Icon of the Seas, a cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean International and lead ship of the Icon class, is scheduled to launch on January 27 2024 and enter service in early 2024 from PortMiami in the US.
The ship has a capacity of 5,610 passengers at double occupancy or 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity, 20 decks and 6pc larger than Wonder of the Seas. When you add 2,350 crew members, that gives Icon of the Seas a population similar to Longford and a position among the top 50 most populous towns in Ireland.
Bookings have opened early due to the high level of interest and is expected to redefine luxury cruising. CEO Michael Bayley has told investors this year that Icon of the Seas is the ‘best-selling product in the history of the business’.
Icon of the Seas is taking the title of the world’s biggest cruise ship from another Royal Caribbean vessel, Wonder of the Seas, which is slightly smaller at 1,187ft (362m) long and a weight of 236,857 gross tonnes, compared with 250,800, tonnes for Icon.
Various records like the tallest waterfall and the largest waterpark are booked along the way.
he ship’s three-storey family suite comes complete with its own white picket fence and mailbox. Other room options for guests include the ‘Surfside Family Suite’, with alcoves for kids ‘tucked away from the adults’, ‘Sunset Corner Suites’ and ‘Panoramic Ocean View’ quarters.
Once they’re out of bed, guests will find so many water features they may have trouble distinguishing the boat from the ocean.
Icon of the Seas will feature the largest waterpark at sea – called ‘Category 6’ – containing six ‘record-breaking’ slides: ‘Pressure Drop’ and its 66-degree incline – ‘the industry’s first open free-fall slide’; the 46ft- (14m) tall ‘Frightening Bolt’, the tallest drop slide at sea; ‘Storm Surge’ and ‘Hurricane Hunter’, the first family raft slides at sea – and ‘Storm Chasers’, which Royal Caribbean claims is ‘cruising’s first mat-racing duo’.
The waterpark will be on Thrill Island, which Royal Caribbean trumpets as a ‘lost island adventure where vacationers can test their limits and scale new heights’.
Icon of the Seas will also debut the line’s first swim-up bar at sea – called ‘Swim & Tonic’ – and ‘Royal Bay Pool’, the ‘largest pool at sea’. Both of these features will be on ‘Chill Island’.
The ship incorporates nature into its design, with the park featuring various green spaces and the aqua dome area and aqua theatre hosting aquatic performances.
The ship offers 28 different types of cabins, of which 82pc will accommodate three or more guests and 70pc will feature a private balcony.
The construction of Icon of the Seas began in 2021, and it is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and alternative energy features such as fuel cells.
Icon will sail seven-night Caribbean voyages throughout 2024. Royal Caribbean International has also released its 2025-2026 inventory early, featuring visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay and new destinations like Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
