Guides
Royal Caribbean Voyager-Class Ship Guide: Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator and Mariner of the Seas
Five ships make up the Voyager class: Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator and Mariner of the Seas. They were built between 1999 and 2003 and, per Wikipedia (confirm on the line's site), they are roughly 137,000 to 140,000 gross tons each. By today's standards they are mid-size. That is the appeal: big enough for a rock wall, a surf simulator and an ice rink, small enough that the walk from your cabin to dinner does not feel like a commute.
At a glance
- Ships: Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator, Mariner of the Seas (all five are "Voyager Class" per the line's pages).
- Amplified refits: Royal Caribbean's own ship pages present Navigator and Mariner as Royal Amplified ships; the Voyager, Explorer and Adventure pages do not say so. Confirm each ship's current status on its page.
- Typical routes (as of 2026-10-12): Adventure runs weeklong Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral; Voyager shows Alaska and Mexico from California; Explorer shows Mediterranean and Caribbean; Mariner shows Western Caribbean and summer 2027 Mediterranean. Navigator's homeport was not clear on its page.
- Signature features across the class: FlowRider surf simulator, rock-climbing wall, The Perfect Storm waterslides (Voyager, Adventure, Explorer, Mariner pages), adults-only Solarium, Giovanni's Table or Jamie's Italian, Izumi.
- Book ahead: specialty dining, shows with reservations and shore excursions, usually opening in the Royal Caribbean app after you book (typical, confirm in the app).
- Most common mistake: assuming all five ships are identical. Navigator and Mariner have the newer water-park and dining additions; the others have older, quieter layouts.
Three free things worth your time
- Walk the Royal Promenade (the indoor main street on Voyager-class ships). It is air-conditioned, free, and the best people-watching aboard. Photo: Royal Promenade, indoor shopping street on a Royal Caribbean Voyager-class ship.
- Watch sail-away from the top deck. Leaving port at golden hour costs nothing. Photo: Mariner of the Seas leaving port at sunset (illustrative).
- Try the FlowRider as a spectator. Riding is free on these ships per the ship pages' feature lists (confirm any sign-up rules on board), and watching is entertainment on its own. Photo: FlowRider surf simulator on Mariner of the Seas.
Which ship fits you?
Navigator and Mariner suit families and thrill-seekers. The Navigator page lists the Blaster aqua coaster, Riptide mat racer, Battle for Planet Z laser tag and a reworked Adventure Ocean (checked Oct 12, 2026). The Mariner page lists the FlowRider, The Perfect Storm slides, laser tag, mini golf and a long list of bars (checked Oct 12, 2026).
Voyager, Explorer and Adventure suit travelers who want the classic big-ship mix: ice rink (Voyager and Adventure pages), Boleros, Casino Royale, Izumi, Giovanni's Table and Chops Grille (Voyager and Adventure pages) (checked Oct 12, 2026).
Honest negatives
- These ships are 23 to 27 years old. Even refurbished, public spaces and cabin bathrooms can feel dated next to the line's newest ships. Look at recent guest photos on the line's ship page and your cabin category's photos before you book.
- Aft and Promenade-view cabins can be noisy (see the full guide for the specific cabin traps).
- Specialty dining, drinks, wifi and gratuities are extra and change often. We could not open the line's gratuity or drink-package FAQ pages from our research environment on 2026-10-12, so check them directly: royalcaribbean.com FAQ pages for drink packages and gratuities.
Before you book
Plan your budget
Your trip budget worksheet
Prices change daily, so we don’t quote them. Fill this in from the official fare pages.
| Item | Your amount |
|---|---|
| Open the ship's page on royalcaribbean.com, choose your sailing, and fill in these blanks: fare | |
| per person, taxes and fees | |
| gratuities | |
| per day, drink package | |
| per day, excursions | |
| flights |
Want the full guide? It has deck-by-deck descriptions, cabins to book and avoid, a dining reservation plan, a sample 7-day plan aboard, a points playbook and a printable chapter.
Where they sail (as of 2026-10-12; confirm on each ship's page)
- Adventure of the Seas: homeport Orlando (Port Canaveral), weeklong Caribbean cruises with stops that can include the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Labadee (Haiti), Old San Juan and Perfect Day CocoCay (checked Oct 12, 2026).
- Voyager of the Seas: Alaska (Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier) and Mexico, including a cruise from California (checked Oct 12, 2026).
- Explorer of the Seas: Mediterranean (Athens, Capri, Greek Isles, a Venice/Ravenna departure) and Caribbean, including Perfect Day CocoCay (checked Oct 12, 2026).
- Mariner of the Seas: Western Caribbean and summer 2027 Mediterranean (checked Oct 12, 2026).
- Navigator of the Seas: the page mentions Singapore-based Asia cruises and the west coast but does not clearly tie Navigator to a homeport. Check the sailing search filtered by ship.
Safety note for Bahamas and Mexico calls
The U.S. State Department rates The Bahamas Level 2, "Exercise increased caution," issued July 28, 2026 (checked Oct 12, 2026). Mexico overall is Level 2, issued May 29, 2026, with higher levels in some states; Quintana Roo (Cancun, Cozumel) is Level 2 and Baja California is Level 3 (checked Oct 12, 2026). Cruise ports are usually tourist zones, but read the advisory for your ports before booking independent tours.
A quick money note
Cruise fares often exclude gratuities, drinks, specialty dining, wifi and excursions. Add them up before comparing a cruise to a land trip. If you hold points with a card that has a travel portal, check whether cruises are bookable there and compare the price to booking direct. The full guide walks through the decision rule with your own numbers.
Our one-minute pick rule
If you are traveling with kids or teens and want the most to do, filter your sailing search to Navigator or Mariner and read their ship pages first. If you want a calmer week with classic ship features and a traditional itinerary, compare Voyager, Explorer and Adventure on the dates and ports you want, then decide on route rather than on ship. In both cases the cabin location matters more than the ship name: a quiet midship balcony on an older ship beats a noisy aft cabin on a newer one.
This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.
Good to know before you go
We checked the facts below on 2026-10-12. Itineraries, port calls, packages, gratuities and fees change often, sometimes after you book, so confirm on royalcaribbean.com or in the Royal Caribbean app before you sail.