The newly viral Icon of the Seas will be the world’s biggest cruise ship when it sets sail in January 2024.
The large waterpark at ocean . The tallest drop lantern slide ever on a sail ship . The first suspended infinity pool to navigate the sea … These are just a few of the many , many new attractions set to literally make waves onRoyalCaribbean ’s next - generation cruise ship , Icon of the Seas . The fellowship officiallyunveiledthe floating all - in - one vacation machine — the first of three ships of the new Icon Class — last October , boasting a wash list of thrill and amenities aimed at pleasing every type of household vacationer .
Before we dig into the details , you might want to grab a flotation gadget , break out your gamy SPF sunscreen , and take a deep breath , because there ’s a long ton to speak about . Here run nothing .
image of the Seas , which just finish its initial turn of sea trial in June , is slated to welcome its first invitee sailing ( which is already sold - out ) out of Miami on January 27 , 2024.The ship is massive , and it valuate 1,198 feet long . It has 18 passenger decks ( and 20 in total ) , seven consortium , nine vortex , six criminal record - break waterslides , up to 2,350 crew member , and 5,610 passengers with its 2,805 Department of State elbow room at double occupancy ( 7,600 passengers maximum ) , according to the company . With a gross tonnage ( a ship ’s total interior volume ) of 250,800 , the Icon of the Seas is bigger than the current biggest sail ship in the world , Royal Caribbean ’s Wonder of the Seas ( 236,857 GT ) .
Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
Here’s a Rare Inside Look at Construction on the New World’s Biggest Cruise Ship
Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s most over-the-top cruise ship, will be the world’s largest when it welcomes passengers aboard in January 2024.
Whew . Are you out of breath yet ? Well , hold onto your swimsuit because there ’s more .
Icon ’s eating place , bars , pools , and other amenity will be spread across eight areas of the ship that Royal Caribbean refers to as " neighborhoods , " include five that are trade name new to the sail line and three that have appeared on previous ship . They ’re all designed to be destinations where you’re able to pass a day or wander among them as you see fit . For model , the " Chill Island " section is all about relax vibraphone with abundant ocean views , an adults - only retirement , a pool that will be the largest at ocean , and even Royal Caribbean ’s first swim - up bar , regrettably nickname Swim & Tonic . Okay , okay , we really kind of love that name .
The other seven areas — Thrill Island , Surfside , The Hideaway , AquaDome , Royal Promenade , Suite Neighborhood , and Central Park — are jam - packed with , you guessed it , even more material to feed , drink in , and do .
" Now more than ever , families and friends are prioritise experiences where they can bond and enjoy their own adventures , " Michael Bayley , Royal Caribbean International ’s President of the United States and CEO , said in a press release . " We set out to make a vacation that arrive at all that possible in one seat for the quiver - quester , the chill fancier and everyone in between , without compromise . It ’s this first - of - its - form compounding that make Icon the futurity of family vacation , and that future is here . "
Impressive Book of Numbers and attractive feature aside , the ship will also score a significant milestone in the company ’s assurance to switch to cleaner energy and fuel germ and its overall goal of last zero emissions by 2050 . picture will be the first ship in Royal Caribbean ’s fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas ( LNG ) and the first to have fuel cell technology that will power some of the ship ’s procedure — tone in the right centering ; however , there ’s still a long fashion for it and other sail lines to go before they can arrogate these mega - ship are " sustainable . " It ’s an exciting ' first , ' nonetheless .
Of of course , there ’s still a dizzying inclination of other cool ' firsts ' and flashy Bell and whistles coming with Icon . Here are a few additional highlights from Royal Caribbean ’s announcement and a 2022 imperativeness event in Miami , which , full disclosure , Thrillist attended at the company ’s disbursal .
Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
As for sailing , Icon will make seven - night trips from Miami across the eastern and western Caribbean throughout the class . All sailings will let in a halt at the company ’s private island , Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas , which is menage to all sorts of other thrills and activities , include the tallest waterslide in North America . fresh with Icon will be an adults - only bay on the island , Hideaway Beach , that will have private cabanas , sea views , and a Brobdingnagian pool . The ship will also call Cozumel , Mexico ; Roatán , Honduras ; and Philipsburg , St. Maarten .
All things considered , it is n’t at all surprising that such a record - breaking ship went viral on societal medium — and received some negative commentary from it as well . On Twitter , after aviral picof the ship made the rounds , many users extract their concern towards the Icon of the Seas . Some of them called it " hell on water , " and more than one person refer to its size as amonstrosity , claiming it is actually anxiety - inducing .
However , that does n’t mean that travelers were less nifty to get just the ticket for the new ship aesthesis . Bookings for the Icon of the Seas blend live in belated October and all 2,805 cabins for its first seafaring — slated to set out its tour of the east Caribbean on January 27 , 2024 — were sold out within 24 hours , but plenty of extra gliding remain available as of this writing . In February 2024 , two seven - nighttime tour of the west Caribbean — one leave on February 3 and the other on February 17 — currently have uncommitted accommodations starting at $ 3,075 per person . There are also tours of the eastern Caribbean with multiple dates available , and the lowest charge per unit is presently set at $ 1,998 for the misstep go away on February 22 . The same pop off for western Caribbean trips , where price depart at $ 1,958 as of this writing . All sailplaning depart from Miami and additional details are availableon the cruise line ’s website .
This rendering shows an inside look at the Swim & Tonic bar in the Chill Island neighborhood.|Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
While those dates might still sound a bit far off , the early sellout goes to show that you ’ll require to move tight to snatch up the travel particular date and specific accommodations and destination that you are look for .
Ahead of setting sail , Royal Caribbean has been restrain up the Icon of the Seas hype with a steady stream of announcements and behind - the - scene updates on what next Edgar Albert Guest have to reckon forward to aboard the massive ship . Late last year , the cruise linedropped a videoin its “ work an Icon ” YouTube serial publication highlighting the mental synthesis of and vision behind the ship ’s AquaDome , one of its most alone “ neighborhoods , ” from a serviette sketch to a near - reality .
The AquaDome itself is a major feat of design and engineering in the sail space . As the video explains , the steel - and - deoxyephedrine dome structure weighs 363 tons and is the largest structure of its type to ever be lowered onto a cruise ship . It was a process that ingest over 80 hr to nail .
Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
The dome will offer Edgar Guest 220 - degree sea views as they enjoy solid food , drink , and entertainment like fountain shows in the daytime and aqua show boast diver , aerialists , automatic arms , and elaborated lighting and phone in the evening .
Another show-stopper — and theme song feature article — will be the Icon ’s Royal Promenade , which , compare to anterior reading on other Royal Caribbean ship , is set to be much large , active , and filled with entertainment options . According toa fresh " make an Icon " behind - the - scenes videoshared last week , upon abuse foot on the ship , guest will be welcomed by the promenade itself , which flash ocean views ( a first in Royal Caribbean ’s saunter history ) , venue , restaurants , and shops . retrieve of it as NYC ’s 5th Avenue or LA ’s Hollywood Boulevard , but on a ship .
We lie with there ’s a gross ton to take in here , and there ’s somehow still much more to derive . Even if Icon ’s initiative voyage is tight approaching , there is still a good amount of newsworthiness set to derive up as the date gets closer — and we have get your back ! Make certain to crack in with Thrillist over the next few month for all the most late update on this genuinely record book - damp young cruise ship .
This rendering shows an inside look at the Ultimate Family Townhouse.|Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
The Icon of the Seas' AquaDome will feature elaborate shows in its AquaTheater at night.|Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
