We spent seven nights aboard Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas with our two kids, ages 11 and 2½, and I came home with a LOT of thoughts.
Overall? Star. Is. Stunning.
It’s bright, colorful, impeccably clean and packed with things to do. The crew was also some of the friendliest we’ve encountered on a cruise - even compared with Disney.
And before I get into the details, let me say this: I knew exactly what I was booking.
Star is an Icon Class mega-ship. I wasn’t expecting quiet, intimate or low-key. We specifically chose it because of everything it offers families: Surfside, the waterpark, entertainment, activities and the sheer amount there is to do.
And honestly, that’s exactly what we loved about it.
The Ship Is Beautiful
Royal Caribbean did an impressive job making such a huge ship feel fun and energetic without every space feeling chaotic.
One of my favorite areas was actually Central Park at night.
When we wanted a break from the busier parts of the ship, it was the perfect place to sit, have a drink or just enjoy a quieter atmosphere.
That balance between nonstop activity and calmer spaces is one of Star’s biggest strengths.
Our Infinite Oceanview Balcony
We stayed in an Infinite Oceanview Balcony, and I really liked it for our family.
Instead of a traditional balcony, the upper portion of the large window lowers at the touch of a button, creating an open-air space while still giving you more usable interior room. With a toddler, I loved that extra space.
A few things to know:
The AC turns off when the window is open.
The room gets warm and humid pretty quickly.
Opening the cabin door while the window is down creates strong pressure and can make the door slam.
Taller kids can reach (or could climb to reach) the window controls, though the window does open slowly.
There is no bathtub - just a shower.
Overall, though, this room category worked really well for us and I would absolutely consider it again.
Surfside Is One of Star’s Biggest Wins
For families with younger kids, Surfside is fantastic.
You have so much concentrated in one neighborhood:
Carousel
Playscape
Arcade
Surfside Eatery, Surfside Bites & Lemon Post (Bar)
Water-play areas
Family-focused staterooms
Activities like face painting, balloon animals, hula hooping, inflatable archery and bedtime stories
My daughter loved the carousel and Admiral Awesome.
The biggest perk is convenience. You can eat, play, splash and hang out without constantly crossing the entire ship.
For families with young children, that setup is a huge win.
One Thing I’d Improve: Baby Bay
Children in swim diapers cannot use the regular pools or larger splash areas, so Baby Bay is the designated water space for diapered little ones.
It worked, but I do wish it were larger. The space is pretty small, and bigger kids sometimes wandered into it, which made it feel crowded quickly.
For such a family-focused ship, I’d love to see Royal Caribbean expand this area in the future. That said, Surfside as a whole was still one of our favorite parts of the ship.
One Important Waterpark Note
The waterpark was one of the biggest reasons we chose Star because my 11-year-old is a huge waterslide kid.
During our sailing, four of the six slides were closed, which was definitely disappointing for us. That meant the remaining slides had longer waits, especially during busy times.
If the waterpark is one of the main reasons your family is choosing Star, I’d simply recommend going in knowing that ride availability can vary. For example, as of this week, I've read that four of the six slides are operational, so that's an improvement!)
When everything is operating, though, Category 6 is a huge draw for kids and thrill-seekers.
Older Kids Have SO Much to Do
This is where Star really shines for families with older kids. My son always had something he wanted to do.
His favorites included:
FlowRider: Always popular and a great activity for active kids.
Crown’s Edge: Slightly terrifying for Mom to watch, but the safety process was extremely thorough.
Ice Skating: Super organized and a huge hit for my hockey-playing son. Pack pants!
Air Hockey: Available in the arcade as well as in Playmakers Sports Bar.
Laser Tag: Fun, well run and definitely worth watching for in the app.
We also did a paid FlowRider group lesson. It was fun, but with seven people sharing one hour, I personally don’t think we’d pay for the group lesson again.
My kids generally aren’t "kids-club kids", but Adventure Ocean also looked great. There were even parent-and-toddler activities with bubbles, crafts and sensory play, which my daughter really enjoyed.
The Food Was Better Than I Expected
We didn’t book specialty dining on this trip and ate in the Main Dining Room most nights. Honestly, we were really happy with it.
A few highlights:
Some of the best lobster I’ve had on a cruise
Pasta my son declared “the best he’s ever had,” which we will not be repeating to our Italian family (sorry if you're reading this!)
A surprisingly excellent French night at Windjammer
Plenty of Sorrento’s pizza
Free ice cream cones, which need no explanation
My biggest dining tip? Don’t automatically follow everyone to Windjammer.
On embarkation day, we went to Surfside Eatery instead and it was practically empty. Throughout the week, our favorite breakfast and lunch spots were:
Surfside Eatery
Park Café
Pearl Café
They were easier to navigate with a toddler and were much calmer than Windjammer. Something most parents don't even think about: trying to navigate a buffet line with your toddler in tow - holding a hand while balancing a plate & serving food... It's harder than it looks!
A Few Toddler Dining Tips
There were a couple little things I’d plan differently next time. Toddler cups with lids were harder to find than expected. Our dining team in the Main Dining Room was thoroughly confused when we asked for a cup with a lid for our daughter.
We learned quickly that her Yeti needed to just join us everywhere we went!
Milk also wasn’t quite as grab-and-go as I remembered from previous cruises. We could get it through cafés or room service, however, there are no closed cartons of milk to grab & bring back to store in the stateroom refrigerator. Next time, we'll carry-on some shelf-stable milk just for convenience.
The Entertainment Is Excellent
Royal Caribbean continues to impress me with what they manage to put on a cruise ship.
Back to the Future: The Musical was extremely well done. Parents of younger children may want to remember that it follows the movie fairly closely, so there are a few moments that may feel a little awkward with elementary-age kids.
We also saw the AquaTheater shows. Torque had some incredible stunts, while my kids actually preferred Pirates & Mermaids because it was shorter and kept their attention better.
Sometimes shorter wins with kids.
You Need to Use the App
This is probably my biggest practical tip for Star: Check the app.
Some activities are only offered on certain days, reservations may open the day before, and certain venues may close earlier than you expect.
You don’t need to schedule every minute of your vacation, but looking at the next day’s schedule the night before makes a huge difference. A little planning goes a long way on a ship this big.
Does Star Feel Crowded?
Sometimes - but that didn’t surprise me. This is a mega-ship carrying thousands of passengers, and that was part of what we signed up for.
What actually surprised me was how often it didn’t feel overwhelmingly crowded. The ship does a really good job of spreading people across different neighborhoods and activities.
A few things that worked for us:
Skip Windjammer during peak meal times.
Try Park Café or Surfside instead.
Swim during dinner or show times.
Head to Central Park when you want something quieter.
Watch the app and time popular activities strategically.
Once we figured out the rhythm, Star felt much easier to navigate.
Would I Sail Star of the Seas Again? Absolutely.
Star is exactly what it’s supposed to be: big, energetic, colorful, busy and packed with things to do. And for our family, that was the appeal.
That balance is what impressed me most.
Were there a few things I’d change? Of course.
But none of those things changed the fact that we had a fantastic week.
The ship is gorgeous, the crew was phenomenal, the entertainment was excellent and there is an almost ridiculous amount for families to do.
My biggest takeaway? Star of the Seas is a ship you enjoy even more when you know how to use it.
Know which restaurants to try when the popular spots are crowded. Know which activities require reservations. Check the schedule. Find your favorite quieter spaces.
And most importantly, choose Star because what it offers fits your family.
If your family loves big ships, lots of activities, incredible entertainment and having more options than you could possibly fit into one week? Star of the Seas absolutely delivers.
Life is short. Book the trip.