On board
Icon, Oasis and the island
Photos courtesy of Royal Caribbean International, shown uncropped as their licence requires.
Eight classes of ship from the largest in the world down to ones that fit in small harbours, a fare that is the start of the number rather than the end of it, and the deepest interline inventory of any line I book.
Royal Caribbean is the biggest brand on this site and the one most people picture first: the ice rink, the waterslides, the neighbourhood you walk through with trees in it. It is also the line I am asked about most and the one where the quote most often comes back higher than expected, because Royal is not an inclusive line and the fare on the booking page is the start of the number, not the end of it.
That is not a criticism. Royal sells a big ship with a low entry fare and a long list of things you can add, and if you know which additions you will actually use it is genuinely good value. The work is deciding that before you book, not at the gangway.
Icon Class is the current flagship: Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, which entered service in July 2026 and spent the summer in the Western Mediterranean out of Barcelona and Rome before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale for the Caribbean this autumn. Hero of the Seas follows in 2027 and a fifth in 2028. These carry 5,610 guests at double occupancy, up to 7,600 full, at around 250,800 gross tons, which makes them the largest cruise ships in the world by a margin of roughly six percent over Oasis Class.
Oasis Class is Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony, Wonder and Utopia of the Seas, with another arriving in 2028. About 5,500 guests and over 225,000 tons, and the class that introduced Central Park, the open-air garden neighbourhood in the middle of the ship.
Quantum Class is Quantum, Anthem and Ovation, plus Spectrum and Odyssey which are Quantum Ultra. Freedom Class is Freedom, Liberty and Independence. Voyager Class is Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator and Mariner. Radiance Class is Radiance, Brilliance, Serenade and Jewel. Vision Class is Grandeur, Rhapsody, Enchantment and Vision. Two Discovery Class ships are ordered for 2029 and 2032, with options on four more.
In the fare: your stateroom, the main dining room, the Windjammer buffet and the casual venues, the Broadway-style production shows, the AquaTheater high-dive shows and the ice shows, the pools and sports decks, the ice rink, Adventure Ocean for ages three to seventeen, and most onboard activities.
Not in the fare: gratuities, all alcohol and specialty drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty restaurants, the spa, room service beyond continental breakfast, photos, the licensed Starbucks, and the waterpark and premium activities at Perfect Day CocoCay.
Gratuities are automatic and currently 18.50 dollars per guest per day in a standard stateroom and 21.00 dollars in a suite, with 18 percent added to beverages and packages and 20 percent to the spa. For a family of four on a seven-night sailing that is about 518 dollars before anyone has bought a drink. It is the single number people forget, so I put it in every quote I send.
Royal renamed it: the Bahamas island is now written Perfect Day CocoCay, without the "at". Admission is free and includes dining, pools and bars. The Thrill Waterpark, the overwater cabanas and the premium experiences are paid, and they sell out, so they are bought before you sail rather than on the day.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau is open and works differently: it is a paid day pass covering three pool neighbourhoods, two beaches, dining, entertainment and unlimited drinks. Royal Beach Club Santorini is open and sold as part of the Ultimate Santorini shore excursion, with a volcanic black sand beach and complimentary beachfront dining. Cozumel opens during 2026 and Lelepa in Vanuatu in 2027.
Royal Suite Class is a ship within the ship, and the tier matters more than the square footage. Sea Class is the entry: dedicated check-in, priority boarding, Coastal Kitchen by reservation, better bedding and an espresso machine. Gratuities are not included at this tier, which surprises people. Sky Class adds a concierge, all-day Coastal Kitchen and specialty dining, complimentary Wi-Fi for one device per person, the suite lounge with evening drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and an exclusive sun deck. Star Class adds the Royal Genie, complimentary specialty dining across the ship, the Deluxe Beverage Package for adults, gratuities, laundry and priority seating at shows.
Royal's loyalty programme runs Gold at 3 points, Platinum at 30, Emerald at 55, Diamond at 80, Diamond Plus at 175 and Pinnacle Club at 700. You earn one point per night, two per night in a suite or sailing solo. Points post after the sailing ends, so a tier change applies to your next cruise, and they never expire. If you have sailed Royal before, tell me your tier before I quote: Diamond and above changes the value of the drinks package enough to change which fare I would recommend.
