Royal Caribbean brings Star of the Seas to the Space Coast
After a hugely successful Utopia of the Seas launch, Royal Caribbean revealed that Star of the Seas. The sister ship to the impressive Icon of the Seas will have Port Canaveral as its home port. Looking ahead to having both week-long and weekend getaways at the Space Coast based location seems to fit into the company’s long term goals.
While the cruise industry celebrates its current boom, Royal Caribbean has earned its top space in the multi-generational family getaway. The new ship launches are more than visually gigantic floating escapes from the daily grind. The underlying concepts appeal to young, old, and everyone in between.
As discussed during various media briefings, the Royal Caribbean corporate team understands that they are not only appealing to the loyal customer base, but they have found a way to appeal to new guests. Focusing both on a demographic and a vacation type, the company appreciates that an expansive vacation experience allows everyone and anyone to have a memorable vacation.
With Utopia of the Seas, the idea was clear. It is the World’s Biggest Weekend Getaway. Even though it might seem impossible to fit every food, beverage, and activity in a few short days, the reality is that some people would rather be up from dawn to the wee hours of the morning soaking it all in.
As Star of the Seas prepares for its maiden voyage, Royal Caribbean builds on the success of Icon of the Seas. Each neighborhood feels like its own enclave. From the quiet moments in Central Park to the family-centric offerings in Surfside, walking from point to point feels as if the guest goes into a whole different space.
Even though the ship is enormous, it never feels that massive. The strategic use of those neighborhoods break up the largeness into more digestible pieces.
Bringing Star of the Seas to Port Canaveral is a very smart strategic decision. Although the port and the surrounding areas will have to adapt to the additional travelers and space requirements, the tourism dollars will be welcome. Additionally, the proximity to the Kennedy Space Center, and its almost daily rocket launches, could give vacationers a unique memory before or after that cruise vacation.
The most important aspect of adding Star of the Seas to Port Canaveral is it turns an Orlando vacation into more than just days at a theme park. Now guests can stack a few days playing wizard or basking in magical moments with a week exploring the islands. For families looking for alternative to a weeklong theme park stay, the proximity of the cruise vacation makes a 7-day voyage and a 3 day park stop highly appealing.
With Star of the Seas launching in 2025, it will be interesting to see if Royal Caribbean can leverage the opening of Epic Universe to their advantage. Many people will be traveling from far and wide to visit the new Universal theme park. Could they build out more time to relax on a cruise? From Star Racers to Star of the Seas, the possibility seems quite plausible.
For now, the countdown to the first voyage of Star of the Seas quickens. Whether it is the first time on a Royal Caribbean cruise or there have been too many to count, the experience on board this larger than life ship will take guests’ breath away. From the outstanding restaurants and delectable food choices to the elevated cocktail menu and spirited bars, every element is designed to ensure that the memories made on board encourage guests to book another return visit.