Latest news with #IconClass
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean crew set to make Star of the Seas shine
Royal Caribbean crew set to make Star of the Seas shine originally appeared on TravelHost. After making its first transatlantic crossing, Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ship, Star of the Seas, arrived in Ponce, Puerto Rico on Aug. 5 for a technical call ahead of its first preview sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida, which begin Aug. 16. What's been happening on board the ship since it left the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland in mid-July after more than two years of construction?First, Star of the Seas stopped in Cadiz, Spain for finishing touches and supplies before making its way to the Caribbean. While in Cadiz, the team onboarded thousands of crew members from all over the globe, and they got right to work preparing to deliver iconic family vacations. Getting one of the largest cruise ships in the world ready to welcome passengers isn't a quick process, but it's an exciting one. In a recent Royal Caribbean Star Insider video, members of the Star of the Seas start-up team shared some insights on how the ship is coming alive as it bustles with preparations — from the galley and the ship's 2,800 cabins to the AquaTheater where all-new shows will make a splash. As the countdown to Star of the Seas' inaugural cruises winds down, crew members are energized and eager to see passengers' reactions to the next-level cruise experiences awaiting them on board. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Star of the Seas start-up crew charged up for first cruises Star Insider Transcript: Robert Hines, Start-Up HR Manager: It's been really exciting watching the crew come on board. They are happy, they're excited, they're charged up. They've just had a couple of great days on our stop in Cadiz and now they're ready to cross and they can't wait to get across to the U.S. and to start seeing guests on ship is alive. This is home for us now. I think one of the things that I look at is what does it take to get us actually ready to go. German Rijo, Executive Chef: When you start out, you need to make a lot of planning — a lot, a lot of planning. You need to make a lot of organization in the kitchen. Total in the culinary, with the utility, with the people in charge to the power, to the dishwashers keeping the kitchen clean and shiny, it's total 426. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Star of the Seas start-up crew prepares cabins, venues, entertainment Yuliia Prymak, Housekeeping Manager: Housekeeping, we are a big division. Currently we have 380 crew members and we have 2,805 cabins to prepare. All public venues have been set up, checked and tested. We play a vital role in the preparation for receiving our guests. Robert Hines: Only 18% of our crew were on the Icon before and so this is a fairly new crew to this class. They've come with incredible excitement. They are happy to be Mawhinney, Aqua Captain: We're all part of the DNA of this show and we really just love what we do. I can't wait to have the energy of an audience. Being able to see their faces, as much as them being able to see us, it's just, it gives us that energy. There's nothing better than an audience reaction and seeing their faces. German Rijo: Everybody's excited. Everybody just said, let's do it again. We did it before and we did it again one more time. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean shares first look at its new Broadway show
Royal Caribbean shares first look at its new Broadway show originally appeared on TravelHost. When Royal Caribbean's highly anticipated new Icon Class ship, Star of the Seas, sets sail from Port Canaveral, Florida beginning in August, families will get to experience an all-new entertainment lineup worthy of the ship's name and class. For its newest Icon of family vacations, Royal Caribbean isn't settling for just any old Broadway show for its headliner. The cruise line is breaking barriers in family cruise ship entertainment (and breaking the time barrier) as it brings 'Back to the Future: The Musical' direct from Broadway to the Royal 'Back to the Future: The Musical' straight from Broadway to Star of the Seas isn't instantaneous, however. Royal Caribbean's entertainment team couldn't just jump in Doc Brown's DeLorean time machine and hit 88 miles per hour. The show's cast and crew have been rehearsing for several weeks, and as they finally move their rehearsals to the stage at sea and count down to opening night, Royal Caribbean shared a sneak peek of the show as the production completed its final studio Caribbean shares look at 'Back to the Future' rehearsals Transcript: Christi Coachman, VP, Royal Caribbean Entertainment: The rehearsal process here over the last several weeks has been intense. We only have a few weeks to get all the material out, so it's really important that we stay on track. JP Christensen, Sr. Director, Royal Caribbean Productions: The Back to the Future team is at a point with the cast now, that they're really working through who their characters are, learning their choreography, learning their staging, learning their script and score. It continues to change. Just a few days ago, they're making edits to the script because we've got to fit it into our timeline that we can show on board to our guests. Christi Coachman: So, today is the final run of Back to the Future, and the cast have really found their way. Greg Graham, Sr. Manager, Casting Operations: Cast members walked in here ready to go, ready to fire on all cylinders. They have a lot of information that they're trying to apply. Christi Coachman: The energy with this cast is electrifying. They're really playing off with each other, and that's what makes the work come to life on stage, is that camaraderie and that passion that they have for