Wow! Brings back memories. Our first Royal Caribbean cruise was on Song of Norway in 1985. Our first cruise (Mediterranean) was on the Stella Solaris in 1982 which had capacity of 765! We sailed on Monarch in 1995 to celebrate my parents 30th anniversary, their first cruise. I have not yet sailed on Icon and no plans for the near future. Our next family cruise is on Harmony to celebrate my mom’s 85th birthday, sadly dad passed in 2020, but we did celebrate his 85th birthday with a family cruise on Liberty. My son-in-law did his bachelor trip on Adventure (4-nights) and we had to warn him not to get blacklisted, as he would attain my daughter’s C & A loyalty status after they got married. Apparently, they all behaved, as they went on Mediterranean/ Greek Islands/Croatia cruise for their honeymoon on Ovation. Thank you for another awesome video. I am now a definite fan of yours.
@@MB-uy5kh Thank you for sharing your cruising journey. 😁 Stella Solaris with 765 passengers sounds like a completely different cruising experience. I have yet to try a ship under 1,000 passengers. We were on Harmony in May for a week and she’s holding up well. Had an amazing family cruise. You’ll love it!
Nice video, lots of good information. I don't see myself going on Utopia any time soon; I prefer the longer sailings on older ships. But, very much appreciate the thorough run-down here. Thanks!! 👍👍
Great review! It was particularly nice to see the possible bias with two vids from the same parties. I would love to see your take on the best websites to search for cruises, bargains vs luxury, etc. Thanks!
@@westifer566 Thank you so much. And I’m glad you liked that point. I felt like it was important to point out that many things are presented based on how people want to present them. Thank you for the idea suggestion!
Just got off of utopia finishing up a family vacation and it included young kids. The ship was great, the kids had a ball and we are booking a sailing again in november… the passengers were a mix of all ages!
We have a 4 night in a central park interior in February. We try to book around times when kids and college students are in school. I did a 4 night on Mariner this year in April and it was definitely more spring break crowds
That's my strategy and has been forever. I go in September thru November or other times when kids are in school. I also avoid super cheap short cruises in the summer as in starting to see fights tend to break out
I’m on the Oct 14th sailing and cannot wait. I’m an outgoing person and I don’t think too much partying is possible. You can just avoid the pool deck during that time, and just don’t go to the clubs at night. I hate that it’s just 4 nights, but with it being that short I was able to get a few first time cruising friends to go with me since it’s not 7. Was also able to book the 2 bdr aqua theater suite at a more reasonable price.
@@phux How exiting! I think many people leave negative reviews of the ship because of the higher level of partying. However, that was the whole purpose of the ship and it was supposed to be different from the traditional Royal Caribbean cruise. I think they did a good job offering a different alternative. You love it! Have a great cruise! 😁
I loved the ship and will; be back on it in February, but there was no reason that the music at sail away and during the rest of the trip on deck needed to be that loud. You couldn't talk to someone without yelling, it was more like club volume. Speaking about club volume, the music in the rock hall was ear damaging loud. They need to turn each one down to the levels on the other ships, it is more than loud enough on those, and they are plenty loud.
I 100% agree. I am not sure why it's so loud on this ship. Just because there is a younger audience, it doesn't mean you have to deafen them. Hopefully, as more people fill out the survey, Royal Caribbean will get the point and turn the volume down some.
@@TravelYesOuiSi Thank you! And yes, while it was slightly different, it wasn’t so different that loyal Royal cruisers would dislike it. And if somebody doesn’t like the new approach, they have 20+ other Royal Caribbean ships to go on.
Why are so many people so hateful of this ship??? It’s simple really, royal is trying to have something for everyone!! If you don’t like the party vibes there are sooooooo many other ships to go on! Don’t look down on royal because they want to give the people who like to party something of their own.. This is a great ship for younger people like my self to go on for a few days and enjoy ourselves and take a break from this crazy world we live in lol!!
