Looking for a fun adventure aboard the world’s largest cruise ship? Arriving in 2023 is Royal Caribbean’s highly anticipated and largest ocean gem, Icon of the Seas. The innovative cruise line continually seeks to raise the bar for the travel industry and enhance guest experiences. They have done that with this latest masterpiece. Icon of the Seas will not only feature a whopping 20 decks with 7 swimming pools and 6 water slides fit for 7,600 passengers to enjoy, but it will also be the cruise liner’s first ship with fuel cell technology and powered by liquefied natural gas. The remarkable floating giant will also feature shore power connection and a waste heat recovery system to boot. Icon of the Seas is expected to set sail in 2024, but it is already making heads turn!
Per Fox 35 Orlando, this monstrous ship will “dethrone” the world’s current largest, Wonder of the Seas, also a Royal Caribbean attraction. Wonder measures 1,188-feet whereas Icon is 1,198-feet. Icon of the Seas will also be the world’s biggest cruise ship in terms of tonnage. One of the majestic features is its amazing front facing AquaDome; a one-of-a-kind and vibrant multi-use space featuring entertainment, theatre, bar, lounging and merchandising options and featuring unbeatable panoramic ocean views. Experiences also include Thrill Island featuring the largest waterpark at sea with the tallest drop slide at sea. Adults will love Chill Island, showcasing a three deck area in a premium part of the ship and featuring the Swim & Tonic, the line’s first swim-up bar, an adults-only infinity pool, and Royal Bay Pool, the largest at sea. Families can enjoy time at Surfside, with fun for kids at both Splashaway and Baby Bay, thus there is fun for all ages.
Historians remind us that when the Titanic was built in 1912, it was the largest ship in the world. Royal Caribbean’s new ship will be five times the size of the Titanic based on internal volume. And it is 35% longer than Titanic. In addition to its large passenger capacity, Icon will require a crew of 2,350, close to the total number of guest passengers that could be accommodated aboard Titanic. Interestingly, Cruise Mummy shares that Titanic and Icon of the Seas will have similar cruising speeds, equating to about 25 miles per hour, fitting for a leisure cruise. Of course, Icon will possess many amazing features which the Titanic did not, including rock climbing, rafting, surfing, laser tag, minigolf, ice arena, and more. There will be 15 restaurants in the Royal Promenade area alone. Of course, massive staterooms are part of the luxurious accommodations of the new modern ship. And the ship will have its own lush green place with thousands of live plants to make folks feel at home while out to sea.
People who have seen photos of the new ship claim to be fascinated by the layout of the massive vessel. Many are greatly impressed by the ship’s colorful and eye-catching “playground” areas. Icon of the Seas is proudly nicknamed “Human Lasagne,” a rather peculiar ship name but aptly given to describe the stacked layers of the ship’s design. Miami will be homeport to the amazing vessel through April 2025. Count yourself lucky if you’re one of the passengers on the inaugural cruise departing January 27, 2024, for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. When you walk onto the ship, rumor has it you’ll walk through a pearl before setting sail. How much more fun and imaginative could it get?
I came across this article while bandying about the AMAC web site. My wife and I have been on multiple cruises over the years. While reading article highlights to my wife, she responded, “I don’t even want to be in a town with over 7,000 people in it. Why would I want to be on a boat with them?” Guess we will be looking for more intimate settings for travel. Thanks, anyway.