Royal Caribbean’s Artist Discovery Program Returns on Star of the Seas

Royal Caribbean is reviving its Artist Discovery Program to connect with the Caribbean’s culture and beauty!

The program will debut on Star of the Seas in August 2025 in Port Canaveral, Florida, and will feature a platform for emerging artists to share their work with travelers. Artists from the region can submit their work from today until February 15th to participate in this program. The selected artists will join a collection of local artists, including those who showcased their work on the Icon of the Seas. They will be featured in Star’s art collection, highlighting the destinations that make Royal Caribbean vacations special.

“We are excited for this next edition of The Artist Discovery Program and can’t wait to be awestruck by visionary artists across the Caribbean. Last year, our first-ever call to artists received an overwhelming response with more than 140 artists across 25 Caribbean countries submitting pieces that told a unique story and captured the allure of the region,” said Jay Schneider, chief product innovation officer, Royal Caribbean International. “Our goal is to connect our guests to the enduring beauty and creativity of the Caribbean, and this immersive program is a pathway to celebrating and exploring local culture while onboard the next Icon of vacations – Star of the Seas.”

MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Artist Discovery Program’s next group of artists will create large-scale murals in four key locations on the Star of the Seas: the Royal Promenade, the embarkation area, the Suite Sundeck Lobby, and the Suite Sundeck. These murals will highlight the vibrancy of the Caribbean and join a collection of works by local artists inspired by the region.

Each selected artist will receive a grant from $20,000 to over $100,000 to realize their vision. As artists in residence, they will collaborate with Royal Caribbean’s team later this year in Turku, Finland, where the ship is under construction.

Artists interested in the program must submit:

Five samples of original works.
A brief artist statement explaining their work and inspiration.
A copy of their CV or resume.

This year’s chosen artists will build on the success of the 2023 cohort, who created murals featured throughout Icon of the Seas. These include Angelika Wallace-Whitfield from the Bahamas, Philippe Dodard from Haiti, and Jason Hospedales from Trinidad and Tobago. 

STAR OF THE SEAS ITINERARIES

Star of the Seas will offer year-round, 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, with stops at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. More information about Star is available on Royal Caribbean’s website.

Future editions of the Artist Discovery Program will be announced later. Additional details can be found here.