Royal Caribbean offers an elite option for someone that wants to pay top dollar for the very best amenities and perks at sea.
Star Class is the subset of suites that come with the most lavish furnishings and front-of-the-line access. It's the kind of experience where you'll feel like a VIP and get to bypass lines around most of the ship.
As you might expect, this is an expensive option too. Similar to a first class ticket on an airplane, the jump in cost from the cheapest fare to Star Class is substantial.
I've sailed in different Star Class suites over the years, including the Ultimate Family Suite and Loft Suites. Each room has its own feel, but the service that comes with each is consistently impressive.
I've justified the cost each time by focusing on how much is included and leveraging the added benefits. It's a splurge, but it undeniably adds some amazing benefits you simply cannot get otherwise.
With the high price tag, I think anyone that tries Star Class would want to fully maximize the experience so they don't miss out on anything.
After staying in all the Star Class suites, here is what I would recommend to anyone that is looking to give Star Class a try.
It's expensive, so don't try to rationalize the cost
Before you start to crunch the numbers, you have to go in understanding booking Star Class will never make financial sense. It's a splurge that you should look at as a way to treat yourself.
Royal Caribbean includes a lot of extra perks and amenities that help with the cost a little:
- Complimentary beverage package
- Included gratuities
- Complimentary Ultimate Dining Package
- One device internet package for everyone in the cabin
- Complimentary laundry
- Complimentary mini-bar stocked with alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks
Those inclusions represent hundreds of dollars, but some Star Class suites cost as much as $200,000.
If you're going book Star Class, you have to go in with the understanding it's not a cost-effective booking strategy. Rather, it's a fun way to cruise if you can afford it.
Star Class is available on certain ships only
Royal Caribbean only offers Star Class suites on its newest and biggest ships, so you cannot book it on every ship in the fleet.
It's available on Icon Class, Oasis Class, and Quantum Class ships:
- Allure of the Seas
- Anthem of the Seas
- Harmony of the Seas
- Hero of the Seas
- Icon of the Seas
- Legend of the Seas
- Oasis of the Seas
- Odyssey of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Quantum of the Seas
- Spectrum of the Seas
- Star of the Seas
- Symphony of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
The Royal Genie service is the best reason to book Star Class
While you will choose from some truly incredible suites, I think the top reason you should even consider a Star Class cruise is because of the Royal Genie service that comes with the room.
Your Genie isn't a butler, but more like a cross between a butler, concierge, and your best friend that likes to surprise you.
You share your Genie with up to 3 other suites, but trust me, it will feel very personalized.
About a week before your cruise begins, you'll be assigned a Royal Genie via email. You should get a welcome email from them, where they introduce themselves and provide an overview of the coming sailing.
Your Genie will meet you inside the cruise terminal on the first day and escort you onboard the ship.
From this point forward, they are there to assist and make your cruise better. You can message them anytime via WhatsApp, and they will check-in regularly with you.
Most people that are new to Star Class are unsure how to properly use the Genie. They're timid and feel bad asking the Genie for things, but the truth is that's what you're paying them for.
Your Genie can do so much for you, including:
- Set up parties in your suite
- Reserve seats at any show for you
- Book dining reservations and escort you to your table
- Have any food or drink on the ship delivered to your suite (including specialty dining)
- Arrange for priority elevator rides
- Decorate your suite
- And much more
I found the best strategy is to politely ask for as much as you can. You'll be surprised how willing and able they are to make most requests happen.
By the end of the cruise, I can all but guarantee you'll fall in love with your Genie because of how much they enhanced your cruise.
I would prioritize specialty dining because it's included
Since Royal Caribbean includes a dining package with your Star Class booking, I would plan to indulge in as much specialty dining as you can.
Considering the extra cost specialty dining has, now is the time to really get your money's worth by eating there early and often.
Your Genie will almost certainly make preemptive reservations, but you can ask them to change it as you see fit.
When I stay in Star Class, I'll book lunch reservations too. Plus, don't hesitate to send food back to the suite. As long as the specialty restaurant is open, they can deliver food to your suite.
When we sailed in Star Class on Utopia of the Seas, my family was too tired after a fun day at the Royal Beach Club so we asked our Genie to have dinner from Giovanni's Italian Kitchen to be delivered to our suite instead of going to the restaurant.
I messaged him our order, and exactly when I requested it to be delivered, room service arrived with the food.
