Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will make waves when it debuts in January 2024. The ship will carry a lot of superlatives: It is going to be the biggest cruise ship on the planet, at 250,800 gross tons, with the capability to hold almost 10,000 passengers and crew members. It would even be the cruise line’s most sustainable ship and the primary Royal Caribbean ship powered by liquefied pure gasoline and outfitted with gas cell know-how. It would characteristic eight neighborhoods (together with 5 new ones) and the biggest variety of family-focused lodging within the fleet.
Icon of the Seas will provide many cool points of interest, from the biggest water park at sea to a high-tech indoor leisure area for the road’s common acrobatic and diving reveals. Passengers might have a troublesome time selecting between exploring in port and staying on board to expertise all the pieces the ship has to supply.
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Here is all the pieces we all know thus far about Icon of the Seas’ itineraries, cabins and suites, eating, neighborhoods, pricing and extra.
Icon of the Seas dimension
How massive is Icon of the Seas? The ship will probably be 20 decks excessive and 1,198 toes lengthy and measure 250,800 gross tons when accomplished. It would carry 5,610 passengers at double occupancy (two passengers per cabin) or as much as 7,600 passengers at most occupancy, plus 2,350 crew members. These stats will make it the largest ship on the planet when it debuts.
That is bigger than fleetmate Marvel of the Seas, the present report holder for the world’s largest cruise ship. To match, Marvel of the Seas measures 235,600 tons and carries 7,084 passengers at most occupancy.
Nonetheless, Marvel of the Seas beats Icon of the Seas in a single particular space: cabins. Marvel of the Seas has 2,867 cabins, whereas Icon of the Seas will solely have 2,805. That is as a result of Royal Caribbean is styling Icon of the Seas to draw extra households, with extra cabins designed to accommodate greater than two visitors.
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Icon of the Seas itinerary
Icon of the Seas will sail weekly from the port of Miami. Its itineraries will embody weeklong Jap and Western Caribbean itineraries, starting with the ship’s maiden voyage on Jan. 27, 2024. Vacationers can e-book considered one of 4 routings accessible from January 2024 via April 2025:
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- Seven-night Jap Caribbean voyages with stops at St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Royal Caribbean’s personal island within the Bahamas, Excellent Day at CocoCay. There are 17 such departures.
- Seven-night Jap Caribbean voyages with stops at St. Maarten (the Dutch aspect of the island of St. Martin), St. Thomas and Excellent Day at CocoCay. There are 16 such departures.
- Seven-night Western Caribbean voyages with stops at Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Excellent Day at CocoCay. There are 31 such departures.
- Seven-night Western Caribbean voyages with stops at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Excellent Day at CocoCay. There are two such departures.
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Icon of the Seas pricing
Cruises on Royal Caribbean’s latest and largest ship will not come low-cost. Anticipate premium pricing for what is bound to be a extremely sought-after ship.
On Aug. 30, the bottom worth for an Icon of the Seas crusing was $2,058 per individual, primarily based on double occupancy, for an inside cabin. The most cost effective balcony cabins began at $2,559 per individual.
The costliest crusing at current is the New Yr’s cruise, departing Dec. 28, 2024, with inside cabins beginning at $3,571 and balconies at $4,646 per individual. The inaugural cruise on Jan. 27 is definitely costlier, however inside and ocean-view cabins are bought out. Balcony cabins begin at $4,793 and suites at $7,121 per individual.
You may marvel if Icon of the Seas’ fares are all-inclusive — they don’t seem to be. The fares embody meals in the primary eating room, buffet and a handful of different complimentary eating places; most leisure and actions; use of the youngsters membership; and fundamental drinks like commonplace espresso and tea, milk and choose juices at breakfast. You’ll pay additional for soda and alcoholic drinks, specialty eating places, spa therapies and choose actions.
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Icon of the Seas eating
Icon of the Seas will showcase new eating venues and up to date spins on visitor favorites. From an elevated eating expertise to fast bites, here’s what you’ll be able to anticipate on board.
New Icon of the Seas eating places
Surfside Eatery: This new family-friendly buffet venue will probably be within the Surfside neighborhood, subsequent to the ship’s play space for younger children and their households. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s going to serve up kid-friendly informal fare, that means households needn’t trek as much as the Windjammer buffet for meals, and fogeys can seize a fast chew when their children aren’t able to get out of the water.
Pier 7: Additionally in Surfside, Pier 7 will provide an all-day brunch menu of California-inspired dishes (assume: seafood-forward dishes like smoked salmon benedict and surf-and-turf tacos). It would serve all meals to accommodate each children and adults.
