Cruise & Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean’s Newest Ship Will Arrive Ahead of Schedule

Image: Star of the Seas floats out (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Image: Star of the Seas floats out (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 4:50 PM ET, Fri January 31, 2025

Here’s something you don’t often see in the cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean's newest ship will be ready earlier than anticipated, entering service in August 2025.

Star of the Seas is part of the line's Icon class of ships and caters to families and multi-generational travelers. It will be a sister ship to the hugely popular Icon of the Seas.

It has a little bit of everything, including a shopping mall and a theme park. Icon of the Seas has been in service for one year.

Debuting this summer—about a month earlier than expected—Star of the Seas will sail a seven-night Caribbean itinerary from Port Canaveral. When it arrives in Florida, it is expected to have shorter itineraries as travelers get used to the ship.

“Constructing such a large and amazing ship is challenging, and while delivery can sometimes be delayed, there are other times where we get to sail our new ship earlier," an email said.

"As you may have booked your Star of the Seas sailing to be the first onboard, you’ll have the opportunity to book either (or both) the showcase sailings or to move your existing booking to one of the inaugural four-night cruises."


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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