Royal Caribbean Star Class and the Royal Suite Class Explained

Oct 4

Royal Caribbean Star Class is the top tier of the line's Royal Suite Class program, and it is the closest thing Royal Caribbean sells to an all-inclusive cruise: a Royal Genie, the Deluxe Beverage Package, specialty dining, VOOM internet, and gratuities are all part of the suite. Sky Class and Sea Class sit below it with fewer inclusions, and the gap between the three tiers is wider than most people expect.

I field more suite questions on Royal Caribbean than on any other line, because the three tiers share a name and very little else. This guide lays out what each tier includes according to Royal Caribbean, which ships have the program, and how to decide whether Star Class pays for itself on your sailing.

Royal Caribbean Royal Suite Class at a Glance

Benefit	Sea Class	Sky Class	Star Class
Boarding	Dedicated check-in line, priority boarding	Flexible arrival boarding, priority departure	Expedited boarding and departure
Coastal Kitchen	Dinner, based on availability	All day	All day
Service	Standard	Concierge	Royal Genie
Suite lounge and sun deck	No	Yes	Yes
VOOM internet	No	Yes	Yes
Drink package	No	Not listed	Deluxe Beverage Package (21+), Refreshment Package for younger guests
Gratuities	Not included	Not listed	Included
Minibar and laundry	No	No	Included

Which Ships Have Royal Caribbean Royal Suite Class

Royal Caribbean lists 15 ships with the Royal Suite Class program as of October 2026:

Icon class: Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, and Hero of the Seas, which starts sailing from Miami in August 2027
Oasis class: Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas
Quantum class: Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas

Older Freedom, Voyager, Radiance, and Vision class ships use Royal Caribbean's earlier suite program, with perks set by suite type instead of by tier. If you are deciding between those ships and the newer ones, my Royal Caribbean ships by size guide and my Oasis class vs. Icon class comparison are the place to start.

Royal Caribbean Star Class: The Full Inclusion List

Royal Caribbean lists these benefits for Star Class:

Exclusive access to the Royal Genie service
All-day access to Coastal Kitchen, plus Star and Sky Dining venues where the ship has them
Complimentary specialty dining, though premium experiences may still carry a surcharge, so confirm the venues on your ship
The Deluxe Beverage Package for guests 21 and older, and the Refreshment Package for guests under the legal drinking age
Still and sparkling water replenished daily, and a minibar stocked with Coca-Cola beverages and water
Complimentary gratuities
VOOM internet powered by Starlink
Expedited boarding and departure
The best seats in select entertainment venues and priority entrance to many onboard activities
Suite lounge access from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. each evening
Access to the suite sun deck, called The Grove on Icon class and The Balcony on Spectrum of the Seas
Complimentary laundry and pressing
Luxury bedding, bathroom amenities, robes, and an in-suite coffee machine

The Royal Genie is the headline. Genies handle reservations, show seating, and the small requests that eat up time on a big ship, and they are reserved for Star Class guests. The included drinks, dining, internet, and gratuities are what make the price comparison interesting, because those are the four add-ons most of my clients buy separately anyway.

Royal Caribbean Sky Class: What You Get

Sky Class includes concierge service, all-day access to Coastal Kitchen and the Star and Sky Dining venues, VOOM internet, priority dining reservations, flexible arrival boarding with priority departure, reserved seating in select entertainment venues, suite lounge access with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, the suite sun deck, specialty bottled water on arrival, and the same plush robes, bedding, and Lavazza espresso machine as Sea Class.

Royal Caribbean's Sky Class list does not include a full beverage package, unlimited specialty dining, or gratuities. That is the big jump between Sky and Star, and it is why two suites that look similar on a deck plan can have very different value.

Royal Caribbean Sea Class: What You Get

Sea Class is the entry tier. Royal Caribbean lists a dedicated check-in line, priority boarding, dinner at Coastal Kitchen based on availability, plush robes, a pillow-top mattress and linens, luxury bathroom amenities, and a Lavazza espresso machine. Royal Caribbean states that complimentary gratuities are not included for Sea Class guests.

