Royal Caribbean has officially expanded its adults‑only Swim & Tonic policy from Icon of the Seas to its newest ship, Star of the Seas.
The brand-new vessel just debuted as the newest Icon Class ship for Royal Caribbean, welcoming guests onboard for its first revenue sailing. Previously, Star of the Seas had sailed a few short media cruises for travel agents, influencers, and content creators. Now that revenue guests are onboard, new details about Star of the Seas are beginning to emerge.
Royal Caribbean Blog’s Matt Hochberg is currently sailing on Star of the Seas for her first two revenue cruises, and we can confirm that the entire Swim & Tonic pool has been designated as adults-only on the ship.
Royal Caribbean first introduced the adults-only policy at Swim & Tonic onboard Icon of the Seas last month as a trial.
Last month, Royal Caribbean made a statement about the policy change for its swim-up bar on Icon of the Seas. The cruise line confirmed, "At Royal Caribbean, we're consistently listening to guest feedback and exploring opportunities to enhance our guests' vacations. Currently, we are piloting an 18+ age requirement at Swim & Tonic pool onboard Icon of the Seas. This will only be tested onboard Icon.”
Now, the positive response appears to have influenced Royal Caribbean’s decision to extend it to Star of the Seas as well. In photos taken by Matt, we can see the Swim & Tonic pool has a sign that reads, “Welcoming guests 18 and older.”
Located in the Chill Island neighborhood, Swim & Tonic is considered the world’s largest swim‑up bar at sea. It’s one of the many innovative venues aboard Icon class ships. Swim & Tonic features a full swim-up bar on one end, along with in-pool tables for setting drinks and in-water loungers to relax.
Initially, families with children were allowed to swim in the Swim & Tonic pool. The shallow depth made the pool especially enticing to kids, but many adults were not happy about the disruptions.
In response to feedback, specifically about children splashing pool water into guests' drinks, Royal Caribbean tested the adults-only rule at Swim & Tonic on Icon of the Seas. The pilot was designed to create a more relaxed, adult-focused atmosphere.
Royal Caribbean’s leadership team confirmed the change was a result of guest feedback.
During a recent travel‑agent Q&A aboard Star of the Seas, Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed acknowledged the Swim & Tonic policy change as a direct result of the advisors’ feedback.
While addressing the travel agents on Star of the Seas, Freed stated, “I also want to thank you for the comment that you just made about the Swim & Tonic bar. It was because of the feedback that we received.”
“Last year, that comment was brought up, ‘Don’t let kids in that pool,’ and we heard you. We changed the policy. And your question was, will it be in effect on Star of the Seas? Yes. It's 18 and older now in our swim-up bars. And so, you've got our commitment.”
Many cruisers complained about disruptive children in the Swim & Tonic pool.
During a Q&A session with travel agents on a Utopia of the Seas preview cruise last summer, one advisor raised a concern about the Swim & Tonic experience. The agent explained how children in the pool had become a distraction at Swim & Tonic. The agent remarked, “Icon is fantastic, but at the swim-up bar, there are kids splashing into your drinks.”
Following the feedback, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley responded that the cruise line hears passengers' concerns and will look into it. With the new adults-only policy now in place on both Icon Class ships, it’s clear that Royal Caribbean has acted on that feedback.
In general, the response has been positive about the policy change, too. One Royal Caribbean Blog reader commented, “Great change! Going back again in a few weeks and not having splash attacks ruin my drink is a welcome change. My experience was the Swim & Tonic pool was used by kids whose parents were lounging nearby not at the bar.”
“Fantastic idea. I don't want to see kids splashing around in the pool, being ignored by their parents drinking at the bar, and suddenly have the lifeguards having to rescue a drowning child,” commented another cruiser.
One Royal Caribbean Blog reader responded on Facebook, “The kids have plenty of other places to swim. Plus, Hideaway is not quite big enough for the adult-only crowd. Hopefully this will help having two adult-only pool areas.”
