Royal Caribbean has a new ship coming out in 2025 and they want feature the work of aspiring artists on it.
Star of the Seas will enter service later this year and it's one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, which includes a large art collection.
Royal Caribbean is no stranger to art, as all of their ships have rather large collections featured onboard. The art is more than just paintings, in many cases it defines the look and feel of areas of its ships.
The "Artist Discovery Program" is the cruise line's new search for artists across the Caribbean to submit their art for consideration.
Artists that are selected could get as much as $100,000 in commission budget if selected.
The selected winners of the discover program will head to Turku, Finland to work with the Royal Caribbean team in integrating their visions for Star of the Seas. Finland is where Star of the Seas is currently under construction.
The goal is to promote local artists around the Caribbean and provide them with exposure to grow their craft.
Royal Caribbean International Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider sees this as a tremendous opportunity, "We are excited for this next edition of The Artist Discovery Program and can’t wait to be awestruck by visionary artists across the Caribbean."
"Our goal is to connect our guests to the enduring beauty and creativity of the Caribbean, and this immersive program is a pathway to celebrating and exploring local culture while onboard the next Icon of vacations – Star of the Seas."
How to enter the contest to be considered
In order to be considered for the Artist Discovery Program, an artist must submit the following:
- Five samples of previous works: The work must be original.
- A brief artist statement that helps explain their work, inspiration and other details regarding the pieces submitted.
- A copy of their CV / resume.
You can apply via the program website.
Royal Caribbean wants to commission painting of large-scale murals in four key areas of the ship:
Royal Promenade
Embarkation area
Suite Sundeck Lobby
Suite Sundeck
Joining a collection onboard that includes an array of pieces created by local artists and inspired by the region, each creation will invoke the vibrancy of the Caribbean.
Star of the Seas begins sailing in August 2025
The new cruise ship will begin offering cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida on August 31, 2025.
Star will sail will sail year-round, 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Port Canaveral. Every sailing includes a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.
Star follows up on the incredible success of the first Icon Class ship, Icon of the Seas.
Icon of the Seas blew away expectations when she launched in January 2024 and is not only the biggest cruise ship in the world, but also one of the most popular ones for the amazing features onboard.
The new ship will have 20 decks and manned by 2,350 crew members.
