What It’s Like on Board Royal Caribbean’s New Utopia of the Seas Ship

The primary time I noticed Utopia of the Seas some eight months in the past, the ship was only a shell, underneath development on the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, in Saint-Nazaire, France. Again then, the Royal Caribbean vessel was primarily a clean canvas, shrouded in scaffolding and netting, with patches of pale blue livery splotched throughout the hull.

By the point I boarded the two,834-cabin vessel in Florida final week, Utopia of the Seas had come to life, completely bursting with colour and music, with a massive emphasis on the music. In truth, the beats have been booming earlier than I even stepped aboard, as music reverberated by way of the balloon-bedecked terminal throughout embarkation, prompting me to ask my check-in agent if she had introduced earplugs. “Subsequent crusing, I’ll,” she mentioned.

Royal Caribbean calls Utopia of the Seas “the World’s Largest Weekend,” promising nonstop partying on three- and four-night itineraries to the Bahamas crusing out of Port Canaveral, close to Orlando. And get together we did, throughout a preview crusing that included a celebration of the ship’s naming by godmother Meghan Trainor.

With solely three nights to take the entire ship in, it was go time from the second I stepped aboard. I tried to go to as lots of the 40-plus eating places, bars, and lounges as I may, and I additionally tried to catch as lots of the exhibits and pop-up events — the whole lot from Vegas-style day ragers to precise beer pong classes — as doable.

It was, maybe unsurprisingly, an effort in futility. There’s merely no strategy to expertise all of the onboard choices throughout such a brief itinerary, and I discovered myself completely drained by the mad sprint from venue to venue. And that is to not point out the fixed barrage of music from the ship’s extraordinary sound methods, which all gave the impression to be turned as much as 11, on a regular basis. Meghan Trainor was proper — it truly is all about that bass on Utopia of the Seas.

So, take it from somebody who flew slightly too near the solar: Do not attempt to do the whole lot. As an alternative, choose a number of issues to do off the unending day by day program, then see how your crusing unfolds. If I realized something throughout my stint on Utopia of the Seas, it is that there are two must-dos onboard: the Aqua80sToo present and dinner on the Royal Railway, a brand-new venue for Royal Caribbean.

For extra on every of those unbelievable actions and to organize to your personal journey, learn on for my full assessment of Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas.

The Staterooms

There are 20 cabin classes throughout Utopia, starting from inside staterooms with “digital home windows” that present a dwell feed from outdoors to large suites with ample area and facilities. The query to ask is whether or not you propose to spend your three- or four-day journey inside your personal cabin or exploring the ship: In the event you’re any individual who’s solely going to crash after a full day partying across the ship, a smaller room is perhaps a lot. Alternatively, if you need a peaceable retreat, you may contemplate a Solarium Suite. These spacious rooms are positioned atop the bridge, on the “wings” of the ship, with panoramic views of the ocean.

Bars and Eating places

The place to even start? There are greater than 40 eating places, bars, and lounges on Utopia, serving the whole lot from sushi (Izumi) to Italian (Giovanni’s) to burgers (Johnny Rockets).  I did not actually have a likelihood to strive dinner in the primary eating room — however that is definitely a no-reservations-required choice.

For fast eats, there’s the all-day Windjammer Cafe buffet, the Mexican-inspired Cantina Fresca buffet for lunch and dinner, the grab-and-go pizza spot Sorrento’s (a favourite of the late-night crowd), and even a poolside meals truck.

As for bars, probably the most notable is Pesky Parrot, a tiki bar on the promenade with a menu of on-the-rocks and frozen cocktails. I discovered a lot of the bars on board to be so loud that you need to yell to have a dialog; paradoxically, the on line casino bar was one of many quietest locations on the ship, save for the spa.

One explicit eating venue deserves particular point out right here. Royal Railway, which I wrote about for T+L again in February, is an immersive dinner present that’s in contrast to anything on a cruise ship at present.

The night expertise begins with a ticket delivered to your cabin, and as you strategy the restaurant to your “practice experience,” your title seems on a split-flap departure board outdoors the “station.” A conductor checks your tickets, and off you go to your desk within the eating automobile.

