For our first set review of the June 2025 wave of LEGO® Friends sets, we’re taking a trip to the seaside. We’ll hop on a cruise with 42664 Travel Boat Adventure, which will bring us to the idyllic scene depicted in 42673 Family Vacation Beach Resort. Grab your swimming suit and your coconut cocktail for a relaxing look at the exotic new elements found in these sets.
Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.
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42664 Travel Boat Adventure
- Release date: 1 June 2025
- Pieces: 686
- US$ 74.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 99.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 69.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 119.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 129.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 74,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 74,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 74,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 329.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 999,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 649.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
Our cruise takes place on a catamaran, a vehicle not unknown to the LEGO universe, but not as widespread as I assumed when starting this review. For LEGO Friends, this is the second appearance after 41317 Sunshine Catamaran from 2017 which, at 603 parts, was similar in size to today’s set at 686.
New mold: Foil sheet
The only new "mold", if it qualifies as such, are the sails which both come together on one foil sheet (6538583).
Recolors
The recolors are split across two hues: medium azure and nougat.
- 2x Bar 1 x 4 x 3 [End Tabs] in Medium Azure (6538380 | 62113)
- 6x Brick Arch 1 x 5 x 3 1/3 Curved Top in Medium Azure (6534349 | 5845)
- 2x Brick Curved 10 x 1 [Symmetric Inside Ridges] in Medium Azure (6533137 | 13731)
- 2x Plate 16 x 16 in Nougat (6533135 | 91405)
- 12x Plate Special 1 x 4 with 2 Studs with Groove in Nougat (6533136 | 41740)
Decorated elements
- 1x Animal, Dolphin, Jumping with Bottom Axle Holder with print in Light Aqua (6540712)
All other decorations are handled by a sticker sheet. I noticed most stickers are applied in order of the build; something we don’t see too often.
Mini-dolls
The set comes with 4 mini-dolls: 2 members of the ‘core’ group, and 2 regular side characters.
Zac comes with a new torso in reddish brown (6541160) and legs in orange (6542280).
Paisley has a new torso in light nougat (6541159) and legs in lavender (6542279).
Sky comes with a new head (6534808) and torso (6541162) both in nougat, and new legs in dark purple (6542282). We’ll see both the torso and the legs reappear in the other set.
Celine comes with a new torso in medium brown (6541161) and new legs in white (6542281).
Rare elements
- 2 x Tile 1 x 2 in Nougat (6516868 | 3069)
- 2 x Brick Round, Half 1 x 2 in Lime (6529319 | 68013)
- 3 x Technic Axle and Pin Connector Angled #1 in Bright Light Orange (6476810 | 42127)
- 1 x Windscreen 1 x 6 x 3 in Black (6468530, 6525952 | 39889, 39894)
- 2 x 4151b Plate Special 8 x 8 with Grille in Lime (6391755, 6490404 | 4151)
- 1 x Animal, Dolphin, Baby with Black Eyes, White Iris print in Bright Light Blue (6520907 | 110391)
- 1 x Bracket 5 x 2 x 2 1/3 with Holes, Inside Stud Holder in Yellow (6506034 | 28964)
- 2 x Wedge Curved Inverted 6 x 4 in Dark Azure (6534278 | 43713)
The model
The boat is split into 4 sections, which each can be built separately with their own instruction manual. In the center is a dining table and a large video game setup. In the stern we find a small pool and a docking area for water scooters. In the bow a net is suspended with chairs; basically a SNOT frame covered in curved bricks. On top of the center sits a 16x16 plate with the steering and beds.
The stern hides a toilet and... I guess that's a shower? For extra fun, we get two water scooters to play with. I love that swimming tube floating in the pool in the back. The steering mechanism is connected to the sail.
I’m not fully convinced by the looks of this set. The color scheme is nice, and the level of detail is on par with other LEGO Friends sets, but the whole boat feels a bit like a box. I’m no boat expert, so it is highly possible that this is how this vessel is supposed to look, but I would welcome some more curves.
For parts, we get a handful of neat recolors, but the RRP of US$74.99/ £69.99/ 74.99€/ AU$119.99 for 686 parts does make them rather pricey.
