Last month, cruise giant Royal Caribbean debuted a new concept for the brand: a “short getaway” ship, designed for weekend trips and quick jaunts. But the company’s newest ship, set to sail for the first time next summer, is about a different category: the family vacation. 

The new ship, called Star of the Seas, is making its first sailing in August 2025, with a focus on seven-night trips. 

Sailing out of Florida’s Cape Canaveral, Star of the Seas will have a number of new additions for the company: first, there is the Lincoln Park Supper Club, a Prohibition-era, speakeasy-style supper club with live entertainment. 

Then there’s a special area called Surfside, designed specifically for young families. 

There’s also a massive waterpark called Category 6, which has six different slide options including a raft-style slide aimed at families. For smaller travelers, Star is home to a pair of mini water parks called Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay.Getting the point yet? 

So what else can you do? 

There is a little bit of everything, ranging from a mini golf course to a surf simulator to a 154-foot-high “sky walk” called Crown’s Edge. 

Royal says the ship is home to more than 40 different food and beverage concepts, including bars like the Rye & Bean, a food hall-style cafeteria called the AquaDome and 

With high international flight prices scaring off many family travelers, it’s no surprise Royal Caribbean is looking to capitalize, with a specific family-focused ship that can also readily welcome adults (with a special adults—only enclave, too). 

The latter is called The Hideaway, and it’s equal parts beach club and cruise spot, with a “suspended infinity pool” a DJ and a series of hot tubs all making up a bustling, vibe-filled, daytime nightclub atmosphere. If you’re with kids, though, don’t worry. It’s secreted away 135 feet above the water, the company says. 

The hope, Royal says, is for the ship to be among the first to sail at the company’s new Royal Beach Club, which is planning to open on Paradise Island in The Bahamas beginning in late 2025. 

Star of the Seas is the second in a new series of ships that kicked off with Icon of the Seas. It’s a “new era of vacations,” Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley shared in a statement obtained by Caribbean Journal. “Between Miami [where Icon of the Seas sails from] and Port Canaveral, more adventurers than ever can set their sights on the only vacation that combines the best of all vacations – from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure – with experiences that have and will continue to make headlines and memories for years to come.”

What about prices? 

Rates for the initial Star of the Seas itineraries start with costs of $1706 per person (for a December 2025 cruise). That will get you a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that includes stops in St Thomas, St Maarten and Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay private island in The Bahamas. 

The $1706 gets you an interior stateroom, which is Royal’s smallest, lowest-category room. If you’re looking for an ocean-view stateroom, that will run you about $1,986 per person, while a balcony goes for $2,016. 

Looking to splurge on your vacation? You can try the Royal Suite Class, which has extra amenities and a lot more space, with rates beginning at $3,506.

You can book now at Royal Caribbean.