Royal Caribbean is thought for its record-breaking ships. It looks as if each time the cruise line introduces a brand new ship, it’s greater and higher than the final. Such was the case with Royal Caribbean’s Attract of the Seas. Launched in 2009, on the time, it was the most important passenger ship in the complete world, solely to be surpassed when Royal Caribbean unveiled Concord of the Seas, six years later.
It’s been greater than a decade since Attract of the Seas launched, and almost a decade since Concord of the Seas sailed for the primary time. Royal Caribbean has, after all, many more recent, greater and extra superior ships in its fleet at the moment.
That stated, a cruise on Attract of the Seas remains to be value contemplating. There’s a lot to like about this ship, from the traditional Royal Caribbean leisure and venues, to the comparatively still-modern staterooms and suites.
If you happen to’re contemplating taking an Allure of the Seas cruise within the close to future, right here’s all the things it’s worthwhile to know.
Attract of the Seas Stats
Attract of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship, following within the footsteps of the category’s namesake ship, which was additionally the most important passenger ship on this planet when it debuted. Attract of the Seas, nonetheless, is longer than Oasis. Right here’s how she measures up:
- Gross Tonnage: 225,282
- Size: 1,187 toes
- Decks: 18 whole, 16 for passengers
- Staterooms: 2,748
- Passenger capability at double occupancy: 5,496
- Passenger capability at full occupancy: 6,826
- Crew: 2,054 members
Moreover, the ship is 136 toes extensive and options 16 visitor elevators. Enjoyable reality? Royal Caribbean didn’t really plan for Attract of the Seas to be bigger than Oasis of the Seas. In truth, the vessel was deliberate to be the identical precise dimension as Oasis of the Seas.
Nonetheless, when Attract of the Seas was completed, the ship was found to be a mere two inches longer than Oasis of the Seas, giving her the designation as the brand new largest passenger ship on this planet.
How did one thing like this occur? In line with the builders on the shipyard, STX Europe Turku in Finland, minute variations like this could happen resulting from easy variations, just like the temperature of the metal used to construct the ship.
Attract of the Seas’ displacement (a ship’s weight based mostly on the quantity of water its hull displaces), although, is the same as Oasis of the Seas’ — roughly 100,000 metric tons. To provide you an thought of what which means, that’s solely slightly bit lighter than the burden of an plane service. The metal hulls of the ships make up over half of this weight.
Attract of the Seas Development
Constructed for an unique price of $1.2 billion, Attract of the Seas was constructed on the STX Europe Turku Shipyard in Finland (although, on the time of order, the shipyard had not but been acquired by STX Europe). The ship was ordered in February 2006 and development started in February 2008.
The ship left the shipyard on its maiden voyage in October 2010, headed towards its new dwelling in Florida, the place it might sail across the Caribbean. A christening ceremony was held on Nov. 28, 2010, led by the ship’s fictional godmother, Princess Fiona from the Shrek franchise.
Attract of the Seas Refurbishments
Attract of the Seas, whereas nonetheless a comparatively newer ship, at simply greater than 13 years previous, has undergone a sequence of refurbishments and dry docks, however nothing majorly expansive.
In February 2014, the ship was in want of some repairs and, throughout that Bahamas dry dock, the cruise line put in new carpeting and upgraded a few of the visitor services.
In Might 2015, a extra in depth refurbishment occurred in Cadiz, Spain, including new eating choices, including and upgrading cabins and suites, and including some new tech companies. These new upgrades have been made simply in time for the ship’s first Mediterranean crusing season.
The subsequent scheduled dry dock and upgrades have been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and shipyard closures, in addition to the general state of cruising throughout that point interval.
Royal Caribbean had deliberate for these upgrades to incorporate the addition of round 50 new passenger cabins. Whereas rescheduling these upgrades has not but been introduced, some theorize that they may happen in early 2025.
Attract of the Seas Itineraries
Attract of the Seas first served Caribbean cruisers, launching from Florida and staying home-ported there till 2015. Then, it converted to crusing within the Mediterranean for a part of the 12 months as effectively. Attract of the Seas was the most important cruise ship and the first-ever Oasis-class cruise ship to spend a full season within the Mediterranean area.
At this time, Attract of the Seas nonetheless gross sales round each areas. It affords winter cruises out of Port Canaveral, Florida, with brief, three and four-day journeys to the Bahamas and Jap Caribbean.
In the summertime of 2024, it’s going to shift its positioning barely, providing related itineraries from Miami. The ship is slated to return to the Mediterranean within the spring of 2025, providing seven-day Mediterranean cruises from Rome and Barcelona.
