Icon of the Seas Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review

Table Of Content

• New And Noteworthy Features on Royal Caribbean's Icon-Class of Ships
• The customizable Mediterranean-style wrap at the five-stall food hall
• INTRODUCING THE ICON OF VACATIONS: ROYAL CARIBBEAN REVEALS ICON OF THE SEAS
• Icon of the Seas Deck Plan Emphasizes Immersive Neighborhoods, Including New Options
• Where Icon of the Seas Sails
• The six-slide waterpark

Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers can call their travel advisor; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. The Pearl is the centerpiece of the Royal Promenade and is what you'll see when you walk onto the ship. It's part of the arrival moment passengers have when they walk onboard the ship. You can now book Icon of the Seas sailings via the Royal Caribbean website or with a travel agent. Royal Caribbean has introduced new kinds of cruise cabins for the first time ever with the launch of Icon of the Seas.

New And Noteworthy Features on Royal Caribbean's Icon-Class of Ships

Now that you know all of the wonderful entertainment, attractions, dining and more that is complimentary on Icon of the Seas, what is not included in your cruise fare? The following restaurants and attractions are open to guests sailing onboard Icon of the Seas, but you'll have to pay an additional fee to access them. As well as a huge amount of water fountains, splash pools and slides, there are also dedicated casual family eateries, bars and easy access to the kids' club, just one deck below. Category 6 is Icon of the Seas’ water park featuring six record-breaking slides, including an open free-fall slide, the tallest drop slide at sea, the first family raft slides at sea, and the cruise industry’s first mat-racing duo slides. The focus with Icon is family being together and offering an array of activities that families can do together.

The customizable Mediterranean-style wrap at the five-stall food hall

My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. As a ship made for families, Icon of the Seas primarily attracts cruisers traveling with children – 82% of the cabins can hold three guests or more. Most passengers will be from North America, but given that the ship sails from Miami – a destination known for international tourism – it won’t be uncommon for Icon of the Seas to attract global passengers. The Windjammer Marketplace is a win; the company has managed to create a buffet with excellent options (including those for people with allergies) and an efficient layout that moves people through effectively. Specialty dining is also a highlight – our tip here is to buy a dining package so you can sample a few for-fee restaurants in addition to the included options.

INTRODUCING THE ICON OF VACATIONS: ROYAL CARIBBEAN REVEALS ICON OF THE SEAS

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. The May 5, 2025 cruise will sail to Labadee, Haiti instead of CocoCay. Instead, families can enjoy the complimentary Surfside Eatery buffet, grab some snacks at Surfside Bites, or splurge on an all-day brunch at Pier 7. Additionally, there's an aft pool, carousel, arcade, and kids splash zone.

Icon of the Seas Deck Plan Emphasizes Immersive Neighborhoods, Including New Options

There's no better place than the Sports Court to keep your family's competitive side going. Onboard Icon of the Seas℠, this large play space offers a variety of different team activities, including basketball, volleyball, pickleball and dodgeball. You don't need to make a reservation or pay a fee to enjoy the Sports Court at any point during your cruise — just keep in mind that equipment is subject to availability and is first come, first served.

Amenities and features on Royal Caribbean's Icon-class ships expand some of the most famous offerings on their wildly popular Oasis class of ships. Using Icon of the Seas as a blueprint, Icon-class ships will have eight distinct neighborhoods, over 40 restaurants and 28 cabin types, including the three-floor Ultimate Family Townhouse. That family-friendly ethos carries over to the biggest water park at sea, the tallest dropside at sea, and the largest swimming pool at sea by volume.

Stays with views for days

Whether you're counting down the days until your Icon cruise or cannot fathom stepping foot on a ship that size, there's no denying that the launch of Icon of the Seas is a major milestone in the cruising industry. Speaking of vibes, if you're looking for a secluded place to drink (as in, not the swim-up pool bar), few will top the Overlook Pods, perched just behind the AquaDome. At first glance, I had snubbed the dining and lounge area as a rip-off of a generic airport coffee shop. But during my three days on Icon, I returned to the centrally located space more often than expected. While I would've preferred a quieter atmosphere (the DJ did not, in fact, play smooth jazz), the pool's views, day beds, and lack of screaming children were hard to beat. Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines.

Fun Things to Do on Vacation, the List is Endless

As you walk onto the ship, you'll see a giant multi-deck high glass wall that will provide natural light and a way to still see the beautiful ocean that surrounds the ship. Then there's a multilevel terrace, whirlpools, a variety of seating, and a dedicated bar. There are also daybeds you can rent for an additional cost. This is a whole new kind of adventure with new thrills that change the way you play for good.

I tried the newest ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Norwegian. Here's how they compare - Cruise Blog

I tried the newest ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Norwegian. Here's how they compare.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:57:15 GMT [source]

He wasn’t saying “pendejo.” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters. At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station. Deck 15 is home to AquaDome, one of Icon of the Seas’ new neighborhoods that’s housed within a 363-ton glass dome. The centerpiece is the AquaTheater, where the vertigo-inducing Aqua Show takes place.

With the crew on board, Icon of the Seas will carry nearly 10,000 people. A day or two before I got off the ship, I decided to make use of my balcony, which I had avoided because I thought the view would only depress me further. This entire time, I had been living in the ship’s Disneyland, Surfside, the neighborhood full of screaming toddlers consuming milkshakes and candy. And as I leaned out over my balcony, I beheld a slight vista of the sea and surf that I thought I had been missing. 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.

Star of the Seas News: New Ship Will Have Resident Dog - Cruise Critic

Star of the Seas News: New Ship Will Have Resident Dog.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 21:36:22 GMT [source]

The Surfside neighborhood is dedicated to families and there will be two new top-deck recreation areas on Icon-class ships, Chill Island and Thrill Island. With more to offer than any Royal Caribbean ship at sea (or any other, really), Royal Caribbean's Icon-class ships have already proved to be a huge hit with excited cruisers booking this ship faster than any other in Royal Caribbean's 50-year history. There are a whopping 2,805 staterooms that carry up to 7,600 passengers on Icon of the Seas, and they're spread out over 28 room categories. I was in an Ocean View with Large Balcony room, which I found sufficiently spacious for a party of one, but could see how it might be a little more snug for two — and definitely for four, the max capacity of the stateroom.

With 20 decks (18 of them accessible to guests), Icon of the Seas can seem vast and overwhelming. While you’ll have no problem clocking thousands of steps a day, the layout of the decks is smart and convenient, allowing for easy access between adjacent neighborhoods. Since Icon of the Seas is the biggest ship to ever set sail, you won't run out of things to do. In fact, any guest can access any neighborhood onboard Icon of the Seas℠ for free, including Thrill Island, Chill Island, the Royal Promenade, Surfside and the Hideaway. And catch showstopping spectaculars that will leave you in awe.