Utopia of the Seas makes big waves at Port Canaveral (and Meghan Trainor is its godmother)
Royal Caribbean International executive Jay Schneider loves to talk about his company's newest ship, Utopia of the Seas.
But he'll defer when asked to talk about his favorite thing on the ship, which is the second-largest cruise ship in the world and boasts award-winning singer Meghan Trainor of "All About That Bass" and "Made You Look" fame as its godmother.
It would be like saying who your favorite child is, said Schneider, Royal Caribbean's senior vice president and chief product innovation officer.
But there's lots to choose from on the ship, which was starting its regular twice-weekly sailings from Port Canaveral this weekend.
"Utopia of the Seas is one of the most anticipated new cruise ships in the industry,” Port Canaveral CEO John Murray said. "We’re proud to be Royal Caribbean's partner for this industry-first experience and excited to support the strong market demand for short itineraries. Our team is ready and committed to providing high-quality experiences to help all cruise guests launch their memorable journeys from our port."
Royal Caribbean is marketing the ship as "the world's biggest weekend," in reference to its size, combined with its three- and four-night sailings.
Murray said basing such a large ship at Port Canaveral — and debuting it with twice-weekly sailings ― "exemplifies the trust and commitment our valued cruise partners have in our port and this community to deliver a high-quality guest experience."
Port Canaveral is the world's second-busiest cruise port, behind PortMiami.
Just how big is Utopia of the Seas?
Utopia of the Seas is the world's second-largest cruise ship, behind Royal Caribbean's Miami-based Icon of the Seas, which debuted there in January.
Utopia has 18 decks (including 16 passenger decks); 2,834 staterooms; a double-occupancy capacity of 5,668; a crew of 2,290; and is 1,188 feet long.
Where does Utopia of the Seas sail?
The ship offers three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas, with departures on Fridays and Mondays. Most of the sailings will have port-of-call stops in Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island.
What's on CocoCay?
CocoCay includes a recently opened, adults-only area, Hideaway Beach, with a private beach, pools, venues for drinks and snacks, cabanas and a DJ.
The island also has 14 waterslides in Thrill Waterpark; the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean and the Bahamas; a swim-up bar; and overwater cabanas.
What can you find on Utopia of the Seas?
Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. said: “We set out to create a utopian playground at sea that delivers the perfect short getaway and ultimate vacation. I’m immensely proud of our dream team that turned this vision into reality. Utopia of the Seas embodies our commitment to push boundaries and deliver the best vacation experiences responsibly.”
Utopia has 22 restaurants; 13 bars and lounges; six special areas for young children and teens, including the Splashaway Bay water play area; eight themed neighborhoods; five pools; eight hot tubs; a spa and fitness center; a solarium; two casinos with more than 370 slot machines and nearly 30 table games; two rock-climbing walls; and a mini-golf course.
The ship also features the FlowRider surf simulator; a 10-story-high zip line; three high-speed water slides at The Perfect Storm; and The Ultimate Abyss, which is the longest dry slide at sea at 259 feet, plummeting 10 decks, through zoom booster rollers and transparent racing windows.
In detailing the features of Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said: "We have created the ultimate weekend getaway for everyone. Every day on the Utopia will feel like the weekend."
What's your culinary cruising pleasure?
Sure, where you're headed, and the accommodations you'll enjoy as you cruise, play a role in choosing the ship on which you'll sail.
But other than the destinations, the main reason people choose a cruise is the food onboard the ship, according to Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's senior vice president and chief product innovation officer.
And for those traveling on Utopia of the Seas, with 22 restaurants and 13 bars and lounges, there's a feast of choices.
Here's just a sampler of the menu of dining options for Utopia guests:
Royal Railway – Utopia Station: Royal Caribbean says the new venue combines adventure, food and technology to transport travelers ― in an "immersive train dining car experience” ― to various places and time periods.
"It's eat-ertainment," rather than a more conventional dinner and a show, said Schneider. "It's just a mind-blowing experience."
The first theme, Schneider said: The Wild West.
Izumi and Izumi in the Park: The Japanese restaurant features a private omakase multicourse experience, guided by the chef, as well as teppanyaki tables and al fresco seating.
Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar: The Italian eatery spans two stories, and also debuts Gio’s Terrazza, an outdoor terrace area.
The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar: This restaurant features a Southern-themed menu and live country music.
What are Utopia's entertainment venues?
The cruise line said its original productions are performed "across air, ice, water and theater," including high-diving, slacklining and acrobatics at the AquaTheater; ice-skating feats at Studio B; and theatrical productions at the Royal Theater.
Where can you listen to live music on Utopia of the Seas?
Live music venues include Spotlight Karaoke; Latin hotspot Boleros; Music Hall, featuring rock cover bands; Bell & Barley, the English pub with a guitarist; and the classic piano bar, Schooner Bar.
How varied are the accommodations?
