Hello from Port Canaveral in Orlando and a sneak peek of a trip to the Bahamas on a brand new type of ship offering the ultimate getaway cruise.
Utopia of the Seas cost more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) to build and is Royal Caribbean’s 28th ship. It is also the cruise line’s first ship to make dedicated three- and four-night voyages to the Caribbean.
The 18-deck, 5,700-passenger Utopia is designed to offer a high-octane getaway with party style. A video I made showing highlights from my time on board begins on the top deck, where much of the action takes place. There are five pools here, a zipline, a water park, a surf simulator and more.
Utopia is the second-largest cruise ship in the world, after Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, which is great news for step counting: It takes 3.5 minutes to walk from one end of the ship to the other, and most days you walk around 20,000 steps just to get from your cabin to the pool, dining room, etc.
I walked a bit to perhaps the scariest part of the top deck, the Ultimate Abyss, which at 259 feet is the longest dry slide at sea. My hands got clammy and my heart raced just thinking about trying it. What was it like? Terrifying, I got so dizzy I had trouble getting up at the end.
Jo Kessel spends the weekend on the Utopia of the Seas, the world’s second largest cruise ship, and films the highlights
Jo’s video begins on the top deck, where much of the action takes place. Here there are five pools, a zip line, a water park, a surf simulator and much more.
On the left, Jo is trying out the yellow water slide. And on the right, she is preparing to experience the Ultimate Abyss, which at 79 m (259 ft) is the longest dry slide at sea.
All Utopia cruises will call at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
But if water slides are more your thing, Utopia has you covered, with three adrenaline-pumping rides – I’ll be trying the yellow one.
My footage Then it’s on to the interior, first to the Solarium and then to a new style of accommodation that bears its name, the ‘Solarium Suite’. The panorama from here is exceptional, offering exactly the same 270-degree view that the captain has from the bridge.
Like most other Royal Caribbean ships, Utopia has a boardwalk with a carousel and a “Central Park,” an indoor outdoor garden with 12,000 plants.
But new to Utopia is a tiki bar called Pesky Parrot, which specializes in fruity cocktails and frozen drinks.
The Painchiller is a great name for a cocktail and is one of their signature drinks, made with Bacardi rum, piña colada mix and blood orange sour.
The 18-deck, 5,700-passenger Utopia “is designed to offer a high-octane getaway in festive style.”
The solarium pool on board the Utopia, which cost more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) to build and is Royal Caribbean’s 28th ship
Jo in the Solarium Suite, ‘a completely new style of accommodation’ that ‘offers exactly the same 270-degree view that the captain has from the bridge’
What does it taste like? Fabulous, and it cures all your aches and pains! Also new are the Bell and Barley pub and Spare Tire, a fast food joint serving pulled pork sandwiches.
Innovation in entertainment is what Royal Caribbean does best. Like most other ships in the fleet, Utopia features an underwater theater that hosts daring diving shows.
But Utopia has gone one step further: it is the only cruise ship in the world that has a train and a station on board.
It’s called the Royal Railway and every trip includes a meal. Mine was a Wild West trip with a themed dinner.
Utopia is the only cruise ship in the world that features both a train and a train station on board. Pictured right is the conductor of Jo’s Wild West-inspired dining experience on the train.
Jo’s starter on the train was a plate of ‘fart and dart beans’, ‘which looked odd on the menu but were actually delicious’.
A ‘robbery’ occurs during Jo’s train ride through the Wild West
Utopia has an aquatic theatre that features daring diving shows.
The starter was a dish of “fart and dart beans,” which seemed odd on the menu, but were delicious. Of course, it’s not a real train (that would be wilder than the Wild West), but the VR ride did a great job of looking authentic, with sound effects, movements, and all. There was even a delay in the carriage.
Every Utopia cruise, whether three or four days, will stop at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
And since all cruises are short, starting and ending in Port Canaveral, Florida, it makes sense to spend a couple of days in Orlando before or after your cruise to extend your stay. That’s what I did: I spent some time at Universal’s theme parks before heading to Wekiwa Springs State Park, where there are hiking trails and natural cold springs. It’s a lovely, undiscovered spot that offers a refreshing alternative to Orlando’s roller coasters.
Back on board, Utopia singer Meghan Trainor has been named godmother of the ship, and the video ends by showing her performing an exclusive, celebratory concert, including the hit song “All About That Bass.”
And so a whole new era of the ultimate weekend cruise is born.
Are three or four nights enough to see the whole ship? Absolutely not, you will have to come back another time to enjoy more.
Utopia will offer three- and four-night roundtrip cruises departing Fridays and Mondays from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. Learn more: www.royalcaribbean.com and www.visitorlando.com/es.
To see more of Jo’s videos, visit her YouTube channel: www.youtube.com.