Surfside Bites: This walk-up window eatery makes it straightforward to seize fast snacks like burgers, popcorn rooster and cinnamon-sugar doughnut holes.
Empire Supper Membership: Designed to evoke an environment of New York Metropolis within the Thirties, this new venue provides an upscale expertise. Company can savor an extravagant eight-course meal (assume: caviar and wagyu). Every dish is paired with a cocktail created by movie star mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim particularly for Royal Caribbean.
AquaDome Market: The road’s first meals corridor will characteristic 5 eating choices — Feta Mediterranean (recent pitas and bowls), Toast and Backyard (sandwiches, salads and lightweight fare), Mac’s (macaroni and cheese with different toppings like slow-roasted pulled pork and barbecue sauce), GNGR (Asian dishes like Korean beef and broccoli) and Creme de la Crepe (each candy and savory choices).
Celebration Desk: The brand new personal 12-seat eating expertise offers a great backdrop for celebrating milestone occasions. Select from unique American, Italian, Asian and seafood menus and luxuriate in AquaDome’s incredible ocean views.
Izumi within the Park: In Central Park, this walk-up offshoot of the road’s Izumi restaurant is good for a fast sushi roll snack between actions.
Desserted: Thrill-seekers can get pleasure from a unique form of rush at this milkshake bar within the Thrill Island neighborhood. You may discover sugary choices for youths and spiked variations for grown-ups.
The Grove: Icon’s expanded Suite neighborhood will embody the brand new informal Mediterranean restaurant and a multideck out of doors space with a pool and a scorching tub, reserved for suite visitors.
Pearl Cafe: This new restaurant within the Royal Promenade is your day or night time spot for recent sandwiches or salads.
Returning Royal Caribbean eating places
The Eating Room: The three-level most important eating venue will provide three programs of worldwide impressed dishes, equivalent to escargot and spaghetti Bolognese, in addition to the cruise line’s signature dishes.
Windjammer Market: It would not be a Royal Caribbean ship with out an unlimited pool deck buffet, and Icon of the Seas may have its model on Deck 15.
Sorrento’s Pizza: The favored complimentary late-night pizza parlor on the Royal Promenade returns on Icon of the Seas.
Starbucks: You’ll get all of your favourite espresso drinks, together with the seasonal choices (pumpkin spice latte, anybody?), for a charge on the Royal Promenade outpost.
Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar: The additional-fee purveyor of pizza, pasta, meatballs and extra Italian specialties returns to Icon of the Seas however in a brand new location. Marvel of the Seas and the opposite Oasis-class ships characteristic the restaurant and its wine bar in Central Park, however Icon will home its model on the higher stage of the Royal Promenade.
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Playmakers Sports activities Bar & Arcade: Chew right into a juicy burger or an outrageous dessert at this extra-fee bar and grill. You possibly can even order signature cocktails that are available in soccer helmets. Icon of the Seas does not have a Boardwalk, so Playmakers has been repositioned to Deck 6 in an inside location throughout from Journey Ocean and Social020 on the far finish of the second stage of the Royal Promenade.
Izumi Hibachi & Sushi: One other relocated venue, Izumi takes its rolls, sashimi and juggling hibachi cooks to a brand new and bigger Central Park location with extra hibachi tables. It would additionally characteristic a Royal Caribbean first: Izumi within the Park, an all-day grab-and-go window for sushi takeout.
Chops Grille: Royal Caribbean’s steakhouse returns to Central Park on Icon however with a twist. Company can now select their very own minimize of meat from the butcher’s show. Additionally, an open window offers diners with a view of cooks getting ready their chosen minimize.
Park Cafe: This informal favourite for breakfast, lunch and snacks additionally returns to Central Park on Icon of the Seas.
Vitality Cafe: Icon of the Seas’ spa space will once more be house to a wholesome cafe for breakfast and lunch. Smoothies and recent juices value additional.
Hooked Seafood: Discovered within the new AquaDome neighborhood, this New England-style seafood venue hits the spot while you’re craving oysters, crabcakes and lobster rolls after staring on the waves all day lengthy.
Sprinkles: Assist your self to ice cream at this Chill Island poolside lineup of soft-serve machines.
El Loco Contemporary: Quick-casual Mexican hits the spot after a day within the solar. Choose up a fast breakfast or lunch at this Chill Island outpost.
Coastal Kitchen: This restaurant, unique to suite visitors and Royal Caribbean’s top-tier loyalty program members, will characteristic a brand new two-story format. It is going to be within the Suite neighborhood.
