Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, made her long-awaited debut last summer in Port Canaveral, Florida. Unlike her sister ships that sail more traditional Caribbean and Mediterranean itineraries, Utopia of the Seas was built specifically for weekend getaway sailings - with a big emphasis on partying!
For the last year, Utopia of the Seas has been sailing exclusively on 3-night and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas. The itineraries include stops in Nassau, Bahamas and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Branded as the “World’s Biggest Weekend” for the cruise line, Utopia of the Seas has a more upbeat and party-centric atmosphere onboard compared to other ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. The cruise line has intentionally leaned into the party-vibes aboard Utopia of the Seas with more late-night entertainment, deck parties, and nonstop fun.
Although Royal Caribbean has offered weekend cruises for years, this marks the first time the cruise line has explicitly marketed one of its ships as a “party” ship. In this way, Utopia of the Seas represents a strategic shift in how Royal Caribbean targets younger travelers. This is certainly a bold move that sets Utopia of the Seas apart - not just within the Oasis Class, but across the entire fleet.
After sailing for nearly one year, we wanted to see what real cruisers are saying about Utopia of the Seas. We combed through our Royal Caribbean Blog forums to find feedback and comments from those who have sailed on this party ship. Here’s what people are saying with recent reviews of Utopia of the Seas.
The ship is the destination.
Typically, Oasis class ships have sailed on 7-night itineraries, allowing for ample time to explore everything the ships have to offer. Because Utopia of the Seas only sails on shorter cruises to the Bahamas, many Royal Caribbean Blog readers mention they choose to stay onboard while the ship is docked.
In particular, cruisers say they prefer skipping the port of call in Nassau, Bahamas and instead enjoy the quieter ship. One fan said, “We don't plan to get off the ship in Nassau” when discussing plans for their upcoming Utopia of the Seas cruise.
In addition, another Royal Caribbean Blog fan responded to one question, “I am not getting off the ship, so I will try to scope out the situation for you.”
One more fan on the forum responded that they aren’t planning to disembark in Nassau while sailing on Utopia of the Seas. The cruiser shared, “Going to Paradise Beach next month might be the last time we get off the ship. No interest in Nassau.”
In fact, when I sailed on Utopia of the Seas earlier this year, I also chose to stay aboard the ship and skipped Nassau entirely. I was shocked by how many other people had the same idea, as the ship was quieter, but not as quiet as I expected. By lunchtime, the pools were already full.
With only a few days on Utopia of the Seas, our forum indicates that guests prefer skipping Nassau, and instead taking advantage of the ship’s amenities.
Mason Jar is a favorite for our readers.
Mason Jar is a big conversation topic on our forums. Utopia of the Seas is one of the few ships with this newer specialty dining concept, which serves a very popular brunch with a focus on Southern cuisine.
In particular, many of our readers praise Mason Jar for their brunch experience. When one cruiser asked about Mason Jar on their Utopia of the Seas sailing, another fan responded, “I vote brunch and I know several regular posters here are also big fans. Never actually did dinner but have done brunch every time… and will be sticking with it on Utopia in the future.”
“We're cruising on Utopia this December, and I've heard some very good things about Mason Jar,” replied one commenter on the forum. One fan on the forum also responded, “Going by the forums (small sample size, my own impression, not scientific), I feel like brunch gets a lot of love but dinner is more of a mixed bag.”
Although Mason Jar serves brunch and dinner, the venue also features a bar with live music in the evenings. This is quite popular, and many of our readers praise the Southern-inspired cocktails served at Mason Jar Bar.
“The bar at [Mason Jar] on Utopia is chaos but the dining side I would say is a bit more organized chaos. I am sure you will enjoy those Mississippi moonlights,” replied one cruiser on our forum. Another reader included, “We were on Utopia in January and the Apple Pie Old Fashioned from the Mason Jar was my favorite! Ordered it a few times. It definitely was something more to savor, taking my time, and letting it melt.”
In general, specialty dining is a highlight for Utopia of the Seas cruisers.
Royal Caribbean has some of the best specialty dining restaurants in the cruise industry. On a massive ship like Utopia of the Seas, many of the comments on our forums highlight the specialty dining experience. Guests rave about all of the specialty dining restaurants available on Utopia of the Seas, and many love their experiences during their cruise.
One cruiser shared, “Dinner tonight [on Utopia of the Seas] was Giovanni’s. Love this new location where Wonderland was. Food was delicious. We were so stuffed! Service also fantastic!”
Izumi also receives a lot of praise on our forums, especially the bubble waffles for dessert. “The bubble cone is pretty much the thing I look forward to by doing Utopia. I love Izumi,” shared one cruiser.
In fact, thanks to the ship’s wide variety of specialty dining options, many of our readers choose to purchase the Ultimate Dining Package for their cruise. The shorter itinerary helps prevent the “food coma” fatigue that can set in on longer sailings.
One commenter explained how dining packages can feel overwhelming on longer cruises, noting, “The cumulative effect of that much food over that long a period is just overwhelming. We can, however manage to splurge for a couple of shorter consecutive days/nights, knowing that it will end soon enough. We had the [Ultimate Dining Package] on the 3 night Utopia cruise (of a B2B) back in the spring and it worked out great.”
