Royal Caribbean
The biggest, boldest ships ever built — floating cities with surf simulators, ice rinks, Central Park gardens, and a private island with the tallest waterslide in North America.
The Ships That Break the Scale
Royal Caribbean doesn’t build cruise ships so much as destinations. Icon of the Seas and her sisters carry eight distinct neighborhoods, a 55-foot waterfall, the largest waterpark at sea, and an aquadome where divers perform over a glass-edge pool. Oasis-class ships add a living Central Park with 20,000 real plants. The line pioneered the FlowRider surf simulator, rock walls, and ice shows — and its private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, is routinely the best-rated stop on any Caribbean itinerary. If your crew spans three generations with wildly different definitions of fun, this is the fleet that satisfies all of them before lunch.
The Vibe
High-energy and polished — Broadway shows (real ones: Grease, Mamma Mia!), robot bartenders, and a schedule that could exhaust a teenager. Quiet corners exist; you just have to want them.
Signature Stuff
FlowRider surfing, Ultimate Abyss slide, Central Park, ice-skating spectaculars, Perfect Day at CocoCay with Thrill Waterpark and the new adults-only Hideaway Beach.
Who Will Love It
Families with kids of any age, multigenerational groups, and anyone who wants the ship itself to be the destination. First-timers: an Oasis-class Caribbean loop is the safest wow in cruising.
Destinations They Do Best
Ships in the Fleet
Guides to 30 Royal Caribbean International ships across 8 classes, with the tonnage, guest capacity, service date and — where recorded — the most recent refurbishment for each hull, grouped by class.
Icon Class
Legend of the Seas
Size 248,663 gross tons
Guests 5,610 at double occupancy
In service 2026
Ship guide ›Star of the Seas
Size 248,663 gross tons
Guests 5,610 at double occupancy
In service 2025
Ship guide ›Icon of the Seas
Size 248,663 gross tons
Guests 5,610 at double occupancy
In service 2024
Ship guide ›Oasis Class
Utopia of the Seas
Size 236,473 gross tons
Guests 5,668 at double occupancy
In service 2024
Ship guide ›Wonder of the Seas
Size 235,600 gross tons
Guests 5,734 at double occupancy
In service 2022
Ship guide ›Symphony of the Seas
Size 228,081 gross tons
Guests 5,518 at double occupancy
In service 2018
Ship guide ›Harmony of the Seas
Size 226,963 gross tons
Guests 5,497 at double occupancy
In service 2016
Ship guide ›Allure of the Seas
Size 225,282 gross tons
Guests 5,492 at double occupancy
In service 2010
Last refurbished 2025
Ship guide ›Oasis of the Seas
Size 226,838 gross tons
Guests 5,400 at double occupancy
In service 2009
Last refurbished 2019
Ship guide ›Quantum Ultra Class
Odyssey of the Seas
Size 167,704 gross tons
Guests 4,200 at double occupancy
In service 2021
Ship guide ›Spectrum of the Seas
Size 169,379 gross tons
Guests 4,246 at double occupancy
In service 2019
Ship guide ›Quantum Class
Ovation of the Seas
Size 168,666 gross tons
Guests 4,180 at double occupancy
In service 2016
Ship guide ›Anthem of the Seas
Size 168,666 gross tons
Guests 4,180 at double occupancy
In service 2015
Ship guide ›Quantum of the Seas
Size 168,666 gross tons
Guests 4,180 at double occupancy
In service 2014
Ship guide ›Freedom Class
Independence of the Seas
Size 155,889 gross tons
Guests 3,634 at double occupancy
In service 2008
Last refurbished 2018
Ship guide ›Liberty of the Seas
Size 155,889 gross tons
Guests 3,798 at double occupancy
In service 2007
Last refurbished 2016
Ship guide ›Freedom of the Seas
Size 156,271 gross tons
Guests 3,782 at double occupancy
In service 2006
Last refurbished 2020
Ship guide ›Voyager Class
Mariner of the Seas
Size 139,863 gross tons
Guests 3,114 at double occupancy
In service 2003
Last refurbished 2018
Ship guide ›Navigator of the Seas
Size 139,999 gross tons
Guests 3,376 at double occupancy
In service 2002
Last refurbished 2019
Ship guide ›Adventure of the Seas
Size 138,193 gross tons
Guests 3,114 at double occupancy
In service 2001
Last refurbished 2016
Ship guide ›Explorer of the Seas
Size 138,194 gross tons
Guests 3,114 at double occupancy
In service 2000
Ship guide ›Voyager of the Seas
Size 138,194 gross tons
Guests 3,114 at double occupancy
In service 1999
Last refurbished 2019
Ship guide ›Radiance Class
Jewel of the Seas
Size 90,090 gross tons
Guests 2,112 at double occupancy
In service 2004
Last refurbished 2016
Ship guide ›Serenade of the Seas
Size 90,090 gross tons
Guests 2,146 at double occupancy
In service 2003
Last refurbished 2012
Ship guide ›Brilliance of the Seas
Size 90,090 gross tons
Guests 2,142 at double occupancy
In service 2002
Last refurbished 2013
Ship guide ›Radiance of the Seas
Size 90,090 gross tons
Guests 2,143 at double occupancy
In service 2001
Last refurbished 2011
Ship guide ›Vision Class
Vision of the Seas
Size 78,717 gross tons
Guests 2,050 at double occupancy
In service 1998
Last refurbished 2013
Ship guide ›Enchantment of the Seas
Size 82,910 gross tons
Guests 2,252 at double occupancy
In service 1997
Last refurbished 2013
Ship guide ›Rhapsody of the Seas
Size 78,878 gross tons
Guests 1,998 at double occupancy
In service 1997
Last refurbished 2012
Ship guide ›Grandeur of the Seas
Size 73,817 gross tons
Guests 1,992 at double occupancy
In service 1996
Last refurbished 2012
Ship guide ›You don't board an Icon-class ship.