each 'Back to the Future' creators shaped Royal Caribbean production Greg Graham: 'Back to the Future' is so successful because of the brilliance behind it and what the writers originally created, and we're doing it in a truncated version. JP Christensen: Condensing the story of Back to the Future is actually a very interesting process. We have John Rando here, who's the original director for the West End and Broadway production, Tony winner. We have Bob Gale, who also wrote the book, Oscar nominee. He is hands-on in the trenches to make the story work in a 90-minute version. Christi Coachman: Not many people have the opportunity to say that they've worked with the original writer and creator of a movie. Making an adaptation of an original score and script, it's important for us to make sure we get it right, to keep the standards high, to keep the integrity high. We know that we are going to have a really curated, bespoke production, specifically created just for Star of the Seas. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Royal Caribbean's 'Back to the Future' gets strong first response Alex Marchant, Sr. Director, Royal Caribbean Entertainment: We just saw the first rendition of Royal Caribbean's production of 'Back to the Future: The Musical.' It was just spectacular. Christi Coachman: I just can't believe what I saw. This production is by far the best thing that we've ever done. The talent, the choreography, everything that we really imagined has come together perfectly, and I am so proud of the entire team. Jacob Beresford, 'Marty McFly': It was so great to have some energy being thrown at us from moments that we actually might not have ever known would get a laugh or a response. Justin R.G. Holcomb, 'Doc Brown': When you get that live audience, you start getting a response. Having hundreds of people watching you and loving what you're doing and responding, that really boosts everything on stage. Jason Capewell, Resident Artistic Director: That was really incredible. It was such a great first run with an audience, and the audience seemed so receptive and so behind it. They were laughing in all the right moments, applauding when we wanted them to applaud, and the cast did a wonderful job, so I am so of the Seas' musical set to electrify audiences Christi Coachman: I cannot wait for our guests to experience this live on the stage, multi-generational, everybody's going to love it. Alex Marchant: Lead characters all the way through the ensemble, they are just selling every single character they're playing. I think the audience are buying into every moment of the show. This is an incredible piece of work. Jason Capewell: I'm immensely proud, and I kept looking over at Bob and I kept looking over at John, and they were beaming throughout as well. They've done such a great job with cutting the show to how we need it to be. John Rando, Director: This is a great cast, and I was really surprised and happy with how much effort and energy they put not only into the performance today, but into the weeks of rehearsal they've been in. Bob Gale, Writer: It's been a joy to work with them. They're really focused, they're really energized, and they want to share that with audiences. It was one of the best reactions we've ever had to the show. The quality of what Royal Caribbean is delivering is incredible. The audience is going to have one of the best experiences they could imagine in seeing an absolutely fabulous musical really done well.'Back to the Future' heads to the stage on board Star of the Seas Christi Coachman: After today's run, we have a lot of work to do still. The cast will head back, start packing, and we are on our way to Finland in Turku, where we'll be joining Star of the Seas. JP Christensen: The next big step with the show is marrying the cast with the environment, with the set, with the costumes, with the props, with the lighting, with the sound, all the other variables that come into creating a show of this caliber. I hope that when audiences see our production of Back to the Future, that they get the same thrill that we got 40 years ago in the theater, falling in love with these characters. And after seeing a few of those rehearsal runs, I know we're on our way to giving that to them. Alex Marchant: I think the audience reaction will be so overwhelming that they will step back from that curtain, it will close, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see the entire cast in tears because it's going to be amazing. Christi Coachman: Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes content from now until opening night.(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas makes huge entrance in Florida
Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas makes huge entrance in Florida originally appeared on TravelHost. After stopping at Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas for a photo with her sister ship, Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest megaship, Star of the Seas, arrived at Port Canaveral, Florida, for the first time on Aug. 9. The newest evolution of the world's largest cruise ship class, Star of the Seas will officially debut on Aug. 16 with a star-studded naming ceremony. Before the new Icon Class ship begins its inaugural season of seven-night Caribbean cruises, Star of the Seas will sail a series of short showcase sailings to Perfect Day at CocoCay from Aug. 16 – setting sail aboard the new ship will experience Royal Caribbean's boldest entertainment lineup yet with five signature shows across stage, air, water, and ice, including the highly anticipated debut of Royal Caribbean's bespoke production of 'Back to the Future: The Musical.' Like her sister ship, Star of the Seas offers a mix of both electrifying and laid-back vacation experiences across eight neighborhoods, from exhilarating drops down Category 6 waterpark's six waterslides to opportunities