Second Icon-Class Ship to Call World’s Busiest Cruise Port Home

Royal Caribbean International has announced that the already highly anticipated second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, will be homeported from Port Canaveral when she debuts in the summer of 2025.

Her first cruises will go on sale on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, though her exact itineraries have not yet been disclosed.

Star of the Seas to Homeport in Florida

Star of the Seas, sister ship to the soon-to-debut Icon of the Seas, will homeport from Port Canaveral, adding another fantastic ship to the lineup at the world’s busiest passenger cruise port.

Royal Caribbean has not yet announced what itineraries Star of the Seas will be offering, nor when her exact inaugural sailing will take place, but that information is just days away.

From Port Canaveral, it is likely the ship will offer a variety of Caribbean and Bahamas cruises, almost certainly visiting Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

New ships typically offer longer sailings – 7-night cruises are especially popular. It is also possible, however, that the new ship might offer shorter cruises, as Royal Caribbean has recently begun sailing the Oasis-class Allure of the Seas from Port Canaveral on 3- and 4-night cruises, giving travelers more choices to meet their vacation needs.

If the ship does offer shorter cruises, passengers can always arrange back-to-back sailings to create a longer cruise if they wish, giving them more time to enjoy everything the massive new ship is sure to offer.

About Star of the Seas

Little is known about the new ship as yet, and in fact her name was only announced in early October. Star of the Seas is already under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, the same shipyard that delivered Icon of the Seas just days ago.

As the second in the Icon class, Star of the Seas is sure to closely resemble Icon of the Seas at roughly 250,800 gross tons, with a capacity for 5,610 passengers at double occupancy or up to 7,600 travelers when fully booked.

Key features aboard Icon of the Seas are sure to also be onboard Star of the Seas, including the stunning AquaDome transformational space, a range of themed onboard neighborhoods, massive waterslides, multiple pools, and much, much more.

The cruise line has already indicated, however, that Star of the Seas will be distinctive from her sister ship, with brand new features and unique experiences.

“The idea of combining the best of every type of vacation into one ultimate adventure has created more excitement than ever anticipated, and Star of the Seas will be the next bold answer to the record-breaking consumer demand we’ve seen for nearly a year and counting with Icon of the Seas,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean, when the ship’s name was announced.

Royal Caribbean is well known for innovation and adding never-before-seen features aboard its ships, from ice-skating rinks and rock-climbing walls to the tallest observation pods at sea, carousels, surf simulators, escape rooms, skydiving simulators, robotic bartenders, and much more.

There is no telling what may be in store for Star of the Seas, but there are sure to be outstanding features and luxurious amenities that will excite any cruise traveler. Stay tuned to Cruise Hive in the months leading up to the ship’s summer 2025 debut to keep up with all the news and announcements, and be ready to reach for the stars!