Staterooms
Attract of the Seas’ greater than 2,700 staterooms and suites are damaged down throughout a couple of totally different classes. Throughout all classes, you’ll discover rooms which might be outfitted with an aesthetic very a lot harking back to the late 2000s, with plenty of gentle wooden, clear strains, pops of darkish blue and touches of Mediterranean inspiration. Whereas the cabins aren’t terribly, wildly outdated, like what you’ll see on some ships, they’re simply barely lower than “new.”
Staterooms are damaged down into 4 primary classes:
- Inside
- Ocean view
- Balcony
- Digital balcony
Inside staterooms are small, however not cramped, with a number of seating choices, reminiscent of a sofa in a single nook and a desk within the different. They’ll technically match a touring household, however you may need to improve in order for you any privateness or in the event you anticipate spending extra than simply nights in your stateroom.
Ocean view staterooms function giant, round home windows close to the mattress, which could be blocked off with thick curtains in the event you need (although why wouldn’t you need to take within the sea views from mattress?).
Balcony cabins supply extra ground area inside, in addition to that further exterior area. Balconies are accessed by way of giant glass doorways that take up many of the cabins’ far partitions, and balconies are furnished.
Lastly, digital balconies are a singular choice on Royal Caribbean ships, providing a brand new, revolutionary tackle a typical inside stateroom. The inside stateroom’s far wall is taken up by a big display screen that casts a real-time picture of no matter is outdoors the ship at that second, so you may really feel like you might have a balcony, with the identical views, even in the event you don’t have the additional area or the ocean breeze.
Suites
Suite choices really feel barely extra trendy, however nonetheless have that impartial colour palette interspersed with pops of blue, and many gentle wooden. Suites could be damaged down into a couple of classes as effectively, together with:
- Royal suites
- Loft suites
- House owners suites
- Grand suites
- Aquatheater suites
- Junior suites
All suites on Attract of the Seas include unique entry to particular, suite guest-only areas of the ship, together with a collection guest-only lounge and a particular, VIP restaurant. In any other case, the suites do differ rather a lot, relying on which you ebook.
Grand and junior suites are the smallest choices, however nonetheless are a step up from what you may get with a normal stateroom. For instance, grand suites have giant bogs with double vanities.
AquaTheater suites are positioned close to the ship’s AquaTheater, and, relying on the actual suite you ebook, you might have extra room, each inside and outside.
House owners suites likewise differ based on which kind of householders suite you ebook. Some include panoramic views, however all are extraordinarily spacious, with spectacular, giant bogs, bedrooms and residing area.
Learn Additionally: Icon of the Seas Cabins and Suites Information
Loft suites are break up over two ranges, which permits for some further privateness that you could be not get in different staterooms, and even in another suites.
Lastly, royal suites are the cream of the crop, with the royal loft suite, for instance, providing that split-level format, for privateness, and loads of perks each upstairs and downstairs, with hovering ceilings, a child grand piano and slightly library nook, only for starters.
Free Eating
Royal Caribbean is just not a cruise line to scrimp on the eating choices, even in terms of the free eating choices which you could get pleasure from, included within the worth of your cruise. Complimentary eating choices on Royal Caribbean’s Attract of the Seas embody:
- The Primary Eating Room, for traditional cruise ship, sit-down eating
- Cafe Promenade, with an off-the-cuff menu
- Sorrento’s, for pizza
- Windjammer Market, the cruise ship buffet
- Solarium Bistro, a restaurant close to the Solarium adults-only area
- Coastal Kitchen, a VIP restaurant that’s solely open to suite visitors
- The Boardwalk Canine Home, for decent canine on the boardwalk
- Boardwalk Donuts, for a candy deal with on the boardwalk
- Park Café, for informal, deli-style bites
- Vitality Café, for wholesome bites close to the spa
- El Loco Recent, a Mexican eatery taking the place of the prior Wipe Out Café
There’s additionally room service accessible.
Specialty Eating places
For much more eating choices (as if the above wasn’t sufficient), you may splurge on the specialty eating choices aboard Attract of the Seas. These embody:
- 150 Central Park Cafe, a refined choice within the ship’s Central Park neighborhood
- Sweet Seaside, for satisfying your candy tooth
- Chops Grille, a steakhouse
- Cups & Scoops, for ice cream
- Giovanni’s Desk, the Royal Caribbean Italian eatery
- Izumi, on your favourite Japanese delicacies
- Johnny Rockets, a cruise ship-set outpost of the favourite diner model
- Sabor Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant
- Samba Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse
- Starbucks, on your favourite caffeinated drinks
- Vintages Wine Bar, a wine bar that additionally serves gentle bites
You may also ebook a ticket for a few of the ship’s specialty eating experiences, reminiscent of The Chef’s Desk, a chef-lead, unique expertise with restricted seating.