to chill at seven pools. Passengers can dine and drink at more than 40 venues, including an all-new, Chicago-inspired Lincoln Park Supper Club. Doug Parker shared a look at Star of the Seas' arrival at Port Canaveral, and other cruise news, including a tragedy in Greece and bomb threat scare in Southampton, on the Aug. 11 edition of Cruise News Celestyal Cruises passengers drown in Greece Cruise News Today Transcript: This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday, August 11th. We begin with a sad story of a couple whose cruise turned tragic during a shore excursion last week. Two Vietnamese cruise passengers in their 60s drowned off the coast of Milos, Greece after a woman was swept into the sea by strong winds and currents while taking a selfie at Sarakiniko Beach. Her partner jumped in and tried to save her but also they were part of a tour excursion from a cruise ship that was docked in the area. Winds up to 50 miles an hour hindered rescue efforts and also closed the local harbor down so boats could not go out there. Unconfirmed reports online say the guests were on a 60-passenger excursion from the cruise ship Celestyal Journey. Celestyal has not commented at the time of broadcast. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas arrives in Port Canaveral And the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas, arrived Port Canaveral for the first time on Saturday. The 248,000-gross-registered-ton ship will now host a series of preview sailings for media, travel agents, and selected guests before its public debut later this month. Diana Ross will serve as the godmother during the ship's naming ceremony on August threat prompts P&O Cruises ship evacuation, Southampton port closure And a bomb threat at the Southampton Cruise Terminal on Friday led to a partial evacuation of P&O's Ventura and closed the cruise port. A 200-meter safety barrier was set up as armed police searched a parked truck in a parking lot. Now a 28-year-old guest embarking on the ship told local media that the captain announced that they were, quote, in the bomb zone and that ordered everyone out. A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said, 'Due to an earlier police incident and in the abundance of caution, we made the decision to evacuate Ventura and the passenger terminal.' It went on to say, 'The incident has now been resolved and normal embarkation operations have resumed.' The ship sailed shortly after and remains on cruise stocks were down on Friday. Carnival Corporation: down 2.2%, 28.37. Royal Caribbean, down 3%, 301.44. Norwegian: down 2%, 24.00. And Viking: down 1%, 56.58. If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@ Here in the Middle East, high above Doha in Qatar, I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today, enjoying the view one last time before my flight. Have yourself a great Monday. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
World's Largest Cruise Ship Arrives in Florida for Maiden Voyage
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas cruise ship arrived at Port Canaveral on August 9, marking the completion of its transatlantic journey from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland and setting the stage for its first passenger voyages later this month. At roughly 248,000 gross tons, Star of the Seas is now the world's joint largest cruise ship, sharing that mantle with its sister vessel Icon of the Seas, which debuted earlier this year. Why It Matters Port Canaveral, already the second-busiest cruise terminal in the world, has been expanding capacity for larger ships in recent years. Hosting Star of the Seas alongside other new vessels is expected to generate significant economic benefits for Florida's Space Coast, including increased hotel stays, transportation demand and tourism spending. A screenshot from a video of the Star of the Seas' arrival in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, on August 9. A screenshot from a video of the Star of the Seas' arrival in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, on August 9. Royal Caribbean What To Know The 20-deck ship accommodates 5,610 passengers at double occupancy and more than 7,000 at full capacity, plus 2,350 crew. Amenities include seven pools, six waterslides, an ice rink, laser tag, an escape room, a surf simulator, and the Crown's Edge aerial adventure course. Guests can choose from more than 40 dining and drinking venues, including the new Chicago-inspired Lincoln Park Supper Club. Like its sister ship, Icon of the Seas, the vessel is divided into eight themed neighborhoods, including Surfside for young families and Central Park for dining and entertainment. The AquaDome, an 82-foot-tall, 164-foot-wide glass structure, will host water-based performances such as the bespoke production of Back to the Future: The Musical. Built with liquefied natural gas propulsion, shore-power capability, and waste-heat recovery systems, the vessel reflects the cruise line's effort to expand capacity while incorporating newer environmental tech. What People Are Saying Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group said in a July press release: "The delivery of Star of the Seas marks another bold step forward in Royal Caribbean Group's journey to reimagine the future of vacations. Star and the Icon Class are a symbol of what's possible when innovation, imagination and our relentless focus on delivering exceptional experiences come together, ultimately creating unforgettable memories for millions of families and vacationers." Stewart Chiron, "The Cruise Guy" cruise expert, told Fox 35: When people go on this ship, they're going to be blown away just by the sheer magnitude of everything. Until you see one of these Icon Class ships, you ain't seen nothing yet. Captain John Murray, CEO of the Canaveral Port Authority, told the Orlando Sentinel: "Success breeds success. When you have ships like this, more people want to come down and have a great experience. Then they want to come back to Port Canaveral." What Happens Next The second ship in Royal Caribbean's Icon class will begin sailing August 16 with weeklong itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, including stops at the company's private Bahamas destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean details how the Icon Class cruise is evolving
