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Celebrity Equinox vs Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas
The Celebrity Equinox was built in 2009. It was renovated in 2019. It's 16 years older than the Star of the Seas, which was built in 2025. Star of the Seas will start sailing in Summer 2025. It'll feature many of the same restaurants and attractions as its sister-ship Icon of the Seas. The Star of the Seas is still under construction and Royal Caribbean hasn't released all the details yet.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Equinox is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,033 feet long and 121 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas, the Equinox is 51% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Equinox holds 49% fewer passengers than the Star of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Equinox has less space per person compared to the Star of the Seas.
The Star of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Celebrity Equinox | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Solstice | Icon |
| Gross Tonnage | 122,000 | 250,800 |
| Length | 1,033 | 1,198 |
| Beam/Width | 121 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 18 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,852 | 5,610 |
| Crew | 1,290 | 2,350 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 43 | 45 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Equinox has ten different dining options like Blu, Le Petit Chef at Qsine, and Murano. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Star of the Seas has thirteen more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, AquaDome Market, and Izumi Hibachi & Sushi. fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Star of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 130% more dining options than the Equinox.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Celebrity Equinox | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 23 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 15 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 14 |
| % of Included Options | 40% | 39% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Celebrity Equinox has 11 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas. The Equinox has 14 bars like Martini Bar, Mast Bar and Oceanview Bar. On Equinox, you can grab a drink at 25 different bars such as Boleros, Cantina Fresca and Desserted Milkshake Bar.
| Celebrity Equinox | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •AquaSpa Cafe • Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Craft Social • Ensemble Lounge • Il Secondo Bacio • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Oceanview Bar • Passport Bar • Pool Bar • Quasar • Sky Observation Lounge • World Class Bar | •Aquadome Market Bar • Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Equinox and the Star of the Seas below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Celebrity Equinox has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas has more pools than the Equinox and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Star of the Seas. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Equinox.| Celebrity Equinox | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 7 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Equinox. Only 67% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Star of the Seas, 79% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Celebrity Equinox | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hot Glass Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Waterpark | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Celebrity Equinox | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $55 - $99 Learn more | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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