Icon of the Seas cabins and suites
Royal Caribbean cruisers may have 14 new cabin and suite varieties to select from out of 28 complete lodging varieties. Many of those are family-friendly rooms that sleep 4 visitors; some can accommodate six or eight visitors. In complete, 313 cabins and suites are listed particularly as family-focused lodging, although many common room varieties can sleep greater than two visitors.
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Inside cabins
Essentially the most reasonably priced rooms on Icon of the Seas will probably be inside cabins. Along with commonplace 156-square-foot inside cabins and 178-square-foot spacious inside cabins, Icon of the Seas will provide new 187-square-foot Surfside Household View Inside cabins (changing Boardwalk View cabins), in addition to equally sized Central Park View Inside cabins. New 157-square-foot Inside Plus rooms characteristic extra-large walk-in closets.
No rooms on Icon of the Seas are listed as providing the “digital balconies” discovered on choose Royal Caribbean ships.
Ocean-view cabins
Icon of the Seas will solely have two varieties of ocean-view rooms with a window however no balcony. Its new Panoramic Ocean View rooms are inside the AquaDome, providing floor-to-ceiling home windows moderately than the usual image window. They can even be bigger than the usual balcony cabin at 258 sq. toes (in comparison with 160 to 187 sq. toes).
Balcony cabins
Nearly all of Icon of the Seas’ cabins will probably be balcony rooms, starting from 196 to 285 sq. toes in indoor area, with personal verandas of fifty to 70 sq. toes. The ship introduces 4 new varieties of balcony cabins to the fleet.
The Infinite Ocean View Balcony cabin design takes an thought from Royal Caribbean sister line Superstar Cruises, the place as an alternative of an ordinary balcony exterior to the ship, the room incorporates a glass wall with a window that may roll down midway (like a automobile window) to permit recent air in. There are additionally curtains to shut off that space from the remainder of the cabin to create a veranda-like area.
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An Infinite Balcony room on Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Moreover, Icon may have an extra-long household model of this room kind. The Household Infinite Balcony cabin can sleep as much as six individuals, with an alcove that includes higher and decrease beds for youths, a separate sleeping space for grown-ups, a residing space and a break up lavatory (bathroom and sink in a single room and bathe and sink within the different).
Additionally new to Icon are smaller Surfside Household View Balcony cabins and Infinite Central Park View Balcony cabins. Central Park balcony rooms, which look out over the inside’s open-to-the-sky neighborhood, are available in common balcony variations as nicely. Icon additionally options a whole lot of ordinary balcony cabins searching to sea.
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Suites
Royal Caribbean provides three tiers of suites, and every subsequent tier comes with rising Royal Suite-class perks and facilities.
Icon’s Sea-tier suites embody Junior Suites and 4 new Sundown Junior Suites with expansive balconies.
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The Final Household Townhouse on Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
The Sky tier contains a number of new suite varieties, beginning with the Surfside Household Suites. These 269-square-foot suites sleep 4 with a glassed-in residing space that may flip right into a children bed room at night time, plus an actual 53-square-foot balcony overlooking the Surfside neighborhood.
Sky Junior Suites have the identical format as common Junior Suites however are excessive up on the ship’s prime decks. Company in these suites obtain further Sky-tier perks (equivalent to entry to all of the Suite neighborhood facilities), whereas common Junior Suites include extra restricted facilities. Sundown Suites and Sundown Nook Suites characteristic extra-large balconies and beds that face the ocean moderately than a wall.
Panoramic Suites are inside the ship’s iconic AquaDome construction, with floor-to-ceiling glass home windows. You will not miss the balcony while you’re gazing out to sea whereas reclining on a chaise lounge positioned in entrance of your glass wall.
The Infinite Grand Suite provides the brand new convertible balcony design along with a bigger area that sleeps 4 and features a break up lavatory, helpful when a number of visitors have to prepare on the identical time.
Of the 9 prime Star-tier suites, just one, the Royal Loft, is on different Royal Caribbean ships. Seven of those prime lodging are new Icon Loft Suites, two-deck-high lodging with two bedrooms, two loos, a big balcony with a non-public eating space and floor-to-ceiling home windows.
The creme de la creme of suites on board is the three-deck-high Final Household Townhouse, an evolution of the Final Household Suite that wowed visitors on Oasis-class ships. Along with child and grownup sleeping areas, this 1,772-square-foot top-level suite options an in-suite slide, a movie-viewing room, a karaoke machine and spacious indoor residing areas. It additionally provides 751 sq. toes of out of doors area divided amongst two balconies and a “yard” with a pingpong desk, out of doors seating and a white picket fence main on to all of the Surfside neighborhood points of interest. It could actually sleep as much as eight visitors.
