Legend of the Seas is the newest Icon Class ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet. Not only that, but she's the most unique of the three, bringing new dining options and accommodations to sea.
It is not unusual for Royal Caribbean to refine its class designs as they evolve. Rather than treating each ship as an identical copy of the last, the cruise line uses every new build as an opportunity to incorporate guest feedback and fresh ideas into the blueprint.
As a result, ship classes often grow stronger with each new launch, with new venues, updated stateroom options, and thoughtful enhancements that build on the success of previous ships.
Legend of the Seas is a great example of that philosophy. While retaining the signature Icon Class structure, she also features exclusive restaurants, redesigned accommodations, and other unique touches that set her apart from her sister ships.
In this article, I'll provide a complete look at everything different on Legend of the Seas, from the second-ever immersive train car specialty restaurant to new food stalls in the AquaDome Market and more, to help you determine if the additions are enough to put this brand-new ship on your radar.
New restaurants and dining experiences
Let's start with one of the most important parts of a cruise: the food. Like her sister ships, Legend of the Seas boasts over two dozen dining options, ranging from the complimentary dining room to an expansive buffet, an upscale steakhouse, and more.
However, there are a few dining venues that you won't find on any other ships in the fleet, including Hollywoodland Supper Club, Royal Railway — Legend Station, and a refreshed AquaDome Market with unique food stalls.
Hollywoodland Supper Club builds upon the successful supper club concept launched on Icon of the Seas with the Empire Supper Club.
Like the Lincoln Park Supper Club on Star of the Seas, Legend debuted with an entirely new theme inspired by the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age, complete with a different menu, cocktails, entertainment, and atmosphere.
Legend is also home to Royal Railway — Legend Station, making the ship the second in the fleet to feature Royal Caribbean's immersive train-themed specialty restaurant — and the only Icon Class ship to feature it.
Not only that, but the entire experience is different than at Royal Railway — Utopia Station. Whereas Utopia's dining experience transports passengers through the Wild West, guests aboard Legend follow the Silk Routes that Marco Polo took on his journey back from the Orient to Europe.
As a result, a new menu was developed for the adventure, highlighting countries such as India, China, Persia, Italy, and Turkey.
Finally, the food stalls at the complimentary AquaDome Market have also been refreshed, giving returning Icon Class cruisers different options than they'll find aboard Icon or Star of the Seas (minus Crème de la Crêpe, which is found on all three Icon Class ships).
The stalls on Legend of the Seas include Seoulmate (Korean rice bowls), Adobo (Mexican street tacos), Cajun Kitchen (New Orleans gumbo), La Española (Spanish-style tapas), and Simply Pressed (fresh juices and smoothies).
Although not an overhaul of the existing Icon Class dining options, these additions ensure that guests have plenty of unique restaurants and fresh flavors to keep their palates satisfied aboard Legend of the Seas.
A redesigned balcony cabin that fixes one of the biggest problems for families
Moving on, Legend of the Seas also introduced a brand-new stateroom category. The Family Ocean View Balcony (Category FB) is a spacious cabin measuring 285 square feet, with an additional 50-square-foot private balcony.
Although they are similar to the Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony staterooms on Icon and Star of the Seas, they have a traditional verandah that replaces the controversial infinite balcony.
Plus, many of the Family Ocean View Balcony cabins are adjoining, so you can create a "mini suite" with significantly more space for families of up to 12.
Instead of standard connecting doors, these cabins feature a shared vestibule with two separate entry doors, so you can close the exterior door leading to the hallway and keep your primary cabin door open to easily go between cabins.
Other highlights of these cruise rooms include:
- Split bathroom design
- Traditional outdoor verandah
- Private bunk bed nook
Impressive entertainment lineup
Each Icon Class ship has its own unique entertainment lineup, and Legend of the Seas is no exception. Aboard the 248,663 gross-ton vessel, you'll find new shows that aren't available on any other ship in the fleet.
Starting in the Royal Theater, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the main production show. This musical brings the sweet excitement of Charlie finally getting his golden ticket to the high seas and is every bit as whimsical as you'd expect.
That's not all, though. Guests sailing on Legend of the Seas can also experience America's Got Talent LIVE at Sea, marking the first time the Got Talent format has ever been staged on a cruise ship.
Moving on to the Absolute Zero ice skating rink, one of the largest ice rinks at sea, Fusion showcases "nature's power, passion, and harmony [coming] to life."
Next, the jaw-dropping AquaTheater, which first launched on Oasis of the Seas and has since become a fan favorite venue, has a new show that was designed exclusively for Legend of the Seas.
Shockwave: A Battle for the Beat is a "heart-racing show that will leave you breathless with every beat, featuring spectacular stunts."
The cruise line's first-ever two-story Casino Royale
If you are an avid gambler, you'll love the casino on Legend of the Seas. It's no secret that Royal Caribbean has been steadily expanding and enhancing its casino offerings across its fleet, ranging from ships like Liberty of the Seas to Harmony of the Seas and more.
Legend of the Seas follows that same direction, offering the cruise line's largest casino at sea that spans across Deck 3 and Deck 4. Although the non-smoking casino on Deck 3 isn't as large as the space above it, it still has rows of slot machines and table games available for those who prefer a smoke-free gaming experience.
One thing that's nice about this design, compared to separate smoking / non-smoking casinos, is that it feels less disjointed. In other words, the staircase makes the two spaces feel more connected, and you don't have to play the game of "I wonder if the other section is less crowded."
Plus, it's just more visually striking for a casino. Putting a stronger emphasis on atmosphere and flow makes the space feel a little more upscale — as much as it can for a casino, that is.
Minor design enhancements
For starters, the Pearl on Legend of the Seas is brighter, more colorful, and more animated than ever before, thanks to new LED mirrored panels. If this massive sculpture wasn't a showstopper on the other two Icon Class ships, it sure is now.
In the Royal Promenade, you'll also notice new artwork that was carefully selected through Royal Caribbean's Artist Discovery Program, which features contributions from six artists chosen from a pool of 250 applicants across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.
Along with the Royal Promenade, their artwork will be showcased in the suite-only areas and the passenger boarding area on Deck 2.
Moving on, the family-friendly Surfside neighborhood received an adorable update with the addition of the rubber duck-themed carousel.
Although this feature isn't new and has been around since Oasis of the Seas hit the high seas in 2009, the "duckie-go-round" design feels more playful and honors the longstanding duck-hiding tradition.
Better retail offerings
Something else that has changed aboard Legend of the Seas is the retail offerings. Instead of Royal Caribbean-branded souvenirs and pricey jewelry, there's more kid-approved merchandise, including popular brands like Jellycat and collectible POP MART figures.
Moreover, other spaces have been rethought to be more practical. The Royal Bling store, for instance, was transformed into the Sol & Sea shop, which offers more everyday clothing.
In the Royal Promenade, there's even a small stand that offers engraved luggage tags and passport holders.
Finally, Legend of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean ship to reuse a previous ship name
Legend of the Seas is completely different from her namesake.
The original ship launched in 1995 and measured less than 70,000 gross tons with a passenger capacity of around 2,000. By comparison, the modern-day Legend comes in at around 248,000 gross tons and can accommodate over 5,600 passengers at double occupancy.
Although reusing ship names isn't unheard of in the industry, this marks the first time Royal Caribbean has brought back a legacy name from its earlier fleet.
To honor the original, Royal Caribbean constructed a detailed scale model of Legend of the Seas to place aboard the new vessel.