With out spoiling the plot of the theme park–model expertise, you’ll be able to count on an interactive meal and even the texture of being on an actual practice automobile rumbling down the rails. Performers convey the Wild West–impressed set to life, although Royal Caribbean says different themes, like a Silk Street journey, could ultimately debut. I discovered it to be a fascinating dinner-theater present and one thing completely totally different, in a great way.

The place Utopia of the Seas Sails

The ship’s residence port is Port Canaveral, Florida, from which it gives three- and four-night journeys to the Bahamas. The three-night journeys go to Royal Caribbean’s non-public island, Good Day at CocoCay, whereas four-night itineraries cease each there and in Nassau. It’s additionally doable to mix sailings to create a week-long trip.

Shore Excursions

My solely break day the ship got here throughout a go to to Good Day at CocoCay. This non-public island for Royal Caribbean passengers has varied zones with totally different vibes: A water park caters to households and thrill-seekers — you’ll be able to’t miss the tallest waterslide in North America — whereas Chill Island is for lounging on the seashore. An adults-only Hideaway Seashore is the place the get together vibes proceed. Visitors may also e book excursions together with snorkeling excursions, Jet Snowboarding, and swimming with pigs.

Facilities and Leisure

Like all mega-ships, Utopia has nearly any amenity you’ll be able to think about: swimming pools, water slides, a FlowRider, mountaineering partitions, an escape room, laser tag, mini golf, the checklist goes on and on. I might wish to name explicit consideration to the spa, which was pretty bare-bones contemplating how over-the-top the remainder of the ship is. I booked a therapeutic massage to get away from the get together however was upset that Utopia doesn’t provide the form of full-service spa expertise I’ve had on different massive ships. After checking in, I used to be directed right into a co-ed ready room — there was no locker room the place I may slip on a gown — then delivered to my remedy room. And once I requested if I may use the thermal suite after my remedy, I used to be knowledgeable I might have to e book a separate day move.

Leisure, although, is a powerful swimsuit for Royal Caribbean. The theater exhibits on Utopia are all pretty brief — lower than an hour lengthy, which leaves you loads of time to get together elsewhere — however they’re full-on spectacles with spectacular units, costumes, and lighting design. These embrace a song-and-dance medley (full with drones flying by way of the venue) in the primary theater, an ice-skating present, and the completely superb Aqua80sToo, which is staged within the ship’s AquaTheater.

To say this manufacturing blew me out of the water can be an understatement. Think about you are at SeaWorld ready to see the Shamu present, however as a substitute of an orca leaping hoops, a troupe of high-energy aquatic acrobats bursts forth from the pool as excessive divers plunge from towering heights. Oh, and that is all finished to an unbelievable ‘80s soundtrack — hiya, millennial nostalgia! The athleticism and artistry of the performers was phenomenal. (Let’s simply say their diving, aerial strikes, and dancing had me amped for the Paris Olympics.) If I have been to journey on Utopia once more, I’d be reserving a seat at this present each single night time.

Elsewhere on the ship, there are smaller however nonetheless attention-grabbing acts, together with comedy exhibits in The Attic. a pleasant pianist in Schooner’s. a rock band within the Music Corridor. At each flip, there is a present someplace; there is not any approach you’d have the ability to catch all of them.

Household-friendly Choices

Whereas Royal Caribbean as an entire is undoubtedly a family-friendly cruise line, I believe Utopia is maybe finest for adults and youngsters, not younger kids. There are many family-friendly facilities, from the Splashaway Bay waterpark to the Journey Ocean children’ membership, however given the get together ambiance I skilled, I might in all probability choose one other ship if I have been touring with youthful children.

Accessibility

Utopia has 46 accessible cabins, in line with the vessel’s deck plan, in a wide range of classes. Throughout my sail, I received a tour of 1, which had extra-wide doorways, a roll-in bathe, a lowered sink, and lowered closet rods, amongst different ADA-compliant options. Like different Royal Caribbean ships, Utopia can be outfitted with moveable visible and tactile alert methods, which may be introduced into any cabin. Royal Caribbean additionally has on-line an extensive FAQ about accessibility features, in addition to a contact heart for accessibility questions.