Star Of The Seas Pros and Cons: Who Should Book It?

Book Star of the Seas for its Port Canaveral departure, Back to the Future musical, and family-friendly mix of neighborhoods, shows, and included food.

The tradeoffs are a potentially high total fare, long walks, and busy pool periods, so compare the exact cabin and trip cost with Icon before choosing.

Before booking, browse the ship page, deck plan, and onboard guide so the cabin and activities match your priorities.

If you are choosing between Star and Icon, start here

• Choose Star for: Port Canaveral, Orlando trip combinations, Back to the Future, its specific AquaDome and ice shows, or simply the better fare and cabin.
• Choose Icon for: Miami logistics, Wizard of Oz, or a better itinerary and price on your dates.
• Do not choose based on: the idea that one ship is dramatically more family-friendly than the other. They share the same basic Icon-class DNA.
• Biggest caution: if Category 6 waterslides are the reason you are paying the premium, consider whether the cruise still works if ride availability changes.

Pro: Star may have the stronger entertainment lineup for families with older kids

Back to the Future: The Musical is Star’s clearest answer to Icon’s Wizard of Oz, and it gives the ship an identity that is more than “Icon number two.” The Broadway musical uses the familiar Marty McFly story, effects, music, and large-scale staging in the Royal Theater, and it is one of the strongest shows onboard.

The AquaDome adds Torque and Pirates & Mermaids, while Absolute Zero hosts its own skating productions. That spread matters because a family can watch a Broadway musical one night, high-diving aqua performance the next, and ice show after that without feeling like every venue is offering the same song-and-dance package.

Reserve Back to the Future first if your family cares about it, then Torque or the AquaDome show that best fits your schedule. Entertainment is one of Star’s clearest strengths, and protect those reservations before spending much time optimizing smaller activities.

Pro: Surfside works just as well here, especially with babies and preschoolers

Surfside remains one of the best pieces of family planning Royal Caribbean has ever built. A parent can keep a younger child near splash areas, carousel, casual food, drinks, and kid programming without turning every snack or bathroom break into a half-mile expedition.

Families with different ages can split the day between Surfside and Thrill Island rather than expecting one pool to suit everyone. Agree on meeting places before separating because the two areas are several decks apart.

Children in diapers must use the designated Baby Bay splash area rather than the pools or Splashaway Bay. Check the posted rules before promising a toddler the same water activities as an older sibling.

Pro: Port Canaveral makes Star an easy add-on to an Orlando vacation

Star’s Port Canaveral home is not a tiny deployment detail if you are already bringing children to central Florida. A few theme-park days followed by a seven-night cruise can create one giant vacation without adding another flight between Orlando and Miami.

Build in at least one buffer night if possible because “Disney World until midnight, then board a giant cruise ship tomorrow” is a sentence written by someone who has never met an overtired child. Star is not a recovery retreat unless you actively schedule recovery.

For travelers flying only for the cruise, Port Canaveral also means a longer transfer from Orlando International Airport than Miami’s airport-to-port routine. Factor transportation into the Icon-versus-Star decision instead of comparing fares in isolation.

Pro: the AquaDome is still the best bad-weather insurance on a mega-ship

Star inherits one of Icon’s smartest ideas: an enclosed AquaDome with ocean views, food, seating, and a large performance venue. It gives you an indoor alternative to the Promenade and buffet when rain changes your plans.

AquaDome Market also gives you casual included food in the neighborhood, which helps distribute lunch traffic. The more often your family can eat near where you already are, the less the ship feels like a commute.

Intentionally spend some time there during daylight, not only at showtime. It is one of the few indoor spaces on a mega-ship where you can sit and still feel convincingly connected to the ocean.

Pro and con: Lincoln Park Supper Club is distinctive, but it is a serious dinner commitment

Lincoln Park Supper Club is one of Star’s signature paid experiences, pairing a multi-course meal with live entertainment in a 1930s Chicago-inspired supper-club setting. For adults who enjoy immersive dining, this is a much better reason to spend specialty-dining money than simply ordering another steak somewhere.

Book it for a date night, anniversary, or adult group that actively wants the experience. Skip it for families already struggling to fit Back to the Future, AquaDome shows, pools, and bedtime into the week.

The same rule applies to specialty dining generally: Star already has strong included food distribution, so the goal is not to escape complimentary food. Buy the meal because you want the meal.

Con: a waterslide-only vacation plan is fragile

Category 6 is included, but weather, maintenance, and operating limits can affect individual rides. Treat the six-slide lineup as a reason to consider Star rather than a guarantee that every slide will run whenever you want it.

Check your sailing’s app and onboard announcements if the waterpark is your family’s main priority. Paying a premium makes more sense when the rest of the ship appeals too.

Build the family sales pitch around the whole ship, not one ride. Surfside, AquaDome, Absolute Zero, shows, pools, sports, clubs, and casual food give you plenty of backup, but a teenager promised six slides may not appreciate this nuance in the moment.

