Icon of the Seas: the Icon of Vacations

Table Of Content

• Finally, guests will be welcomed onboard Icon for her maiden voyage to the Eastern Caribbean
• Icon of the Seas sailed from Cádiz, Spain to Ponce, Puerto Rico, arriving on January 2, 2024
• Royal Caribbean's new Icon of the Seas will be world's biggest cruise ship, with room for nearly 10,000 people
• More Royal Caribbean
• Norway to ban high-pollution cruise ships by 2026 in a move to cut emissions

Icon of the Sea's Central Park, an open-air green space, is designed to offer adult guests a serene setting, perfect for romantic dinners or tranquil strolls amidst the plants and trees. Surfside, dedicated to younger families, replaces the Boardwalk found on some of the line’s other ships. The quickest way to get there will be by slide from Deck 8, while the area is linked to the kids’ club and arcade. 'Icon of the Seas' will be the biggest cruise ship at sea when it sets sail in January 2024.

Finally, guests will be welcomed onboard Icon for her maiden voyage to the Eastern Caribbean

Also new are the brand’s first Sunset Corner Suites and Panoramic Ocean Views in AquaDome. Spread around the entire vessel, the neighborhoods have different functions and may cater to distinct publics. Icon of the Seas' maiden voyage will signify the ship's completion, as the ship will be ready for regular service.

Icon of the Seas sailed from Cádiz, Spain to Ponce, Puerto Rico, arriving on January 2, 2024

The suites are in categories (high to low grade) Family Townhouse, Royal Loft, Icon Loft, Owner's, Infinite Grand, Grand, Sunset Corner, Surfside Family, Sunset, Junior, and Panoramic (with windows). "Surfside Family Suite" is in the Surfside Neighborhood, accommodates 4 people, has a separate kids' bedroom (convertible into a lounge room) and its occupants receive Royal Suite Class perks. "Project Icon" is the name for a passenger ship class ordered by RCG-Royal Caribbean Group/shipowner to Meyer Merf's Shipyard in Turku Finland. Among the new accommodations are layouts made for families of three, four, five, and more, including the three-story Ultimate Family Townhouse, complete with its own white picket fence and mailbox.

Royal Caribbean's new Icon of the Seas will be world's biggest cruise ship, with room for nearly 10,000 people

When Icon departs Ponce to sail to Miami, it will be over one year until she returns to the island, as San Juan isn't a scheduled port of call on Eastern Caribbean itineraries until May 2025. The May 3, 2025 cruise also visits St. Maarten and Labadee, Haiti, foregoing a stop at the cruise line's private island in The Bahamas. She had to sail underneath the Great Belt Bridge, an 11-mile bridge located in Denmark, in order to reach Cádiz. The 20-deck high had to have her funnels retracted to barely squeeze underneath. It required expertise from the entire crew, including meteorologists to ship operators.

Icon Of The Seas - user reviews and comments

From the cruise line's first-ever swim-up bar to the largest pool at sea, infinity-edge Cove and Cloud 17 Pools, Chill Island is, undoubtedly, going to be the best pool deck at sea. Onboard, guests will find the largest waterpark and ice rink at sea, new neighborhoods to explore, the cruise line's first-ever food hall, and so much more. Choose a different pool for every day of the week, including Royal Bay — the largest pool at sea. Next-level views are never far away, with an array of infinity edges to keep you connected to the ocean.

More Royal Caribbean

In the evening, AquaDome transforms into a "nightlife zone" housing RCI's signature entertainment venue AquaTheater (redesigned, smaller-sized and indoor/glass-covered on ICON ships) hosting high-diving aquatic and aerial acrobatic shows. The AquaTheater has a transforming deepwater swimming pool and is fitted with modern technologies including multi-media equipment (superior light-sound-smoke effects, 3D flying projections), stage lifts, 4x robotic arms. Four of the ship's seven pools will be found in the three-deck Chill Island pool area, with plenty of ocean views from the watery play spaces. Among the pools is Royal Caribbean's first swim-up bar; another is what Royal is claiming to be the largest pool at sea. Icon OTS has 7x swimming pools (scattered across 5 decks), 9x outdoor Jacuzzies/whirlpools, and the fleet's largest waterpark with 6x waterslides (including the largest at sea).

What passengers can expect on board the world's biggest cruise ship - USA TODAY

What passengers can expect on board the world's biggest cruise ship.