Regardless of where you eat the food, I would plan around the extra cost food and skip eating in the Main Dining Room or Coastal Kitchen.
I've had mixed results with the "Land Genie", so I recommend skipping it
Over the last couple of years, Royal Caribbean introduced a pre-cruise Star Class planning feature that they call a "land Genie".
It's essentially a representative from the cruise line who attempts to coordinate your preferences and upsell you on cabanas and other options leading up to the cruise. The idea is you tell them everything you want, and they convey it to the Genie so you have less to do in the final days.
In my experience, the land Genie service has been disappointing because on multiple occasions, the Genie has no idea what requests we made to the land Genie.
As a result, I recommend ignoring the land Genies and waiting for the welcome email from the Royal Genie. At that point, email them all of your requests.
Checking in and boarding your ship is different with Star Class
When you arrive to the cruise terminal, look for the Star Class entrance instead of the regular line to enter. There's usually a purple banner of some kind to mark where to check-in.
In fact, do not give the porters your luggage. Instead, bring your luggage to the Star Class check-in area because they have special luggage tags and a designated porter that will take your bags onboard.
They will expedite delivery of your luggage to your suite.
After confirming your details, a port agent will escort you through the cruise terminal and check you in. They will bring you to meet your Genie in the suites boarding area, at which point they will hand you off to them.
Your Genie will then escort you onto the ship. They will take you straight to your suite and give you a printout of the plan you made together. Keep in mind this plan is a suggestion, and you can change it at anytime as you see fit.
Expect welcome aboard snacks and drinks awaiting you in the suite. It won't be a meal, but something to munch on. Plus, your fridge will be fully stocked.
How to use the Royal Genie the best way
I'd argue the top reason to book a Star Class suite isn't the cabin, but the Royal Genie service that you get with it.
The first time you have a Genie, it can be confusion how and when to utilize them because the information provided by Royal Caribbean is quite vague. There's no list of things you can ask for, so it's all up to you.
First and foremost, don't be shy about making requests. The genie would be the first to tell you that they're there to make your cruise better, and they want to do anything they can to assist. The worst they'll tell you is they can't do something, but usually have an alternative in mind.
You can also ask the genie for ideas of what to ask for. Meaning, ask them what fun or special things they've done for other families in the past, especially age-specific things.
I never knew about having an ice cream party in the suite for my kids until a genie suggested it.
Don't be afraid to say "no" to the genie. They will come up with lots of ideas for what you can do onboard, but don't feel bad if you have no interest it. Or you'd rather take advantage of your massive suite.
At a minimum, you should never go to Guest Services if you're in Star Class. Let your genie handle any and all questions or discrepancies you may have.
Tipping in Star Class
One of the top questions people have about being in Star Class is related to gratuities.
According to Royal Caribbean, Star Class includes "Complimentary Gratuities", but the question is how much to tip your genie or room attendant.
In my experience, there's no right or wrong answer of how much extra to tip. But I definitely do tip extra to both of them.
I'll share my tipping strategy for Star Class, but keep in mind it's just my opinion and other people claim to have tipped more and less than I do.
For the genie, I tip $100 per day (regardless of how many people are in my suite). It's a lot, but once you've tried Star Class, I think you'll see how much they do and how far they go to make your cruise better.
Depending on the length of the cruise, I'll tip my stateroom attendant extra. Somewhere between $50 and $100 extra is usually where I land. It's worth noting in some Star Class suites, we've had two stateroom attendants.
The bottom line about gratuity is they will be appreciative of whatever you can give them. It's not a competition, and whatever you're comfortable with will be satisfactory. You certainly don't have to do anything like I do.
Is Star Class worth it?
If you're looking for the ultimate splurge on a Royal Caribbean cruise, Star Class is the most impressive way to go all out.
Practically everything is included in your cruise fare, and you get to enjoy the best your ship has to offer without much waiting or lines.
Because of the high price tag, it's a luxury that only some will be able to justify. Star Class is never a good value, and you could save a lot of money skipping it and booking something else.
Clearly Royal Caribbean wanted Star Class to appeal to a small segment of cruisers who value service and enormous suites above all else. It was never meant to be something everyone could or should try.
If spending five or six figures on a week-long cruise is something you can afford to do, I believe Star Class is a very fun way to cruise. For these people, the experience and doing something special outweighs the enormous cost.