In practice, Sea Class is a bigger cabin with a nicer bathroom, a calmer boarding experience, and a quieter dinner option. If those are what you want, it is a fine booking. If you want the suite lifestyle, Sea Class will feel like a balcony cabin with better towels, and my balcony vs. suite guide explains where that line sits.

Royal Caribbean Star Class Break-Even Math

Star Class fares change by ship, date, and suite size, so for my clients I run the math with the real fares for their sailing. The method is simple:

Price the same sailing in a balcony cabin and in a Star Class suite. The difference is what Star Class costs you.
Add up what you would buy anyway for each guest, per day: the Deluxe Beverage Package, a specialty dining package, a VOOM plan, and daily gratuities. My drink package guide and gratuities guide cover those numbers, and the dining side is in my guide to the Royal Caribbean Unlimited Dining Package.
Multiply that daily total by the number of guests and nights.
Subtract it from the fare difference. What is left is the real price of the space, the Royal Genie, the lounge, and the priority access.

A sample with round numbers: if a couple would spend $200 a day combined on drinks, dining, Wi-Fi, and gratuities, a 7-night sailing removes $1,400 from the gap. Families of four who drink and eat in specialty restaurants offset even more, because the inclusions scale with every guest in the suite.

Pro Tip: On Icon-class ships, some of the larger Star Class suites are built for families, and every guest in the suite gets the inclusions. A family that would buy drink and dining packages for four people often finds the gap to a Star Class suite smaller than the brochure prices suggest.

When Royal Caribbean Star Class Is Worth It

You were going to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package, a dining package, and Wi-Fi for everyone in the cabin.
You are sailing a big Icon-class or Oasis-class ship, where reservations and crowds are the main stressors and a Royal Genie removes both. My Star of the Seas review shows how much planning those ships take.
You are celebrating something and want the trip to run without decisions.
You want a single price up front with almost nothing added onboard.

When to Skip Royal Caribbean Star Class

You do not drink much and eat happily in the Main Dining Room. The biggest inclusions go unused.
You only want more space and a nicer bathroom. Sea Class or Sky Class delivers that for less.
You want a few conveniences without the suite price. The Key on Royal Caribbean covers priority boarding, show seating, and Wi-Fi for regular staterooms.
Your ship is not on the Royal Suite Class list.

For context on how other lines handle this, my guides to The Retreat on Celebrity and MSC Yacht Club cover the closest competitors.

How to Book Royal Caribbean Star Class

Star Class suites are few on each ship, and the most popular ones book early on new and holiday sailings. Royal Caribbean assigns each suite category to Sea, Sky, or Star Class, so confirm the tier of the exact suite before you pay a deposit. Two suites with similar names can sit in different tiers.

Royal Caribbean Star Class: Frequently Asked Questions

Does Royal Caribbean Star Class include the drink package? Yes. Royal Caribbean lists the Deluxe Beverage Package for guests 21 and older and the Refreshment Package for younger guests in Star Class suites.

Are gratuities included in Royal Suite Class? Royal Caribbean lists complimentary gratuities for Star Class only, and states that they are not included for Sea Class.

What is Coastal Kitchen on Royal Caribbean? Coastal Kitchen is the suite restaurant on ships with Royal Suite Class. Sky and Star Class guests have all-day access, and Sea Class guests can have dinner there based on availability.

What is a Royal Genie? A Royal Genie is a dedicated service host for Star Class guests who handles reservations, seating, and requests throughout the cruise.

Which Royal Caribbean ships have Star Class? Royal Caribbean lists 15 ships across the Icon, Oasis, and Quantum classes, including Hero of the Seas, which debuts in 2027.

Booking a Royal Caribbean Suite With Jackson Jetsetting

My pricing is the same as booking direct. I can often add group rates or promotions that are not on Royal Caribbean's website, and you have a person to call when plans change. Send me your dates, and I will price a balcony, Sky Class, and Star Class suite side by side so you can see what each tier really costs.