Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas departed Port Canaveral today on its inaugural voyage, following an official send-off attended by several hundred visitors at Jetty Park, according to the company's release.
The four-day sailing was accompanied by Canaveral Fire Rescue’s Fireboat 2 and tugboats Christine S (E.N. Bisso) and Patriot (Marine Towing of Port Canaveral), which carried out a maritime water-cannon salute.
The Canaveral Port Authority organized a public event, branded as the “Star-Studded Sailabration.” The program included food vendors, live music, promotional activities, and a display featuring a DeLorean vehicle connected to Back to the Future: The Musical, scheduled to premiere onboard Star of the Seas.
Departure coincided with scheduled sailings of other cruise vessels, including Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas, Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras and Freedom, Disney Cruise Line’s Treasure, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Aqua.
Royal Caribbean confirmed that Star of the Seas arrived at Port Canaveral on August 9 in advance of its operational launch. The vessel will be officially named at a private ceremony on August 20 at Cruise Terminal 1.
After the inaugural sailing, Star of the Seas is scheduled to operate week-long itineraries to The Bahamas and to eastern and western Caribbean destinations beginning August 31.
According to the Canaveral Port Authority, the vessel has a gross tonnage of 248,663.
Royal Caribbean Group is a publicly traded cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia with headquarters in Miami, Florida. Its shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RCL. The group operates multiple cruise brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.
Canaveral Port Authority is an independent governmental entity that owns and manages Port Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida. Its mandate includes oversight of passenger cruise terminals, cargo operations, and port-related infrastructure development.