Additionally, Utopia of the Seas is the only ship in the fleet to offer Royal Railway, an immersive dining experience designed to feel like a journey by train. Although not included in the Ultimate Dining Package, our readers enjoyed the unique dining production.
One cruiser shared, “On the ship now and we did the Royal Railway tonight and thought it was fantastic. The cast and servers are all great and so many good puns throughout. The motion effects are pretty darn convincing.”
However, many who tried Royal Railway stated they wouldn’t necessarily return for a second time given the cost and fixed menu.
The Spare Tire food truck is a mixed bag for many.
Speaking of food, one of the more common topics of discussion for Utopia of the Seas is the introduction of the Spare Tire food truck. Located on the pool deck, multiple readers discussed Spare Tire, noting the lackluster grab-and-go food choices. Some even mentioned sailing on Utopia of the Seas multiple times and still not trying the Spare Tire.
“I'll try anything once but that's about the least exciting food venue I've seen. The running joke seems to be that it serves gas station food,” commented one cruiser.
However, one of the favorites for our readers is the raspberry cheesecake dessert option. “I tried the raspberry cheesecake several times. It was great on the balcony watching the sunset,” shared one cruiser.
People love the Aqua80Two diving production, while All In and YouTopia are less popular.
Oasis class ships are renowned for their entertainment, including unparalleled production shows that you won’t find anywhere else in the cruise industry. Aboard Utopia of the Seas, you can see the classic Oasis-style shows, including a high-diving show called Aqua80Two, an ice-skating spectacle known as YouTopia, and the new headliner theatre show All In!
Our readers absolutely love the Aqua80Two show, with many commenting on the ship’s incredible production and the talented performers. One cruiser commented, “As a big fan of 80’s music and the original Aqua80 show, we loved it!” Another commenter responded, “Would definitely see Aqua80Two over and over again.”
However, some of our readers mentioned disappointment with the other entertainment available on Utopia of the Seas. In particular, some found the YouTopia ice show underwhelming compared to other ships.
“I would say this was more traditional ice skating rather than some of the productions on newer ships like [Wonder of the Seas] and [Icon of the Seas]. No drones, no special effects, just a whole lot of skating,” explained one cruiser. Another replied, “I sort of didn’t quite get what the entire show was trying to convey. The balancing act was probably what grabbed my interest the most and there was not even ice skating involved!”
Finally, multiple readers commented on the new theatre show, called All In! One reviewer said, “All In was all something, but not all great. It’s a mixed bag of reviews from the family. My parents did not like it. You can probably guess, too loud for them. My sister also did not like it. In her words, it was a mess.”
Some of the most common complaints included the loud noise onboard Utopia of the Seas.
One of the most common concerns shared by our readers about Utopia of the Seas is the excessive noise levels. Considering Royal Caribbean’s branding and focus on partying, the louder noise and music isn’t entirely surprising. However, many of our readers mention the loud noise as their biggest complaint.
In one thread dedicated to the noise on Utopia of the Seas, one reader commented, “Every venue, show, and space was pushed to very, very uncomfortable levels. When you have to order your drink by writing your order down because the bar tender can’t hear you and you can't hear them, even yelling your order… this is ridiculous.”
“Strange that ship is that loud. I mean it's a short cruise, but still. Seems really odd it's that loud and annoying,” shared one fan. Another replied, “We had a Central Park view balcony on the front end of our [back to back cruise] in October and it was very loud even with the door closed.”
“Just got off Utopia today. The only problem we had with loudness were the shows. Both All In and Youtopia were so loud you couldn't enjoy the show itself,” shared one cruiser.
Another fan even replied they won’t be sailing on Utopia of the Seas again due to the loud noise. “This is 100 percent correct. We left the ship last week and it was, by far, the least enjoyable cruise ship that I have sailed. We avoided the pool areas due to noise, and it was unbearable at the water show. If you're into that environment, this is the ship for you. If not, keep looking.”
However, other fans mentioned that Utopia of the Seas is meant to be a party ship, and the louder music is part of that experience.
One fan responded, “It’s certainly loud but it’s a wild party weekend (especially for NYE). If “party ship” was the intended goal then RC hit a home run. We really enjoyed the entire experience and will be sailing her again in a couple weeks.”
“Anyone going on a 3/4 night Bahamas cruise who's looking for a quite "normal" low key cruise experience is on the wrong ship,” emphasized another commenter.
Finally, our fans love Utopia of the Seas’ design and innovation.
Overall, our fans seem to enjoy cruising on Utopia of the Seas. Although the party vibe isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the newest Oasis Class ship has plenty to offer. Not to mention, many of our readers commented on the ship’s beauty, design and innovation.
“Just got off a cruise trying out the new Utopia ship. Beautiful ship,” shared one fan.
Another reader commented, “The color scheme on Utopia is much better than the other ships, those rooms look clean and gorgeous. I am obsessed with the shower tile.”
Similarly, many mention the innovative destination elevators that Royal Caribbean implemented aboard Utopia of the Seas. One reader shared, “The destination elevators are the best thing that has happened to cruising, in my honest opinion. They work really well."
