I toured Royal Caribbean's new Legend of the Seas to see whether its new shows, dining and venues live up to the hype.MÁLAGA, Spain – As my Uber driver approached the cruise terminal at the Port of Málaga, the towering Legend of the Seas came into full view.“Mamma mia!” the driver said, glancing out the passenger side window as we pulled around the ship’s bow to the embarkation point. I shared the sentiment: Even after sailing on two other Icon Class ships – the largest cruise vessels in the world – Legend's scale was striking, especially in the coastal city of Málaga, where the view of it was mostly unobstructed.Legend shares a staggering scale with its two sister ships – Icon of the Seas launched in 2024, and Star of the Seas last year – but features a number of new and reimagined venues and activities. Here’s what it was like during a late June four-night preview voyage.What’s new on Legend of the Seas?➤ Roald Dahl’s ”Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”: Legend brings the Broadway musical to sea for the first time. The show – shortened and tweaked for the ship – followed Charlie Bucket’s journey to Willy Wonka’s factory and featured powerful vocal performances from the cast, 15 musicians and dazzling special effects and set pieces.Those included a charmingly cluttered Bucket family home, a lush candyland with the smell of chocolate piped through the Royal Theater to complement the full-size mock chocolate river, and a glass elevator that flew above the audience. The cruise line also incorporated elements from famous film versions of the character.➤ “Shockwave”: The new AquaTheater show incorporates dance – on the ground and the air – synchronized swimming and high-diving. Rhythm was the driving force throughout the 45-minute production. As dancers stomped to the beat, it felt like the room shook and the spectacles just kept coming. The entire space lit up while two cast members performed a longing-filled dance to “Always Everywhere” by Charli XCX, and at another point divers hung onto massive robot arms that flung them into the pool. I was so enthralled I forgot how jet-lagged I was.➤ Hollywoodland Supper Club: The third iteration of the cruise line’s Icon Class supper club concept takes diners back to Old Hollywood. Shortly before dinner, guests are ushered into a low-lit space with plush maroon chairs, a massive gold chandelier and a stage at the far end of the room where a pianist played.The meal – which got progressively more colorful as the courses came in a nod to the transition from black-and-white films to color – was accompanied by cocktail pairings and a live band performing songs like “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Save room for the rich Clark Gable Chocolate Fudge with salted caramel, white chocolate and raspberry. Formal attire is required, though the cruise line can provide suit jackets for those who don’t have them (or forgot one like me).➤ “Fusion”: Skaters bring the four classical elements to the ice in this show at Legend’s onboard rink and venue, Absolute Zero. A city scene – complete with a full-size fountain and park bench – featured a cyclist riding a bike on the ice and skates made to look like sneakers. That was followed by an air-themed number with cast members dressed in white and silver. As one skater held another by only her feet and spun her in circles, she appeared to defy gravity.During a particularly memorable section, projections made the rink look like part of the sea outside. Skaters dressed in four colors representing the elements were joined by choreographed drones for the finale.➤ Royal Railway – Legend Station: The immersive train car dining experience builds on Royal Railway – Utopia Station, which launched in 2024 on Utopia of the Seas with screens built into window panes, themed menus and entertainment. Legend’s version features a Silk Routes story following the travels of explorer Marco Polo, with cuisine inspired by China, India, Italy and more. There’s also a new bar area and a large train station entryway in the Royal Promenade. The venue will host wine tastings.➤ “Voyage to Adventure”: This parade took over the Royal Promenade one morning, starting with a group of actors playing travelers wheeling their suitcases in – quite meta given our location – and guests followed along as they visited different ports. During their Italy stop, for example, there was a Colosseum float and a dancer wore a Leaning Tower of Pisa hat, followed by Australia, where the cast wheeled in a giant koala float to the song, “Down Under.” During a Miami section – Royal Caribbean’s home city – cast members spun around on roller skates in light-up flamingo costumes.I saw other tweaks during my voyage, too. The ship has new artwork, such as a giant octopus hanging above the Pearl Café, and more than 600 LED panels inside a new version of the Pearl, which is part art installation and part support structure. There are also new concepts at the AquaDome Market food hall, including Seoulmate – get the bulgogi bowl with marinated beef – and a new Chief Dog Officer named Skipper.Royal Caribbean also paid homage to the original Legend of the Seas, which began sailing for the line in the 1990s until 2017, with a model of that ship on display in Schooner Bar. The cruise line also added a page for the Cosmopolitan to the menu at the ship’s 1400 Lobby Bar, given the cocktail's popularity around the time of the previous Legend’s launch.How big is Legend of the Seas? The ship can accommodate 5,610 guests at double occupancy, according to a cruise line fact sheet. Legend has 20 decks and measures 1,196 feet long.Like on Icon and Star, there are eight distinct neighborhoods on board, from the family-focused Surfside area to the adults-only Hideaway with a suspended infinity pool. “The idea for Royal really is you can come on board and if it's a family, multi-generational, teens, kids, grandparents, everybody can go off and have their own kind of enjoyment in their own neighborhood, in their own way,” the line’s president and CEO, Michael Bayley, said during an onboard press briefing. “And everybody comes together typically in the evening for dinner in one of the 20-25 restaurants, and then sees a fantastic show on either ice, water or in the traditional theater.”Despite its size, I only reached about 4,500 steps during my two full days on Legend. That’s far less than the nearly 9,000 I took during my first day on Icon, which I credit to knowing my way around better after visiting Legend’s sister vessels and taking more direct routes. The ships were easy to navigate once I got my bearings.Where does Legend of the Seas sail?As the first Icon Class ship in Europe, Legend will spend its first few months sailing in the Mediterranean following its July 4 maiden voyage. The ship will visit ports including Naples, Italy; Marseille, France; Barcelona, Spain and more.Legend will then move to the Caribbean in the fall.How much does Legend of the Seas cost?Available cruises on Legend currently start at $773 per person based on double occupancy, including taxes and fees, according to Royal Caribbean’s website. The fare includes accommodations, many meals on board, drinks like regular coffee and lemonade, entertainment and more.The reporter on this story received access to this event from Royal Caribbean. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.