I completely agree! There are 27 other ships that RCCL has for people that don't like Utopia to choose from, lol. I'm not sure either why this one bothers them so much. I think it's a great move for Royal Caribbean as their traditional audience is aging and they need to attract next generations to what they have. We absolutely loved it and we're above that younger demographic they're trying to market to. So this ship really does have something for everyone.
@@DTboy22 We were on it in 2009. First cruise. It was great and got us hooked on cruising. That’s why I don’t discount any ships - small, large, old, new… There is something for everyone!
@@DTboy22 You’ll love it! Funny enough, I just got back from a cruise on the smallest oldest ship Royal Caribbean still has, Grandeur of the Seas. I wanted to see what these old ships have to offer. It was an interesting cruise and I’m actually rather conflicted on what to say about it. Working on the video this week 😂
@@CruisingKat I love the older Royal ships. Went on both Enchantment of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. MUCH prefer Enchantment's size and "vibe". Anthem isn't even close to Oasis-class, but I still found Anthem to be WAY too big and crowded for my taste. Give me the old, small ships any day!! haha.
@@PatrickWagz Interestingly, we just got off Grandeur of the Seas - Royal’s smallest and oldest ship. I agree, the vibe is completely different and it was enjoyable in a very different way. Smaller ships are good for a nice relaxing vacation when you don’t care about shows and activities. So we like all sizes of ships and choose them based on what type of a cruise we want to have at that time.
@@CruisingKatit’s 2024…people with tattoos should be the least of your worries lol. My guess is that if it was a cruise full of professional athletes and famous people who are full of tattoos, you’d be more interested in getting a selfie and autograph…and not their tattoos. Come on.
@@dellamccullough1237 A certain type of demographics. People who find the need to almost permanently desicrate their body just to get attention from others. That type of demographic.
@@marshall.cochran I’m not sure I would agree with the “everyone” phrase since this ship is sailing at full capacity with thousands of people who like to party. But yes, it is more expensive than the cheaper ships. At the same time, there are already a bunch of those so people that don’t want to spend that much have a lot of choices. This ship offers a different party experience that is combined with dining and entertainment options usually not found on a smaller party ships. I think the more choices we have, the better.
Traditionally, very true. And we prefer 7+ day cruises too. This one is somewhat different due to higher pricing. I think, it has a unique offer. Most "booze cruise" type people won't want to pay the higher price just to go drinking for a few days. Meanwhile, many people can't take off more than a week for vacation (7 day cruise plus 1-2 days for travel) so this ship gives them an ability to enjoy a cruise on a large ship and get it done in 5-6 days including travel.
Actually maybe not. If you go during the time of year when kids are in school you'll avoid lots of issues. Also I see the prices aren't super cheap so that'll help
@@clarkanyan8508 I think keeping the price point higher puts them in a different category than a cheaper Carnival booze cruises. It will be interesting to see how the demand for this ship holds up, considering higher prices.
@@TravelYesOuiSi I agree. Virgin has been gaining the market share for young adults while so many people see Royal Caribbean as a cruise line for older people or families. The age range was definitely younger on this ship than any other Royal Caribbean cruise we took. So it looks like it’s working.
What do you think of Utopia Of The Seas? Are you planning to sail on this ship or do you think it's too much of a party ship?
Wow! Brings back memories. Our first Royal Caribbean cruise was on Song of Norway in 1985. Our first cruise (Mediterranean) was on the Stella Solaris in 1982 which had capacity of 765! We sailed on Monarch in 1995 to celebrate my parents 30th anniversary, their first cruise.
I have not yet sailed on Icon and no plans for the near future. Our next family cruise is on Harmony to celebrate my mom’s 85th birthday, sadly dad passed in 2020, but we did celebrate his 85th birthday with a family cruise on Liberty.
My son-in-law did his bachelor trip on Adventure (4-nights) and we had to warn him not to get blacklisted, as he would attain my daughter’s C & A loyalty status after they got married. Apparently, they all behaved, as they went on Mediterranean/ Greek Islands/Croatia cruise for their honeymoon on Ovation.
