World's largest cruise ship proves to be a navigation nightmare
In addition to 'six record-breaking waterslides and a fear-inducing challenge high,' the ship also boasts 'seven unique pools' and more than '40 ways to dine and drink'. Daily Mail was invited aboard for an exclusive three-night preview excursion from Orlando, Florida, to the company's own resort in the Bahamas ahead of The Star's official maiden voyage on August 31 - and the new cruise offering was staggering. Tickets for the seven-night Western Caribbean adventure - beyond its maiden voyage for which prices are inflated - start at $1,272 per person ($2,544 per room) for the most 'budget-friendly option.' The 'Interior' room is compact with no window of its own and is not suitable for those who get easily claustrophobic. However, The Star's most popular room option is the 'Balcony' offering - coming in at $1,514 per person ($3,027 per room) - which offers sweeping views of the ocean for a true experience out at sea.
Various other options are available - all the way through to a luxury $11,926 for a Royal Suite - but every offering appears to have the necessities covered. But is The Star really worth the price tag? The most striking thing about Royal Caribbean's new vessel is its size. It dominated Port Canaveral in Orlando even before setting sail, with approaching passengers struck by its overwhelming proportions from the outset. It protruded high into the skyline and later comfortably dwarfed one of its sister ships - Symphony of the Seas - when docked. The size - although visually impressive - does have its downsides. The amount of walking required to navigate from front to back as well as up and down was not lost on passengers. And the distances, along with the addition of corridors being long and slightly too narrow for maneuvering around each other with ease, left some, including myself, feeling drained.
For example, the walk to the main Dining Hall on Deck 3 from a room on Deck 10 took five minutes (and 19 seconds) from door to door - not exactly grueling but a little impractical. Casual lift discussions as early as day two heard one passenger joke: 'My feet are sweating' and 'I think I've got blisters already.' There are two lift lobbies - one at either end of the ship - but wait times often proved to be longer than hoped and may only be further delayed when The Star reaches full capacity. But it isn't all bad. The monstrous size does mean there is a lot packed on board to keep almost all passengers busy. The Star is proudly presenting itself as having 'adventures for all ages' as it attempts to keep up with the shift in demographic of cruise passengers, which has evolved in recent years. While it used to be a market for retired customers (65 years and older), the average age of cruisers was 46.7 in 2018. And, in an updated report about cruise passenger age groups in 2024, shockingly the largest proportion of customers were aged 20 to 39.
Just 33 percent were over 60 years old, 31 percent were between the ages of 40 and 59, and 36 percent were 39 or under, according to State of the Cruise Industry Report 2025. Entertainment on The Star is wide ranging and includes a stage show of Back to the Future as well as others featuring magic, comedy, ice skating and aqua stunts. Despite the latter being plagued with several technical issues before being pulled completely for the evening during the preview voyage, it is clear that Royal Caribbean has spared no expense for all of its on-board performances. For those who wish to enjoy adventure on their own time, there are several pools, jacuzzis and water slides - as well as a surfing machine, mini golf, games arcade and basketball court to name just a few of the amenities. One unfortunate realization was the pools are mostly very shallow - or featured sunken bar stools and tables - meaning none were appropriate for anyone hoping to go for a proper swim.
Most were also tightly packed throughout the day and nabbing a sun lounger nearby often took some negotiation - a scene presumably going to get even busier when the ship does reach full capacity. Finding an appropriate spot to leave valuables or clothes poolside was also tricky and perhaps many would have benefitted from having a bank of lockers near each hotspot rather than the open cubbyholes for shoes and towels. Eateries and bars are also packed on board in abundance, with The Star boasting more than 40 across a range of cuisines from American to Thai to Mediterranean. It is essential for guests to keep up with the opening and closing times - which differ across the establishments - at the risk of trekking across the ship only to realize the preferred restaurant has in fact closed for the evening.
