The world's new biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, debuts on Saturday
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The sea was frothy and infinite and blue-green beneath the span of a seagull’s wing. And though it had been trod hard by the world’s largest cruise ship, it remained. After breakfast, I explore the ship’s so-called neighborhoods. There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000.
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This felt as groundbreaking as the first time I dared to address an American in his native tongue, as a child on a bus in Queens (“On my foot you are standing, Mister”). — Staterooms are smartly designed with plenty of storage space, and most interior accommodations have windows, though no ocean views. But compared to the rest of my mediocre meals on Icon of the Seas — including dinner at a specialty restaurant — my complimentary pork pita wrap from the food hall's Mediterranean-inspired stall was admittedly pretty decent. There's a reason Royal Caribbean's new mega-cruise ship is only operating seven-night sailings. Take your best-ever holiday and crank it up – right to the top. This is a whole new kind of adventure with new thrills that change the way you play for good.
My favorite amenities on Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas cruise ship - Business Insider
My favorite amenities on Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas cruise ship.
Posted: Sat, 20 Apr 2024 10:58:00 GMT [source]
Where Icon of the Seas Sails
Admission is free if you want to hang out and wade in the water, though alcoholic beverages will cost you extra unless you purchase a Specialty Beverage Package. The package is a great deal, and it includes beers, wines, and other vacation libations at bars such as the Lemon Post. Max out memories like never before on 7-night adventures to the Eastern Caribbean onboard Icon of the Seas℠.
The world's largest cruise ship was delivered to Royal Caribbean on November 27, 2023
Where it succeeds is with its clever approach to its eight neighborhoods, each distinct in its offerings but seamlessly transitioning to the next. Wows abound, from the spectacular six-slide waterpark to the gravity-defying AquaTheater and fun, kid-friendly touches (like a full-time resident golden retriever and slides that move you from one deck to the next). Aptly named, Icon of the Seas has some iconic offerings onboard. Be sure to check out Swim & Tonic, the largest swim-up bar at sea.
If you're a frequent cruiser — especially with Royal Caribbean — amenities like the mini-golf course and water playground may not seem exciting. Cabins also are relatively quiet for a busy ship, though we did hear a little noise from the AquaDome, as our room was located at the front of the ship. Other rooms to avoid on Icon of the Seas include those directly above or below busy spaces, especially on Deck 14. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, please click here to update it. Passengers can pay extra for laundry, pressing and dry cleaning services. Guests can also bring up to a dozen standard cans, bottles or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks such as sodas on board on embarkation day.
Now that you know everything that's included in your Icon of the Seas cruise, you can start planning an unforgettable escape on the first-ever Icon Class cruise ship. You'll also stumble upon live music across the ship, from the pool deck to Central Park to the pub. Suite guests will find bars exclusive to them in the Coastal Kitchen restaurant and the Grove sun deck. The spa also keeps guests refreshed with the Vitality Cafe smoothie bar. You might not think the ship's family neighborhood would have a bar, but the Lemon Post in the Surfside zone serves both cocktails for the parents and mocktails (elevated lemonade mixes and overly sweet colorful juice concoctions) for the kids. Down on decks 3 and 4, the Music Hall is the place to jam out and dance to live music.
The glass roof structure/dome weighs 367 tons and is comprised of 12 modules made of different materials (glass, steel, aluminum panels). RCI's Icon OTS construction update teaser (released in May 2022) showed a huge white sphere installed midship on top deck. The spherical object weighs 175 tonnes, has diameter 50 ft (15,2 m), height 46 ft (14 m) and consists of 578 aluminum panels. In late-June RCI's President (Michael Bayley) called the big white ball "The Pearl". Metalcolour Group has subsidiaries/production plants in Sweden, Denmark and Singapore. In May 2021, the first hull blocks of Icon OTS (fabricated at Neptun Werft Shipyard, Rostock Germany) were loaded onto barges and shipped to Finland for drydock assembly (welded together).