Royal Caribbean reaches me on the daily Royal Caribbean Group interline file, alongside Celebrity and Silversea. Royal is where interline inventory is most plentiful, which for airline employees often makes it the best dollar-for-dollar sailing on the board. The numbers move daily and are confidential, so nothing is published here. Send me a ship and a date and you get the interline fare and the public fare side by side, plus an honest read on whether the interline rate actually wins once the packages are counted, because it does not always.
For everyone else this is a straightforward retail booking, and what I bring is ship and class selection, working out which packages are worth buying up front, and watching the promotion calendar.
Royal Caribbean's own site: royalcaribbean.com.
Photos courtesy of Royal Caribbean International, shown uncropped as their licence requires.
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding I correct. The fare covers your stateroom, the main dining room, the buffet and casual venues, the production shows, the ice shows and AquaTheater, the pools and sports decks, Adventure Ocean for ages three to seventeen, and most onboard activities. Alcohol, specialty restaurants, Wi-Fi, the spa, photos and gratuities are all extra. If you want the fare to be the final number, Virgin Voyages or Explora Journeys will get you closer.
Automatic gratuities are 18.50 US dollars per guest per day in a standard stateroom and 21.00 in a suite, with 18 percent added to beverages and beverage packages and 20 percent to spa and salon. They can be adjusted at Guest Relations before you disembark. For four people on a seven-night sailing that is roughly 518 dollars, which is why it goes in every quote I send rather than turning up on the folio.
Eight in service or ordered: Icon, Oasis, Quantum, Freedom, Voyager, Radiance, Vision and the Discovery Class arriving in 2029. Icon and Oasis are the largest and are destinations in their own right, which suits a sea-day-heavy itinerary. The smaller Radiance and Vision ships reach ports the big ships cannot enter, and usually cost less. Tell me whether the ship or the ports are the reason you are going and the class picks itself.
Legend of the Seas, the third Icon Class ship, entered service in July 2026. She spent the summer season in the Western Mediterranean from Barcelona and Rome and moves to Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean sailings from autumn 2026. Hero of the Seas follows in 2027 and a fifth Icon Class ship in 2028.
Admission to the island is free with your cruise, and that includes dining, pools and bars. The Thrill Waterpark, overwater cabanas and premium experiences cost extra and regularly sell out before the sailing, so they are worth booking in advance rather than on the day. Note Royal has dropped the \u201cat\u201d, so it is now written Perfect Day CocoCay.
Sea Class gives you dedicated check-in, priority boarding, Coastal Kitchen by reservation and better room appointments, but not gratuities. Sky Class adds a concierge, all-day Coastal Kitchen and specialty dining, Wi-Fi for one device per person, the suite lounge and an exclusive sun deck. Star Class adds the Royal Genie, specialty dining across the ship, the Deluxe Beverage Package, gratuities and laundry. Star Class is the only tier where the included extras can offset most of the premium, and only if you would have bought them anyway.
Yes. Royal comes to me on the daily Royal Caribbean Group interline file alongside Celebrity and Silversea, and Royal is usually where interline inventory is deepest. The numbers are confidential and move daily so nothing is published here. Send me a ship and a date and you get the interline fare and the public fare side by side, plus whether the interline rate actually wins once packages and gratuities are counted.
Gold starts at 3 points, Platinum at 30, Emerald at 55, Diamond at 80, Diamond Plus at 175 and Pinnacle Club at 700. You earn one point per night, and two per night in a suite or sailing solo. Points post after a sailing completes, so a tier change takes effect on your next cruise, and they never expire. Tell me your tier before I quote, because from Diamond up the drinks benefit can change which fare is the better buy.
Tell me the dates you are thinking about and who is traveling. I answer within 24 hours with a priced option, not a brochure. Airline employee? Say which carrier and I will check the Royal Caribbean Group interline file for your dates alongside the public fare.