Writer John Nathan headed out on the inaugural sailing of Star of the Seas this month

While Star of the Seas is still moored on the banks of Florida’s Cape Canaveral, it’s difficult to understand what being the world’s biggest cruise ship – together with its sister Icon of the Seas – actually means.

The terminal building to which the ship is attached masks much of the vessel as guests approach it, and understanding where the bow begins and the stern ends after boarding is a bit like estimating London’s boundaries by standing in Bloomsbury.

Yet during Star of the Seas’ inaugural sailing – a three-night journey gliding over a preternaturally calm Caribbean, including a stopover at the cruise company’s private Bahamian island CocoCay – an unexpected moment of realisation occurred.

It happened on the 17th of the behemoth’s 20 decks. “So that’s how big this thing is,” I heard myself saying out loud.

All except the very lowest and highest levels are accessible via elevators that lead to every conceivable attraction and distraction.

I suddenly realised that I had encountered seven swimming pools; a water park with six lurid water slides; 40-plus restaurants; and eight “neighbourhoods” including the family-oriented Surfside with its watery playgrounds and Central Park, which has a leafy promenade and speciality sushi and steak houses.

It’s all at a scale wholly beyond expectations.

There are six waterslides on the ship

“Speciality” translates to the dining venues that aren’t included in the fare, and which therefore cost extra. Those who stick with the complimentary options, however, won’t go hungry.

The Windjammer buffet provides a boggling selection of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Described by Royal Caribbean’s bullish British president Michael Bayley as “the biggest buffet in the world”, it spans not only the width of the ship, but a huge variety of cuisines.

Hovering over the display is the spectre of waste and greed – not so much the cruise line’s but the consumers should they succumb to the implied invitation to eat all they can and more.

Elsewhere the main multi-deck dining room has the feel of a 19th-century eating hall with bustling waiters, a maître d’, a chandelier and a pleasing soupçon of formality. Alternatively, the made-to-order burgers at Thrill Island’s Basecamp are singularly satisfying.

However, it’s best to eat your burger only after consuming this level’s other attractions: the nearby climbing wall known as Adrenaline Peak, or Crown’s Edge – a pulse-pounding challenge that involves traversing a walkway which climaxes by sweeping you through the air and over the sea while you are harnessed to an overhead rail.

By late afternoon the Star had welcomed on board its first full complement of almost six thousand guests, and a conga was already pulsating to the rhythms of a professionally happy Calypso band. Bronzed torsos lined the Swim & Tonic pool, said to be the largest swim-up bar at sea.

Never mind that Star had not yet departed Port Canaveral, the busiest cruise ship hub in the world. (The waterway, itself not much wider than the length of the ship in places, also serves Elon Musk’s nearby SpaceX operation. I first became aware of this when a charred reusable rocket was towed erect past the window of my stateroom while I was unpacking.)

I was staying in an Infinite Ocean Balcony room, with a floor-to-ceiling window running the width of the room, which offers a stark contrast to the cheapest stateroom on offer: the windowless (and poky) interior cabin class.

A number of suites have floor-to-ceiling windows

At the other end of the spectrum, the Royal Loft Suite, which sleeps six and is described as the most luxurious in the line’s fleet of 30 ships, is dominated by a white grand piano in the reception room from which a sweeping staircase rises to the two bedrooms and as many bathrooms. The décor is clean, relentlessly modern and might be described as glassy rather than classy.

Regardless of the accommodation category, the ship goes all out to encourage guests out of their staterooms.

The rink at Absolute Zero hosts an impressive acrobatic ice show, the purpose built Aqua Theatre is a technical marvel in which the aerial and synchronised swimming show Torque is performed, while the main theatre hosts the hit West End and Broadway musical Back to The Future.

The standard of the performances and the productions (especially the musical) are undeniably high. But typically for cruise companies, the artistic programming is relentlessly crowd-pleasing stuff. Would it hurt to have a small-scale genuinely challenging theatre on board?

Next stop: CocoCay. Royal Caribbean has spent $250 million (£185 million) turning this isle into a “thrill and chill” excursion during which kids can do one while the parents do the other.

Access to the island’s exclusive Coco Beach Club costs extra but, apart from some of the shack shops selling pricey merch (a Bahamas hoody is priced at $60), few are going to feel short-changed by the fresh water lagoon, or the white sandy beaches that shelve gently into the azure Caribbean Sea. Children meanwhile, will be delighted by the adventurous Daredevil’s Peak, the biggest water slide in North America.

CocoCay is a private destination exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests

Ten-year-old Jacob dared me to follow him down the water park’s near vertical blue flume. “It goes straight down,” he promised as we approached the entrance. He was right. Such is the speed of the descent that water forced itself up my nose and possibly out of my eyes as the tube levelled out.

After this, the largest wave pool in the region was a breeze. Was the day perfect? Perhaps not if cultural and environmental authenticity is your thing. But it would be churlish to deny its obvious pleasures.

When Star’s sibling, Icon, embarked on its maiden voyage out of Miami last year, the event was marked by a galactic firework display. No such celebration for the younger sister which, despite a few tweaks, is almost identical to Icon.

As Star departed Royal Caribbean’s 25-acre private island escorted by wheeling pelicans, I was struck by the responsibility that goes with being in charge of £1.7 billion dollars worth of vessel and the safety of thousands of people and their families.

“We have a lot of human life and a lot of responsibility,” agreed Captain Rob Hempstead when I meet him on the bridge. In his crisp white uniform, the American, who hails from a generation of seafarers, greets me with a reassuringly firm handshake.

“My great grandpa was an admiral in the navy and commander of the Pacific Fleet around the turn of the century. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Essentials

John Nathan was a guest of Royal Caribbean, which offers a seven-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise from £1,809pp for a Balcony Ocean View Stateroom, departing May 10, 2026. Includes meals and entertainment. Excludes flights.

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