Bars and Lounges
Yow will discover drinks at many of the above eating places, but in addition at bars, lounges and golf equipment throughout the ship. Your choices embody:
- Blaze Nightclub, a stylish nightlife spot
- Boleros, a Latin bar
- Bow & Stern, a British-style pub
- Champagne Bar, for — what else? — Champagne
- Comedy Dwell, a comedy skit bar
- Dazzles, a dwell music venue with a bar
- On Air Membership, a karaoke bar
- Schooner Bar, Royal Caribbean’s trademark nautical pub
- Trellis Bar, a bar with a garden-style setting
There are additionally bars on the pool deck, in a few of the eating places, within the Solarium and close to the browsing simulator.
Actions and Leisure
There are near-endless methods to play and have enjoyable on Attract of the Seas.
Swimming pools and Water Slides
Irrespective of your age, regardless of how chill or filled-with-thrills you need your cruise to be, you will discover a pool or different water attraction for you on Attract of the Seas.
There’s the H20 Zone Water Park for youths. Then, there are three primary swimming pools in whole on Attract, on Deck 15, together with a primary pool, seashore pool and sports activities pool. The primary pool and seashore pool are hottest. A further pool is within the Solarium and is devoted to adults solely. Two sizzling tubs flank the Solarium.
Need to attempt browsing? You are able to do that, too, because of the enjoyable FlowRider browsing simulator.
Nonetheless, in distinction with many different Royal Caribbean ships and in contrast to its sister ships, Attract of the Seas doesn’t have any water slides, and doesn’t have the Final Abyss dry slide. There are some adrenaline-pumping actions that assist make up for this, although, just like the ship’s zip-line and mountaineering wall.
Ice Skating Rink
Who thought you could possibly go from the pool to an ice rink? On Attract of the Seas, you may. On the ship’s Deck 4, there’s an leisure zone that features Studio B, an ice skating rink that cruisers can use throughout the day, however then return to at night time, for ice reveals.
The Spa
Attract of the Seas options Royal Caribbean’s traditional Vitality Spa. The spa encompasses a leisure room, thermal suites, and even a teen spa space. You’ll be able to order a spread of traditional spa companies, reminiscent of wraps and massages.
Purchasing
For all of your retail remedy wants, take a look at Attract of the Seas’ procuring choices, on Deck 5. The ship notably featured the primary cruise ship retailers for Romero Britto and Guess.
The Sports activities Zone
Close to the pool deck, there’s the ship’s sports activities deck, with family-friendly options like basketball courts and a miniature golf course.
Children Venues
Only a few cruise strains can compete with Royal Caribbean in terms of youngsters actions. If in case you have an adventurous tot or a too-cool-to-hang teen, or any age of kid in between, they’ll be set with full itineraries of enjoyable.
Value Studying: Royal Caribbean Age Limits – What You Must Know
A 29,000-square-foot Journey Ocean youth heart affords numerous areas of enjoyable which might be break up into age classes. Children programming is free for youths ages thread older, too, so that you don’t have to fret about any further price.
Children camp programming runs from as early as 6:30 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m., and contains meals, so you already know your tots are at all times being watched over, it doesn’t matter what the older vacationers in your group are as much as.
Older youngsters and youths have their very own areas, with much less structured play, however nonetheless chaperones and scheduled actions.
Attract of the Seas FAQ:
With an unique price of $1.2 billion, Attract of the Seas boasts a gross tonnage of 225,282 GT and a size of 1,187 toes. It options 18 whole decks, 16 of that are open to passengers.
There are three primary swimming pools in whole on Attract, on Deck 15, with a primary pool, seashore pool and sports activities pool, alongside a youngsters’ H20 Zone. The primary pool and seashore pool are hottest. A further pool is within the Solarium and is devoted to adults solely. Two sizzling tubs flank the Solarium.
At double occupancy, the ship hosts 5,484 passengers. Most occupancy is 6,780 passengers together with 2,200 crew members.
Closing Ideas
Whereas not the most important ship at sea, and slowly growing older because it awaits for these postponed refurbishments, Attract of the Seas nonetheless has rather a lot to supply cruisers. For households who need a brief Caribbean cruise or a week-long Mediterranean journey however nonetheless have loads of on-ship actions and leisure to get pleasure from, plus comparatively good staterooms and suites and many eating choices, Attract of the Seas delivers.
