Legend of the Seas, World’s Largest Cruise Ship, Sails From Florida

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, which shares the title of world’s largest cruise ship, begins sailing from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades this weekend. Passengers board on Sunday for a three-night pre-inaugural trip to the Bahamas, according to The Points Guy.

The cruise line added that departure ahead of the ship’s announced Nov. 11 inaugural voyage, so the first guests from Florida get on board a few days early. From South Florida, the ship will run Caribbean trips of six to eight nights through its first season.

The first sailing from Port Everglades

The pre-inaugural trip stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, then spends a day at sea before arriving back in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 11. That same day marks the start of the ship’s previously announced inaugural voyage from the port.

Legend of the Seas is the third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class. It first sailed in Europe in summer 2026 on seven-night Western Mediterranean routes from Barcelona and Rome, then crossed the Atlantic for its Caribbean season.

How big the ship is

At 248,633 gross tons, Legend of the Seas ties with its two Icon Class sisters, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, as the largest cruise ship in the world. Gross tonnage is a measure of a ship’s enclosed volume, not its weight. The ship holds up to 7,600 passengers and approximately 2,350 crew members.

Its layout follows the sister ships, with eight neighborhoods and seven pools. Families get Category 6, a water park with six slides. New on this ship are the Hollywoodland Supper Club, a Hollywood-themed venue, and more places to eat in the AquaDome.

Where it goes after the Bahamas trips

After two opening Bahamas sailings, Legend of the Seas switches to six- to eight-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale to the Western and Southern Caribbean. Some of those routes reach Aruba and Curacao, islands that Icon Class ships rarely visit, according to The Points Guy. Depending on the trip, the ship also calls in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Every sailing includes a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

What it means for travelers in Florida

For cruise passengers who live in or fly into South Florida, the newest Icon Class ship now leaves from Port Everglades instead of a European port. Starting fares reported by The Points Guy are around $1,000 per person for six-night trips and around $1,400 per person for eight-night trips. Actual prices vary widely with the itinerary, cabin type and travel dates.

The Caribbean season also widens the choice of ports for Florida departures. Aruba and Curacao rarely appear on Icon Class itineraries, and here they come with a ship that carries the same pools, water park and neighborhoods as its two sisters. Royal Caribbean lists fares and cabins for each date on its own booking pages.

Source: The Points Guy