Many are complimentary or 'help-yourself' food bars but others require reservations well in advance. As an example, Chop Grille, which prides itself on its steak, was a pre-booked restaurant and every table was packed full of guests. The food came out promptly - and cooked to perfection - but one noticeable quirk about the eatery was that there were no restrooms inside. Despite it presenting as a fully-functioning independent restaurant in every imaginable way, guests requiring the bathroom had to leave entirely and walk back to the communal toilets located around the elevator lobby. It was a small (and slightly inconvenient) peculiarity that was echoed around the rest of the ship.
The dining and drinking spots throughout the ship were reasonably priced but, notably, the Starbucks on board had the most consistent daily queues. The Star is set to become one of the most popular cruise ships of the future but that does not mean it has not suffered its own setbacks. Back in June, Diana Ross was named as Godmother for The Star - a role that is steeped in maritime tradition. In modern day, cruise lines often choose women who embody inspiration, achievement, and global appeal. Royal Caribbean has previously selected stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
Ross, who recently finished a UK arena tour, told People at the time of being named: 'I've always felt a deep connection to the ocean and the magic it represents - peace, adventure and awe. When Royal Caribbean reached out to invite me to be the godmother of Star of the Seas, I knew it was something truly special. The family has been invited and all the grandkids. That's really what this ship is all about joy and family fun.' But Royal Caribbean suffered a blow just last week when Ross, 81, suddenly stepped down from her role.
The hitmaker's representative stated that she will no longer be able to appear on the showcase cruise due to 'unforeseen circumstances.' A Royal Caribbean spokesperson has since said it is 'disappointed' but that The Star will announce a new godmother soon. So, as many are already looking ahead for what's coming next in the industry, Daily Mail wonders if ships should really get any bigger. Perhaps The Star should be allowed to keep its title indefinitely.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
What happened to Katie Price's Mucky Mansion? Ex-glamour model's 'cursed' former home was bought by furniture tycoon at cut-price of £1.15m
This is the man who was brave enough to buy Katie Price 's notorious nine-bedroom 'mucky mansion' - which she has claimed is cursed. James Mercer, 62, a furniture tycoon and divorced father of two, paid £1.15 million for the run-down West Sussex property, which Katie insisted was jinxed following years of dramatic episodes, including break-ins, numerous pets dying, and even reports of 'seeing ghosts '. Mr Mercer, originally from Northern Ireland, bought Katie's former troubled home in January just months after bailiffs evicted the star and her family when she failed to keep up payments on the monthly mortgage, The Daily Mail can reveal. But while he may not put much credence in the suggestion that it is possessed by evil spirits, Mr Mercer apparently does agree that it was left 'mucky' by its famous previous occupant. To remedy that, he has commissioned extensive remedial work to make it fit once more for human habitation. The home has found itself in the spotlight once again after Katie's daughter Princess Andre branded it a 'very scary place' and confessed she had a lot of bad experiences in the notorious 'mucky mansion'. But none of that put off Mr Mercer, a keen cyclist and known for raising money for charity, who has bought it to seal his new relationship after divorcing the mother of his children. He was previously married to Susan Mercer, who still lives in Northern Ireland, but is now in a long-term relationship with Leike Qu, with whom he now co-owns Katie Price's former home. Today, Leike told The Daily Mail that the couple had 'fallen in love' with Katie's 'mucky mansion' despite its notorious reputation. She said: 'We are just very ordinary and quiet people who fell in love with this country house.' As well as spending over £1m on the freehold, the couple are also understood to have set aside a substantial sum to repair it. The entire facade of the faux-Tudor house is clad in scaffolding with construction materials, including planks of wood scattered in the driveway. A mechanical digger has been left by the side of the house and a builder's van is parked up by the front door. Keep fit enthusiast Mr Mercer raised more than £800 in May 2022 for the Salvation Army for its work to support displaced Ukrainian people who came to the UK by cycling over 100 miles across London and Surrey. He has also regularly posted his cycling exploits on social media after pedalling for hundreds of miles across the UK, along with photos of his travels to exotic locations around the world. His business involves selling household furniture from around the world, but, like the former owner of his lavish home, Mr Mercer also appears to have suffered his