Royal Caribbean’s newest and largest ship, Legend of the Seas, has launched in Europe with a price tag of £1.3 billion and enough onboard attractions to rival a small city. The 20-deck liner stretches nearly a quarter of a mile, carries 7,000 passengers, and is now officially the biggest cruise ship in the world.
The ship made its preview debut on a four-day sailing from Malaga to Rome, giving journalist Jo Kessel an early look at what Royal Caribbean is calling its most ambitious build yet. Legend surpasses its two sister ships, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, and is topped by a glass dome heavier than a Boeing 747.
Neighborhoods, Pools and a Carousel
The ship is divided into distinct neighborhoods. Families gravitate toward one zone, while adults have their own. Central Park offers real plants and a bagel bar. Thrill Island houses the aqua park and high-speed rides. Chill Island is home to the majority of the ship’s seven pools, including Swim And Tonic, described as the largest swim-up bar at sea.
The upper decks are bright and bold, tangled with colorful waterslides. But the ship also carries an unexpected artistic streak: a red British telephone box cinched at the waist, a sculpture of a female swimmer on a diving board, and The Pearl, a giant kinetic walk-through clamshell lit by ever-changing lights that also serves a structural role, holding up the liner’s central framework.
There is even a rubber duck-inspired carousel, popular with adults and children alike.
Shows on Steroids
Entertainment is included in the base fare. The aqua show Shockwave features high somersaulting dives, aerial performers, a drone butterfly that flies above the audience, and a swimmer dropping intentionally from the top of a 55-foot waterfall. The ice-skating production Fusion, themed around the elements, includes triple axels and headbanger spins, with projections designed partly by American 3D artist Shelly Boehm, who spent four months creating the water section of the show. A 90-minute staging of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory rounds out the lineup, with the smell of chocolate piped into the theatre during the performance.
Dining is similarly broad. Korean, Mexican, Cajun, and pizzeria options are all included in the cruise fare at no extra cost.
The Train Explained
The much-publicized onboard train is a virtual reality experience that costs extra, priced at £144 per person. The carriages look authentic, but the movement, soundtrack, and window views are all simulated. A 90-minute journey follows the ancient Silk Route from China to Venice via India and Turkey, with a five-course dinner paired to each destination: dim sum served with pandas visible through the window, Turkish lamb chops as the train passes a simulated Cappadocia.
The other premium dining option is the Hollywoodland Supper Club, priced at £190 per person. It features eight courses and cocktails paired with jazz standards performed by a live quartet. Kessel noted that blinis and caviar paired well with a Sunset Martini and the Pink Panther theme tune.
The Heart-Lurching Highlight
Crown’s Edge, part freefall and part zip-line, drops riders 150 feet over the ocean before returning them to the ship. Kessel said her hands shook for hours after completing it and declined to go again.
For those after quieter moments, a wraparound promenade on Deck 8 offers a calmer alternative to the ship’s more intense attractions.
Accommodation ranges widely. The three-storey family townhouse in the exclusive Suite neighborhood costs around £60,000 a week in the off-season. Standard family cabins include bunkbeds for children behind a curtain, alongside a wall-size chalkboard.
Legend of the Seas is sailing the Mediterranean this summer.
