Royal Caribbean has always distinguished itself by leading the cruise industry in terms of innovation. While other companies attempt to replicate concepts like the famous Oasis class, Royal is moving forward with the upcoming Icon class, which we saw announced a few months ago and has been taking shape with its first cruise, the Icon of the Seas, set to depart from the United States in 2024. The new Icon of the Seas has not only broken reservation records but also marks a new chapter in the fleet by redesigning onboard spaces, offering new culinary experiences, and becoming a cleaner and more sustainable alternative.
But this isn't the end of it, as Royal has been developing two siblings of the Icon, and we finally know the name of the second one: Star of the Seas. It's still early to know many more details about this new ship, but we do know that it will arrive in the summer of 2025 following the debut of the Icon and the Utopia (Oasis class) in 2024. We also know that the Star of the Seas will continue to be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), the cleaner fossil fuel that cruise lines are opting for, in addition to implementing a significant number of operations to reduce the environmental impact of the ships, which has always been one of the major concerns.
To learn more details, we'll have to wait. However, we can assume that it will feature all the innovations introduced by the Icon of the Seas, such as the new AquaDome (the glass dome at the bow where the AquaTheater is located, the place where Royal will once again amaze us with aquatic shows); more leisure activities like new pools and slides; returning spaces like the Royal Promenade or Central Park but with more ocean views and new spaces for relaxation and culinary enjoyment; or some of the new neighborhoods like Surfside (dedicated to families) and new cabin types.
Here's a video about the Icon class (Spanish):
As for the itinerary, we don't know anything yet, but I have hopes that after launching the Icon and the Utopia in the United States, the new Star of the Seas might offer some Mediterranean experiences (or at least that's what I would like!).