LEGO Reviews City60266

Ocean Exploration Ship

Name: LEGO Ocean Exploration Ship 60266
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 60266

62 · MIXED REVIEWSINVESTMENT GRADE: BB2020745 pcsHigh agreement · 81%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

4.8K+

Countries

🇨🇦 🇺🇸2 markets

BrickScore

Mixed Reviews

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"A Skip It verdict from expert analysis at BrickScore 56.4, though 4,800 real buyers rate it 4.8 out of 5: the Ocean Exploration Ship trades building value for a genuine flotation gimmick and a strong accessories package, making it a hit with kids and a disappointment for builders focused on parts density and price-per-piece."

The Ocean Exploration Ship earns a BrickScore of 62.3 and lands in the Skip It tier, with expert aspect consensus flagging poor parts value (28), low value for money (36), and a mediocre build experience (49.1). This stands in stark contrast to owner response: 4,800 ratings average 4.8 out of 5 with 100% recommending the set on LEGO.com. The gap is one of the clearest critic-owner splits in this batch, driven by the set's two large pre-molded hull pieces that sacrificed parts density for real-world flotation.

Where they split: The critic-owner split here is substantial and worth naming directly. Expert analysis scores this a Skip It at 56.4, driven by a parts value of 28 and value-for-money of 36. Meanwhile 4,800 owner ratings average 4.8 out of 5 with 100% recommending. The divergence reflects a genuine difference in what the two audiences value: critics evaluate building substance and parts efficiency, while owners respond to the flotation feature, accessories, and child play engagement.

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LOVED (9)

01The ship actually floats and holds up in a bathtub or pool
02Highly detailed accessories including submarine, helicopter, shark cage, and fast rescue craft
03Functional rotating crane with 360-degree swing, fore-and-aft slide, raise-lower arm, and worm-gear winch

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CRITICIZED (5)

01Two large pre-molded hull pieces inflate piece count and undermine building satisfaction
02At $149.99 for 745 pieces, the 20.1 cents per piece is poor value for a LEGO set
03Hull can separate at center joint during rough water play

+2 more with Collector

Build Facts what critics report

⏱ Build time

~1 hour 57 minutes (117 minutes)

🧩 Difficulty

intermediate

🎯 Audience

kids

In Their Words most-used terms across every critic review

designshipplaycranequartersonlysharkgoodbridgehelicoptergreatsubmarinecagehullcrewsubmersibleexcellentarmswaterdivingstoragestanddownstingraydisappointingdeckholddetailed

What reviewers are saying

"This is the most expensive set in the ocean exploration sub-theme. It costs $179.99 in Canada. Additionally, the kit contains a mere 745 pieces. Therefore, the cost-per-brick is $0.24."

True North Bricks

"the ship itself is the largest ship or boat of any sort that they've ever made at least the longest they've ever made that actually floats"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Ecosystem

Deep-Sea Exploration Vessel (60095) 89 — The Ocean Exploration Ship reuses the hull pieces from 60095, showing design continuity within the City theme's ocean exploration sets.

Other City theme sets — Even compared to other City theme sets, which average $0.17 per brick, this set is expensive at $0.24 per brick.

Small submersible from Ocean Exploration theme — The submarine in this set is a much better design compared to the small submersible from the theme based on comparison of images.

Previous longest/largest ship LEGO has made (custom build shown in video) — The new Ocean Exploration Ship is several inches longer. The old hull is 'completely hidden by the new.' The new design achieves greater length by using two identical hulls connected end-to-end with beams, rather than creating a completely new larger piece.

CityInvestment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

True North Bricks 🇨🇦

Expert Video Source

SKIP

"This is the most expensive set in the ocean exploration sub-theme. It costs $179.99 in Canada. Additionally, the kit contains a mere 745 pieces. Therefore, the cost-per-brick is $0.24."

Key Pros

✓Excellent minifigure assortment with great character designs and front/back torso printing
✓Amazing great white shark minifigure—collectible and desirable
✓Excellent brick-to-fig ratio of 75:1 (10 characters to 745 pieces)

Key Cons

✕Horrendously expensive—cost per brick is $0.24 CAD vs reviewer's average of $0.14
✕Poor cost-per-minute of build time ($1.54 vs average $0.83)

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JANG's LEGO Reviews 🇺🇸

Expert Video Source

BUY

"the ship itself is the largest ship or boat of any sort that they've ever made at least the longest they've ever made that actually floats"

Key Pros

✓The largest/longest floating ship LEGO has ever made
✓Innovative double-hull construction that is functional
✓Actually floats in water

Key Cons

✕Price-to-part ratio is 'atrocious' in the US market
✕Big hole in the middle reduces storage capacity

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2 more critic reviews + 23 buyer takes

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Critics discussed this set's investment case

Buy-now vs wait consensus, value drivers, exclusivity and resale outlook

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Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (8)

Man, Dark Red Jacket with Bright Light Blue Shirt, Dark Blue Legs with Belt, White Flight Helmet, Trans-Light Blue Flight Visor, Stubble (Helicopter Pilot)

Harl Hubbs - Dark Red Hooded Sweatshirt, Sand Blue Legs with Pockets, Life Jacket

Explorer - Male, Dark Red Hooded Sweatshirt, Sand Blue Legs, Dark Blue Knit Cap

Ocean Mini-Submarine Pilot - Female, Harness, Sand Blue Legs with Pockets, Black Hair

Deep Sea Explorers Boat Captain - Dark Blue Turtleneck Sweater and Cap, Dark Bluish Gray Legs, Life Jacket

Deep Sea Diver - Female, Dark Blue Helmet, Pensive Smile / Scared

Scuba Diver - Female, Nougat Lips Smile, Red Helmet, White Air Tanks, Red Flippers

Scuba Diver - Male, Open Mouth, Dark Tan Beard, Red Helmet, White Air Tanks, Red Flippers

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Great White Shark
Large specialty piece, not standard LEGO brick, contributes to high cost per brick
Ship hull pieces
Two watertight pieces attached back-to-back from older City sets like Deep-Sea Exploration Vessel (60095); specialty pieces contributing to overall cost
New diving helmets with separate oxygen tanks
Two divers feature new diving helmet design with separate oxygen tanks; one diver has re-colored space piece as alternative helmet design
Printed computer console bricks
Five printed computer console bricks included with the set
Stingray animal mold
Brand new mold for 2020. Dark tan base with light royal blue spots, includes studs on top, anti-studs on underside, hand holds on sides, and moveable wings. Can hold minifigures.
Updated shark mold
Based on the largest shark design LEGO has made with white coloring added. Includes hand hold on dorsal fin. Large enough to fit minifigures in mouth. Mouth opens and closes.