Royal Caribbean says safety concerns are behind ongoing waterslide closures aboard its newest Icon Class ships, with no timeline for reopening.
In an email obtained by Candid Cruise & Travel, the cruise line’s Executive Office confirmed that several waterslides aboard Star of the Seas remain out of service due to “technical and safety related considerations identified during early operations of the vessel.”
The response was sent to a guest following a March 22–29 sailing, during which multiple slides in the ship’s Category 6 Waterpark were unavailable. The email from Royal Caribbean’s Executive Office reads:
“Thank you for reaching out to the Executive Office of Royal Caribbean and for taking the time to share your recent experience aboard Star of the Seas. We regret the frustration this caused during what should have been a memorable vacation.
These waterslides remain out of service due to ongoing technical and safety related considerations identified during early operations of the vessel.
As with all attractions across our fleet, guest safety and ride reliability are our highest priorities, and an attraction will only be opened once it fully meets Royal Caribbean’s stringent safety and performance standards.
Our shoreside technical teams, in close coordination with onboard engineering and our ride manufacturers, continue to actively work toward resolution. Once the slides are fully cleared for safe and dependable operation, they will be returned to service immediately.”
Candid Cruise & Travel received exclusive permission from the guest to share the email in this article.
Royal Caribbean denies cost-cutting rumors
As speculation has circulated online, Royal Caribbean directly pushed back on claims that the closures are tied to cost-saving measures.
“First and foremost, the temporary unavailability of certain waterslides is not related to fuel costs or any cost‑saving operational decisions. Nor is it a choice to limit guest access to onboard attractions,” the company reiterated in the email.
According to the statement, the affected slides, identified by guests as Storm Surge and Pressure Drop, will only reopen once they meet the company’s internal standards.
Royal Caribbean described the repair process as complex, involving coordination between onboard engineers, shoreside technical teams, and third-party ride manufacturers.
The cruise line confirms, “Any updates will be communicated through official Royal Caribbean channels, including the Royal Caribbean app, the Cruise Compass, and onboard Guest Services.”
No timeline for reopening slides
One of the biggest frustrations for guests has been the lack of a clear reopening timeline. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean says it does not have one, meaning the uncertainty is expected to continue.
“We are aware of reports circulating online regarding spare parts, sourcing timelines, and comparisons to other Icon class ships,” the email said. “While we understand the desire for concrete timelines, we want to be transparent that repairs of this nature involve multiple steps, including manufacturer involvement, testing, and certification.”
“These processes are complex, vessel specific, and subject to change, which is why we have not published a firm reopening date at this time,” the company added.
The cruise line said repairs involve multiple steps, including sourcing parts, testing, and certification, all of which are “vessel specific” and subject to change.
Because of that, Royal Caribbean has not provided a firm date for when the slides will return to service.
“We understand that the Category 6 Waterpark is a significant draw for families and that consistent attraction availability plays an important role in vacation planning. Your feedback has been shared directly with our leadership and technical teams and is invaluable as we continue improving the guest experience aboard Star of the Seas and throughout our fleet.”
Guest frustration continues to grow
While Royal Caribbean says safety concerns are behind the closures, guests online continue to express frustration—especially given the high price of sailing aboard an Icon Class ship.
In a recent Reddit thread titled “Major amenities shut down on a cruise — what’s fair compensation?” on the Reddit community r/Cruise, one passenger sailing on Icon of the Seas described multiple slides being closed for days at a time, including sea days.
“Booked [the cruise] mainly for the water park… most slides have been closed for multiple days,” the user wrote, adding that communication onboard felt limited to vague “maintenance” explanations with no timeline provided.
Other commenters suggested that compensation in these situations is rare.
“You’ll get zero compensation,” one user wrote, while another added, “You can’t really expect compensation… unfortunately nothing is guaranteed.”
Several users pointed to the fine print in cruise contracts, noting that onboard amenities and even itineraries are subject to change. Others compared the situation to land-based vacations, where pools, rides, or beaches can also be unavailable due to maintenance or weather.
There was also speculation about a prior safety-related incident involving one of the slides, though Royal Caribbean did not address any specific incident in its response.
Slide closures come after prior Icon Class incident
This isn’t the first time Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class waterpark has made headlines. Last year, a serious incident occurred while a guest was riding one of the slides aboard Icon of the Seas.
In August 2025, a section of the Frightening Bolt waterslide on Icon of the Seas shattered while a guest was riding it during a Caribbean sailing. Video shared online appeared to show part of the acrylic tube breaking mid-ride, with water rushing out of the damaged section as debris flew outward.
At the time, Royal Caribbean said its team provided medical care to an adult guest after “acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide,” adding that the attraction would remain closed for the rest of the sailing pending an investigation.
The injured guest later filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, with allegations that the cruise line failed to properly maintain the slide and identify possible warning signs before allowing guests to use it. While some online commenters claimed the slide had been leaking in the days leading up to the incident, those claims were never confirmed by the cruise line.
Following the incident, Frightening Bolt remained closed on Icon of the Seas for several weeks. Royal Caribbean later replaced the acrylic glass section on both Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.
Category 6 is key feature of Icon Class ships
The Category 6 Waterpark is one of the defining features of Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class, which debuted with Icon of the Seas in January 2024. Spanning multiple decks, it is marketed as the largest waterpark at sea and includes six waterslides, which is more than any other cruise ship.
Among its most notable attractions are the Frightening Bolt, billed as the tallest waterslide at sea, along with Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter, which are designed as family raft slides.
Category 6 is located within the Thrill Island neighborhood, one of the ship’s eight themed areas, and is designed to function as a central hub for high-energy, family-friendly activities. Its prominent placement and massive size make it one of the most recognizable features onboard the vessel.
