Cruise line Royal Caribbean has announced that it is building the largest cruise ship in the world – even bigger than the recently unveiled current record holder Wonder of the Seas. The new Icon of the Seas will be able to carry 7,600 passengers or nearly 10,000 people including crew.
Icon of the Seas’ maiden voyage date is already known – January 28, 2024.
The ship, with a displacement of 250,800 tons, will be 20 decks high and 365 meters long. For comparison, Wonder of the Seas is 362 meters long and has a displacement of 235,600 tons.
However, Icon of the Seas will only have 2,805 cabins compared to Wonder’s 2,867 cabins – despite having more passengers on board when fully loaded. That’s because Royal Caribbean is gearing the new ship towards families, meaning cabins are mostly designed for three or more passengers.
As befits the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas will feature many unique, unparalleled activities and attractions:
The largest water park on the sea. Located on the upper deck, the new Thrill Island has six waterslides, including an open free-fall slide.
AquaDome is an indoor water theater where acrobatic shows and diving are held. Royal Caribbean has taken the aquatic theater installed at the back of its Oasis-class ships and moved it forward to a room with huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering 220-degree views. Restaurants and bars will also be located in this space.
Three-Story Ultimate Family Townhouse: Evolution has transformed the huge two-deck Royal Caribbean Ultimate Family Suite found on Oasis-class ships into a three-story Icon Ultimate Family Townhouse. The giant suite will not only have bedrooms for adults and children, family-oriented living areas with sea views, but also a fenced playground with direct access to Surfside, a new area designed for young families.
Surfside is adding baby and baby bathing areas, as well as pools and lounge areas for parents, family eateries and shops, a new carousel, and a bar with mum and me mocktails for kids and cocktails for adults.
Swim & Tonic Pool Bar. The first infinity pool and pool bar in the sea. It is surrounded by the Hideaway area with beach clubs, sun terraces, and cozy bars.
Four of the ship’s seven pools are located on the three-deck Chill Island, which offers beautiful ocean views. Among the pools, is the one that Royal calls the largest pool in the sea. There will also be an adults-only pool and another infinity pool. You can rent cabins here.
Icon of the Seas will be the most environmentally friendly ship in the fleet. This is the first Royal Caribbean ship to run on LNG. It can be connected to the shore power grid, has a modern waste management system, and can convert engine heat into energy.
The favorite place of all guests is the Royal Promenade complex. Central Park is filled with greenery and restaurants; mini golf, ice rink, rock climbing, and FlowRider surf simulator, as well as popular restaurant Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar.
Icon of the Seas is just the first of three twin ships that Royal Caribbean will receive by 2026. All of them represent a completely new class of ships, which has already been called the Icon class. And in 2024, the delivery of another Oasis-class ship is expected.