Cruise Spotlight
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Star of the Seas vs Eclipse
The Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2025. It's 15 years newer than the Eclipse, which was built in 2010 and renovated in 2025.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Star of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,198 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 18-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Eclipse, the Star of the Seas is 104% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas holds 97% more passengers than the Eclipse based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Star of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Eclipse. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Star of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Icon | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 248,663 | 122,000 |
| Length | 1,198 | 1,040 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 18 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,610 | 2,850 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 1,286 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 45 | 43 |
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 Star of the Seas has twenty-six different dining options like Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, AquaDome Market, and Surfside Bites. Of those options, seventeen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fifteen options have an additional fee.
The Eclipse has sixteen fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Mast Grill, Sushi on Five, and Tuscan Grille. Nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other six 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 more than double the amount of dining options than the Eclipse.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 26 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 17 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 42% | 40% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas has 11 more bars than the Celebrity Eclipse. The Star of the Seas has 27 bars like Boleros, Rye & Bean and The Grove Bar. On Eclipse, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Cafe al Bacio, Martini Bar and Michael's Club.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Celebrity Eclipse |
|---|---|
| •1400 Lobby 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: Cloud 17 • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer Bar | •Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Cellar Masters • Ensemble Lounge • Il Secondo Bacio • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Michael's Club • Oceanview Bar • Passport Bar • Pool Bar • Quasar • Sky Observation Lounge • Sunset bar • The Whiskey and Cigar House • World Class 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 Star of the Seas and the Eclipse 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 Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas has a total of 7 pools and 10 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Celebrity Eclipse has fewer pools than the Star of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Eclipse. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? Two of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Star of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| 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. On the Star of the Seas, 74% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Eclipse, only 73% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Crown's Edge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lawn Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean 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.
Celebrity, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $4.75 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.49 See drink menus | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $55 - $99 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. | ||
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.
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.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Star of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Port Canaveral
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