Thank you for another awesome video. I am now a definite fan of yours.
@@MB-uy5kh Thank you for sharing your cruising journey. 😁 Stella Solaris with 765 passengers sounds like a completely different cruising experience. I have yet to try a ship under 1,000 passengers. We were on Harmony in May for a week and she’s holding up well. Had an amazing family cruise. You’ll love it!
Nice video, lots of good information.
I don't see myself going on Utopia any time soon; I prefer the longer sailings on older ships.
But, very much appreciate the thorough run-down here.
Thanks!! 👍👍
@@PatrickWagz Thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback and glad you enjoyed the video. 😁
Great review! It was particularly nice to see the possible bias with two vids from the same parties.
I would love to see your take on the best websites to search for cruises, bargains vs luxury, etc. Thanks!
@@westifer566 Thank you so much. And I’m glad you liked that point. I felt like it was important to point out that many things are presented based on how people want to present them. Thank you for the idea suggestion!
Just got off of utopia finishing up a family vacation and it included young kids. The ship was great, the kids had a ball and we are booking a sailing again in november… the passengers were a mix of all ages!
Awesome! I can't wait to go on it again either.
We have a 4 night in a central park interior in February. We try to book around times when kids and college students are in school. I did a 4 night on Mariner this year in April and it was definitely more spring break crowds
@@kingalbert67 That timeframe should make a big difference on this ship. It will definitely be more like a normal cruise versus a spring break party.
That's my strategy and has been forever. I go in September thru November or other times when kids are in school. I also avoid super cheap short cruises in the summer as in starting to see fights tend to break out
I’m on the Oct 14th sailing and cannot wait. I’m an outgoing person and I don’t think too much partying is possible. You can just avoid the pool deck during that time, and just don’t go to the clubs at night.
I hate that it’s just 4 nights, but with it being that short I was able to get a few first time cruising friends to go with me since it’s not 7. Was also able to book the 2 bdr aqua theater suite at a more reasonable price.
Same
@@phux How exiting! I think many people leave negative reviews of the ship because of the higher level of partying. However, that was the whole purpose of the ship and it was supposed to be different from the traditional Royal Caribbean cruise. I think they did a good job offering a different alternative. You love it! Have a great cruise! 😁
I loved the ship and will; be back on it in February, but there was no reason that the music at sail away and during the rest of the trip on deck needed to be that loud. You couldn't talk to someone without yelling, it was more like club volume. Speaking about club volume, the music in the rock hall was ear damaging loud. They need to turn each one down to the levels on the other ships, it is more than loud enough on those, and they are plenty loud.
I 100% agree. I am not sure why it's so loud on this ship. Just because there is a younger audience, it doesn't mean you have to deafen them. Hopefully, as more people fill out the survey, Royal Caribbean will get the point and turn the volume down some.
Nice video
I totally agree
It's pretty much same Royal with a few extra parties that are also pretty much same Royal
@@TravelYesOuiSi Thank you! And yes, while it was slightly different, it wasn’t so different that loyal Royal cruisers would dislike it. And if somebody doesn’t like the new approach, they have 20+ other Royal Caribbean ships to go on.
Thanks for the video, my husband and I were wondering how it really is. We have a sailing in Jan and Feb with our 6 yo. Thanks
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful. Have an amazing cruise!
Why are so many people so hateful of this ship??? It’s simple really, royal is trying to have something for everyone!! If you don’t like the party vibes there are sooooooo many other ships to go on! Don’t look down on royal because they want to give the people who like to party something of their own.. This is a great ship for younger people like my self to go on for a few days and enjoy ourselves and take a break from this crazy world we live in lol!!
I completely agree! There are 27 other ships that RCCL has for people that don't like Utopia to choose from, lol. I'm not sure either why this one bothers them so much. I think it's a great move for Royal Caribbean as their traditional audience is aging and they need to attract next generations to what they have. We absolutely loved it and we're above that younger demographic they're trying to market to. So this ship really does have something for everyone.