fair share of financial challenges, according to Companies House records. One of his companies is listed as being forcibly dissolved in 2011 while another was dissolved after going into voluntary liquidation. Mr Mercer snapped up Katie's former home for less than the £1.35 million it was originally listed for after she struggled to find a buyer because of its dilapidated state. The swimming pool was also empty and there were concerns that the land could be contaminated by waste. Contract cleaners were brought in to clear away piles of rubbish and spruce up the property before it was put on the market by local estate agents HJ Burt. But the star did not see a penny of the money that Mr Mercer paid for it as it was swallowed up by the debts she previously ran up against the Sussex home, which she purchased for £2 million in 2014. After leaving, Katie claimed the home, which she lived in for a decade, was 'hell' and left her battling anxiety and overcome by panic attacks, which forced her into therapy. She warned the new owners: 'I hate that house. Whoever buys it, I warn them, they will get bad luck there.' She continued: 'It is absolutely cursed. My anxiety got worse with that house. There was a point when I couldn't even walk up the driveway without having a panic attack. 'I had therapy about the house. I should never have gone back there. Now I'm out of it, it's the best thing I've ever done.' Katie also spoke in the past about her fears that the home is haunted by the spirit of a small child, while a number of her pets died in the property. In 2024, Katie shared pictures of two men she feared were trying to break into the mansion - just days after she was forced to call police over another gang of strangers outside her home. She posted alarming doorbell footage on Instagram of an intruder approaching the front door before walking away. The 'mucky mansion' also became the subject of a Channel 4 documentary when Katie attempted to bring life back into the property for the last time. During her time living there, Katie's treatment of animals also came under scrutiny after five dogs, a horse, and a chameleon all died while in her care - many of them in traffic accidents near the property. She attributed these tragedies to 'bad luck', with most occurring while she was away. She has since secured the garden of her new home to ensure her pets' safety. Responding to people who say she shouldn't own animals, Katie told The Sun: 'When people say I shouldn't have animals, it's circumstances that were out of my hands. 'It's no lack of me not looking after them or anything like that. I love animals, I love nurturing.' Katie's former home is made up of three reception rooms, nine bedrooms and four bath/shower rooms spread over three floors plus a one-bedroom annexe. It is set in expansive grounds which also have stables. While speaking about living there, Princess did not reveal the exact details of why she found it 'scary' and what her bad experiences were. Discussing contrasts of life at Katie's new home with where her father lives, she went on: 'Dad's house is a lot quieter, a lot more peaceful, a lot more organised. Whereas my mum's house is much more just do what you want.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Orlando Bloom 'moves into £13million bachelor pad which screams I'm filthy rich and single' after split from Katy Perry
Orlando Bloom has reportedly moved into a '£13million bachelor pad' after his split from Katy Perry. The Lord Of The Rings star, 48, has relocated to a seaside property in Miami that is 'perfect for entertaining' for a fresh start following the heartbreak. A source told The Sun: 'Orlando's new house screams, "I'm filthy rich and single"' 'The house is a proper bachelor pad and perfect for parties and entertaining. 'Orlando is surrounded by other famous people, too. Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Travis Barker live just down the road, as well as Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Kevin Costner lives on the same street, too. 'It's right on the beach and Orlando has been seen there loads in the past few weeks. He seems to be settling right in and has already made friends with his direct neighbours.' Daily Mail has contacted Orlando's representatives for comment. It comes after Katy shared a rare photo of her daughter Daisy following her split with ex Orlando. The pop star, 40, posted the photo with her four-year-old daughter as she traveled across the United States on her Lifetimes Tour. After playing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in New York City last week, Perry took to Instagram to share a series of photos of herself and her daughter exploring the East Coast. The cover photo for her post showed her posing underneath an MSG sign while her daughter played with a toy dog in the venue referred to as 'The World's Most Famous Arena.' Perry also included photos of herself and her daughter visiting the Boston Museum of Science in Massachusetts. In a couple of the snapshots, Perry captured Daisy posing in a spacecraft similar to the one that Perry traveled in when she went on an 11-minute suborbital flight with Jeff Bezos 's now-wife Lauren Sanchez and the rest of Blue Origin 's all-female crew. 