Review of Suite Benefits & Private Areas on Royal Caribbean Icon-class ships (Legend, Icon & Star of the Seas)
This is our review of Sky Suite benefits, on Royal Caribbean Icon-class ships.
When Royal Caribbean launched its Icon-class fleet, it did more than just expand the physical size of its mega-ships—it completely overhauled its suite neighborhood concept. But let’s be entirely honest about the cost: a suite here starts at roughly $1,000 per night for two people and can be a big up-charge from the cheapest balcony cabin.
To find out if it's truly worth the upgrade, we have sailed on all three ships, paying for each cruise entirely ourselves—Royal Caribbean had no idea we were reviewing them.
Whether you are looking at Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, or the newest Legend of the Seas, the neighborhood layouts, daily experiences, and suite advantages are completely identical across all three sister ships.
To review this experience, we have sailed all three ships, paying for each cruise entirely ourselves. Our latest 7-night sailing on Legend of the Seas cost us around $7,000 USD for the cheapest Star Class cabin which was a Panoramic suite.
Understanding Royal Suite Class: Sea, Sky, and Star Class
Before looking at the physical spaces, it is essential to understand how Royal Caribbean structures its tier system on its largest ships. Booking a suite does not simply buy you extra square footage; it places you into one of three distinct benefit brackets, each unlocking a completely different level of shipboard access.
Sea Class (Junior Suites)
This functions as the entry-level tier. Crucially, it does not include access to the private Suite Lounge or any exclusive sun decks.
Dedicated check-in line at the terminal.
Priority boarding and disembarkation (limited to the first and last day of the cruise only).
Dinner at Coastal Kitchen, subject to availability.
Sky Class (Grand Suites, Owner's Suites, Panoramic Suites)
This represents the core suite experience we tested on this sailing.
Dedicated check-in line and a flexible arrival boarding window.
Priority boarding, departure, and disembarkation on the first and last days.
Priority tendering at port stops.
Dedicated Concierge service.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Coastal Kitchen (dinner reservations required).
Suite Lounge access, including complimentary hors d’oeuvres and evening cocktails, plus complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks for most of the day.
Access to “The Grove” private sun deck.
Reserved theater seating at the AquaTheater, Main Theater, and Ice Show.
Two Voom internet packages and one premium bottle of water per cruise.
Star Class (Loft Suites, Townhouses)
The top-tier, all-inclusive product. It bundles all Sky Class benefits alongside:
Dedicated service from a "Royal Genie" (butler service).
Included premium menu choices in the Main Dining Room, lobster at Chops Grille, and complimentary items at the Trellis Bar, Playmakers, and Desserted.
Discounted specialty dining across the ship.
A Deluxe Beverage Package for all guests aged 21 or older.
Daily replenishment of still and sparkling water, and a complimentary minibar stocked with soft drinks.
Included tips and gratuities.
Superior reserved seating zones at production shows, alongside complimentary laundry and pressing services.
Sky Class Benefits: What Actually Works?
For the most part, the Sky Class experience works exceptionally well, though several hidden surcharges and minor layout omissions remain an annoyance.
The Benefits That Genuinely Worked
Priority Tendering: This is a massive advantage at tender ports if you prefer to do your own thing or have independent excursions booked. You do not need to reserve specific tendering slots via the ship's mobile app, which frequently sell out within minutes. Suite guests completely bypass the virtual token system and physical lines, walking directly onto the water shuttles. This was a huge advantage for us in La Spezia.
Reserved Theater Seating: Access is provided to a dedicated seating section at the major entertainment venues, including the Royal Theater and the AquaDome. However, it is worth noting that this is a general zone shared with top-tier loyalty members, meaning it doesn't represent the absolute best viewing locations on the ship. It does not provide individually labeled, velvet-cloaked seats; those are strictly held for Star Class passengers.
Terminal Check-In: The embarkation process was smooth, with a small dedicated lounge available to wait in. There was virtually no line.
View from the Priority Seating in the Aqua Theatre
The Omissions and Annoyances
While the terminal check-in was seamless, the premium treatment effectively ends once you have checked in. No one shows you to the suite neighborhood, and you are left to board alongside everyone else with zero instructions on what to do next.
There is no priority boarding at the ports—it only applies when taking a tender from the ship to the port.
Disembarkation at the end of the week was perfectly acceptable, but the priority benefit simply meant our bags were waiting in a dedicated zone; no crew members actually walk you off the ship.
Our suite on the Legend of the Seas
The Hidden Surcharges
Surprisingly, despite the premium price point of the suite ticket, Royal Caribbean continues to apply extra charges that feel unnecessary at this tier. On-demand movies on the cabin television are billed at a steep $11.99 per rental.
If you choose to have a hot breakfast delivered to your room rather than eating in the private restaurant, a $7.95 room service delivery charge is added to your account.
Providing just one single bottle of water per cruise also feels incredibly cheap; it would not be difficult to provide a carafe of filtered water each day.
Finally, no drinks packages are included in the standard Sky Class fare. At $1,000 per night, you would expect at least soft drinks to be bundled into the cost.
Coastal Kitchen: The Private Suite Restaurant Review
Coastal Kitchen is the private, suite-only restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While it is intended to be the culinary anchor of the suite experience, the venue exhibits a few distinct structural and atmospheric flaws.
Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge
Layout and Atmosphere
Architecturally, the placement of Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge is highly unusual. The restaurant features no windows facing the open ocean. Instead, the entire venue looks completely inward over the AquaDome. Photos honestly don’t do this venue justice when trying to explain the layout, but it completely eliminates the classic romance of watching the sea slide by while you dine.
Lack of windows is something we experienced on our Holland America Suite Experience and seems to be a common issue with suite lounges.
At peak dinner hours, the venue gets incredibly busy; expect a wait of around 20 to 25 minutes to secure a table if you arrive during prime dining times. You can also make reservations on the first day of your cruise.
The poor view from Coastal Kitchen
Food Quality
The service from the crew is exceptional, as the line typically assigns its top-tier crew to inaugural sailings. While we didn't have a set table, we noticed that we were always served by the same waiter, providing a very nice continuity in service. The food quality itself, however, is highly variable depending on the nightly rotating menu.
Crispy pork belly starter
Based on our dining experiences across the week, here is how the kitchen rates:
The Successes: The crispy pork belly starter is outstanding—boiling hot and perfectly rendered. The French onion soup is an absolute triumph; rich, intensely flavorful, gooey, and easily one of the finest versions available at sea. For mains, the rigatoni pasta is consistently well-executed, and the branzino is substantial, arriving as two large, fresh pieces of fish. The mushroom risotto is also packed with flavor, wonderfully creamy, and served piping hot.
The Misses: The menu can occasionally feel uninspired and boring; one evening featured a "veal overload" with four repetitive variations of veal dominating the options. The gnocchi main course was a complete miss—hard to eat, remarkably bland, and poorly balanced with a strange sweet crumb. The pork loin main course was also relatively dry and uninspiring, though saved slightly by its potato and apple garnishes.
Each evening featured a fish option
How It Compares to the Main Dining Room
To evaluate the exclusivity of the food, we skipped Coastal Kitchen on "Royal Night" to test the standard Main Dining Room (MDR) as a walk-in guest. Surprisingly, the French onion soup served in the MDR was absolutely identical in presentation, portion size, and flavor to the version inside the private suite restaurant.
The MDR also offered excellent menu variation that you don't get in the suite restaurant, including a wonderfully spiced shrimp jalfrezi curry and a beautifully roasted chicken breast that matched specialty-level quality. Ultimately, Coastal Kitchen is only marginally superior, primarily because its menu features higher-end ingredients, such as lobster options instead of standard shrimp.
The Suite Lounge
The Suite Lounge operates as a functional indoor hub where guests can get concierge support to bypass the main Guest Services desk. In the mornings, it features a light continental setup with grab-and-go items like croissants and donuts, making it highly practical for a fast breakfast before excursions. While it is a nice selection for breakfast, the food is identical to the standard Crown Lounge available to high-tier loyalty members.
There are no snacks provided during the day except for cookies, which is very disappointing considering the cost.
Beer, wine, and soft drinks are available from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with cocktails and spirits available from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Oddly, you cannot get these drinks included if you order them on the sun deck, which feels cheap knowing people wont go down three decks to the lounge. We would personally prefer a help-yourself fridge of soft drinks, similar to the setup found in Celebrity Cruises’ Retreat Lounge.
The Grove Sun Deck
On a ship carrying up to 7,000 passengers, the main resort pool decks frequently turn into chaotic, high-energy spaces—what we call "people soup". The main hot tubs and waterslides stay heavily crowded during sea days, which makes the private suite spaces highly valuable.
The private sun deck acts as a genuine oasis away from the crowds. It is an expansive, open-air deck area that allows passengers to take in the sunshine in a calm, spacious setting.
The bar is open for most of the day, but bear in mind that unless you are in Star Class or have a standalone beverage package, drinks ordered here are not included in your fare.
The pool is small but never busy and one hot tub was always empty on our sailing. This however could change on busier sailings.
Conclusion: Is the Suite Neighborhood Worth the Money?
Honestly? We do not believe the Suite Class experience is worth the $1,000 per night cost.
When compared to competing ship-within-a-ship concepts like the MSC Yacht Club or Celebrity’s Retreat, Royal Caribbean's suite benefits do not feel exclusive enough to justify the price. The lack of ocean views in the private restaurant is a major design oversight, and the ongoing surcharges for room service and in-room entertainment are frustrating at this price tier.
We ranked Royal Caribbean against Celebrity and MSC Cruises in our Is Upgrading to a Cruise Suite worth it? post
Because this ship handles crowds reasonably well and features an overwhelming amount of complimentary quick-service food options (like the excellent AquaDome Market and Base Camp Grill), you will likely spend most of your time out in the public spaces anyway.
From a financial perspective, you are far better off booking a standard balcony or inside cabin. You can take the thousands of dollars saved, purchase an unlimited specialty dining package (to experience the excellent new Royal Railway simulation restaurant), add the top-tier drinks package, and still come out significantly ahead.
Watch our review of the Suite Experience of Icon of the Seas
What are your thoughts on mega-ship suite design? Do you think a private suite layout is worth the investment if the main restaurant doesn't offer ocean views, or do you prefer booking standard cabins and customizing your package?
