Entertainment revealed for Port Canaveral-bound Utopia of the Seas

A lineup of three original productions are on tap for Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas when it debuts from Port Canaveral next month, although the main stage won’t feature a Broadway show like some of its sister ships.

The sixth of Royal’s Oasis-class ships and currently the second-largest ship in the world behind Miami’s Icon of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas will begin sailing three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries starting July 19.

The cruise line this week revealed the names of the spate of entertainment coming on board including the title shows for its AquaTheater, ice rink Studio B and the main stage Royal Theater.

Aqua80Too, a sequel to an existing 1980s-themed show, will be the offering at the popular AquaTheater found at the aft of the vessel. The shows combine high-diving, aerobatics, music, dancing and a water-and-light show.

The Studio B ice skating rink will be home to a show called “Youtopia,” although details of what it will entail were not revealed.

While no licensed Broadway show is hitting the main stage in the Royal Theater, a show titled “All In,” an original production that promised to be “high-tech” is on tap. Previous shows in the main theater have taken advantage of drone technology, laser lights and suspension wires.

Other entertainment offerings coming to the ship include an adults-only scavenger hunt called “Crazy Quest,” a game show concept called “Majority Rules,” as well as others called “Battle of the Sexes” and “Friendly Feud,” and a comedy club shows.

The ship will also offer up 10 parties like a silent disco, toga event and karaoke among its sundry pool decks and dance clubs, as well as live music at nine of its bars and lounges.

The cruise line is betting on the short Bahamas voyages with its newest hardware in a combination approach its calling the “ultimate short getaway,” selling the ship as much as the primary destination — private island Little Stirrup Cay — which the line has redubbed Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The popular stop features a water park with 14 waterslides and a massive wave pool, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean and Bahamas, and a new adults-only area called Hideaway Beach.

Utopia is taking over the short sailing duties from Allure of the Seas, which began sailing from Port Canaveral last fall as part of Royal’s double-dip approach with Oasis-class ships from the Orlando-area port as Wonder of the Seas continues the longer seven-night sailings.

As the sixth Oasis-class vessel, Utopia of the Seas is 236,860 gross tons and 1,188 feet long with 18 decks and a 5,668-passenger capacity based on double occupancy. Oasis of the Seas was the largest in the world when it debuted in 2009 followed by 2010’s Allure of the Seas, 2016’s Harmony of the Seas, 2018’s Symphony of the Seas and 2022’s Wonder of the Seas.

All but Symphony have spent some time calling Port Canaveral home, and the Oasis class has only been outsized by the new Icon class after Icon of the Seas’ debut in January.

Utopia of the Seas will hold onto the No. 2 spot on the world’s-largest-cruise-ship list until Icon of the Seas’ sister ship Star of the Seas debuts in 2025. Star of the Seas is also headed to Port Canaveral, which has been landing more new ship debuts in the last few years.

Among recent vessels to call on Port Canaveral in their first year of sailing have been Wonder of the Seas, Norwegian Prima, Disney Wish and Carnival’s Mardi Gras.

Royal took possession of Utopia of the Seas last week at a ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France — home to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard where the ship has been under construction since 2022. It’s the first of the Oasis-class vessels to run on the cleaner-burning fuel — liquefied natural gas. It will be the third LNG-fueled ship to call Port Canaveral home after Disney Wish and Carnival’s Mardi Gras.

“Taking delivery of Utopia of the Seas is an incredibly important milestone, as it marks yet another evolution of our game-changing ships and our mission to create the best vacation experiences responsibly,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of the cruise line’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Group.

The ship still has a month to complete final touches before it welcomes its first paying guests. It is tentatively slated to arrive at Port Canaveral on July 11, after which it will sail some shakedown cruises with employees and media.

“There will be probably a weeklong of festivities that Royal Caribbean will be handling when the ship first arrives,” Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray said at the port’s May commission meeting. “This is a big arrival for them — first time a brand new ship of this size is going into a three- and four-day rotation.”

While carved up into neighborhoods like its sister ships, including the open-air Central Park in the middle of the ship and Jersey Shore-themed Boardwalk at the aft, it does feature some unique items.

New cruise line dining experiences make you forget you’re on a cruise

That includes the themed dining experience Royal Railway – Utopia Station, an extra-cost experience that on its debut will be themed to the Old West with a theatrical performance alongside high-definition digital projections, sounds and seats that shake like a moving train.

The ship also sports the longest-ever of the popular dry slide The Ultimate Abyss, that runs for 259 feet in a twisting 10-deck drop equipped with new rollers within the tube to make riders go even faster than the slides on sister ships.

One new drink venue replacing the Bionic Bar is the Caribbean-themed Pesky Parrot.

Other features similar to its sister ships include the three-slide Perfect Storm water park; three Lime & Coconut bars among five pools on its top decks; a FlowRider surf simulator; zip line; adults-only Solarium; Utopia Playscape for kids; and kids aqua park Splashaway Bay.

Multiple dining options include Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar taking the two-deck space Wonderland has on sister ships, and allowing for an al fresco Gio’s Terrazza that overlooks the Boardwalk. The ship will also have the Izumi in the Park pickup window for quick service sushi and Japanese-inspired street food in Central Park.

It’s also going to be the second home to popular Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar that debuted on Wonder of the Seas.

“With the delivery of Utopia of the Seas, we have the keys to the ultimate weekend,” cruise line President and CEO Michael Bayley said. “This is the short vacation that packs every way to make amazing memories. … Vacationers want every minute to be a minute well spent and the unmatched combination of Utopia and Perfect Day at CocoCay will deliver that.”