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Our 7-day inaugural sailing had about 5500 passengers, which is essentially double occupancy. So, even though we were worried about crowds, there were never any issues. This surprised us, as we were initially concerned that the ship’s design would inevitably not disperse passengers as planned and lead to crowding. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents. Another new cabin will be the Surfside Family View Cabins located in the new Surfside neighborhood on the ship’s aft.
RCI-Royal Caribbean's ship Icon of the Seas conducts boat rescue operation
The main attraction here is the first suspended infinity pool at sea. It's flanked by tiered lounge space, hot tubs and a bar specializing in Champagne and Champagne-based cocktails. RCI's ICON ships have a 4-deck Crew Neighborhood (housing 2350 people) featuring redesigned (new/patented) crew cabins with an L-shaped bed layout. The 3-deck Suite Neighborhood houses all the top-tier staterooms. It features an exclusive 2-deck Sundeck and an expanded Coastal Kitchen (suite-only restaurant on 2 levels, overlooking the AquaTheater). While some Royal Caribbean ships have jazz clubs, Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues on Deck 8 in Central Park is an entirely re-imagined space.
Family-themed activities
And the Pressure Drop, the first open freefall waterslide on a cruise. Swim & Tonic is RCI's first shipboard swim-up bar (capacity 12 people). It is in a shallow swimming pool (with floating loungers) and adjacent to a hot tub and a sunbathing area (with loungers). "Family Infinite Balcony" cabins accommodate 6 people and are with split bathrooms, a separate kids' bedroom (with bunk beds), and an infinite balcony. 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.
INTRODUCING THE ICON OF VACATIONS: ROYAL CARIBBEAN REVEALS ICON OF THE SEAS
Icon of the Seas takes Royal Caribbean's drinking and dining game to the next level. The line added new-to-the-brand restaurants to ensure that every neighborhood had a food venue easily accessible, with more quick-service eateries and options for families. The Royal Promenade is a Royal Caribbean staple found on all Voyager, Freedom and Oasis Class ships. Icon of the Seas offers a two-deck version of this indoor mall-like space with multiple shopping, dining and drinking establishments. From the cruise line's first-ever swim-up bar to the largest pool at sea, infinity-edge Cove and Cloud 17 Pools, Chill Island is, undoubtedly, going to be the best pool deck at sea.
Where will Icon of the Seas be sailing?
You'll also want to dress for the activities you plan to do on board. Certain suite guests and upper-tier loyalty program members receive complimentary Wi-Fi, so know your included perks before you sign up for a package. The main show, "Aqua Action!" doesn't have a storyline, as far as I could tell, but is meant to push the boundaries of entertainment and wow every audience. You'll witness an aerial pas de deux, dancing robotic arms, crazy high dives and dancing with a lot of splashing.
With a new design and size, Icon of the Seas will look nothing like other ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. This cabin has a private ocean view infinite balcony that allows you to expand your indoor living space or invite in the sea breeze with the touch of a button. If you're looking for kid-friendly water play areas, the Surfside family neighborhood is your destination. It features Baby Bay for diapered tots; Splashaway Bay, with a dump bucket, water sprayers and junior waterslides; and an infinity pool for grownups and older siblings. Kids can also enjoy a climbing structure and the carousel with its colorful cartoon creatures to ride.
What is (Free) Included in a Cruise on Icon of the Seas?
On a beautiful sunny day, head to Splashaway Bay, an aqua park for pint-sized cruisers. It's designed exclusively with tots to tweens in mind and offers plenty of cool interactive water features and mini waterslides just for little ones. A cruise vacation is a great opportunity to go outside your comfort zone and try something new with thrilling activities like Category 6. Guests can ride any and all of the slides as many times as they like for free. From the dining to the entertainment and service, along with the pool deck and sports deck amenities, Icon of the Seas delivered a distinctly Royal Caribbean experience.
On Board Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas for its First Cruise - The New York Times
On Board Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas for its First Cruise.
Posted: Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Icon of the Seas Suites
When it comes to closet setup and storage space, the Quantum class is still our favorite layout for Royal Caribbean ships. Our midship stateroom was closer to the aft elevator bank on the ship’s portside. Given all of the enhancements and trendy design of the public venues, we were surprised by the stateroom. The main dining room is one area Royal Caribbean didn’t change much on Icon of the Seas. From layout to décor and menu, this dining room felt like any Royal Caribbean mega-ship. There were a variety of trivia and competitions throughout the day.
Of course, we made sure to pop into each venue to try at least one signature cocktail. Thankfully, Royal Caribbean did not change the drink prices on Icon of the Seas. So, most specialty cocktails are covered in the beverage package. The vast majority of staterooms - 82% of rooms - will be able to accommodate 3 or more guests.
Finding a spot at one of the pools was never an issue on our sailing. In fact, we were surprised at how many loungers were still available by noontime on a sea day. Whether cruisers are craving some sun or shade, the new Chill Island offers a variety of options.
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. The 7,600-guest Icon of the Seas has seven pools and nine hot tubs. As a kid-fearing adult, I loved the grown-ups-only suspended infinity pool. When Icon departs Ponce to sail to Miami, it will be over one year until she returns to the island, as San Juan isn't a scheduled port of call on Eastern Caribbean itineraries until May 2025. The May 3, 2025 cruise also visits St. Maarten and Labadee, Haiti, foregoing a stop at the cruise line's private island in The Bahamas.
The final neighborhood onboard the brand-new Icon of the Seas, the suite neighborhood will span across decks 16 to 19. In this neighborhood, you will find real greenery with thousands of real plants, along with live music and dining spots. Guests on Icon of the Seas can even test their limits at Category 6 with the first open free-fall slide at sea, named Pressure Drop. Other slides include the tallest drop slide at sea, two mat-racing slides and even family raft slides that can accommodate up to four riders.
The onboard currency is the U.S. dollar, but you won't need cash on the ship. You'll receive a SeaPass card that functions as your shipboard ID, room key and credit card. You'll charge shipboard purchases (drinks, souvenirs, extra-fee meals, shore excursions and so on) to your onboard account, and Royal Caribbean will charge your credit card on file once the cruise ends. You can check your onboard bill in the cruise line's app or at Guest Services. Royal Caribbean guests of legal drinking age can bring one bottle of wine or Champagne onto Icon of the Seas at boarding.
Other rooms to avoid on Icon of the Seas include those directly above or below busy spaces, especially on Deck 14. RCI's Icon OTS construction update teaser (released in May 2022) showed a huge white sphere installed midship on top deck. The spherical object weighs 175 tonnes, has diameter 50 ft (15,2 m), height 46 ft (14 m) and consists of 578 aluminum panels.
But you can’t go wrong with popcorn chicken or a pizza toastie at the nearby Surfside Bites. This takeout window also has burgers, hotdogs, and irresistible cinnamon churros. Icon of the Seas will be the most sustainable ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, the vessel will also feature other state-of-the-art applications, such as shore-power connections. The Family infinite Oceanview Balcony will be able to accommodate up to 6 people in each room with an alcove bunk-bed. Kids will also love that they have their own TV that doesn’t need to be shared with their parents.
But, the wait is worth it, as both performers kept the crowd crooning all night long. Venues like Spotlight Karaoke, the Music Hall, and even the new Dueling Pianos all feature the same musically-inspired menu. However, each one has a signature cocktail to enjoy during the nightly performances. Margaritas and mezcals are on the menu at Cantina Fresca on Chill Island, conveniently found near El Loco Fresh. Cruisers can also get some liquid courage from the rum-based specialty cocktails at the Basecamp Bar in Thrill Island.
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