Icon of the Seas review: What is the world’s largest cruise ship really like?

Icon of the Seas is grabbing all the headlines for being the biggest cruise ship ever built in the world. But what is it like behind the headline? Quentin Long spent an exhaustive six days exploring everything Icon has to offer.

It filled your news feed and launched with enormous fanfare, but there is so much more to Icon of the Seas than the eye-popping numbers of passengers (7600) and cost to build ($US2 billion).

Here is our overview for those who want to get a feel for whether Icon of the Seas is really for them.

Icon of the Seas – more than just a big ship
Why Icon of the Seas is one of the world’s best family holidays
What are the other highlights of Icon of the Seas?
Is Icon of the Seas right for your family?
Icon of the Seas FAQs

Icon of the Seas – more than just a big ship

To understand Icon you need to understand the thinking of the Royal Caribbean team behind the ship.

“The objective was to build the greatest family vacation [holiday for Aussies] and in pursuing that aim we ended up building the world’s biggest cruise ship. We actually started at about 200,000 gross tonnes [gross tonnage is what most ships are measured in size, the previous world’s largest ship Wonder of the Seas was 238,857] and as we kept going and adding things we ended up at nearly 250,000,” says Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer at Royal Caribbean, at one of the many information sessions on board.

The beauty of this simple objective is you can evaluate Icon relatively easily; is Icon of the Seas the greatest family holiday?

In short, they have nailed the brief; most kids in the world will LOVE a holiday on Icon and that gives parents the greatest opportunity to have a great break (and there is much for them to enjoy on board with and without the kids) and that translates into a great family holiday.

The Icon of the Seas arrives in Miami on its official debut.

Why Icon of the Seas is one of the world’s best family holidays

An enormous amount of deep thinking has been applied to the ship experiences with a laser-sharp focus on who it is for (be it parents, teens or littlies) and what experiences they will love.

But it is the execution of that vision and thinking that has created, what is quite frankly, an incredible experience for a family.

Take theme parks, villa retreats and resort holidays, distil from them their best elements and recombine them in one place and you are very close to Icon of the Seas.

This is best expressed in the eight different neighbourhoods. Each one is designed for a distinct audience and time and then populated with experiences and facilities designed to blow their minds. Two stand-out examples spring immediately to mind.

Plunge into the first suspended infinity pool at sea in the Hideaway neighbourhood.

Thrill Island

Who cares if it is the world’s biggest waterpark at sea if the slides are lame right? Or that you walk off the edge of the ship, 50 metres above the water and your heart doesn’t skip a beat?

The difference is I screamed and was genuinely as terrified as I was excited at Thrill Island. These are not lame rides but theme park-worthy attractions if measured in fear factor.

Experience a different kind of thrill on Thrill Island.

Frightening Bolt is the drop slide where the floor disappears, and you plunge into the ride below.

The careful design of the transparent tube below your feet makes you feel you are about to drop onto the deck. Add to that the stomach lurch and sheer pace and it took me halfway down to get my breath under control and open my eyes.

Scream your heart out when you slide down the Storm Surge.

Same for the Storm Surge raft slide – you feel like you are about to launch off the side of the ship. If you look closely you can see the terror on my face in the segment I filmed for Channel Nine’s Today show.

Crown’s Edge surprised me. Overconfident before the experience, I had a serious case of jelly legs as I walked around the enormous Royal Caribbean logo to be standing 50 metres above the water on a plank that I knew was about to drop from under my feet at any moment.

I free-fall far enough to scream in fear and then exhilaration before swinging around to the safety of the ship’s deck. A fellow plank walker cried for a good five minutes after the experience. But couldn’t wait to do it all again!

At peak time Thrill Island will be able to accommodate 1500 kids every 50 mins so the wait times are shorter than a theme park, but the ride length is probably shorter as well. It is a decent trade-off.

Surfside

An entirely new concept on a cruise ship, Surfside is designed specifically as a stay-all-day experience for young families (kids under six and their parents).

At the aft (back of the ship) on deck seven Surfside was born from a changing trend in family holidays – parents no longer want to ‘dump’ their kids in the kids club but actually participate with them. (Maybe not all the time but more than they used to.)

