There’s a brand new party cruise ship that is now sailing three and four night cruises to The Bahamas. It’s from Royal Caribbean, the world’s largest cruise line.
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Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Utopia of the Seas, is the cruise line’s sixth Oasis class ship and it’s the second largest cruise ship ever built. But there’s one thing that sets this ship apart from the rest of the cruise line’s fleet, it’s a party ship.
Before Utopia of the Seas set sail on its maiden voyage, I took a three night preview/shakedown cruise on the ship exploring everything that it had to offer.
A shakedown cruise is a sailing held before the maiden voyage so the cruise line can work out the kinks before paying passengers come on board.
During our sailing, members of the media, including myself, attended a press conference with Royal Caribbean’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley.
During the press briefing, Bayley got right to the point, Utopia of the Seas is a party ship. He even used the word “extreme” party. You’ll find DJs on the pool deck and parties that don’t start until midnight.
They are calling Utopia of the Seas “The World’s Biggest Weekend” since it sails three and four night cruises to The Bahamas. The three night weekend cruises will depart every Friday and return on Monday.
He said it’s the perfect ship for weekend getaways as it’s not only the world’s newest cruise ship, but all cruises visit Perfect Day at CocoCay. It’s also great for those who want a getaway but don’t want to commit a lot of time away.
Utopia of the Seas is loaded with entertainment. You won’t find long production shows like on other Royal Caribbean ships. The production shows are shorter (45 minutes) and there’s more live music than ever before. After all, most people probably don’t want to go to a 90-120 minute show on a short three night cruise.
After walking around the ship for three days, I saw far more late night entertainment than on any of my previous 13 Royal Caribbean cruises. There’s a total of 10 parties on every cruise.
Utopia of the Seas has everything from a silent disco toga party to ice skating shows to the cruise line’s signature AquaTheater shows.
Studio B turned into a nightclub one night for a party that didn’t start until midnight. The ReZolution Dance Party offered an early party for families and then a late night one for those 18 and older. For all of the late night parties, SeaPass cards were scanned to keep children out.
Nine locations around the ship have live music and if you’re lucky enough, you can find yourself in an elevator with The Stowaway Piano Player.
The cruise ship is very similar to sister ship Wonder of the Seas but with some great changes and improvements. The Solarium is enclosed and there’s a play area (Playscape) for families with small children that replaced one of the Flowriders.
Royal Caribbean cruisers will find many familiar features including Central Park, Boardwalk, Studio B, Boleros, Schooner Bar and Music Hall.
However, the ship has some new drink and dining venues that are new to Royal Caribbean.
The Pesky Parrot is going to be a huge hit. It replaces the robot bartenders in the Royal Promenade and it’s one of the best themed areas you’ll find on any ship in the world.
Royal Railway is a dining experience like no other that takes place on a “train”.
There are more than 40 dining and drink options on board. From a food truck on the pool deck to a massive Izumi in Central Park, there are more options than ever before.
There’s something for everyone on Utopia of the Seas.
Even though it’s a party ship, it’s also a great ship for families. I took my wife and three year old son on the cruise and they loved every second of it.
We took him to from Adventure Ocean (Kid’s Club) one night and he started to cry when we picked him up. He just loved it.
My son really enjoyed the interactive feature with the whale on the mini golf course. I won’t get away any secrets but every kid there was obsessed with it.
One of the great things about this ship is that since it’s so huge, you can get away from the parties and have quiet time in the Solarium or have a relaxing dinner in Central Park.
Utopia of the Seas sails out of Port Canaveral on three and four night cruises to The Bahamas. All cruises visit Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. View Prices on Cruises on Utopia of the Seas
Each cruise will also visit Nassau with the four night sailings adding in one sea day.
