Sailing through Europe on the world's biggest cruise ship

In 2024, Royal Caribbean made headlines when it launched Icon of the Seas, then the world's biggest cruise ship. It's introduced a new Icon-class ship every year since—Star of the Seas in 2025, and now Legend of the Seas, which just claimed the title of world's largest cruise ship, beating its sisters by 4.55 mm.

The behemoth beauty isn't the first Legend of the Seas—the name previously belonged to another Royal Caribbean ship that sailed from 1995 until 2017.

It's the first time the cruising giant has brought back a name, said Royal Caribbean president and CEO Michael Bayley. “‘Legend’ was suggested by many of our former guests. It was an incredibly popular ship. And it’s an appropriate name for an Icon-class ship."

The new Legend of the Seas is bigger than its predecessor in every sense—boasting the largest waterpark at sea, the thrilling skywalk Crown's Edge, over 40 restaurants and bars, eight neighborhoods, and space across 20 decks for 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew.

The ship is currently sailing seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries across Europe, with stops in Spain, Italy and France, before heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in November to kick off its Caribbean routes.

What’s it like to have a European adventure aboard the world’s biggest cruise ship? I had the pleasure of joining the preview cruise, a four-night journey from Málaga, Spain, to Rome via Civitavecchia, Italy, ahead of Legend of the Seas’ maiden voyage on July 4.

Here’s my diary.

DAY 1: Embarkation Day - Màlaga, Spain

I boarded Legend of the Seas after a few glorious days in Màlaga. My first tip: get to your embarkation city early—it gives you room for flight delays and time to explore before you sail.

Embarkation day is always exciting and exploring a new ship is a great thrill. I gawked at The Pearl, the huge kinetic art installation that’s the centerpiece of the Royal Promenade. In front of it was a flower sculpture in the shape of a golden retriever—a charming tribute to Skipper, Legend of the Seas’ chief dog officer. Every Icon-class ship has one—con of the Seas has Rover while Star of the Seas has Sailor.

“The chief dog officer is a very important part of the executive committee on board,” said Michael. “The chief dog officer reports to the captain and is of equal rank to the chief engineer and staff captain. Her role is to have fun and to make people happy.”

Meeting Skipper was one of the things I was looking forward to the most on Legend of the Seas.

But first, lunch. There are 28 dining options on Legend of the Sea but I made a beeline for Windjammer, the massive buffet restaurant. The sight of the Washy Washy people—crew members cheerfully reminding everyone to wash their hands—made me grin.

After a satisfying meal of lobster and steak, I continued exploring the ship. Despite its size, intuitive layout and smart elevators made it easy to navigate.

I was pleased to see that my muster station was near Sorrento’s, known for serving complimentary pizza until late at night. It’s one of my favorite things about sailing with Royal Caribbean. I grabbed pizza from Sorrento’s twice that first day and I felt no shame.

My jaw dropped as I stepped onto Surfside, a colorful neighborhood built for families with younger kids (and for adults like me who refuse to grow up). It’s home to the rubber ducky carousel, milkshake bar, splash pad, and more. Surfside is also where you'll find the Ultimate Family Townhouse, a three-story suite with its own slide and butler service.

Royal Caribbean calls Legend of the Seas “the newest family vacation,” promising “the family time of a lifetime.” All over the ship are areas and activities for kids of all ages—there’s even a cool hangout for teens. 

“Royal Caribbean is really a family brand. We are E for everyone,” said Michael. “You can come on board as a multi-generational family. Everybody can go off and have their own kind of enjoyment, then come together for dinner and a fantastic show."

“Creating great memories and experiences for families is at the heart of what we try to do every day,” said Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

At Surfside, I grabbed a soft-serve cone from Sprinkles, another fleet favorite.

That evening, guests filled the AquaTheater to watch “Shockwave.” It's a stunning aqua show of high divers, aerialists, swimmers and slackliners—one that earned a well-deserved standing ovation.

The rest of the night was a fun blur of fireworks, balloons, karaoke, and an intense song battle at Dueling Pianos.

And just like that, Day 1 was over. That’s how I knew I was enjoying Legend of the Seas. The adventure had barely begun but I was already dreading the goodbye.

DAY 2: Sea Day

I get some of the best sleep on cruise ships—a testament to how comfy the beds are on Royal Caribbean.

I started the morning by relaxing on my balcony. Then I headed to the Royal Promenade for the Voyage to Adventure parade which celebrates different cruise destinations.

Legend of the Seas has over 20 bars and lounges. At the 1400 Lobby Bar, which serves cocktails inspired by Royal Caribbean’s history of shipbuilding, a Filipino bartender named Ryan waved an aroma gun to craft a perfect bubble atop my cocktail.