Therefore Surfside is designed to entertain the kids and parents in the same space. Facilities are bang on for kids – carousel with quirky animal characters to ride, a splash water park for littlies, inflatable oversized games and parents can participate as much or as little as they wish.

The Surfside neighbourhood delivers entertainment crafted to keep parents and kids happy.

Overseeing all this fun for under 6s is a master of ceremonies, magician and kid wrangler – Admiral Awesome. At different times throughout the day, he performs, introduces new games for the kids or directs them to other events in the space. His piece de resistance is story time where he coordinates a bedtime story with the kids participating in the action on stage.

And to ensure it is an all-day experience, there are a number of food options at Surfside Bites and Surfside Eatery included in the complimentary food package.

Pier 7, a ‘specialty dining’ option, serves up more sophisticated meals appreciated by parents. (Specialty dining comes with a nominal extra charge if you are not familiar with cruise lingo.) And of course, an endless flow of soft serve from Sprinkles is just the cherry on top.

The family focus has translated to the accommodation around Surfside with dedicated Surfside staterooms with beds for the littlies in the same room. In fact, 80 per cent of the staterooms on the ship are designed with kids in mind and in so doing created 14 new types of staterooms.

What are the other highlights of the Icon of the Seas?

Okay so there are just too many to list (we have touched on just two of eight neighbourhoods) and many I just didn’t have time to experience. For example, everyone raved about the juice bar next to the spa. I never had time to find it.

However here are my other highlights, shared here to help you judge whether an Icon holiday is going to float your boat (bad pun intended).

Accommodation built for families

I touched on it earlier and there is an entire post dedicated to the accommodation on board, but 80 per cent of the staterooms are designed with families in mind.

The approx $US80,000 Ultimate Family Townhouse is grabbing all the headlines for the right reasons – it sleeps six, is across three floors, has its own media room, games room, karaoke, ping pong table and slide.

There’s a media room with a gaming table to keep your family entertained.

But for me, the Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony room is the real gem and best expression of the dedication to family holidays that is found throughout Icon of the Seas.

The stateroom sleeps six for starters. There are two bunks, a single sofa bed and room for a cot plus the queen double makes beds for six. And a little extra holiday touch is each bunk has its own TV, as does the queen double. The shower and toilet are separated, again a small but appreciated designed-for-families touch.

Settle into the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

Icon of the Seas’ Pearl

Don’t take this peculiar ‘kinetic’ artwork for granted or at face value.

Designed to flood the main internal thoroughfare of Icon, the Promenade, with natural light and be true to the overall design premise of “water water everywhere”, the Pearl brings the sea and sun into the belly of the ship. But it is also an engineering marvel as it is part of the superstructure of the ship.

The Pearl Café is my preferred breakfast eatery with a decent coffee and “The Original”, a sausage, egg and cheese muffin that induced disproportionate, if a little concerning, affection from me.

Why have one theatre when you can have three on board Icon of the Seas

Perhaps a symptom of the mission to absolutely and incontrovertibly be the best entertainment at sea, Icon has three theatres. The aforementioned AquaTheatre houses the aqua shows.

Dorothy flies above the audience.

The traditional Royal Theatre plays host to the Wizard of Oz show. As a modern theatre, it has a lot of the kit that only the most up-to-date Broadway theatres would have installed. The show is an entertaining multi-sensory telling of one of the most loved Hollywood stories. A great example is during the cyclone scene, Dorothy flies above the crowd and you feel the winds.

Witness Royal Caribbean’s performance of The Wizard Of Oz.

Absolute Zero is the third theatre. An ice skating pan that is home to the Starburst performance. The mix of Cirque de Solei juggling and ice-skating theatre with more costume changes than a Madonna concert, the 50-minute show flies by and it left me wanting a lot more.

See Olympic-level performers on ice at Absolute Zero.

Icon of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s most sustainable ship to date

Let’s be honest, everyone is concerned about travel and sustainability. No one is unaware of the issue and every cruise line in the world is addressing the challenge in some way.