Con: premium pricing raises expectations for every tiny service detail

Star is a new flagship-class ship, so families can spend extraordinary amounts on a normal cabin before adding flights, drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, excursions, and arcade money. At that price, small service changes that would be shrugged off on a bargain cruise suddenly feel personal.

Price Wi-Fi, drinks, specialty meals, excursions, and transport before deciding the fare works. The included shows, pools, and casual food are substantial, but they do not make the whole vacation all-inclusive.

Compare the complete trip, not just the cruise fare, against Icon, Wonder, and even a land resort. Star makes the strongest financial sense when the shows, water park, kid infrastructure, pools, and included food replace things your family would otherwise pay for on land.

Con: the family pool deck can still feel very full on a hot sea day

Icon-class ships distribute passengers better than their raw capacity suggests, but they have not invented a way to make every family want the pool at a different time. On sunny sea days, the main pools and slides are among the first places where Star’s population becomes obvious.

Star can feel uncrowded in one neighborhood and packed at the pools in the same hour, depending on time, weather, and occupancy. Surfside can also feel busy precisely because it concentrates the families it was designed to serve.

Swim early, do lunch slightly off-peak, and use the afternoon for shows or indoor attractions if the deck becomes unpleasant. There is no medal for remaining beside a crowded pool because your original mental itinerary said “pool day.”

Pro: destination elevators give you an assigned car

Star uses destination elevators: choose your deck on the lobby screen, then board the assigned lettered car. Learn the system on arrival rather than stepping into the first open elevator.

The system does not guarantee short waits after a show or during meal rushes. If you need step-free travel, leave extra time and learn the forward or aft bank closest to your regular destinations.

Horizontal walking remains unavoidable. Families focused on Surfside should lean aft, while adults who spend evenings around the AquaDome may prefer forward convenience instead.

Cabin choice: Star has the same infinite-balcony argument waiting for you

Star repeats Icon’s complicated mix of conventional balconies, infinite balconies, family categories, neighborhood views, and suites. Do not let a booking engine reduce that decision to square footage and a photograph.

An infinite balcony turns part of the room into an open-air zone when the large exterior window lowers, but it is not a separate balcony behind a sliding door. It gives you more usable interior floor area, while a conventional balcony gives you a genuinely separate outdoor space.

Family infinite rooms can also become extremely expensive for what is still fundamentally one cabin. If you were spending five figures, compare connecting rooms, junior suites, and other family configurations instead of assuming the newest category is automatically the smartest.

Use the Star cabins to avoid guide, best cabins guide, and deck-by-deck guide together before final payment. Exact location matters more than the marketing name.

Who gets the most out of Star

• Families combining Orlando and a cruise. Port Canaveral makes the logistics naturally compatible.
• Families with children in multiple age groups. Surfside, Category 6, clubs, sports, shows, and adult areas solve different needs at the same time.
• Travelers who care about entertainment. Back to the Future, Torque, AquaDome productions, and Absolute Zero are a real reason to choose Star specifically.
• People who want a seven-night Icon-class trip. The extra time lets the ship breathe in a way a three-night mega-ship cannot.
• Adults who like big resorts but need escape routes. Central Park, Overlook, AquaDome, The Hideaway, and specialty venues make an adult itinerary possible.

Who should keep comparing

• Families paying mainly for waterslides. Make sure the rest of the ship justifies the fare even if Category 6 availability changes.
• Adults who want a quiet premium week. A smaller or more adult-focused ship can deliver calm without making you search for it.
• Travelers who resent extra charges after a high fare. Star has plenty included, but the paid opportunities are never shy.
• Port-first cruisers. An older ship may visit similar places while charging far less for the hours you are ashore.

How to book Star of the Seas

Compare Star and Icon on the exact same family configuration, not a misleading “from” price. The winning ship would be the one with the better cabin, departure logistics, itinerary, and total cost after the extras you actually intend to buy.

Choose Star specifically if Back to the Future or Port Canaveral is a meaningful advantage. If neither matters, do not pay extra just to sail the second Icon-class ship instead of the first.

Next, reserve the major shows and read the Star dining guide before purchasing specialty meals. The included food variety is strong enough that specialty dining should be a want rather than a rescue plan.

Finally, leave at least one sea-day afternoon unscheduled. Star has enough options that the best use of a premium ship can occasionally be doing absolutely nothing in a very nice place.

Continue planning with the things to do and cruise tips.

The final verdict

Star of the Seas is not dramatically better than Icon, and it does not need to be. Its best reasons to book are more specific: Port Canaveral, Back to the Future, its own AquaDome and ice-show lineup, Lincoln Park Supper Club, and whatever fare or cabin inventory beats Icon for your week.

The cautions are just as important: a high fare does not remove crowds, long walks, or activity restrictions. Choose Star when its whole resort-style package works for your family, even on a day when outdoor plans change.

Plan your Star of the Seas cruise

Use the cabins to avoid, best cabins, and deck guide to turn the broad pros and cons into a confident room choice.