The Getaway Expert: 'What it was like on board the world's newest biggest cruise ship Star of the Seas'

So I get a call from 9Travel Editor, Kristine, asking "how would you like to fly to Florida and do a preview of the world's largest cruise ship Star of the Seas?" Love to.

"Great, I need a thousand words." 

A thousand words. My first thought is that's really going to cut into my chill time on board. 

So, at 9am on Day One I send through the photo below. We all know what a picture's worth…? It covers all the features of the ship: food, drink, activities, entertainment etc.

Job done. Apparently not. I get a note back saying if it's not too much trouble could I actually add a few words of elaboration. So, here we go.

I'm going to get through the stats first. The second of Royal Caribbean's Icon class ships, the largest in the world, making it a sister to Icon of the Seas.

READ MORE: Disney Cruise Line hints it may return to Australia

The ship is 364 metres long, so nearly four football fields, 2,805 rooms accommodating 5,610 guests at double occupancy, 20 decks, 40 drink and dining options and the world's largest water park at sea. There's more but you get the idea.

The stats are off the charts and the list of attractions is overwhelming, but they aren't what make a great experience. 

If the food is bad and the service is terrible and the vibe is off it won't matter if it's the biggest waterpark at sea or the 15th.

So, is Star of the Seas a great experience? Let's break it down.

Food

This has to be good. And on Star of the Seas it is.  There are 11 complimentary restaurants or cafes - 12 if you include 24 hour room service.

There are also 11 specialty restaurants if you want to pay extra for a special night out. I had a steak at Chops Grille which was as good as I've had anywhere. 

But let's start with breakfast. I went to the three-level complimentary Dining Room on the first day expecting to compete with thousands of people at the buffet. Not so.

I was escorted to a window table with a starched white table cloth and ordered off an a la carte menu. Eggs, pancakes, pastries, cereals, fruit and beverages. Really tasteful surroundings with friendly, attentive service.

READ MORE: Five British beauty spots to visit that are not the Cotswolds

The Dining Room is also available for lunch and dinner. Now, if you do prefer a buffet they have that, too.

Windjammers is the signature buffet on all Royal Caribbean ships. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Huge variety for those not wanting to be restrained by a la carte.

Then there are the smaller dining options scattered around the ship like the 24 hour Pearl Cafe plus Mexican and pizza options, the Aquadome food hall and the family friendly Surfside Eatery.

[Note to self: Let's keep this moving along. Got pickleball in 10 minutes]

READ MORE: Island escape just 20 minutes off the Queensland coast,

Drink   

This is where it can get expensive. There is no alcohol included in the price of your cruise. You can pay as you go but if you're planning to go hard or go home the best value is buying a drinks package.

There are three of them from a basic soft drink option through to the Deluxe Beverage Package which gives you unlimited beer, spirits, cocktails and wine by the glass. (Deluxe Beverage Package: $US56 to $US105 per person, per day depending on the ship and trip)

There are 25 bars to work your way through. Some more chill, some more boisterous. The most fun one in my opinion is Duelling Pianos with two pianists going head-to-head on baby grands with audience requests and singalongs.

But probably my favourite spot on the whole ship is The Overlook, a giant observation dome with a lounge and bar, at the back of the ship. 

Activities

Best start with the dominating feature of the ship - the Category 6 waterpark with six waterslides. An amazing labyrinth of thrills and spills. There's also a junior version for littler kids called Splashaway Bay.

There are seven pools - two adults only including Swim & Tonic the largest swim up bar at sea. After that if it bounces, splashes or thrills they've got it. 

My pick would be the adrenaline ride called Crown's Edge which takes you out over the edge of the ship. It's a combination ropes course, zipline, and skywalk and features a collapsing platform for a fear-inducing drop.

I was too chicken to do it but the brave ones who did seemed to love it. 

Entertainment

The highlight of the entertainment offerings on board is a full-scale Broadway production of Back To The Future: The Musical. Cast of 29 plus the world's largest orchestra on the ocean - 16 musicians.

There's also an amazing ice show called Sol and Torque, a stunning aqua production featuring high divers and artistic swimmers including Australian Olympian Rachel Presser.

So, a Broadway musical, an ice extravaganza and a huge water show all on a ship at sea.

There's also the biggest casino I've ever seen on a ship. These are just the highlights of the entertainment onboard, that's not nearly all of it.  