Icon of the Seas neighborhoods
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships characteristic a number of “neighborhoods” — themed areas of the ship with a mixture of points of interest and eating, ingesting and buying venues. Icon of the Seas takes that idea to the subsequent stage with eight neighborhoods, together with three returning areas from its sister ships and 5 which can be unique to its new class of ships.
From the bottom deck to the very best, listed below are the eight neighborhoods and what you’ll be able to anticipate finding on board.
Royal Promenade
The Royal Promenade is a Royal Caribbean staple discovered on all Voyager-, Freedom- and Oasis-class ships. Icon of the Seas will provide a two-deck model of this indoor mall-like area with a number of buying, eating and ingesting institutions.
The realm will probably be house to Royal Caribbean’s first double-pianist bar, Dueling Pianos. The 2 performers will take requests and contain visitors in all of the musical enjoyable.
On Deck 5, you will discover Sorrento’s Pizza, Starbucks, Highlight Karaoke and the Level & Feather pub. You may additionally discover The Pearl, the ship’s iconic indoor sphere that capabilities as an inventive stairway, and the out of doors operating monitor encircling all of it.
On Deck 6, Royal Caribbean has lastly created a second-story Promenade you can circle utterly; on different ships, you run into lifeless ends. Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, the nautical-themed Schooner Bar and Boleros (a bar and lounge for Latin music and dancing) are right here.
Surrounding the Royal Promenade are lots of Icon of the Seas’ leisure venues. The ship’s Royal Theater is ahead of the promenade, and the Absolute Zero ice rink is aft. The Music Corridor and On line casino Royale are just under on Deck 4, and the Escape Room, Diamond Membership elite lounge, The Attic comedy membership and health middle are ahead of the promenade on decks 5 and 6. (Observe that the health middle is just not connected to the Vitality Spa however is on decks 12 and 14.)
Surfside
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The Surfside neighborhood on Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Simply above the Royal Promenade, on Deck 7 aft is Surfside, a neighborhood devoted to younger households. It would exchange the Boardwalk discovered on Oasis-class ships. A slide will lead from Deck 8 all the way down to Surfside, and stairs will take visitors instantly from Surfside to the Journey Ocean children membership on Deck 6 (in addition to the Playmakers Sports activities Bar and Arcade).
Just like the Boardwalk, Surfside will probably be open to the sky and the again of the ship. The stay-all-day vacation spot for youths below 7 and their grownup caregivers will characteristic family-friendly eateries (together with a sweet retailer), the Lemon Submit bar with a menu of matching kid-and-adult mocktails and cocktails, a carousel, an arcade, a splash space with slides aimed on the youngest splashers and an infinity pool for grown-ups.
The neighborhood is flanked by family-friendly cabins, lots of which have home windows or balconies overlooking the Deck 7 leisure space. The epic Final Household Townhouse will actually have a fenced-in “yard” with direct entry to the Surfside neighborhood.
Regardless of its identify, Surfside is not going to be house to Royal Caribbean’s surf simulator, the FlowRider.
Central Park
One other open-to-the-sky neighborhood, the greenery-filled Central Park makes a return on Icon. On Deck 8, it’s going to lure grownup cruisers to its bars and eating places for a romantic date night time or stroll in its onboard park, that includes dwell bushes and vegetation.
Chops Grille, Izumi Sushi, the Park Cafe and the Trellis Bar will name Central Park house. The realm can even characteristic the Empire Supper Membership, the road’s new upscale restaurant with a Thirties Large Apple vibe.
Right here, visitors can even discover the brand new jazz membership Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues, with cocktails themed to the most important jazz cities all over the world, plus the walk-up Champagne venue, Bubbles, that includes mimosas, bellinis and different bubbly-based drinks.
Further buying venues are sketched in on the ship’s deck plans, however Royal Caribbean has but to disclose what shops will arrange store alongside the park’s winding paths.
As on Oasis-class ships, cabins with inward-facing home windows and balconies will overlook Icon’s Central Park.
AquaDome
Icon of the Seas might not have a Boardwalk, however it’s going to provide its personal model of that neighborhood’s common AquaTheater. The AquaTheater — which hosts acrobatic and diving reveals in a high-tech stage/pool — will probably be moved from its out of doors, lower-deck, back-of-ship location on Oasis-class ships to an indoor, upper-deck, front-of-ship spot on Icon.
The theater would be the marquee attraction inside the ship’s Deck 15 AquaDome neighborhood — if the draw is just not the dome itself. The large 363-ton glass-and-steel dome will provide visitors 220-degree ocean views, whereas the theater may have fountain reveals and high-tech options, together with robotic arms and computerized winches and lifts for 3D flying (the place dancers are flown throughout the stage as they flip and twirl). Followers of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships will acknowledge some similarities to these ships’ Two70 high-tech efficiency venue.
