Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas is not only the newest cruise ship in the world, but she boasts a number of new features, improved areas, and more to do onboard.
Don't let the fact Utopia is the sixth Oasis Class ship fool you, there's a lot that's changed onboard the average cruiser may not know about.
After checking out Utopia for over a week, it's clear to our team that Utopia stands out in a few ways. We dug through all the experiences onboard to share with you some interesting facts and things you might not yet know about this cruise ship.
70% of passengers on a short cruise are new cruisers
Royal Caribbean made the unorthodox decision to start Utopia of the Seas sailing short 3- and 4-night cruises instead of 7-night cruises because they wanted to attract people that had never cruised before.
New cruisers represent the single largest source of new customers for any cruise line, so finding a way to get more new cruisers is the path to financial success.
In Royal Caribbean Group's second quarter earnings report, the company shared an interesting fact about how many people brand new to cruise ships end up on short cruises.
Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty mentioned that 70% of passengers on a short cruise have never cruised before, "our short Caribbean cruise product is an important entry point for new-to-cruise and new-to-brand with nearly 7 and 10 guests following in these categories and always skewing more toward younger customers."
He also added that 40% of guests who are younger cruisers have indicated that they intend to book a short vacation in the next 12 months.
Plus, 90% of guests who sail on a short Royal Caribbean cruise intend to cruise again with roughly half planning to return for a longer cruise.
The math points to Utopia of the Seas being a giant magnet for growing the company's customer base.
It’s five times bigger than the Titanic
For some reason everyone likes to compare cruise ships to the RMS Titanic, so Utopia of the Seas is approximately five times bigger with a gross tonnage of 236,473 (the Titanic weighed 46,328 tons).
Utopia is not the biggest cruise ship in the world, as that title is still held by sister vessel Icon of the Seas. Icon has a gross tonnage of 250,800.
Utopia of the Seas has 18 decks, 2,834 staterooms, and it can hold up to 5,668 guests.
Read more: Comparing Titanic vs biggest cruise ship in the world
Sailing short cruises didn't change how Royal Caribbean designed the ship
While Utopia of the Seas is sailing short cruises now, the ship is ready for any itinerary, should the need arise.
I spoke with Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider while onboard the new ship about the design of Utopia, and he said all new cruise ships are built to handle any kind of sailing.
When asked about building a ship for short cruises, he responded, "we design a global ship independent of itinerary."
"We really honed in on designing a global ship that matches what our brand ambition, our brand DNA, and then really what our guests are looking for us to deliver."
So while Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to sail short cruises now, if that plan were to change in the future, Utopia would be ready for it.
The new immersive train restaurant is "an infinite storytelling platform"
If there's been one venue that truly stands out on Utopia of the Seas, it's the new immersive train car restaurant that is arguably the most innovative dining concepts out there.
The Royal Railway is Royal Caribbean's first fully immersive restaurant, which means you feel like you're really in a classic train with a story to match the food and drink you're served.
Read more: Royal Railway is unlike any cruise ship restaurant I ever experienced
Mr. Schneider talked about how Royal Railway is more than just another specialty restaurant, "I don't want people to think about it as a specialty restaurant, because it's not. It's a really meant to be an experience you've never done before."
When you dine at Royal Railway, you'll see that the venue is capable of taking guests through an entire journey with food, visuals, sounds, and even a light-hearted story.
"It is truly is an infinite storytelling platform," Mr. Schneider said in talking about their plans for this restaurant.
Royal Caribbean's research tells them most guests are looking for first experiences, bonding with their family members, and memories with their family.
He believes Royal Railway has plenty of that wow factor to make it something truly special.
21 places to eat, 23 bars, five pools, three water slides and two casinos
If you're worried about being bored on Utopia of the Seas, you can safely disregard that concern because Royal Caribbean has packed the ship with so much to do!
There's sushi, Italian, steaks, burgers, and plenty of snacks to keep you satisfied every day. Utopia has a good blend of included and extra-cost dining spots, and you don't have to go very far to find one.
Of all the bars onboard, the Pesky Parrot is the most notable because it's a brand new concept. A tiki bar located right on the Royal Promenade as you walk onto the ship, it has frozen concoctions that go beyond just a pina colada. Plus, it's a fun bar to sit and talk with friends.
You'll find pools, water slides, a surf simulator, rock climbing wall, an escape room, laser tag, mini golf, and that's just on the top deck.
Royal Caribbean's entertainment is second-to-none because they develop original shows that push limits of what you'd expect to find on a cruise ship.
Aqua80sToo is the show in the ship's open air amphitheater that plays nothing but music from the decade of excess. Not only is it nostalgic, but the performers have some amazing athleticism they put on in each show.
There's also a production show in the Royal Theater as well as the ice skating rink, and I appreciate all the shows are less than an hour to leave you more time to get out and enjoy other activities.