You emigrate to it for a week.
Royal Caribbean FAQs
Which Royal Caribbean ship is best for first-timers?
An Oasis- or Icon-class ship on a 7-night Caribbean loop that calls at Perfect Day at CocoCay. You’ll get every headline feature — and despite carrying thousands, the neighborhoods are zoned so well the ships rarely feel crowded. We’ll match the exact ship to your budget and dates.
Is Perfect Day at CocoCay worth it?
The core of it costs nothing — beaches, Oasis Lagoon pool, and food are included with your cruise. Thrill Waterpark, the helium balloon, and cabanas are optional extras we can price in advance. Most of our clients call the included day alone the best beach day of the trip.
Is Royal Caribbean good for adults without kids?
Yes — every ship has an adults-only Solarium, CocoCay added the 18+ Hideaway Beach, and the suite and specialty-dining scene is genuinely grown-up. That said, if you want a fully adults-only ship, ask us about Virgin Voyages — we’ll compare them honestly.
How much are gratuities on Royal Caribbean and can I prepay them?
Royal charges a daily gratuity per guest, automatically added to your SeaPass account, and suites pay a slightly higher rate than other staterooms. You can prepay through your online Guest Account before you sail, which many of our clients prefer — it takes the sting out of the final bill. Separately, an 18% service charge is added to drinks, drinks packages and specialty dining as you buy them. If anything about the amount needs adjusting, Guest Relations will handle it before you disembark.
Does everyone in the stateroom have to buy the drinks package?
Yes, and it catches people out. If you want the Deluxe Beverage Package, Royal requires every guest of legal drinking age in the same stateroom to buy it too — you cannot have one drinker covered and one not. The non-alcoholic Refreshment and Classic Soda packages do not carry that rule. Room service and the minibar are excluded from all of them. Buy before you sail rather than onboard; the pre-cruise price is consistently better, and we will flag the sales.
What is the dress code on Royal Caribbean?
Three codes: Casual for most nights, Smart Casual, and Formal, which Royal markets as Dress Your Best — suits, tuxedos, cocktail dresses and gowns. How many formal nights you get depends on the length of the sailing and the ship’s discretion, usually one to four. Plenty of guests treat it as a chance to dress up and plenty do not. Bare feet are never allowed in any venue, tank tops are out at dinner in the main dining room, and swimwear stays on the pool deck.
How does dining work on Royal Caribbean?
You choose between Traditional Dining, with an assigned early or late seating and the same table and waiters each night, and My Time Dining, where you eat when it suits you — reservations strongly recommended, since walk-up waits build at peak. The menu is identical either way and My Time carries no extra charge. The Main Dining Room, Windjammer and Cafe Promenade are included in your fare. Specialty restaurants carry a cover charge with gratuity already built in, and multi-restaurant packages bring the per-night cost down.
What is the Crown and Anchor Society?
Royal’s loyalty programme, and one of the more generous in mainstream cruising. You earn Cruise Points as you sail and move through Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club, picking up balcony discounts, priority boarding, complimentary internet and drinks vouchers along the way. Points never expire, so a gap of a few years between cruises costs you nothing. Suite guests and solo travellers earn at an accelerated rate — worth knowing before you book, and we will point it out when it matters.
Let's Plan Your Royal Caribbean Cruise
Tell us who’s sailing and when — your specialist knows Royal Caribbean’s fleet, fare sales, and cabin sweet spots, and the service is free.
Our planning costs you nothing — the cruise lines pay our commission, so your fare is the same as booking direct. A quote is yours to keep.
Weekend Bahamas run or 30-night grand voyage — same care.
Family reunions, weddings at sea, milestone birthdays — we love a full table.
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