Put the label “world’s biggest” on a cruise ship and the sustainability anxiety levels go up a few notches as does the scrutiny.

Royal Caribbean is very keen to tell me that Icon is the most sustainable in its fleet and 24 per cent more efficient than standard ships designed today. (I qualified this a few times and they confirmed it translated into a 24 per cent reduction in emissions.)

Icon is the first in the Royal Caribbean fleet to be LNG-powered. It is fitted with dual fuel engines and, while we were sailing, was using 98 per cent LNG in its engines (I was told 2 per cent marine oil was used in the pilot for the engines).

Royal Caribbean has implemented a range of sustainability practices onboard.

Other sustainability initiatives include the first MAP (microwave-assisted pyrolysis) technology at sea that turns waste into energy to be used by the ship and a biological byproduct that is used for fertiliser – obviously once offloaded from the ship. For more, here is a more technical explanation.

Add the recycle and repurpose waste management solution and the Royal Caribbean execs proudly claim that nothing that comes off the ship will end up in landfill.

NOTE: Icon was originally slated to be the first of the Royal Caribbean fleet to be fuelled by fuel cells, but the challenge has proven just too great. The good news is once the technology arrives the space is available in the ship to easily retrofit the ship.

Is Icon of the Seas right for your family?

There is so much more to say (and you can read it in the more extensive posts linked below) but let’s cut to the chase; is Icon right for you today or sometime in the future?

Well every family is different and every family holiday is different, but here is my conclusion.

If the idea of a resort-style theme park-influenced family holiday, with endless options for kids of all ages to find their tribe and space, plus a few spaces and experiences for parents to be parents then you may just be a starter for the Icon of the Seas.

So, read our extensive reviews of the food and drink onboard Icon of the Seas, staterooms and suites onboard Icon of the Seas, and entertainment and neighbourhood guide to Icon of the Seas to really know if this is your iconic family holiday.

Check into the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

Icon of the Seas  FAQs

Launch date

January 2024

Capacity

Icon of the Seas has a double occupancy capacity of 5610 passengers, but if every possible bed was booked, the ship could accommodate 7600 guests. More than 2300 crew members are also onboard each cruise.

Where does Icon of the Seas sail from?

Miami, Florida. All cruises are round-trip.

Icon of the Seas sails from Miami in Florida.

Where does Icon of the Seas sail to?

The ship sails to islands in the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, and beachside ports in Mexico. Every sailing will stop at Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian island Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

Spend the perfect getaway at CocoCay in the Bahamas. (Image: J Graham)

Sustainable practices

Icon of the Seas is equipped with sustainable technologies, including an advanced wastewater treatment system and energy-efficient LED lighting. The ship is powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the cleanest-burning marine fuel.

The latest technology includes Waste Heat Capture, which repurposes excess engine heat, and Air Lubrication Systems, which create microscopic bubbles that coat the hull to reduce friction as the ship sails. More than 93 per cent of fresh water is produced on board via a reverse osmosis/desalination plant.

A state-of-the-art waste management room has bailers, shredders and compactors, as well as crushers for glass, lightbulbs and aluminium, and an incinerator, while all recyclables are sorted by hand on board. Green Hub partners in some destinations also help ensure the ship’s waste is recycled, repurposed or sent to a waste-to-energy facility.

Dining

Icon of the Seas offers more than 20 dining options.

Complimentary venues: Main Dining Room, Windjammer Marketplace, AquaDome market, Pearl Café, Pier 7, El Loco Fresh (Mexican takeaway), Sorrento’s pizzeria, Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade (bar snacks), Sprinkles ice cream parlour, Coastal Kitchen (suite guests only), Park Café, open in the evening for tapas.

Extra cost venues: Chops Grille Steakhouse, which also serves lobster, fish, American sides and desserts; Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, where a chef prepares meals at your table; Wonderland, presenting ‘imaginative cuisine’ using molecular gastronomy techniques in an Alice in Wonderland-inspired setting.

Savour the flavourful teppanyaki menu at Izumi Hibachi & Sushi.

