Show menu

Star of the Seas lifts capacity, tightens island passes

Star of the Seas departs Port Canaveral toward Perfect Day at CocoCay, illustrating private-island day pass demand on a major expedition cruise ship.
6 min read

Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas enters service from Port Canaveral on August 31 following preview sailings, adding one of the world's largest cruise ships to short Caribbean circuits. With double-occupancy capacity of 5,610 and well over 7,000 at peak loads, the Icon-class ship will intensify demand for Perfect Day at CocoCay and other capacity-controlled beach venues. Expect faster sell-outs for Thrill Waterpark, Coco Beach Club, cabanas, and limited-inventory day experiences tied to Nassau calls.

Key Points

  • Why it matters: A new megaship concentrates thousands of travelers at capacity-limited private destinations.
  • Travel impact: Premium CocoCay and Nassau day passes will sell out earlier on high-volume port days.
  • What's next: Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opens in December 2025 with per-day caps and paid passes.
  • Added context: Star's debut heightens weekend demand on Eastern Caribbean runs from Port Canaveral.
  • Watch item: Multi-ship CocoCay calls will tighten cabana and waterpark availability first.

Snapshot

Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Icon-class ship, begins seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral on August 31. The ship matches or edges past Icon of the Seas on size, carries 5,610 guests at double occupancy, and can exceed 7,000 when fully berthed. Perfect Day at CocoCay remains included for calling ships, but marquee add-ons such as Thrill Waterpark, Coco Beach Club, and cabanas are capacity controlled and often dynamic-priced. In Nassau, the forthcoming Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will use dated day passes with hard caps, open to Royal Caribbean Group cruise guests and Bahamian residents. Non-cruiser visitors to Nassau must rely on independent resorts, like Baha Bay or Blue Lagoon, which also limit day-pass inventory.

Background

Royal Caribbean has leaned into private destinations to anchor short Bahamas and Caribbean programs, a strategy that has driven higher onboard spend and early sell-outs on newbuilds. The Icon class set the template, with Icon of the Seas debuting in 2024 and Star of the Seas following this month from Port Canaveral. The line is also building out a pipeline of venues, including Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau and Perfect Day Mexico at Costa Maya, to add shore-day capacity and control. Recent market coverage shows brands shifting more tonnage back to the Caribbean to capitalize on this model, and short-run megaships out of Central Florida have become the bellwether for weekend demand spikes. See related coverage in Cruise Giants Pivot Toward Caribbean Cruises and Royal Caribbean Takes Over Costa Maya Port for Perfect Day Mexico.

Latest Developments

Port Canaveral launch tightens CocoCay inventory

Royal Caribbean's booking engine shows Star's inaugural Port Canaveral departure on August 31 with weeklong Eastern and Western Caribbean options that frequently include Perfect Day at CocoCay. At CocoCay, general admission is included, but must-have upgrades are capped. Thrill Waterpark requires a dated ticket, Coco Beach Club admission is limited daily, and cabanas across zones sell out earliest on multi-ship days. Hideaway Beach, the adults-only area, also uses day-specific capacity limits. With Star now joining Utopia of the Seas on central Florida runs, travelers should expect CocoCay premiums to disappear earlier and price higher on close-in dates. Booking those add-ons when you place your cruise deposit is the safest path, particularly for holiday weeks and school breaks. See prior Port Canaveral demand context in Utopia of the Seas Offers Incentives to Switch.

Nassau day-passes face earlier sell-outs on megaship days

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opens in late December 2025 as a paid, capacity-limited, all-inclusive shore day. Access is restricted to Royal Caribbean Group cruise guests and Bahamian residents, with inventory varying by season. That exclusivity funnels non-cruiser visitors toward third-party Nassau options such as Baha Bay at Baha Mar, Atlantis Aquaventure, and Blue Lagoon Island. Those venues publicly cap daily tickets and routinely warn that quantities are limited. When multiple megaships call Nassau, day-pass allotments at independent resorts typically tighten by late morning, raising the need for advance purchase on peak Saturdays and holiday periods.

Analysis

Star of the Seas adds thousands of same-day beach seekers to a system where the choke points are shoreside, not shipside. CocoCay's core beaches can absorb volume, but the finite inventory that drives satisfaction and upsell, cabanas, waterpark entries, and premium club admissions, cannot scale on the fly. The result is a classic yield-management puzzle where early planners capture the best-value access and late bookers pay more or miss out entirely. Nassau amplifies the effect. With Royal Beach Club day passes reserved for cruise guests and residents, stayover tourists compete for Baha Bay and Blue Lagoon tickets against surging cruise-day demand. Those suppliers openly limit day-pass counts, and pricing rises seasonally. For cruise travelers, the move is simple, lock in CocoCay add-ons and any Nassau beach club passes the same day you book your sailing. For non-cruisers planning a Nassau beach day, buy dated passes well ahead of Saturdays that align with megaship berths, and build a Plan B, such as an in-town pool day or museum morning, if inventory closes.

Final Thoughts

Star of the Seas is great news for cruisers who want big-ship amenities on convenient Orlando-area departures, but it raises the stakes for premium shore-day access. If your trip hinges on waterparks, adults-only clubs, or private cabanas, treat those like concert tickets, buy early and assume dynamic pricing near sail dates. Non-cruisers in Nassau should check port calendars and secure resort day passes in advance on heavy call days. That is the smart way to enjoy the new capacity wave without missing the highlights ushered in by Star of the Seas.

Sources