a few quieter areas, notably Central Park-another fixture of Royal Caribbean ships since Oasis of the Seas back in 2009-where you can sit among real plants, shrubs, and trees outside a cafe or bar and enjoy the peace and quiet.

New for Icon class ships is the other chill-out spot, The Overlook, a gorgeous lounge and bar with a more Ibezan vibe-stylish sofas, day beds and Overlook Pods. These are treehouse-like raised decks near the Overlook bar where you can sit back and gaze out to sea through two levels of floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows.

The WOW factor

As fantastic as the colourful Caribbean-style leisure facilities are, the WOW factor has to be Star's excellent evening entertainment, particularly its virtually full-length version of Back To The Future-a show that's taken several years to adapt for Royal Caribbean following its short pre-Covid run in Manchester and the success it's had in London's West End. It's a technical masterpiece with a "flying" DeLorean car.

Torque is the new high-energy production for Star's AquaDome, where divers-some at Olympic level-throw themselves from impossibly high boards into a small pool just 14ft deep in a mesmerising production based on the force that creates rotation-in other words, torque.

There's also an incredible new ice skating show-Sol-featuring World Championship skaters in a story that follows the sun from Miami to Santa Monica and ends with crazy stunt skating that is real heart-in-your-mouth stuff.

Cabins

Suites include Junior, Family, Lofts, and the amazing Ultimate Family Townhouse-which is three decks tall and all primary colours, with musical stairs and a slide for quickly getting downstairs. Depending on the cruise, it can easily cost $70,000 for a week.

Most people will opt for an inside, ocean view, or balcony stateroom, though, and these are a soothing mix of sea blue and sandy beige, which is a relief after the technicolour dream of the ship's massive range of outdoor entertainment, bars, and cafes on the upper decks.

All have a king-sized bed-or twin singles if preferred-and some have an additional sofa bed, although suites have multiple configurations. There are no solo cabins.

Most staterooms only have one wardrobe, but there are plenty of drawers, and with Star's hot weather destinations and laid-back dress codes, you don't need to bring too much.

There's also a TV with news and sports channels, films, ship information and your account. Most cabins should also have a fridge.

Balcony cabins vary - some are traditional while others are Infinite Ocean View Balcony rooms that have extra living space and a floor-to-ceiling window that drops down to create a half-open window at the touch of a button.

You'll need to pack a plug adapter for laptops, but all cabins have several USB ports of both sizes for charging your phone, and there's a hairdryer in the cabin. Some also have tea and coffee-making facilities.

Dining

The most important new speciality dining destination is Lincoln Park Supper Club, which offers a menu of eight courses paired with eight cocktails and Chicago-themed songs for $200 a head plus 18 per cent gratuities. Icon's Empire Supper Club is similar but features a New York-themed menu and songs.

Three grab-and-go counters in Aquadome Market, a food hall concept first introduced on Icon, are new for complimentary dining.

The five food stalls now include Pig Out BBQ, which serves pulled pork in a bun, Mai Thai for noodles, and La Cocinita for Latin American empanadas. They retain Crème de la Crepe and Feta Mediterranean from Icon.

There are 13 complimentary restaurants and snack bars and 14 speciality restaurants, the same as on sister ship Icon of the Seas.

Cardiff-born CEO Michael Bayley says his favourite onboard restaurant is Chops-a surf-turf speciality restaurant on all Royal Caribbean ships-but he also recommends the burgers from complimentary Basecamp where passengers pass you on the zipwire.

There are too many restaurants to list individually, but other complimentary stand-outs include the spacious Windjammer Marketplace buffet, El Loco Fresh for Mexican favourites, the family-friendly Surfside Eatery, Park Café (great for a quiet breakfast) in Central Park, and Sorrento's for pizza in Royal Promenade Neighbourhood.

There's also the three-deck main Dining Room where the waiter-served three-course meals are excellent.

Lifestyle

It's totally laid-back, fun for all ages, never a dull moment with non-stop entertainment-but with a constant musical soundtrack and party atmosphere that probably won't suit people who prefer quiet sophistication on a cruise.

If you're a party person you'll love it, though, from the Swim & Tonic swim-up bar and adults-only Hideaway pool with a DJ and beach resort atmosphere in Chill Island Neighbourhood, to Frightening Bolt-one of the six Waterpark slides-and the genuinely scary Crown's Edge skywalk and ropes course that leaves you dangling 154ft above the sea in Thrill Island Neighbourhood.

You can calm down later with a cocktail at Royal Promenade's 1400 Lobby Bar, which sells 100 newly designed cocktails to celebrate 50 years of Royal Caribbean shipbuilding innovation.

The 1400 name refers to NB1400, the number given by Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland to the Icon class project. The bar's signature cocktail is a 1400 - a tequila drink that comes with a smoke bubble which bursts when you take your first sip.

After dinner in one of the numerous restaurants, you can go to see Back To The Future, the ice skating show Sol or AquaTheatre's Torque-and there are more shows debuting soon.

Alternatively, Dueling Pianos is fun, Boleros has live Latin music, you can entertain the crowd at Spotlight Karaoke, have a laugh with Royal Comedians at The Attic, or listen to live jazz at Lou's in Central Park-all for free.

All about Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean currently has 28 ships, with more on order, and is the second-biggest cruise line in the world in terms of passenger numbers. Founded in 1968 by three Norwegian shipping companies, it's now based in Miami, Florida, and sails to 300 ports worldwide.

Royal Caribbean bought its first private Caribbean destination in 1990-Little Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, now known as CoCoCay-and also has the small island of Labadee off the coast of Haiti.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau, the Bahamas, joins the company in December 2025, with Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya opening in 2027.

Royal Caribbean has been calling itself a "vacation company" since the arrival of Icon of the Seas, with CEO Michael Bayley saying: "We recognised we were beginning to transition from traditional cruise when we started developing the private destinations and designing ships like Icon.

"We recognised this was a brand new collection of experiences that transcended cruise and moved totally into land-based vacation options."

Star of the Seas is sailing Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral near Orlando, Florida, for the rest of 2025 and into 2026, with itineraries including a day at Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay.

A 7-night Caribbean cruise return from Port Canaveral, departing November 2, 2025, calling at CoCoCay, St Thomas and St Maarten, costs from £1,321 per person, cruise only (royalcaribbean.com)