Nestled aboard Explorer of the Seas, the Star Lounge provides nightly (and sometimes daily) live entertainment. If you love karaoke, live jazz, or a beautiful room with big, comfy chairs to sit and relax in, the Star Lounge is your premier destination.
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Where is it?
The Star Lounge is aboard the Royal Caribbean Voyager Class ship, Explorer of the Seas, in the fore (front) section of Deck 5, so it’s quick and easy to get to from the Royal Promenade central hub.
How to Get Tickets
Once aboard the Explorer of the Seas, all activities and performances in the Star Lounge are included with the price of your cruise fare. The Cruise Compass information newsletter that’s printed and left in your room every afternoon will tell you what activities will be taking place in the Star Lounge the next day. You can also check further in advance by using the Royal Caribbean cruise app, which lists all the activities for your entire cruise.
Our Experience
We were first drawn to the Star Lounge because they provided a favorite activity of ours: karaoke. It is the only place on the ship that provides karaoke and they had several short karaoke scheduled during our 7-day cruise, so we went as often as possible.
Karaoke didn’t draw a huge crowd, and it only ran for 45 minutes (save the last session, which clocked in at nearly 90 minutes), so if you wanted to, you could sing multiple times during the short session. A friend of ours even won a gold medal on the last night for their rendition of “Like A Virgin” by Madonna. It was fun to see the rest of the “crowd” get into her performance.
The only disappointing thing about their karaoke is how limited their song selection is and that they only had 2 books for people to look at to choose a song. They had some random song picks that I’ve never heard sang at karaoke, but were lacking some of the typically popular options. If they were to update their song catalog and modernize the selection process, I think more people would be more apt to join in.
Also scheduled for the Star Lounge during our cruise was a 3-piece jazz band. We managed to catch a bit of it on the ship's closed-circuit television channel, and it appeared to be heavily attended, but we didn’t get to make it there for a performance. The same jazz trio also played at the Schooner Bar onboard on other nights.
The Star Lounge was beautifully immaculate, with plush white half-barrel chairs nestled around low tables, and brass railings cordoned off four person tables surrounding the dance floor, giving your party an illusion of having your own private box seats. Some tables and chairs are set up on half of the dance floor, just a step down, giving you a good close-up feel for the action.
The bar is only open during activities in the Star Lounge, but it is open 24 hours, so if you’d like to bring drinks in and have private conversations, you can.
Our Verdict
The Star Lounge has a warm, classy feel and added a lot of fun to our cruise. If you’re taking a Royal Caribbean cruise on the Explorer of the Seas, make sure to stop by and sing a song or two, cheer on your fellow passengers as they sing, and/or enjoy some live music.
Quick Reference Guide
What | The Star Lounge |
Where | Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class ship, Explorer of the Seas |
How to Get There | Book a cruise on Explorer of the Seas! It sails in the Caribbean and sometimes in Europe! |
Time Commitment | Activities ranged from 45 to 90 minutes |
Cost | All activities are included with your cruise fare |
Reservation Info | No reservations necessary. Check your daily Cruise Compass or the Royal Caribbean app for activities. |
Our Verdict | Highly recommended, as it was the only place on the ship to do karaoke |
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