This Major Cruise Line Shut Down Its Popular Water Slides, Leaving Passengers Outraged

Royal Caribbean International has come under criticism after multiple water slides in the Category 6 waterparks on its newest ships, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, have been shut down for extended periods without prior notice to passengers. The closures have disappointed families who chose these ships specifically for their record-breaking thrill experiences. Both ships, which had their maiden voyages in 2024 and 2025, rank among the world's largest cruise ships and market themselves on creative onboard experiences. The ships both stand out for their numerous amenities, and there are some odd things you might not know about the Icon of the Seas.

Passengers can enjoy mini golf, the Flowrider Surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, an ice-skating rink, and numerous other family-friendly adventure options. Yet the standout feature remains the Category 6 waterpark found in the Thrill Island section of each ship. Each spanning more than 17,000 square feet, the parks share the title of the largest water park at sea and are exclusive to the Icon Class ships. Each park has five notable attractions: the Pressure Drop (an open free-fall slide), the Hurricane Hunter (a family raft slide), Storm Chasers (a duo mat-racing slide), Storm Surge (a suspended family raft slide), and Frightening Bolt (the tallest drop slide at sea). 

These slides draw thrill seekers and families eager to have some fun out at sea, many booking months in advance to make sure they get access to the water park. Yet, recent reports indicate that guests have largely been unable to enjoy these experiences, with numerous slides being out of commission throughout the entire cruise. Royal Caribbean has confirmed that some slides are closed for maintenance but has not provided details about when they might reopen.

The major issue fueling passenger outrage is the lack of transparency. Guests only learn of the closures upon boarding the cruise ship or after arriving at the water park. There hasn't been advance notice during booking nor pre-cruise communication. Staff responses to guests have been limited to short or vague explanations, offering no repair timeline or reassurance for an end date. This has left many passengers feeling misled.

Online forums such as Reddit have filled with firsthand accounts from disappointed passengers. On a post in r/royalcaribbean, passenger u/ArazNight commented, "It's just false advertising at this point to say they have the highest waterpark at sea and not deliver." Redditor u/realist123 chimed in, "Just got off. Two slides still down the entire week and at times only 2 were operational. The defective clear plexi was already replaced on the drop, so these are all mechanical issues. Wasn't too happy since we paid a premium for the newest ship."

On a different thread in r/Cruise, u/Particular-Bird-1235 posted: "I'm currently on Icon of the Seas with my son, and we specifically booked this cruise for the water park (Category 6). Unfortunately, the majority of the slides have been closed for multiple days, including sea days, with only ONE slide intermittently open." They aren't happy with the way the cruise line is handling complaints, either. "They've also been asking for room numbers when people ask about the slides, which makes it feel like they're tracking complaints rather than actually informing guests."

These families chose these cruise ships for the experiences Royal Caribbean offered and view closures as a breach of expectations. The uncertainty around available features on future sailings concerns passengers, even though pools can be a major downside of a cruise vacation. Royal Caribbean has attributed the shutdowns to technical and safety-related considerations, but the company has declined to share reopening timelines.

Compensation has been inconsistent if offered at all. Some passengers report hearing of other guests receiving future cruise credits after pressing their case, and others were informed by Guest Relations that no compensation would be provided. Onboard requests have sometimes ended with minor compensations like a $20 arcade credit. The uneven response has deepened the outrage felt by passengers, who believe clearer communication and remedies should be made before boarding the ships. If this kind of disappointment isn't enough to put you off, here are 15 reasons you should never take a cruise.