As a huge Roald Dahl fan, I was thrilled to be part of the first audience to watch a preview of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Royal Theater—the hit Broadway musical's debut at sea. The show was so good I cried three times.

I watched the harpist at Central Park, then joined a game of Name That Tune. I love how there’s always something to see and do onboard.

Beyond the many complimentary dining venues, the ship has specialty dining restaurants for those who want to treat themselves, including new additions Royal Railway Legend Station and Hollywoodland Supper Club.

On my way to Pier 7—also a specialty dining restaurant—the host of the puppet show called out, "Get the banana split, it's really good.” So I did—after enjoying shrimp tostadas and Baja fish tacos.

One of my favorite Legend moments was the silent disco party at the Royal Promenade. At one point, many of us switched to the channel playing Queen and belted “Don't stop me now, I'm having a good time”—words that summed up exactly how we felt that night. We didn't want it to end.

I returned to my room and smiled when I saw another towel animal waiting on my bed—an elephant this time.

DAY 3: Sea Day

I finally saw Skipper! The adorable five-month-old pup bounded into the press conference and was met with squeals and awws.

My day—and my cruise—was complete.

While walking around the ship, a journalist from Malaysia messaged our chat group: "If you're on the right side of the ship, some dolphins are playing alongside us."

I sprinted to check—but no dolphins. Great. I'd just seen Skipper and now I was on dolphin watch, too.

I observed people taking on Crown’s Edge. I almost did it but I chickened out, something I still regret.

There are other ways to get your adrenaline pumping at Legend of the Seas’ Thrill Island. Category 6 Waterpark has six waterslides, including the tallest drop slide at sea and the first open free-fall slide at sea.

There were people playing pickleball, wall-climbing, and flowriding. At Hideaway, the adults-only area, people were relaxing in the world’s first suspended infinity pool at sea.

That’s the great thing about cruising—you can make it as thrilling or as chill as you’d like.

I also appreciate the accessibility features onboard. I watched crew members help a woman move from her wheelchair into a pool using a lift.

I had a multi-course lunch at the Main Dining Room that ended, appropriately, with the famous Royal Chocolate Cake.

When the elevator opened, I was surprised to find the Stowaway Piano Player inside, playing tunes for delighted guests. That ended up being a very long ride—I couldn't leave, it was too much fun.

There are seven pools on Legend of the Seas, including Royal Bay, the largest pool at sea, but I spent time in one of the whirlpools. I had a lovely chat with Elizabeth Joshua-John, a nurse from Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, whose new partnership with Royal Caribbean helps fund care for seriously ill children in the UK.

I ended my night early—midnight is early when you’re on a great cruise ship—because I had to get up at the crack of dawn.

DAY 4: Port Day - La Spezia 

Hello, Italy! It’s port day, and we were in La Spezia, a gateway to Cinque Terre, Pisa and Florence.

On port days, cruisers can stay on the ship, book a shore excursion, or explore on their own. I booked the Explore Florence shore excursion through the Royal Caribbean app. I'm not a fan of walking tours, so this was the perfect compromise—round-trip transportation, free time to go around, and the peace of mind that I'd make it back before the ship sailed.

The two-hour ride to Florence came with scenic views of Tuscany. Florence was beautiful and enchanting—I relished every minute of exploring it. But alas, we needed to head back to the bus to make it to the last tender.

Back on Legend of the Seas, I went straight to Sorrento’s for more pizza and Royal Berry Blast, Royal Caribbean’s exclusive Sprite flavor. Then I went to the AquaDome Market for a Nutella crepe.

Sadly, it was the last night of the cruise—and I wanted to make it count.

I watched world-class skaters in "Fusion" and the offbeat circus production "Machine de Cirque" at the Royal Theater. Starting in August, guests can also watch America's Got Talent on Legend of the Seas.

I got to see the sunset between the shows. It was breathtaking. This is cruising to me—appreciating both the big moments and the quiet, and getting the chance to see the world in a different way.

The “Welcome to the Jungle” party brought everyone together. I was still on the ship but I was already missing it. I stopped by Sorrento’s one last time, dulling the pain with more pizza.

Then I grabbed a spritz from Schooner Bar and headed back to my room. It was time to pack.

Day 5: Disembarkation Day - Civitavecchia, Italy

I woke up to find we'd already docked at Civitavecchia, the Port of Rome.

One final Windjammer breakfast, then I walked around Legend of the Seas and saw others making the most of their last hours onboard, sunbathing, swimming, playing table tennis and mini golf.

I went back to my room to grab my bags and to leave a note and tip for Crisanto, the Filipino room steward who took great care of me.

As we disembarked, my friend Exther made crying sounds. I knew exactly how she felt. I didn’t want to go either.

Rome beckoned, but my heart was still on the ship.

Legend, you were absolutely legendary.