New venues (extra cost): Empire Supper Club, serving eight-course feasts in an upscale dining room; Izumi in the Park, a walk-up window with fresh sushi and ‘street food’; AquaDome Market, Royal Caribbean’s first food hall; Pearl Café, for salads and toasted sandwiches; Basecamp, serving drinks and snacks like pretzel bites and shrimp bao buns; Desserted, a milkshake bar, including adults-only alcoholic shakes; The Grove, an alfresco Mediterranean spot near a private pool on the suite sun deck; Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, an upgraded version of the popular Giovanni’s; Celebration Table, a 12-seat private experience with ocean views and a choice of Italian, Asian, American and seafood menus; Surfside Eatery, all-day buffet; Pier 7, an all-day brunch venue, serving surf-and-turf tacos and shareable platters; Surfside Bites, for burgers, donut holes and popcorn chicken.

Top it all off with sweet crepes from Crème de la Crepe in the Aquadome Market.

Activities and entertainment

Icon of the Seas has seven pools, six waterslides, FlowRider surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, a casino, Broadway-style theatre shows, and more than 15 bars and nightclubs including the Bionic Bar, where robotic bartenders make the drinks.

Pop by 1400 Lobby Bar to enjoy drinks on the ocean-facing terrace.

Among new venues are Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues with live music; Dueling Pianos, where two pianists battle on baby grands and take song requests; 1400 Lobby Bar, with an ocean-facing terrace; and the Bubbles champagne window to walk up for a glass of prosecco, a Bellini or a mimosa. The Overlook and Overlook Pods are first-of-their-kind ‘nooks at sea’ with wraparound windows to watch aquatic shows in the AquaDome.

The 55-foot-tall water curtain is nothing short of spectacular.

Returning favourites include The Attic comedy club with adults-only shows; Music Hall, with a tribute rock band; Boleros, a lively Latin club; and Schooner Bar, a pub where pianists accompany pre-dinner drinks and nightcaps. Spotlight Karaoke can also be enjoyed on stage in front of a crowd or a private room with your friends and family.

The shimmering AquaDome is perched on top of the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas.

Cabins

Icon of the Seas has 2805 cabins, including inside (no windows), outside (window), balcony cabins, larger suites, and two-level lofts. More than 80 per cent of all rooms can accommodate three or more guests, ideal for families, with new layouts for five or six people. Around three-quarters have balconies, or a new concept called the Infinite Balcony, which is a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling window that can be opened halfway with the click of a button to create a sunroom.

The Family Infinite Balcony suite comes with a split bathroom.

Deck plan

Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, including a pool deck, promenade deck, and sports deck. The ship is divided into eight ‘neighbourhoods’: Chill Island, Thrill Island, The Hideaway, Surfside, Aquadome, Central Park, Royal Promenade and Suite Neighborhood.

Reach new heights on Thrill Island, the largest water park at sea.

Itinerary highlights

The seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary stops at St Maarten, St Thomas and St Kitts & Nevi islands. The Western Caribbean route stops at Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel. All cruises include the ‘Perfect Day at CocoCay’, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, where you can ride the tallest waterslide in North America, rise into the sky in a helium balloon, play in the waterpark, the wave pool or the huge freshwater pool, and enjoy a drink at the swim-up bar.

Party all day and night at the first-ever suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship.

Shore excursion highlights

Shore excursion options vary depending on the itinerary, but may include snorkelling with turtles, beach day trips, cultural tours, island tours, exploring Mayan ruins, and adventure activities such as ziplining. A unique activity is the Up, Up and Away helium balloon ride at CocoCay, which gently ascends almost 150 metres, providing panoramic views across the Bahamas.

Embark on an ultimate beach day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. (Image: J Graham)

How much does it cost to go on the Icon of the Seas?

Pricing varies depending on the itinerary, cabin type, and time of year. Fares start at AU$2089 per person for a seven-night Caribbean cruise. Visit Royal Caribbean for more information on fares.

Inclusions

Fares include accommodation in ensuite cabins or suites, food (except in specialty restaurants), most onboard entertainment and activities, and supervised childcare in the kids and teen clubs.

– FAQs written by Louise Goldsbury