42673 Family Vacation Beach Resort
- Release date: 1 June 2025
- Pieces: 1140
- US$ 129.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 169.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 119.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 199.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 219.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 129,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 129,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 129,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 569.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 1799,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 1099.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
Our boat docks at the idyllic Family Vacation Beach Resort, where we can relax on the sand, enjoy a slide over a waterfall or float in the water before retreating to our cabin. The latter involves some nice parts usage of roller coaster tracks, which reminds of the other sunny vacation LEGO Friends resort from 2018, 41347 Heartlake City Resort, which uses tracks for a passenger cart monorail.
New mold: Wheel Wheelchair Balloon with Pin Hole (7201)
Visiting the beach in a wheelchair can be difficult, as the skinny tyres will get stuck in the sand. So Aaron has tricked out his ride with large balloon tyres, which come in the form of Tyre Wheelchair Balloon (7201), appearing here 2x in Light Bluish Grey (6527056 | 7201). The tyres fit on the standard mini-doll wheelchair as well as the minifig version.
For my analysis of this interesting new addition, see my exploration of the geometry and connections of LEGO part 7201.
Recolored pieces
The following elements are new in these colors.
- 4x Vehicle Track, Roller Coaster Ramp Large Upper Part, 6 Bricks Elevation in Dark Orange (6542423 | 26560)
- 39x Plate Special 2 x 3 with Rocks in Nougat (6542424 | 27261)
- 2x Food Ice Cream Scoops in Bright Light Yellow (6537780 | 6254)
- 1x Windscreen 6 x 2 x 2 with Handle in Trans-Dark Pink (6538200 | 92474)
- 4x Animal Body Part / Plant, Tail / Neck / Branch / Trunk, Middle Section with Pin Holes in Dark Orange (6542425 | 5717)
- 1x Equipment Medical Wheelchair with Pins for Wheels [Minidoll] in Dark Turquoise (6546477 | 2135)
- 1x Wheel Skateboard / Trolley in Light Bluish Gray (6544402 | 2496)
Decorated elements
- 1x Animal, Dolphin, Jumping with Bottom Axle Holder in Light Aqua (6540712)
All other decorations are handled by a sticker sheet. As with the 42664 sticker sheet, most stickers are applied in order, with only sticker #9 and #10 being swapped around.
Mini-dolls
The set comes with 6 mini-dolls, equally divided between core friends, returning side characters and new faces.
Liann comes with a new head (6534795) and torso (6541121) both in warm tan, and new shorts in bright light yellow (6541125).
Nova uses the same Dark Purple legs (6542282) as Sky does in 42664.
Aaron clearly goes for the extremes of weather, as the character made his first appearance in set 41756 Holiday Ski Slope and Café from 2023 before returning here in the tropics. He only comes with a new torso in medium nougat (6547236).
Sage was introduced last year in 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure. In that set, she wore a helmet, but now features recolored Hair Mid-length with Side Part, Wavy in Tan (6549529 | 23187). She’s borrowing Sky’s torso from 42664 in nougat (6541162).
Mischa is new to LEGO Friends, and appears to run the resort. Her head in umber brown (6539434), torso in umber brown (6547392) and legs in tan (6547233) are all new.
Christopher is here to catch some gnarly waves, bringing a new head (6539431) and torso in nougat (6547248) and new legs in reddish orange (6547250).
Rare elements
- 1 x Brick Round Corner 10 x 10 with Slope 33° Edge, Axle Hole, Facet Cutout in Tan (6310951 | 58846) is only used in LEGO® Ideas 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay back in 2020 – see our review of set 21322.
- 2 x Door Frame 1 x 4 x 6 Type 2 in Dark Orange (6522740 | 60596) was introduced earlier this year in LEGO Ideas 21354 Twilight The Cullen House. Read our review for set 21354.
- 4 x Tile Special 2 x 2 with 2 Quarter Round Cutouts in Light Nougat (6480364 | 3396) can be found in LEGO® Art 31213 Mona Lisa, as seen in our review of set 31213.
- 2 x Window 1 x 2 x 3 Shutter with Hinges and Handle in Dark Turquoise (6347661 | 60800) has appeared in 2 sets.