The ship has more than 20 types of accommodations for various-sized groups, with views of the ocean or "neighborhoods" like the open-air Central Park and the Boardwalk. Among them are suites, such as the Royal Loft Suite, the Ultimate Family Suite and two Solarium Suites.
What's Utopia of the Sea's full capacity?
Royal Caribbean isn't saying, only revealing that the capacity of the ship, based on double-occupancy of its cabins, is 5,668.
But some clues can be gathered by the full capacity listed on its previous Oasis-class ships. Those ships have double-occupancy capacity ranging from 5,479 to 5,734 — and full capacity ranging from 6,680 to 7,084.
Where was Utopia of the Seas built?
The ship underwent more than two years of construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Who is the godmother of the Utopia of the Seas?
Royal Caribbean selected Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Meghan Trainor as the ship's godmother. She participated in the naming ceremony for the ship, then performed in the open-air AquaTheater. She also performed for passengers on a special three-night preview cruise that sailed out of Port Canaveral on Monday, performing while the ship was docked at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
“It’s an incredible honor to join the Royal Caribbean family as godmother of Utopia of the Seas and set the tone for the parties to come,” Trainor said in a statement released by the cruise line. “The best part is that we get to bring that weekend energy to the stage with my family and fans. What’s better than being on vacation with the people you love and dancing to your favorite music? Becoming Utopia’s godmother and being here for this incredible celebration with Royal Caribbean is a dream come true.”
As godmother, Trainor joined a long-standing maritime tradition of bestowing safekeeping onto the ship, its crew and its passengers.
Why did Royal Caribbean select Trainor as ship godmother?
Royal Caribbean CEO Bayley explained it this way: "This is the short getaway that’s all about celebrations, celebrating friends, family and the memories you make together. Meghan embodies that in every way, from who she is to how she shares her music with the world, making her the perfect godmother to match Utopia’s big weekend energy. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the family and host a party of epic proportions fit for the ultimate short getaway.”
What is Royal Caribbean's presence at Port Canaveral?
The Utopia is one of three Royal Caribbean ships based at Port Canaveral, joining the Adventure of the Seas and the Wonder of the Seas. The Utopia replaced Port Canaveral-based Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, which was redeployed to Miami.
In addition, Royal's Symphony of the Seas makes port-of-call stops at Port Canaveral.
A fourth Royal Caribbean ship, Voyager of the Seas, will be based at Port Canaveral, beginning Nov. 26.
Why are twice-a-week sailings important for the port?
The twice-a-week sailings of Utopia of the Seas ― as opposed to once-a-week sailings ― are important for Port Canaveral. That's because the port's cruise revenue is based in part on fees tied to dockings of cruise ships and to passenger counts. The more sailings per month, the more potential revenue.
The port added about 1,000 parking spaces at Cruise Terminal 1 to accommodate the increased demand for Royal Caribbean's twice-weekly sailings of the Utopia of the Seas and, before that, the Allure of the Seas.
What does Royal Caribbean think about Port Canaveral?
Schneider said Port Canaveral is in "a great location," near the Orlando attractions and closer than the South Florida ports of Miami and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for people driving to their cruise port from the Atlanta area.
He said Port Canaveral's Royal Caribbean ships are a draw for international travelers, particularly from Mexico, Colombia and Australia.
Will Port Canaveral get more Royal Caribbean ships in the future?
Schneider won't make a specific commitment, but said: "As our fleet grows, will we try to maximize the presence in our ports," including Port Canaveral, PortMiami, Port Everglades and Galveston, Texas. "You'll see us grow in these markets equally."
What's an unconventional environmental feature of the ship?
The Utopia will be the third ship based at Port Canaveral to be powered by liquefied natural gas, a fuel that is cleaner-burning that traditional marine fuels.
The other LNG-powered ships at Port Canaveral are the Carnival's Mardi Gras and Disney's Wish. The Disney Treasure, which will join the Port Canaveral lineup in December, also will be LNG-powered.
How are cruise shipa ranked in size?
Not by number of passengers or number of cabins. But rather by gross tonnage. Utopia weighs in at 236,473 gross tons.
In all, Royal Caribbean operates the world's seven largest cruise ships, with No. 3 through No. 7 being Wonder of the Seas (debuted in 2022), Symphony of the Seas (debuted in 2018), Harmony of the Seas (debuted in 2016), Oasis of the Seas (debuted in 2009) and Allure of the Seas (debuted in 2010). These five ships all are "Oasis-class" ships, as is Utopia of the Seas.
So, with Wonder of the Seas also based at Port Canaveral, the port now is home to two of the three largest cruise ships. And the fourth-largest, Symphony of the Seas, makes regular port-of-call stops there.
Star of the Seas will replace Wonder of the Seas in July 2025. At 250,800 gross tons, it will become the world's largest cruise ship when it goes into service. The Icon-class Star of the Seas is expected to make six- and seven-night cruises to the Western Caribbean, as well as seven- and eight-night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at [email protected], on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: World's second-larged cruise ship makes big waves in Port Canaveral