Royal Caribbean details how the Icon Class cruise is evolving originally appeared on TravelHost. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which launched in January 2024 from Miami, isn't just the world's largest cruise ship. It's the product of more than 50 years of cruise ship innovation. The first-of-its-kind ship offers unmatched ways to enjoy a cruise vacation, no matter what your vacation style or mood. Icon of the Seas makes it easy to make your cruise a high-energy, theme park-style experience or a relaxing resort getaway, or a mix of both. And families love that about Caribbean welcomed nearly 200,000 families on board during Icon of the Seas' first year, and from those families, the cruise line gathered a lot of feedback about what they loved and about what would make the vacation experience even better. Although Icon has been a massive success, passenger feedback revealed that there were opportunities to improve upon it. And that's what innovation-focused Royal Caribbean set out to do as it built its next Icon, Star of the Seas, which launches from Port Canaveral, Florida in August. What exactly did the cruise line learn from Icon and how is the Icon Class evolving based on those insights? That's what Royal Caribbean executives detailed in a new Making an Icon Class video that the cruise line shared as it prepares to launch its next 'Icon of Vacations,' Star of the Seas. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Royal Caribbean explains how it's building on Icon of the Seas' success Transcript: Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean President: Icon has been the most successful new ship we've ever launched. We see many Icon coming in the future. Jennifer Goswami, Sr. Director, Product Development: We've delivered on the ability for guests to feel connected with water. We've revolutionized the open decks, the hideaway for our adults, Thrill Island — the first water park at sea, Chill Island with so many different pools, the Aqua Dome with revolutionary entertainment. Michael Bayley: We are delighted with the success of the class of the ship, so we're excited to welcome Star of the Seas in the summer of this year. Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer: In Star of the Seas, you're going to see a continued evolution of the Icon class. Jennifer Goswami: We've had a year of learnings from Icon. We've learned a lot. We've made some changes. We've built on the foundation of 50 years of innovation. We've worked with futurist firms. We've worked with guest trends. We've talked to our guests. We did different focus groups. We really took the culmination of what every different aspect of the research told of the Seas will deliver what families love about Icon, and more Emily Rodriguez, Manager, Thrills & Attractions: Star of the Seas is going to deliver exactly what our guests have loved about Icon of the Seas. All of the thrills and the chills. It will feature the largest water park at sea. Category 6 has the two big family raft slides, the drop box slide, two body slides, and our two mat racers as well. We keep learning and we keep adding more. Jennifer Goswami: Now we're just really kind of dialing into those details to make it even better. So, we will continue to be the world's best family vacation, but we will make sure that we've looked after every part of the Schneider: We had the opportunity to rethink the experience of the Icon class. We're leaning into kind of a next level of programming across the ship. You'll see the evolution of Empire Supper Club, our fine, opulent entertainment experience on Icon that is just an amazing home run. Jennifer Goswami: Star will debut with Lincoln Park Supper Club, which is a Chicago-themed supper club experience where we will have a completely new menu, completely new music, delivering the same notion of entertainment, but in a whole new way. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Royal Caribbean shares how feedback shaped Icon Class updates Jennifer Goswami: We've really taken the time to double down on our understanding of all of our family spaces. We've learned that Surfside skewed to kids about 10 years old. We've made some changes to Surfside. We've redesigned our playscape to allow for a little bit more challenge. We've added in some new toys into Splashaway Bay. We've made some adjustments to Adventure Ocean after speaking to families and kids. And teens gave us a lot of feedback. They're looking for a more natural way to connect. They want things that they can do that allows them to socialize with one another that's actually not completely tech-based. So, we've really taken a lot of this feedback and integrated it into Schneider: There's so much that's being brought to life. We're amplifying the Pearl, and so we're bringing more color and vibrancy into that arrival moment as you board the ship. And so, all of those areas have been areas that we've been focused on. Jennifer Goswami: The Icon Class delivered the world's best family vacation, but we want to do that tomorrow. We want to do that next week. We want to make sure that we keep delivering, and we make sure that we are collectively building the right product. Jay Schneider: It's all designed off of guest research with opportunities for us to continue to adjust and continue to make better so that what people see on day one is nothing but an amazing home run. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