'EAST COAST I [LOVE] U. Sorry I wrote a song about the West Coast but here's an East Coast split,' she wrote in her caption before embarking on the final leg of her US tour. Up next, Perry will be heading to Raleigh, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and Tampa and Miami, Florida, before traveling to South America, the UK and Europe. She also included a mirror selfie in a hotel as she documented her adventures on tour. Perry shares her only child with Bloom, 48, and posted the photo album featuring Daisy just weeks after her now-ex was slammed by fans for posting an 'inappropriate' photo of their child. Her latest post also comes just over two weeks after Katy was spotted on an intimate dinner date with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following the end of her engagement. Perry and Bloom made headlines in June when it was reported that the pair had called off their engagement and that their 'relationship was over .' The former couple were together for nearly a decade. While confirming their split in a statement the following month, Perry and Bloom said Daisy remained their 'shared priority.' The exes reunited while vacationing in Italy and again in Australia, where Perry was touring in June, to spend time together with their daughter. Perry's split from her ex-fiancé Bloom came to light in June, six years after they got engaged in 2019. Katy gave birth to Daisy the following year. At the time, a source told Us Weekly: 'Katy and Orlando have split but are amicable ,' while adding that the separation was 'not contentious' so far. 'Katy is of course upset but is relieved to not have to go through another divorce, as that was the worst time in her life,' the source added. The Teenage Dream hitmaker was previously married to Russell Brand from 2010 until their divorce in 2012 .
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm A Celeb star ‘depressed and infuriated' after he's banned from driving by DVLA at 76 years old
AN I'm A Celebrity star has revealed he has been left "infuriated" after being banned from driving at the age of 76. Christopher Biggins, who appeared on the ITV reality show in 2009, has hit out at the DVLA for revoking his license. 3 3 The actor and panto star was informed earlier this year that his driving licence had expired and as such would need an eye test in order to get it back. The Daily Mail reports how Biggins went to an optician in Stratford, East London for his eye examination but soon discovered that he had failed and as such had been banned from driving with immediate effect due to no longer having a valid licence. Confirming the situation, Biggins said: "Ten days later [after the eye test], I got a letter from the DVLA saying I had failed my test and I wouldn't be getting my license back." Furious at the decision, Biggins decided to book himself in for further eye tests. This included a visit to a doctor at Homerton Hospital who informed him he had a clean bill of health as well as a second visit at a seperate opticions. Both practitioners provided Biggins with letters to support their findings which he sent off to the DVLA - but the driving association refused to give the TV star his licence back and argued that what he had provided "does not show that you are able to meet the required medical standards for driving". With Biggins maintaining that his eye sight has never changed, he has blasted the DVLA and said their decision has left him "depressed" and out-of-pocket after having to stump up regularly for taxis. He told the Mail: "How can they disregard a hospital doctor and another optician? It has left me very depressed. "I travel a lot and I need to drive. Not long distance, for that I take the train. "It is costing me a fortune in taxis. It is very unfair. I'm absolutely infuriated with their 'computer says no' attitude." EXCL I was paid £50,000 to do I'm A Celeb - what ITV is giving stars now is ludicrous, says Christopher Biggins It comes after the Labour government revealed their plans for drivers over the age of 70 to undergo mandatory eye tests every three years in order to prove they have sufficient eyesight to be on the roads. Further driving proposals also include reducing the drink-drive limit and tougher penalties on uninsured drivers and those who fail to wear a seatbelt. They will belong to a new road safety strategy that the government plans to publish this autumn. The change would mark the biggest shake-up of driving rules for nearly two decades, since the Road Safety Act introduced under Tony Blair in 2006. In response, a spokesperson for the DVLA told the Mail of Biggins' case: "While we cannot comment on individual cases, all drivers must meet minimum eyesight standards to drive a vehicle. "Whether a driver meets the eyesight standards can be tested through various means, including visual field and acuity, depending on the circumstances. "These standards apply to all drivers and, if someone does not meet the required standards they cannot be allowed on the road."
