Utopia of the Seas is dubbed as a "non-stop party," so I wanted to see what it was like to try to keep the fun going all day and night.
When Royal Caribbean launched its first Oasis-Class ship with weekend cruises in mind, it wanted the vessel to offer something new and different.
Marketed as a "party ship," Utopia of the Seas offers non-stop activities throughout its short sailings.
It's the perfect combination for cruisers to make the most of their days onboard.
I spent four nights onboard Utopia this month, and I knew I wanted to maximize my short sailing.
For our only sea day onboard, I challenged myself to participate in a cruise ship activity all day long—more than 12 hours straight!
What does a busy day actually look like on Utopia of the Seas? There are so many activities to choose from—but it's more chill than you might expect.
The constant "party" atmosphere on the vessel actually translated into a calmer, chill vibe. No one was required to bring the energy, as staff and party squads made sure that guests were enjoying themselves.
In the end, I had so much fun and ended up being less exhausted than I thought I'd be.
Read more: 5 things to know before sailing on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas
9:00 A.M.: Breakfast
I started out with breakfast in the Park Cafe—an elegant, well-lit free cafe in Central Park.
Breakfast in the Café usually includes fresh fruit, oatmeal, pastries, and more.
I dined on oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, with a side of fresh grapes and hot coffee.
After breakfast, I hit the cruise ship gym, which was surprisingly busy for a relaxing sailing trip!
Other cruisers, like me, wanted to take advantage of the quality gym and stay active despite all the tempting food.
However, the gym was gigantic, so I didn't have to worry about overcrowding.
10:30 A.M.: Ice skating
After the gym, I headed straight down to Studio B for a short ice-skating activity.
I reserved a slot ahead of time on the Royal Caribbean app, so the staff gave me a wristband right away. When my wristband color was called, I went down to suit up with a helmet (required for safety) and ice skates.
The rink was a medium-sized, icy square. Skating around on it was fun, but it seemed more directed toward kids.
Struggling children kept falling and skating in front of me, which could make the experience more stressful for beginners.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the experience. How many people can say they've ice skated on a cruise ship?
11:20 A.M.: Lunch
After I finished ice skating, I'd worked up an appetite. I took the elevator up to the Windjammer, the ship's complimentary buffet.
I always enjoy eating at the Windjammer because of its variety of options.
For lunch I directed myself towards the available brunch food, choosing hash browns, waffles, and biscuits.
1:00 P.M.: World's Sexiest Man Competition
After showering and meeting with my travel buddy, Val, we returned to the pool deck to watch the World's Sexiest Man Competition.
Found on most Royal Caribbean ships, this competition is a hilarious, dramatic pageant show featuring several brave cruisers.
After each man flexes, dances, and poses in front of judges, one man in particular is awarded the title of the most attractive of the cruise.
2:00 P.M.: Plunge Party
As the World's Sexiest Man Competition ended, staff transitioned into the Plunge Party, a pool deck dance and music party.
The ship's "party squad"—a group of four dancers who showed up to each event in fun costumes—took the stage and encouraged guests to bop along to the music.
As that went on, Val and I headed to the Solarium to soak up the sun for a while.
5:00 P.M.: Main Dining Room dinner
Before the cruise, I selected a traditional, assigned dining time and received the early slot: 5:00 P.M. dinner.
We went to our assigned table at 5 sharp and were greeted by our friendly waiters.
Dinner started with bread, and then we placed our orders. For my appetizer, I ordered a tasty, hot tomato soup.
My entree was a delicious crumbed slice of salmon, served with potatoes and asparagus. My waiter recommended the dish to me, and I was glad I ordered it!
Dessert was a warm, caramel-covered brownie with a side of vanilla ice cream.
6:30 P.M.: Family Karaoke
After dinner, we went to join karaoke in the Spotlight Karaoke venue. For family karaoke, anyone of any age could sign up to choose a song and sing it on stage.
While I didn't join in performing, I always enjoy watching, cheering, and singing along.
On the way out of Karaoke, Val and I stopped to pick up togas (really just extra sheets) for the evening's Silent Toga party.
7:00 P.M.: SENSES Sunset Party
One of the new parties I was most excited to experience on Utopia of the Seas was the SENSES Sunset Party.
The event is one of the more "Chill-topia" experiences onboard, perfect for sitting down with a drink to enjoy the views.
Just around sunset, the DJ begins to play house music as different views of sunsets from around the world (and around the fleet!) are projected on the screen.
8:00 P.M.: Name That Tune!
Name That Tune was titled a "live game show" in the Cruise Compass, and I noticed it was taking place in the Royal Theater.
The game show was a high-quality, hilarious production hosted by the Cruise Director, Ricky.
In between rounds of the game, Royal Caribbean performers would join a live band to perform popular songs.
Name That Tune far exceeded my expectations—it was like watching Family Feud or Wheel of Fortune live!
9:00 P.M.: Royal Kappa Chi
The Utopia Chapter of Royal Kappa Chi is a throwback to the collegiate days of frat parties, complete with flip cup and beer pong.
The event was held in Studio B, which had too much seating and stage space to accommodate all the ping-pong tables that were set up.
It was hard for all the attendees to find space to join in playing games or dancing, so many just ended up sitting down in chairs and watching the games.
10:45 P.M.: Silent Toga party
Our last event of the night was the Silent Toga Party, held in the Solarium.
I always love joining silent parties, in which every guest is given a headset with multiple music channels.
Royal Caribbean added a new and fun twist to the Silent Party on Utopia by making it a toga party—each guest was welcomed with a sheet and taught how to tie it on.
A common uniform always makes groups feel closer, so I thought this was a fun way to tie together the independent style of a silent party.
After the party, we headed back to the stateroom—tired but satisfied with our busy day.
