Can I go on Royal Caribbean's Icon Class without spending any extra money?

• Royal Caribbean's Icon Class ships, including Star of the Seas, offer a wide variety of complimentary dining options.
• More than a dozen venues, including the main dining room, pizza, tacos, and a coffee shop with sandwiches and salads, are included in the cruise fare.
• Many activities, such as shows, waterpark access, and rock climbing, are also included.

I got pad thai, empanadas and a barbecue sandwich on Royal Caribbean International’s newest cruise ship – all from just one dining venue.

Star of the Seas’ AquaDome Market food hall – which first launched on its sister ship, Icon of the Seas, last year – is five restaurants in one. I perused its stands during my first day onboard Star in August, three of which are new for the second Icon Class vessel, making mental notes of which dishes I wanted to try before my short preview cruise was over.

The many dishes at the food hall are just a portion of those included with the cruise fare, with various types of cuisine available throughout the ship for no added charge.

As some of cruise line’s newest vessels and the largest cruise ships in the world, Icon Class vessels can come at a premium price when compared with some other ships. Available sailings for Star, which sailed its inaugural voyage on Aug. 31, currently start at $1,248 per person based on double occupancy. 

But if you’re looking to avoid spending extra money on board, their wide variety of amenities makes that easier than on some other vessels.

What food is included on Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class cruise ships?

Among more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges, I counted around a dozen complimentary venues open during my cruise onboard Star. Those ranged from the main dining room to Sorrento's Pizza, serving slices until 2 a.m. in the Royal Promenade; and tacos, burritos and more at El Loco Fresh outside on Deck 15.

“We really upped our game on this class of ship with complimentary grab and go,” Jay Schneider, the company’s chief product innovation officer, said during an onboard press briefing. He pointed to examples like Pearl Cafe, a coffee shop with soaring oceanside windows that serves sandwiches, salads and sweets.

Those also include Basecamp, which initially launched with an extra fee on Icon but is now included and offers classic American fare. I came back from the beach one day craving chicken fingers, and theirs were hot, crispy and well-seasoned. I especially enjoyed the pad thai with grilled lemongrass chicken from AquaDome Market’s Mai Thai, which had a tangy but not-too-sweet sauce.

The Windjammer Marketplace buffet also featured daily rotating special themes, including Caribbean cuisine and French fare. There was enough variety across venues for me to eat almost entirely at complimentary restaurants without getting bored – and I still didn’t get to try everything on my list.

What drinks are included on Icon Class cruise ships?

Royal Caribbean, like most other major cruise lines, includes basic drinks with the fare.

Those include ice water, lemonade, coffee, tea and juice. Other beverages like cocktails and other alcoholic drinks, specialty coffees such as lattes and soda will cost extra.

Passengers can purchase them à la carte or as part of a drink package. USA TODAY's guide to cruise link drink packages can be found here.

What else is included on Icon Class cruise ships?

Food and drinks are hardly the only complimentary amenities. While some onboard come with a fee, passengers can attend stage, ice and aqua shows; plunge down slides at the Category 6 waterpark; test their balance on the FlowRider surf simulator; scale a rock climbing wall; cool off in seven pools; play mini golf and more at no additional cost.

“Philosophically, when you sail with Royal Caribbean, everything's complimentary, you know?” Michael Bayley, the line’s president and CEO, said during the briefing. “I mean, you should be able to go and eat, dine, whatever, and it's complimentary, and that's what we have.”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].