Here’s What $115 Million Buys You When Renovating a Cruise Ship

Cruise ships are basically self-contained floating cities: massive marvels of engineering that float along with everything needed to feed, entertain, and (of course) transport thousands of sun-seeking vacationers, and nearly as many crew members.

When it comes to cruises, everything feels larger than life—even their renovations. Case in point: Royal Caribbean International just spent $115 million and several months upgrading the Navigator of the Seas, a 17-year-old mega ship that recently went through the ultimate home renovation project. That's assuming your home is a 14-story beast of a boat with a population of several thousand fun-seekers, and your budget is in the 10 figures.

The ship’s “amplification” (as Royal Caribbean calls it) began in late 2018 and was completed over the course of a few months, ending this past January. The refreshed ship’s maiden voyage left its home port of Miami on March 1.

And the Navigator isn’t alone: The company is spending more than $1 billion upgrading its fleet as part of the company’s “Royal Amplified” program, aimed at bringing new amenities, technology, and technology-driven amenities to its ships. Of note: Each ship’s refresh is somewhat bespoke, with different features popping up on different vessels.

Here’s a closer look at what $115 million gets you in upgrading a cruise ship.