As a neighborhood, the AquaDome will provide eating and ingesting venues, in addition to cozy seating areas for daytime and night hangouts. One such spot, the Overlook, is an elevated lounge that includes particular nooks (Overlook Pods) and wraparound home windows offering incredible ocean views and straightforward viewing of the road’s marquee aqua reveals. Order its signature drink, the AquaDome Spritz, unique to this ship and venue. The brand new espresso store Rye & Bean will provide morning caffeine hits and night espresso cocktails.
AquaDome will probably be house to the beforehand talked about AquaDome Market meals corridor, with 5 completely different eating venues. Different eating venues embody Hooked Seafood and the intimate Celebration Desk, a brand new personal 12-seat eating expertise excellent for celebrating particular events. The ship’s distinctive glass dome has additionally created a number of Panoramic Ocean View cabins and Panoramic suites with floor-to-ceiling home windows inside the dome however no balconies.
Chill Island
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Chill Island on Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Aft of the AquaDome is Chill Island, Icon’s most important pool space that includes 4 of the ship’s seven swimming pools amongst its three decks. It would embody the road’s first swim-up bar, Swim and Tonic, and what Royal Caribbean is claiming is the biggest pool at sea. Further points of interest embody an adults-only pool, an infinity pool and scorching tubs sprinkled all through the world. The swimming pools and scorching tubs are positioned alongside the perimeters of the ship, so visitors can take within the sea views whereas soaking within the water.
Cabanas will probably be accessible to hire on this neighborhood, however there will be loads of free lounge area. Meals and beverage locations in Chill Island embody a multistory Lime and Coconut Bar (now with frozen cocktail machines), Sprinkles ice cream, Cantina Fresca (serving margaritas) and El Loco Contemporary. The Windjammer Market buffet is situated aft of Chill Island on Deck 15.
The Hideaway
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The Hideaway on Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Excessive above Surfside, behind Deck 15, is The Hideaway — Royal Caribbean’s tackle a seashore membership. The primary attraction right here is the primary suspended infinity pool at sea. It is flanked by tiered lounge area, scorching tubs and a bar specializing in Champagne and Champagne-based cocktails.
Thrill Island
Icon’s go-to neighborhood for adrenaline-pumping actions will probably be Thrill Island. Discovered on decks 16 and 17, it is house to all of the wild top-deck points of interest Royal Caribbean is thought for — in addition to some new thrills.
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Class 6 water park on Icon of the Seas. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
The FlowRider surf simulator, Misplaced Dunes miniature golf, the Adrenaline Peak mountaineering wall and the sports activities court docket are all Thrill Island staples. Class 6 would be the largest water park at sea, that includes an open free-fall slide, the tallest drop slide at sea, household raft slides that accommodate 4 riders without delay and two mat-racing slides. The Crown’s Edge is a ropes course-style attraction primarily based round a large model of the ship’s crown-and-anchor brand.
When passengers are able to recharge in spite of everything these heart-pounding actions, they will seize a drink or chew at Desserted, a restaurant serving epic milkshakes (together with alcoholic variations for the 21-plus crowd), and Basecamp, with a walk-up ordering window and bar.
Suite neighborhood
The ship’s last neighborhood spans decks 16 to 19. The Suite neighborhood is a mixture of most of the ship’s prime suites plus eating places, lounges and out of doors areas unique to suite visitors and a few of Royal Caribbean’s most loyal vacationers. It is going to be Royal Caribbean’s largest restricted-access enclave for suite visitors, a la Norwegian’s The Haven.
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The Coastal Kitchen restaurant returns, however will probably be two decks excessive on Icon of the Seas. The road can be increasing its suite solar deck idea into the multistory The Grove, with lounge area, a pool and a scorching tub.
1st development milestone accomplished
Icon of the Seas efficiently accomplished its first spherical of sea trials in June. Undertaken within the last months of a cruise ship’s development, sea trials are designed to check a ship’s navigation programs, engines, maneuverability, steering, pace and security programs. Cruise ships should go sea trials earlier than they will go into service.
Backside line
Icon of the Seas will probably be a groundbreaking ship for Royal Caribbean, introducing new venues, points of interest and lodging kinds whereas returning or evolving fan favorites from previous ships. Although the ship would be the line’s largest, it’s going to make use of confirmed methods to reduce crowding, although passengers might want to e-book rapidly to acquire their most well-liked restaurant and present reservations.
The ship has put particular emphasis on catering to younger households. Nonetheless, its myriad points of interest will present leisure for cruisers of all ages and pursuits.
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