A Guide to the North Star on Royal Caribbean ships

Royal Caribbean has an abundance of exciting features on board its ships and one unique innovation is the North Star. This post provides a guide to which Royal Caribbean ships have the North Star, what you can expect, prices and how to book the experience.

What is the North Star on Royal Caribbean?

The North Star is a glass pod (similar to a capsule on the London Eye) that offers 360 degree views of the ship and destinations from above. It is raised above the ship on a mechanical arm to offer a true bird’s eye view to cruise passengers.

The North Star is situated on the lido deck and needs certain conditions to be able to operate. It may not be able to operate fully in certain ports or in inclement weather.

Which Royal Caribbean ships have the North Star?

The North Star is currently featured on five Royal Caribbean ships:

• Anthem of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Quantum of the Seas
• Spectrum of the Seas

At present, the North Star is only available on Quantum class and Quantum Ultra class cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean North Star Experience

The North Star on Royal Caribbean ships takes guests as high as 300 feet above sea level. This provides a unique bird’s eye view of the ship from above and either side as it rotates over the side of the ship.

Whilst in the North Star pod, passengers are free to move around and enjoy the 360 degree views.

The whole experience lasts approximately 15 minutes.

You can watch our North Star experience on Spectrum of the Seas during a sea day.

The North Star is fully accessible and has capacity for one wheelchair user per flight (as shown in the video).

If you are afraid of heights, it may not be an experience for you, although I must say that the flight is very smooth and you don’t realise how high you are until you are at full height and see how tiny the people in the pool are!

How Much is the North Star?

Complimentary flights are available to cruise passengers, although some ships cruising out of China, U.K. Singapore, the Caribbean and Alaska have now introduced a $20-25 charge. It’s best to check the latest information directly with Royal Caribbean before your cruise.

There is a special North Star Experience in Alaska that costs $49 per person, that offers a unique view of a glacier and the surrounding landscapes.

There are three further North Star packages that can pre-booked for your Royal Caribbean cruise:

• Sunrise flight
• Sunset flight
• Private flight

All of these premium packages include a pre-flight reception, Champagne toast during the experience, a commemorative certificate and post-flight brunch or dinner. These packages are particularly popular for passengers celebrating special occasions, marriage proposals or wedding ceremonies.

How to Book the North Star on Royal Caribbean

There is a limited amount of North Star flight slots that can be booked before the cruise but don’t worry, you can book the North Star when you get onboard, via the Royal Caribbean app or by visiting the Sports Staff booking desk.

If you haven’t pre-booked a flight, you can also walk up to the North Star and join a stand-by queue. This will allow you to take any empty spots that are available. The North Star has a capacity of 14 people so if there are some spare places or someone doesn’t turn up, you can use the place.

The North Star is definitely quieter when the ship is in port, so if you haven’t booked, it’s a great opportunity to join the standby queue. We did this in Civitavecchia whilst most passengers were on excursions to Rome.

If you do have a reservation, I would recommend arriving 10 minutes before to ensure you are checked in with the sports staff.

North Star Restrictions

There are a few restrictions in place for the North Star. Passengers must be at least 107cm accompanied by an adult or 122cm to ride alone. There is a weight restriction of 300lb (136kg) per person.

The North Star is fully accessible for wheelchair users, with an elevator to the entrance and a ramp into the pod.

Cool Facts about the North Star

• The North Star first debuted on Quantum of the Seas in 2014
• The North Star lifts passengers up to 300 feet (100m) above sea level
• It was awarded the Guinness World Record for the ‘tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship’
• Royal Caribbean’s Voom WiFi works inside the North Star pod
• The design was inspired by the London Eye

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