Choosing a cruise vacation is not easy, as different ships offer very different features for guests to enjoy. Those features are what many travelers consider when picking a ship, especially if they have already visited many ports of call or choose an itinerary with multiple days at sea.

But what if some of the ship’s most visible, highly-advertised features are unavailable? Are guests due compensation for what seems to be a known issue?

Guests sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s newest and largest ship, Star of the Seas, as well as Icon of the Seas, are frustrated at what seems to be a lack of consideration from the cruise line for one broken feature on both vessels.

Both Icon-class ships feature the Thrill Island neighborhood that is home to Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea. The problem is that most of the waterpark is closed.

Reports from different guests on different sailings claim that as many as two, three, or four of the waterslides onboard are consistently closed and have been closed for months.

Those slides, however, continue to be part of the advertising for the ship in emails, photos, and commercials.

Many guests have noted that the Category 6 waterpark is a key feature of the ships and a reason many families book either Star of the Seas or Icon of the Seas. Because there is no notification that the slides aren’t operating, it can be a disappointing shock to guests when they aren’t able to do what they’d hoped onboard.

“Just got off [Star of the Seas]. Two slides still down the entire week and at times only 2 were operational,” one guest who sailed in early April described. “Wasn’t too happy since we paid a premium for the newest ship.”

Another recent guest confirmed the closures. “Started with 4 slides working and down to only 2 slides working by the end of our week,” they said.

What Is Wrong With the Waterslides on the Icon-Class Ships?

There may be different issues impacting multiple waterslides onboard the ships. Because more than one slide often shares the same water system and pumps, if there is a mechanical problem, multiple slides may be affected on the same ship.

The closures are not, however, related to the very sudden rupture of the Frightening Bolt waterslide on Icon of the Seas in August 2025. Cruise Hive reported extensively on the incident, including video footage that shows the breakage just as a guest passes through a clear section of the slide.

That slide was repaired, however, and preemptive repairs were also made to the same slide on Star of the Seas.

Other mechanical issues could be related to water sanitizing and filtration, damage to the surface of the slides, or even fasteners providing structural stability to the slides.

Read Also: What Are Royal Caribbean’s Icon-Class Cruise Ships?

Cruise Hive reached out to Royal Caribbean and has confirmed, however, that the slide closures are not related to fuel costs, which is another theory floating through social media.

Reopening Information Is Contradictory

Concerned guests have reached out to Royal Caribbean through social media as well as the website’s virtual assistance options. Answers have varied, causing more confusion about whether the slides will be available on upcoming sailings.

“At this time, there’s no confirmed or published timeframe for when the slides will reopen,” one response noted. “Once the maintenance is completed and operations resume, guests will be notified right away, either through official updates or onboard communications.”

Another response from the cruise line, however, seems to indicate the closures are about to end.

“The slides on Star of the Seas are not scheduled for maintenance during your cruise dates in May,” the cruise line said. “The Category 6 waterpark, including all six slides, should be available for guest use, weather permitting.”

Naturally, safety is always a top priority and it is necessary for the slides to be functioning properly for guests to use them.

There is frustration, however, that Royal Caribbean appears to be less than transparent to upcoming guests, and no compensation is offered for such a key feature of the ship to be unavailable throughout entire sailings.

No one is arguing that compensation should be made if a waterslide is closed for a few hours or if weather impacts onboard operations. What is causing tension is the long-term closure of multiple slides that seems to be due to a known issue, yet there is no notification given to guests.

“At the very least, there needs to be some form of communication prior to boarding to let people know of any issues onboard,” one guest noted. “Walking on and things broken/not working- for weeks and them knowing and not sharing- it’s not ok.”

Suggestions for arcade credit, a free milkshake, or discounts to the Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay are different ideas guests have to compensate for the extended closures of multiple slides.