Wednesday, April 10, 2024

We Just Returned from the First Cruise on Icon of the Seas, the Largest Cruise Ship in the World

icon of the seas test cruise

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. Another new cabin will be the Surfside Family View Cabins located in the new Surfside neighborhood on the ship’s aft. Although these staterooms can only accommodate 4 people, the accessibility and convenience to Surfside. Since Icon of the Seas will be introducing new categories of cabins, views and new neighborhoods, there’s a lot of excitement about what guests will encounter.

icon of the seas test cruise

Eastern adventures to perfect day

Plans call not only for the vessel to address decarbonization with the ability to operate emissions-free, but also to address the emerging challenges due to the lack of seafarers in Japan. The companies have scheduled the completion of the vessel for January 2027.Imoto, which is a leading operator of coastal feeder ships,... Discover adventure for the ages — all the ages — at SurfsideSM. With a kid-approved sprawling aquapark, a pool just for grownups, plus plenty of bites to fuel up for bolder bonding — your whole crew will never want to leave.

We Just Returned from the First Cruise on Icon of the Seas, the Largest Cruise Ship in the World

Icon of the Seas will feature a brand-new neighborhood that Royal Caribbean claims will be the best pool deck at sea, named the Royal Bay Pool. Once you’ve finished the water slides, you can grab a bite to eat or a drink at Desserted - a brand-new restaurant for Royal Caribbean serving over-the-top milkshakes (boozy ones too!). To accommodate everyone sailing on Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean revealed that its brand-new ship will have 2,805 cabins onboard. While Wonder of the Seas will be smaller than the new vessel, she will actually have more cabins with 2,867 staterooms and suites onboard.

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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. Unlike Perfect Day at CocoCay, the Royal Beach Club will not be a private island.

A look inside the Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, as it prepares for voyage

Their goal is to acquire and deliver food to those in need. It's powered by liquefied natural gas, treats its own waste, and produces its own water. Royal Caribbean is redefining the cruise industry with its latest ship, the Icon of the Seas.

Suite neighborhood

While new, we were surprised that the jazz club was never all that busy, even though it had some great cocktails and live band music. Cruisers must arrive early to get a seat and sing along with Tim and Sarah during one of their several sets throughout the cruise. If you are a night owl, you will have a better shot at getting a seat during the 11 pm or midnight shows. But, the wait is worth it, as both performers kept the crowd crooning all night long. Further, the new AquaDome neighborhood is home to a few bars too.

This new neighborhood will spans across the three decks and feature Royal Caribbean’s first ever swim-up bar - named Swim and Tonic. During our cruise, the main dining room seemed relatively empty. With all the new complimentary venues open later, we suspect that more cruisers will skip on the MDR. We are a prime example as Heidi is adamant that we always go to the main dining room dinner. Yet, on this trip, we had two casual dinners as there was just so much to try. The enhanced neighborhood concept, with these areas designed to be “inhabitable all day”, really eases any pain-points that you might expect on a cruise ship with so many passengers.

How much is a Royal Caribbean drink package? (

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas news - Cruise Critic

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas news.

Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

I spent my time there perched at one of its in-water loungers, contently splashing my legs around the water, wondering if I actually hated cruises. She also covers travel, lifestyle, food and beverage for Indulge Magazine, the Miami Herald and PureWow. She's traveled extensively around the world, enjoys building unforgettable itineraries and loves introducing readers to lesser-known destinations. Right when I walked onto the ship I was greeted by one of the 2,350 crew members offering to take my photo with The Pearl, a stunning kinetic art installation inside the ship's Royal Promenade neighborhood.

Cabins and suites onboard Icon of the Seas

The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them. 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. There’s an exclusive neighborhood just for suite guests where a private pool, bar, and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant called Coastal Kitchen. Since I wasn't a suite guest, I didn't spend much time here.

Among the other systems incorporated into the design are fuel cells, a waste heat recovery system, air lubrication for the underwater hull, and shore power connections. There’s no shortage of ways to score unbelievable ocean views from your room. With spacious balconies, extended ocean side escapes, and floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, there’s so much to see at sea. While we had some initial reservations, we can honestly say that Royal Caribbean delivered on its promise of creating the “the first-of-its-kind combination of the best of every vacation”. We think this ship makes a great vacation for multi-generational families, yet couples like ourselves can still carve out their own oasis away from all the kids. As mentioned, we dined at a few specialty restaurants too, and service was equally impressive.

My crab cake had a crispy crust with a moist stuffing filled with crab meat. The wagyu filet was tender and cooked to the ideal medium rare temperature. Though, these cuts do come at an up-charge to the standard cover charge to dine here.

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. Your browser is outdated and does not support many of the modern features of this website, please click here to update it. Technology and artistry merge on the new Icon of the Seas℠, inspiring awe on a grand scale.

(as Oasis Class ships have retained this title for over one decade), she will introduce brand firsts, such as Izumi in the Park, the AquaDome, family-focused Surfside neighborhood, Category 6 water park, and more. When she is completed, Icon of the Seas will be 6% larger than Wonder of the Seas, which means that she will steal the title for largest cruise ship in the world. A second set of sea trials is planned for later in 2023, where Icon's abilities will be pushed even further.

icon of the seas test cruise

I show my blue Suite Sky SeaPass Card (more on this later, much more) to a smiling woman from the Philippines, and she tells me to go “aft.” Which is where, now? As someone who has rarely sailed on a vessel grander than the Staten Island Ferry, I am confused. It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD, or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship. The 1,196-foot-long, 20-deck Icon of the Seas is packed with bars, restaurants, and things to do.

There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care. Plenty of family-friendly cruise ships have waterslides, but few have six — or even one that requires a multi-person raft.

What’s new is that Park Café now offers tapas in the evenings like mini meatballs and meat and cheese plates. With an entrance from Thrill Island on Deck 16, this aft pool area features the first suspended infinity pool at sea. Even though the pool didn’t officially open most days until 9 or 10 am, many of the sun loungers on the terraced sundeck were claimed by early morning. And, on Icon of the Seas, these neighborhoods provide even more amenities, including options for food and drinks, allowing cruisers to spend an entire day in one of the eight distinct areas. Given they are so distinct, cruisers can gravitate towards whichever neighborhood fits their mood on any given day. Families can choose to chill or thrill together or perhaps explore their own interests for part of the day.

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