Their assembly/the ship's physical construction officially started with the keel-laying ceremony held on April 5, 2022. The ship is currently scheduled to operate alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries (7-day roundtrips from Miami), all visiting CocoCay Bahamas. The voyages' call ports include Philipsburg (St. Maarten), Basseterre (St Kitts), Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas, US Virgin Islands), Coxen Hole (Isla Roatan, Honduras), Mexico's Cozumel and Costa Maya. There is also a Messhall (multipurpose room/entertainment venue) where can be hosted crew training sessions as well as celebrations and dance parties.
Unique Cruise Experience Extras on Icon of the Seas
Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice. — With more than 40 restaurants and bars, you'll never get bored with your dining options on a seven-night cruise. But of all the activities the new world's largest cruise ship has to offer, my eight favorites are, for the most part, ones I've yet to see on another vessel.
Royal Caribbean Blog - Unofficial blog about Royal Caribbean cruises - Royal Caribbean Blog
Royal Caribbean Blog - Unofficial blog about Royal Caribbean cruises.
Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:38:02 GMT [source]
High above Surfside, at the back of Deck 15, is The Hideaway — Royal Caribbean's take on an adults-only beach club. The main attraction here is the first suspended infinity pool at sea. It's flanked by tiered lounge space, hot tubs and a bar specializing in Champagne and Champagne-based cocktails. Icon of the Seas also borrows the Oasis Class use of "neighborhoods" — themed areas of the ship with a mix of attractions and dining, drinking and shopping venues.
The theater presents nightly 2 grand shows - early (at 8 pm) and late (at 10 pm) to match the assigned dining room sittings. Both are full-length production shows with professional performances (singing, dancing, acting, live band music) by the ship's resident entertainment staff. Signature shows are "Hairspray" (musical comedy / original Broadway production themed on humor and commentaries on early 1960's race relations) and "Flight" (themed on the history of flying). Specifically for Icon OTS was developed "The Wizard of Oz" (2011-created musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber) presented on the ship 3-4 times weekly. Other theater entertainment options are the rotating Headliners (tribute band show) and popular game shows (like "Love and Marriage"). Royal Theater has its own bar for refreshments (waiter service during the shows).
The same yard also built RCI's first two OASIS-class boats - Oasis OTS (2009) and Allure OTS (2010). ICON ships have volume ~ GT-tons and DWT deadweight ~13500 tons. ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD is registered as the shipowner and management company.
Each pool has its own unique vibe, and every one is free for cruise guests (though one is exclusively for Suite Guests…more on that later). So let’s take a tour of all the picture-perfect places to plunge. First stop is the Hideaway Pool — the only suspended infinity pool at sea, you can soak up ocean views surrounded by a multilevel sun terrace with its own resident DJ, whirlpools, a variety of seating and a dedicated bar.
Finding your crew’s just-right space is easy, with more rooms designed for families. And catch showstopping spectaculars that will leave you in awe. This is your week to enjoy everything you’ve ever loved about every vacation — all rolled into one. Though the ship is the line's largest, it's easy to get around, with lots of crowd control measures in place.
Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private. I see fewer stickers and signs and drawings than in my own neighborhood—for example, MIKE AND DIANA PROUDLY SERVED U.S. MARINE CORPS RETIRED. No one here needs to announce their branch of service or rank; they are simply Suites, and this is where they belong. Once again, despite my hard work and perseverance, I have been disallowed from the true American elite. I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad.
The sun deck has been transformed into The Grove, a multistory space featuring an alfresco restaurant and bar, pool, hot tub and lounge areas. Icon of the Seas does not have a Boardwalk, but it does offer its own version of that neighborhood's popular AquaTheater. The AquaTheater — which hosts acrobatic and diving shows in a high-tech stage/pool — has been moved from its outdoor, lower-deck, back-of-ship location on Oasis-class ships to an indoor, upper-deck, front-of-ship spot on Icon.
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