- 1 x Helmet, Sports in Vibrant Yellow (6468541 | 47096) has appeared in 2 LEGO® City sets
- 1 x Helmet, Sports in Magenta (6525584 | 47096) has only been seen in LEGO® Marvel 4+ set 11200 Spidey and Gobby's Raptor Battle at Tree House HQ
- 1 x 31990 Equipment Oar / Paddle End in Bright Pink (6545175 | ) was used as a petal in LEGO® Botanicals 10347 Petite Sunny Bouquet. Read our review for set 10347.
- 1 x Animal, Turtle, Baby with Dark Orange Spots print in Yellowish Green (6536687 | 112266) was introduced by LEGO® Disney 43260 Moana's Island Fun earlier this year.
- 4 x Slope Curved 2 x 2 Inverted with 1 x 2 Cutouts in Bright Light Orange (6469079 | 1750) had only been used once in LEGO® Super Mario™ 71431 Bowser's Muscle Car Expansion Set.
- 1 x Hose Rigid 3mm D. 11L / 8.8cm in Orange (6474844 | 100752) originated in LEGO® Technic 42175 Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator
The model
The model is split in several sections, spread over 6 building manuals which allows for a group build.
The first 2 sections are a side build of a raft, and the first part of the beach, where Mischa is ready to check us in.
On to the large cabin, where the roller coaster tracks are used for the curved roof, covered with rock plates. I like the technique, but it feels a bit bare.
On the inside we find beds and a comfy chair. At the back are 2 clips that can hold Aaron’s crutches.
It’s interesting that paint rollers are used for the crutches – nice parts usage, but also this month LEGO City set 60469 Central Train Station introduces a brand new crutch mold. Perhaps the 2mm difference between the height of the hands of minifigures and minidolls was considered too far? Or maybe the resort was developed earlier when the mold was not available, or LEGO City are getting a little exclusivity on the piece before other themes can use it?
Next to the cabin sits a rental service for scuba gear with an arch that echoes the shape of the cabin. The stand is angled by a turntable that is held still by the studs on the jumper tiles; a clever way to prevent the stand from turning.
Sage is searching for treasure on the beach. Make sure to check under the rock!
We can cool down with some ice cream, found next to the toilet, which is accessible for wheelchairs.
The final section is a slide sitting over a waterfall. The beach makes way for rocks here, judging by the color. I like the variation, but they could be elaborated some more – maybe by another brick height and more slopes.
All sections are joined by clips, and the finished model is impressive, with a wide footprint. The resort features a lot of clever details, incorporating accessibility for Aaron’s wheelchair to the cabin and the toilet.
I think kids will find it a good playset, and there are some interesting new elements that will appeal to MOC builders. Those elements don’t come cheap though, as the RRP of US$129.99/ £119.99/ 129.99€/ AU$199.99 for 1140 parts is very steep for a LEGO Friends set.
Set 42673 on LEGO.com
READ MORE: LEGO® Pick a Brick: new elements added in June 2025
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Nice review!
ReplyDeleteNougat (not to be confused with Medium Nougat or Light Nougat) is still somewhat rare as a building color, but these sets really showcase how much warmth and richness it can add to a color scheme compared to traditional tans and browns. Which is perfect for these sorts of sunny tropical subjects!
The catamaran is neat (I'm always a sucker for a good boat set with plenty of exterior and interior detail), The Sunshine Catamaran set also had a great interior but the brick-built hull of this one, with its large circular windows, looks quite a bit more elegant than the airplane parts and flat walls used on that earlier set.
And the beach resort is quite fresh (with an architectural style rarely seen in Lego). The use of roller coaster tracks in this way creates some unfortunate gaps but I'm sure the mini-dolls appreciate the warm sea breeze. I love the beachfront area which uses the same curved slope bricks used in sets like Pirates of Barracuda Bay to create a large and detailed space for play. The parts usage for the coconut palm is also very cool!
The catamaran's shaping is spot-on, nicer than 41317
ReplyDeleteNot the first time roller coaster track is used as part of a roof construction. 10303 Loop Coaster also uses it, but instead of rock plates it used 2x3 tiles with clips. That makes the roof more closed than in this set. But I can see why they went with the rock plates for this set because it gives the roof more texture than the flat tiles.