Posted: Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

On Royal Caribbean's ICON ships was introduced fuel cell technology, which combined with hull air lubrication means the vessels are among the most fuel-efficient ever built. The Music Hall (dance lounge/disco nightclub introduced on QUANTUM-class RCI boats) is a 2-level venue (decks 3-4) and provides live music entertainment (band performances daily and DJs in the evenings). It features an exclusive 2-deck Sundeck and an expanded Coastal Kitchen (suite-only restaurant on 2 levels, overlooking the AquaTheater). There is a larger exclusive sundeck (accessed only by Star Class and Sky Class suites) with its own swimming pool and an outdoor Jacuzzi, plus a new, suite-only casual dining venue (The Grove) offering traditional Mediterranean cuisine specialties. The 2024-built Icon of the Seas cruise ship is RCI-Royal Caribbean's first ICON-Class vessel scheduled for delivery and inauguration in 2024 January, being postponed from 2022-Q2 and 2023-Q3 due to the COVID crisis. The liner is currently the world's largest by volume/GT-tons (~6% bigger than Wonder OTS) and has two same-designed sisterships - Star Of The Seas (2025-Q2) and TBN of the Seas (2026-Q2).

Norway to ban high-pollution cruise ships by 2026 in a move to cut emissions

'Icon Of The Seas': World's Biggest Cruise Ship To Launch In 2024 - Forbes

'Icon Of The Seas': World's Biggest Cruise Ship To Launch In 2024.

Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Icon Of The Seas itinerary program was officially revealed on October 20, 2022, and RCI opened Icon OTS' cruises for booking on Oct 24th (for loyalty program members) and Oct 25th (to the general public). Royal Theater's grand productions (90-min evening shows) are titled "Effectors" (themed on superheroes), "Wizard of Oz" (musical) and "SHOWBAND! Live. Music. Now." (stage performances by 16 musicians/string, woodwind, brass, percussion). Icon OTS' venues hosting grand shows are three - Royal Theater, AquaDome, and Absolute Zero (Ice-Skating Arena).

A newstay-all-day neighborhood just for families

Like on all large newbuild cruisers, the hull is fitted with Wartsila's air lubrication system that reduces frictional resistance by creating a coating of microbubbles on the flat bottom. On June 15, 2022, RCG signed with Eagle LNG Partners LLC (Eagle LNG) a contract for providing LNG (liquefied natural gas) and bunkering services to RCI liners, the first of which is Icon OTS. The gas supply is sourced from Eagle LNG's facilities in JAXPORT-Jacksonville Florida, shipped throughout the Caribbean and bunkered by Eagle LNG-owned newbuild vessels. In late-December 2021, to Meyer Turku were towed/barged by 4x tugboats the first pre-assembled in Poland (at Gdansk Shipyard) hull blocks, with weights tons. Their assembly/the ship's physical construction officially started with the keel-laying ceremony held on April 5, 2022.

Every sailing on our newest, thrill-packed ship stops at our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. Voted Best Private Island by Travel Weekly readers, it’s a place unlike any other where you can turn up the thrills or unplug and chill. The Icon flexes a unique list of watering holes, including a dueling piano venue and a swim-up bar. This colorful getaway — complete with a giant pink flamingo and an eclectic carousel — is where the youngest guests can seek out daytime romps around the water playground and nighttime story readings. Icon OTS also has a hull (painted in baby blue) with a parabolic bow and vertical stern (also fleet's firsts) both creating a curved indentation in the hull's bottom. The parabolic bow design increases the vessel's overall stability (by shifting the gravity center forward) and also makes it less prone to heeling or capsizing.

With the largest water park at sea and the first suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship, the first Icon Class vessel will set sail in January 2024. Among its standout features are what will reportedly be the largest water park ever on a cruise ship and a striking indoor entertainment venue specifically designed for the line's signature acrobatic and diving performances. By day, the neighborhood offers wraparound ocean views and a waterfall, while, by night, it becomes a vibrant place for a night out, complete with restaurants, bars, and the cruise line’s marquee aqua shows at the AquaTheater. After debuting on the Oasis Class, the show venue will feature a new transforming pool, four robotic arms, state-of-the-art projection, and more. Royal Theater is the main show lounge spreading over 3 floors (forward on decks 3-4-5). The theater presents nightly 2 grand shows - early (at 8 pm) and late (at 10 pm) to match the assigned dining room sittings.

Signature RCI restaurants available on Icon OTS are also Wonderland, Celebration Table (Chef's Table/Deck 15), and Johnny Rockets. Traditionally for RCI, Icon OTS has the Royal Escape Room that provides adventure gaming experiences (team-building exercises). Gaming at the Royal Escape Room involves a group of players who must solve a series of puzzles by using clues, hints and group strategy.

The inaugural cruise will depart on Saturday, January 27 and sail to Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis' Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Perfect Day At Cococay. This voyage will signify the ship's completion, as the ship will officially be ready for regular service. Nearly every sailing will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas. If relaxing isn't on your agenda, head to Thrill Island, where you will find the Category 6 water park, FlowRider surf simulator, and part skywalk, part ropes course, and part thrill ride Crown's Edge, which will take you 154 feet above the ocean.