One note of caution. A reservation for a show doesn't guarantee you a seat and I'm speaking from experience. To make sure the crowd is full they open up the performance to non-ticketed people 10 minutes before showtime so make sure you get there 15 minutes early. 

One nifty innovation that definitely helps when everyone piles out of a show like Back to the Future is the lift technology.

With a thousand people exiting all at once instead of someone pressing UP and everyone jostling to get into the lift, you press the floor you want and people are dispersed through a bank of 10 elevators based on their destination.

This system applies right through the ship so you rarely have to wait for a lift or fight to get in one.

[Note to self: Those chicken wings won't eat themselves] 

Perfect Day at Coco Cay

That is the name of Royal Caribbean's Private Island in the Bahamas for exclusive use by RC passengers. All Star of The Seas sailings whether Eastern or Western Caribbean will include a stop here.

It's a kind of a land-based extension of the ship with pools and water slides but with the added attraction of an adults-only Beach Club and South Beach which is a fantastic family option.

Plus there's a tethered balloon ride which gives you a brilliant view of the island.

The cabin

Inside rooms, inside rooms with views over Central Park, outside rooms, rooms with windows, rooms with balconies all up 28 room types including ten suite options. 

I stayed in an Ocean View Balcony which is the largest of the regular rooms. The bed was positioned right beside the big glass doors so a great view when you wake up. I also had a couch, big screen TV and a small but well equipped bathroom. 

I do have one gripe about the rooms - there are no irons or ironing boards, I'm told for safety reasons. They do have a pressing and laundry service which isn't expensive but it would be handy to have your own iron.

Who's it aimed at?

Although anyone could have a great time on this ship: singles, couples or families there's no doubt the key target market is families.

The obvious give away is the giant water park but the big winner for me is one of the eight neighbourhoods on the ship that is specifically designed for young families. Surfside.

This has Splashaway Bay, a playground, a carousel, family restaurants, a games arcade, candy shop and soft serve ice cream station.

You could happily base yourself here for the duration and the kids would never get bored.  

So, should you go?

Star of the Seas is not coming to Australia. Not any time soon. Currently no Australian port can accommodate it. Even the Sydney International Passenger Terminal at 280 metres long is 85 metres too short for the Star of the Seas to dock.   

So you have to go to it. And that means Port Canaveral in Florida where it will be based for at least the next two cruising seasons taking mostly seven day cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

If it was in Australian waters I would say don't hesitate. Book right away. The experience lives up to the hype and that's not something I can say very often, especially when the hype is as massive as it is with this.

But in this case it means flying to Orlando to join the ship and that requires a bit more thought. I flew from Sydney and it was 25 hours including a layover in LA. So there's that.

Also the cruises are designed for the US market and their limited annual leave so, as mentioned, cruises are a maximum of seven days. You don't really want to fly 24 hours each way and stay for seven nights.

So, here's what I suggest. Fortunately, Orlando is one big family destination so the family cruise fits right in. 

I would make the cruise the centrepiece of a two-week Orlando holiday and build around it a trip to Disney World (three days at least) and Universal Orlando Resort which features The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter. If there are any space nerds in the family the Kennedy Space Centre is a great day out, so I'd throw that in.

I've been to Disney World and Universal and Kennedy and have now done the cruise so I can say with some authority that packaging up a trip like this would give you an unforgettable family experience.

One last thing

Final word to the doubters (and I have been one of them) who are sceptical of cruising on a ship this size with 5600 people. I had at least two people say to me dismissively before I left: "Aren't these big ships just like floating RSLs?"

All I can say to that now that I've been on an Icon class ship is - they wish. If you can find an RSL that matches up to Star of the Seas sign me up.

The floating RSL stigma goes back to the Fairstar-era in Australia and having been on both I can say the term is dated and totally inapplicable in this case.

So, do some Googling of your own. Check out the Royal Caribbean website for the prices and complete list of attractions, check your calendar, check your bank balance and if the holidays gods align Bon Voyage!

[Note to self: Now, where did I put that margarita?] 

John Walsh travelled as a guest of Royal Caribbean.

John was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.

Explore some of John's articles below:

READ MORE: 'One of the world's best kept secrets': Travel expert's top 10 destinations of all time

READ MORE: Travel expert reveals the 'ABC' of a cheap holiday in Hawaii

READ MORE: This day hotel hack could save you hours and hours of waiting

READ MORE: 'I can't believe this country's most beautiful island is also the least visited'

View gallery

Private islands and exclusive destinations you can visit on cruises