ReplyDeleteLooking it up further because I knew I'd seen architecture like it before but wasn't sure of the name or features of the style, I think the roof style is meant to evoke Hawaiian "hale" architecture—a traditional style which has elevated floors, thatched roofs, and open walls like this! The curve the roller coaster track creates isn't exactly typical for that architectural style, but suits the bubbly Friends aesthetic.
DeleteI really, really hate that the icecream is being sold right next to the bog.
ReplyDeleteIt's there for the people who forget they're lactose intolerant.
DeleteGreat review! I have always loved how well Friends cabin cruisers incorporate the same level of detail as Friends houses, with very efficient use of space for all the amenities you might need for a comfortable vacation at sea, and this new travel boat is no exception.
ReplyDeleteThe shape also doesn't seem all that unusual to me — catamaran hulls often have very flat sides that narrow towards the bow just like this one, and while a real catamaran's bridge deck would be raised up relative to the hulls, I feel like this layout is a reasonable compromise to ensure the occupants have plenty of space without increasing the scale of the entire model.
The color scheme has very peaceful tropical vibes, putting the recolored nougat elements to great use for a treated wood deck, and I love the look of the rounded windows! The bedroom is modest, but looks very peaceful with the curved skylight for watching the stars.
I assume the mountain bike blankets are Sky's (alluding to her hobby previously shown in the Adventure Camp sets), the floral blankets are Paisley's, and the racing stripe blankets are Zac's. That leaves the blankets with molecular diagram and double helix patterns for Celine — is she a scientist back home, perhaps?
The beach resort is also very nicely designed, with a nice uneven coastline and lots of fun seaside activities. The beach does seem slightly cramped with so much stuff going on, but I get that including empty stretches of beach would up the price without adding very much play value. That said, it'd be nice if the center stretch of shoreline at least stretched a little further forward so the beach chairs didn't give Aaron so little space to maneuver in his wheelchair. I wonder how easy it'd be to expand the model, given its modular construction…
DeleteI love the architecture of the resort buildings, as my brother brought up above — even if you're not familiar with this architectural style, the consistent shape language of the pointed arches creates a lovely aesthetic. And I appreciate the contrast between the sandy beach and the rocky coast around the fire pit and waterfall pool.
I hadn't previously realized that Celine and Sage are relatives of Zac and Nova, respectively, but in these sets the family resemblance is very apparent! I feel like there's going to be a bit of tension between Nova and her somewhat more outdoorsy-looking family here, since her usual hobbies like coding and gaming don't adapt quite too well to either a beach vacation or the resort's relatively low-tech amenities. But I'm sure her sister and Liann will help her learn to enjoy her time here.
The design of Nova and Sage's dad Christopher is also very fun — I didn't realize until reading this review that he had a tattoo on the back of his right leg. Is this the first mini-doll to have a printed pattern on the back of their legs? Obviously some have painted detail for the back of their shoes, but those aren't tampographic prints like this.
It's also very fun to see Aaron again after his debut in the ski slope set, though it's a little frustrating that the box art is inconsistent about the spelling of his name (there's a similar inconsistency between the spelling of Christopher's name between the box art and manual, even though this is his first appearance).
Parts-wise, the new balloon tires and recolored trolley wheels on the wheelchair will both surely be very useful in the future! The former are begging to be used for a lunar rover, and the latter will be great for all sorts of trolleys and carts, not to mention high-tech greebling on sci-fi models. It's also great to have another new color for the 2x3 rock plate, which is used marvelously for the thatched roofs here, and for the curved tail/tree trunk element used for the smaller outbuildings!
The ice cream recolor feels like an unusual choice for this set, since there are so many other colors/flavors that would fit just as well here, but makes more sense after seeing it used for buttered popcorn in 42642 Friendship Movie Night! It's also gonna be great for ice cream flavors like lemon or mango. With all the sets using the newer swirl pieces for ice cream these days, it's nice to see that this mold hasn't outlived its original purpose — using it here particularly helps to ensure the spiral seashells on the beach aren't mistaken for spilled ice cream!
Thanks for the detailed review!