We’re going on it soon 🎉
@@Walrs123 I’m jealous 😁. Have an amazing cruise!! 🚢
@@CruisingKat thanks 👍
Monarch of the Seas was my first cruise ship in 2008.
@@DTboy22 We were on it in 2009. First cruise. It was great and got us hooked on cruising. That’s why I don’t discount any ships - small, large, old, new… There is something for everyone!
@CruisingKat hell I thought that one was big back then, now I'm going on Utopia in November and I can't wait to see how much bigger it is.
@@DTboy22 You’ll love it! Funny enough, I just got back from a cruise on the smallest oldest ship Royal Caribbean still has, Grandeur of the Seas. I wanted to see what these old ships have to offer. It was an interesting cruise and I’m actually rather conflicted on what to say about it. Working on the video this week 😂
@@CruisingKat I love the older Royal ships. Went on both Enchantment of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. MUCH prefer Enchantment's size and "vibe". Anthem isn't even close to Oasis-class, but I still found Anthem to be WAY too big and crowded for my taste. Give me the old, small ships any day!! haha.
@@PatrickWagz Interestingly, we just got off Grandeur of the Seas - Royal’s smallest and oldest ship. I agree, the vibe is completely different and it was enjoyable in a very different way. Smaller ships are good for a nice relaxing vacation when you don’t care about shows and activities. So we like all sizes of ships and choose them based on what type of a cruise we want to have at that time.
Music was too loud for sure. Lots of people with tattoos I definitely noticed.
@@Michael-rx6ji Yes! I agree on both points.
@@CruisingKatit’s 2024…people with tattoos should be the least of your worries lol. My guess is that if it was a cruise full of professional athletes and famous people who are full of tattoos, you’d be more interested in getting a selfie and autograph…and not their tattoos. Come on.
And a tattoo has what to do with it?
This is a stupid comment.
@@dellamccullough1237 A certain type of demographics. People who find the need to almost permanently desicrate their body just to get attention from others. That type of demographic.
It’s ironic because everyone who likes to party can’t afford to go on Utopia
@@marshall.cochran I’m not sure I would agree with the “everyone” phrase since this ship is sailing at full capacity with thousands of people who like to party. But yes, it is more expensive than the cheaper ships. At the same time, there are already a bunch of those so people that don’t want to spend that much have a lot of choices. This ship offers a different party experience that is combined with dining and entertainment options usually not found on a smaller party ships. I think the more choices we have, the better.
3-4 night cruises screams...BOOZE CRUISE!! I'll pass
Traditionally, very true. And we prefer 7+ day cruises too. This one is somewhat different due to higher pricing. I think, it has a unique offer. Most "booze cruise" type people won't want to pay the higher price just to go drinking for a few days. Meanwhile, many people can't take off more than a week for vacation (7 day cruise plus 1-2 days for travel) so this ship gives them an ability to enjoy a cruise on a large ship and get it done in 5-6 days including travel.
That just means....well to do partiers...lol!
😆
Actually maybe not. If you go during the time of year when kids are in school you'll avoid lots of issues. Also I see the prices aren't super cheap so that'll help
A few months ago all the passengers on our cruise were treated horribly by RC. The company simply does not care about its customers.
So sorry you had such a bad experience.
Do you mind sharing what happened? I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I hope you were not on one of the sailings that was overbooked.
RCCL trying to be Carnival no thanks Royal Caribbean is losing it’s customer base
Actually it's trying not to lose market share to Virgin for active adults who don't think fun and party are four letter words
@@clarkanyan8508 I think keeping the price point higher puts them in a different category than a cheaper Carnival booze cruises. It will be interesting to see how the demand for this ship holds up, considering higher prices.
@@TravelYesOuiSi I agree. Virgin has been gaining the market share for young adults while so many people see Royal Caribbean as a cruise line for older people or families. The age range was definitely younger on this ship than any other Royal Caribbean cruise we took. So it looks like it’s working.
It sounds very loud with nothing of any culture.
Good assessment. It's mostly a "fun" ship that doesn't aim to have much culture.