Utopia of the Seas With Kids
Is Royal Caribbean’s Party Ship a Good Family Cruise?
If you’ve been searching for Utopia of the Seas with kids, you’ve probably seen mixed opinions.
Some people say it’s brilliant for families. Others say it’s too loud, too busy and better suited to adults.
Utopia is marketed as Royal Caribbean’s “biggest weekend at sea” and is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world. So when we booked it as a family, we knew we were trying something slightly different and the big question for us was simple.
Can Utopia of the Seas with kids actually work, or is it better suited to adults looking for a party cruise? We had three nights onboard to find out.
Is Utopia of the Seas With Kids a Good Idea?
In our experience, yes, mostly, but only if you go in knowing what kind of cruise you’re booking.
There are so many activities for kids to do. Water slides, splash areas, kids club, laser tag, mini golf, big production shows and even an immersive train dining experience.
At the same time, Utopia does have a noticeable party atmosphere, especially in the evenings. Music is loud across the pool deck and main areas, the bars are packed and the busy energy rarely drops.
If that sounds like your thing, you’ll likely enjoy it.
If you’re picturing a calm, slower paced cruise where everything feels more child focused and laid back, it’s worth thinking carefully about whether it is right for your family.
What It Actually Feels Like Onboard
Embarkation day immediately felt big and pretty chaotic, even by usual embarkation day standards. Walking into the Royal Promenade is like stepping into a floating shopping centre at a weekend with loud music playing, people gathering at bars and crowds everywhere.
If it’s your first time on a Royal Caribbean ship, it can feel slightly overwhelming at first.
As always, we headed straight for food, no one needs a hangry family amidst all the chaos! Sorrentos pizza was quick, easy and exactly what we needed to settle everyone down and take a minute to get our bearings. Windjammer worked well too which we popped to next, with plenty of choice in types of food and embarkation day specials like lobster and a huge cupcake display.
What Is There for Kids on Utopia?
If you’re specifically researching Utopia of the Seas with kids, here’s what you’ll find onboard:
- Adventure Ocean kids club
- Laser tag set up on the ice rink
- Three large water slides
- Splash pad play area
- Mini golf
- Rock climbing walls
- The Abyss ten deck dry slide
- Carousel
- Playground
- Aqua80Too diving show
- Youtopia ice skating show
- All In! music show
- Royal Railway train dining (additional upcharge)
- Not forgetting the stop off at Perfect Day at CocoCay
There is no shortage of activities for families with kids.
Our Favourite Family Activities
Laser Tag on Ice
Laser tag was the surprisingly good activity of the cruise for us. A large inflatable arena is set up directly on the ice rink, and it’s included in your cruise fare. You just need to reserve a slot in the Royal Caribbean app once you board.
It runs for around twenty minutes and is genuinely great fun. Competitive, chaotic and perfect for slightly older children.
If you’re anything like us, you’ll get super competitive with your family and spend the entire session chasing each other round if you’re not on the same team. Gaz was on a different team, which won overall, but Anj got the highest points of the three of us!
The Royal Railway
This was one of the most unique experiences onboard. Utopia Station is a Wild West themed train restaurant inside the ship. Reservations are limited and it is an additional charge, but it feels more like a theatre show than just dinner.
You check in as if boarding a train. The cast are fully in character and a storyline unfolds throughout the meal. The train moves. The scenery changes. The seats shift slightly as if you’re travelling. The food is themed to match, including golden chicken nuggets, slow cooked short rib and fab themed desserts.
This was a big highlight of the cruise for us and one we would definitely recommend to families, Ollie especially really enjoyed it.
The Abyss
The Abyss runs ten decks down the ship and looks far more intimidating than it feels.
It’s fast and enclosed, but not too frightening. Ollie came off smiling and immediately wanted to go again. This is for sure a highlight for older kids (and their grown ups!) or younger kids that have reached the 112cm (44 inch) height requirement.
Aqua80Too
If you only choose one show, make it Aqua80Too.
The diving and acrobatics at the back of the ship are genuinely impressive. It feels far bigger than you expect for a cruise production.
