World’s largest cruise ship almost ready for maiden voyage

Frank O'Laughlin
·3 min read
4

The world’s largest cruise ship is almost ready to set sail for its maiden voyage after successfully completing an initial round of sea trials in late June.

Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s first ship in its new Icon Class, traveled hundreds of miles, during which the main engines, hull, brake systems, steering, noise, and vibration levels were all tested. A second test is slated for later in 2023 when Icon’s abilities will be pushed even further.

The ship is slated to sail from Miami beginning in January 2024, and simply put, Icon of the Seas is BIG:

  • 20 total decks (18 guest decks)

  • 5,610 guests @ double capacity and 7,600 max guests

  • 2,350 crew (bringing the ultimate total to 9,950 guests)

  • 7 pools, 9 whirlpools

  • 6 record-breaking waterslides

  • 250,800 GT

  • 1,198 feet long

The Icon of the Seas utilizes the concept of neighborhoods to break up the layout of the cruise ship, with eight unique sections in total.

Those neighborhoods include:

AquaDome

“The AquaDome has unbeatable ocean views and is fully enclosed, which means the weather plays less of a factor in impeding shows,” Royal Caribbean said. “In the past, the AquaTheater was in the open. Not anymore. Now they can control the weather, lighting, production values, and smoke effects.”

Central Park

The open-air neighborhood with thousands of real plants will have dining and live music.

Chill Island

Chill Island is meant to be a next-level pool deck. There are seven pools on board, which also feature whirlpools, in-water loungers, and breathtaking views.

Royal Promenade

As guests walk onto the ship, they’ll be greeted by The Pearl, which is a new space that Royal Caribbean will reveal more details about later.

Surfside

Surfside is the ultimate neighborhood for young families, with places to eat, drink, and play all day.

Suite Neighborhood

Icon of the Seas will offer the largest Suite Neighborhood to date with three decks of space, including a two-level suite sun deck.

The Hideaway

Royal Caribbean wants The Hideaway to have the same feel of a beach club or Las Vegas pool party, while incorporating beautiful ocean views.

Thrill Island

Category 6 will be the largest waterpark at sea, with six record-breaking slides featuring the longest, tallest, and fastest slides.

  • Frightening Bolt – Tallest waterslide at sea

  • Pressure Drop – First free-fall slide at sea

  • Storm Chasers – First mat-racing duo at sea

  • Storm Surge & Hurricane Hunter – First family raft slides at sea

Icon of the Seas will introduce a number of new cabin types, including a variety of cabins aimed at families.

“Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of delivering memorable experiences and our next bold commitment to those who love to vacation,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.

Icon of the Seas was initially set to launch in late 2022 but was delayed due to the global health crisis of 2020.

Bookings are now open to the public.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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