My Time On Royal Carribbean’s “Biggest Weekend at Sea”

Over a thousand feet long, two thousand crewmembers from over eighty countries, and spanning a collection of restaurants, bars, pools, and events, Royal Caribbean’s newest addition to the fleet, Utopia of the Seas, pushes the boundaries of what cruising can be like. 

The Utopia had its maiden voyage this past July. It currently only sets sail out of Orlando on three or four-day voyages to the Bahamas and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Cococay. 

That’s where I come in!

To celebrate mine and my dad’s joint birthdays, my mom surprised us with our first cruise since the pandemic. As a kid, I always loved going on cruises and was a big fan of Royal Caribbean. Now that I’m grown up and can venture outside of the kids club (although their science lab still looks super cool to me), I was excited to see all the new offerings on the ship I could now appreciate. 

The first thing I noticed about the ship was the obvious: it’s huge. Pulling into Port Canaveral, the Utopia overshadows and looms over the other docked ships. The exterior and interior have a lot to look at, both in terms of color, sculpting and the sheer amount of things and places to do aboard, really leaning into that “Biggest Weekend at Sea” marketing.

Here is my weekend aboard the Utopia of the Seas using the Rose, Bud, Thorn method, with Rose being one of the best parts of the trip, Bud being what I’d like to change, and Thorn being the weakest part.

Rose

You’ll never be bored on the Utopia of the Seas. With a two-deck theatre, multiple lounges, an ice rink, and an AquaTheater, there were plenty of shows to watch throughout the sailing. 

We were able to score seats for All In!, the signature play in the Royal Theater, and suffice it to say, Royal Caribbean went all in with this performance. Featuring acrobatics, drones, moving screens, and more, this show incorporates music from all genres focusing on specific eras like 70’s disco, 80’s Miami, and more. 

After All In!, we were incredibly lucky to get standby seats for Aqua80too, a show in the outdoor AquaTheater that has a pool for a stage. If you can only go to one show, I strongly recommend this one. The divers and high-wire performers had me on the edge of my seat, the synchronized swimmers were mesmerizing, and an array of acrobatic dances challenged what cruise entertainment could be. 

Bud

There were a couple of issues I had during my time on the ship that are great places for improvement on all Royal Caribbean ships. The main one is the app. While I get the ease and streamlined ability to access anything from your phone, the app has a couple of kinks that need to be ironed out before it can be all that helpful. When trying to make reservations for shows or dining, the app will frequently glitch out and prevent you from saving a spot….even weeks in advance when spots should be open.

Secondly, with so many staterooms on such a big ship, there is bound to be a big crowd, and that crowdedness was definitely felt at times. With limited space on the pool deck, the lounges, and the event venues, capacity at these events felt cramped and we felt especially rushed once we realized how early you have to arrive to snag good seats. But, since the Utopia is so new, I’m giving them some time to create a couple of itineraries that provide more things to do and disperse the crowd a bit. 

Thorn

The thing that left me the most disappointed aboard the Utopia was the complimentary dining locations. 

We ventured to the Windjammer, one of the complementary buffet-style restaurants aboard the ship, twice, and both times I could confidently say the best-tasting thing on my plate was plain lettuce. There was just a lack of flavor or variety of dishes than what I expected, especially since Windjammer is one of the free restaurants that is supposed to have the most variety. 

Night one at the main dining room was also similar. An uninspired menu that really didn’t capture my attention further lowered my expectations when the following meal was severely lacking. I ordered the crab cake for an appetizer, and while the main dish itself was…fine… in flavor, it was taken out of the fryer or oven too early and had a chewy dough. The prime rib I ordered, however, was so disappointing, that only a few bites in I had to send it back, something I never do. A waiter could pour hot soup on my lap and I would be the one apologizing. 

If there was any complementary dining spot I would be at, it would be the Solarium Bistro. With the freshest ingredients and dishes complimentary by Mediterranean cuisine, the Bistro was our spot for lunch and breakfast. 

The Showstopper 

Now, here is the thing I dream about. 

Giovanni’s is a specialty restaurant, meaning it’s extra on top of your cruising fare. However, this place is so, so, so good, that you have to splurge. Every part of this restaurant, from the food to the drinks, to the ambiance, and especially to the service was immaculate. 

Anything with dough is handmade right in front of you by master chef Olvin, who, thanks to us sitting right in front of the open kitchen showed us the expert skill with which he makes every pizza, bread roll, and stromboli, one of the highlights of the menu. You can taste the freshness in every dish, and it’s as close to an authentic meal from Italy as I was last there. I would also like to give a special shoutout to Dante, our server, who was able to get us a reservation to celebrate our birthday and who was so attentive, so knowledgeable, and just so good at his job. 

If you’re going to do anything aboard the Utopia, let it be Giovanni’s.

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