We nearly skipped it because we were tired and hadn’t managed to book the early showing slot, so our performance was at 10:30pm which is honestly a bit too late for an eight year old. However we’re so glad we didn’t skip it, it was fantastic! Just make sure to be on the app the day they release show booking slots so you can get the early show!
All In!
All In! is the main theatre production onboard Utopia of the Seas.
It feels more like a concert style show than traditional cruise theatre, with big lighting effects, modern music and high energy choreography. The soundtrack is absolutely full of 80s classics and newer chart songs, so it feels familiar and upbeat.
The second half was stronger than the first for us. Once the drone elements and larger set pieces came into play, it really lifted the atmosphere in the theatre.
If you enjoy big stage productions with lots of movement and lighting, it’s worth seeing during your sailing.
Youtopia Ice Show
Youtopia is the ice skating production inside Studio B and it’s genuinely impressive.
The rink is far smaller than a traditional arena, which somehow makes the speed and control of the skaters even more impressive. There are lifts, spins and group sequences that feel crazy given the space they’re working with.
If you’ve never seen an ice show at sea before, it’s definitely worth booking a slot. It feels very different to the theatre shows and adds another layer to the entertainment onboard.
For us, Aqua80Too remained the standout, but Youtopia was a strong addition to the lineup.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Is It Worth Getting Off?
Yes.
CocoCay surprised us with how spacious and easy to navigate it felt, even with two ships docked.
There are beaches, lagoons, splash areas and the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean. We chose not to pay extra for the water park and still had more than enough to fill the day.
The food stations were well organised, seating was easy to find and if you have a drinks package this also works for drinks on the island, which was great.
For families, it works very well and was lots of fun.
What Age Kid Is Utopia Best For?
From our experience of cruising Utopia of the Seas with kids:
Under four — it may feel a little intense and loud.
Five to eight — good if they’re confident and not sensitive to noise.
Nine to fourteen — brilliant. The high energy will suit them.
Teens — excellent. This ship is designed with them more in mind.
It isn’t especially toddler focused and definitely works better for slightly older children.
The Party Atmosphere
This is important to mention. In the evenings, particularly walking through the Promenade after shows, the atmosphere changes. It becomes louder and more adult. Language can become colourful and bars are busy. We expected this and weren’t surprised, but you can’t completely separate from it when moving between venues.
During the day, it’s easy to focus on family activities. At night, there is more crossover but if you plan for it you can avoid the party side (mostly) if you choose to.
Motion Sickness Note
One unexpected challenge for us was motion sickness. Anj felt more unsettled on Utopia than on Disney Fantasy or Wish. Whether that was weather, something she ate or the subtle motion of Utopia, we can’t say for certain, but it did impact the cruise for us slightly.
If you’re prone to travel sickness, it’s worth packing medication in advance so you’re prepared, although you can get some from guest services if it catches you by surprise!
Pros and Cons of Utopia of the Seas With Kids
Pros
- Wide variety of activities
- Strong entertainment lineup
- Unique dining experiences
- Modern ship with impressive facilities
- CocoCay is a great island for families
Cons
- Loud pool deck atmosphere
- Noticeable party vibe at night
- Large crowds ship wide
- Short itinerary can feel rushed given the size of the ship
- Less immersive for younger children than Disney
Utopia vs Disney Cruise Line for Families
Disney Cruise Line ships feel immersive and more child focused, with calmer evenings and storytelling at the centre of the experience.
Utopia feels extra high energy and activity led, with a livelier overall atmosphere.
They are very different experiences and, truthfully for us, we definitely lean towards Disney overall as a family.
But Ollie would also happily sail on Utopia of the Seas again tomorrow for all the fun activities on board!
Would We Cruise Utopia of the Seas Again?
Honestly our answer is probably not… There are so many other ships we want to do that it sits lower on our priority list.
However if you’re looking for a high energy, activity packed short cruise, overall Utopia of the Seas with kids can work very well.
If you prefer quieter evenings and a more fully child centred environment, you may prefer something else, like a Disney cruise or even a different Royal Caribbean ship.
It isn’t about whether it’s good or bad. It’s about whether it fits your family.
Check out our full three days over on YouTube in our three part series:
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