Royal Caribbean added its first food hall on Icon of the Seas, but it's gone one step further with it on Star of the Seas.
The second Icon Class cruise ship is very similar to the original, but one of the notable changes are the updates to the Aquadome Market.
This is one of the restaurants included in the cruise fare, and there are five stands that offer a completely different cuisine.
I instantly loved this restaurant on Icon of the Seas, so I was eager to see the changes on Star.
Royal Caribbean invited me to sail as their guest on a special pre-inaugural cruise before any paying passengers arrive, and I made a point to review the changes to Aquadome Market.
Three new options
From the original five food halls, Royal Caribbean swapped out three of them.
Luckily they kept my two favorites: Feta (Mediterranean) and Creme de la Crepe (crepes).
However, three others were replaced with new concepts. I tried the food at each to see how they compare.
First up is Mai Thai, and Royal Caribbean offers pad thai or rice, along with two protein choices.
Beef Panang Curry or Grilled Lemongrass Chicken are the options, and I was really torn which one to try. I asked the crew member for her recommendation, and she said to try the chicken.
It's served in a bowl with the pad thai on the bottom, chicken on top, and optional spring roll to top it off.
In trying it, I was pleasantly surprised how much flavor this food had.
I liked it a lot, and was also happy it was unexpectedly spicy. As someone that prefers spice in their food, especially Asian food, this was a welcome twist.
The only reason I didn't finish it was because I wanted to leave room for the other food to try. Otherwise, I would have happily devoured it all.
The next food stall over is Pig Out BBQ, an American BBQ spot.
I'm not sure how close the menu is to Portside BBQ on Oasis of the Seas, but I was eager to try it. I think Portside BBQ is vastly underrated as a great place, so I had high hopes for Pig Out.
The choice here is to go with a sandwich or Mac & Cheese bowl. I picked the sandwich option.
The two protein choices are BBQ Brisket or pulled pork, and I'm a sucker for brisket so I went with that.
I got really excited about trying this when we got to the toppings. I love to top almost any food I eat with all sorts of veggies, sauces, or whatever.
I added pickles, onions, and topped it off with some sauce.
As I tried the sandwich, I found the BBQ sauce to be very sweet. No hint of hotness here.
I think this is the perfect size for a snack. Most importantly, the brisket was very soft. That's impressive considering Royal Caribbean can't use a traditional smoker and has to rely on an electric cooking option.
Finally, I got to La Cocinita, which has South American staples like hot empanadas and arepas. There are also Cuban sandwiches available.
I wasn't sure which option to get here, so I did the responsible thing: I ordered both.
I've had plenty of empanadas over the years, and always lamented when they were more pastry than protein. That wasn't the case here.
The empanada was "meaty", and not very spicy. Probably too big for a single bite, but satisfying.
Similar to the BBQ sandwich, I liked there were lots of topping choices for the arepas.
Pickled beets, salsa verde, and pretty much whatever they had, I threw on there.
To be honest, I don't know if I'm supposed to eat an arepa with my hands or a fork, so I kind of did both.
A new must-try
I thought Royal Caribbean set a high standard with Aquadome Market on Icon, but the choices on Star are so much better.
I'd rank the food I tried in this order of personal preference:
- Pad thai
- BBQ brisket sandwich
- Empanada
- Arepa
The real conundrum for me is when I return to eat here without the purposes of a review, what would I order. The falafel and gyro at Feta were always one of my must-eats onboard Icon, so now I have to balance that with these new choices.
Not only is Aquadome Market my favorite included restaurant on any Royal Caribbean ship, I think it's a must-try spot.
Because everything is freshly prepared, it's one step ahead of the buffets or other quick service options.
Moreover, the additions are much stronger choices than the original lineup. Having a greater variety of food that goes beyond traditional cruise food and leans into regional options is such a welcome choice.
