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Ship Showcase: The Icon of the Seas

Picture this: Twenty stories, more than 50 dining experiences, seven pools, over 2,800 staterooms and a capacity of 5,610 guests (plus staff!). Add to this an expansive two-level shopping promenade and a re-imagined Central Park (complete with 30,000 living plants and trees), and you’ll very quickly forget you’re on a boat once you board the Icon of the Seas. The ship itself is 1,198 feet long and 250,800 GT (gross tonnage; or the internal volume), making it over five times as large as the Titanic (which was 46,328 GT). It turns out that bigger really is better. Not only is it the biggest cruise ship in the world, but it’s also home to

50-foot-tall waterfall. It even has the first dog at sea — a golden retriever named Rover who lives on board to bring joy to guests and the crew. And while family fun is front and center on Icon of the Seas, it is thoughtfully designed to cater to every type of traveler. There’s something for every age group and trip preference, and it does a great job of separating these offerings into distinct neighborhoods (e.g., adult-only travelers and families with young kids can have little to no interaction with one another if they choose). From a variety of new room choices to seemingly endless dining and entertainment options, the offerings of the Icon of the Seas have

Neighborhoods & Activities

The Icon is so big that it’s broken up into eight distinct neighborhoods:

Thrill Island

Located at the back of the ship, this is the home of all of the action and adventure on board. Its Category 6 waterpark has six large water slides, including ones with big drops, zero-gravity suspensions and even the first family raft slide at sea. There’s also the Crown’s Edge, a daring adventure course that leaves you dangling 154 feet above the ocean. (Just note that there’s an added fee for Crown’s Edge.) Other highlights include the Adrenaline Peak rock climbing wall, the Flowrider surf simulator, the Lost Dunes mini golf course and a sports court.

Chill Island

This is where you can find four of the seven pools, which are spread out over three separate decks. It is home to Swim &Tonic, the biggest swimup bar at sea (and the first for Royal Caribbean) as well as Royal Bay Pool, the largest pool at sea.

Surfside

Designed as a family-friendly area (especially for younger kids), this neighborhood is intended to be used as a spot where families can spend their entire day. There’s a carousel (with whimsical motifs instead of horses), a dry climbing area, a splash park (including smaller water slides) and an arcade. There’s also a lounge area for grown-ups to hang out near their kids. The kids’ club and kid-friendly dining options are also located in this area.

5. ASIA

Royal Caribbean has expanded its presence in Asia, particularly with cruises from Chinese ports like Shanghai and Tianjin, tailored to the local market with Chinese-language services and cuisine. However, the line also offers itineraries appealing to North American travelers.

Examples include nine-night cruises from Singapore visiting Bintan Island (Indonesia), Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Bangkok. Ten-night Japan Explorer cruises feature ports like Aomori, Hakodate, Akita, Kanazawa, Sakaiminato, Kagoshima, and Busan.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips

These are specific Royal Caribbean cruise tips that will save you money and time, and let you maximize the experience both on board the vessels and during port calls.

Book Off-Season for the Best Deal

As is the case for resorts on land, the floating resorts that are Royal Caribbean ships can be significantly less expensive during the “off season” travel months of September, October and November. These are months when kids are typically back in school and family travel — a huge market for Royal Caribbean — drops off significantly, resulting in diminished demand for the line’s ships.

Photos: Unsplash & Jono Hirst, 2024

In the Bahamas and the Cari bbean, it’s also hurricane season, which keeps some people away from both land resorts and cruise ships in the region. In addition to the fall months, the offseason period for Royal Caribbean cruises generally includes parts of January and February, but it varies by region. Traditionally, the summer months of June, July and August are considered to be the high season in many cruise destinations like the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska. The periods around major holidays — such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day — also are considered the busy season for cruising and bring higher prices.

Make reservations for My Time Dining

Here is yet one more tip about making reservations in advance: If you’re signing up for My Time Dining on a Royal Caribbean ship — the type of dining where you can eat in the main dining room whenever you want — you’ll have an easier time getting seated at the time you want if you make a reservation in advance.

In other words, don’t just show up at the main dining room without a reservation assuming that there will be a table ready for you and your traveling companions. Either make

reservations for My Time Dining dinner times before you sail (again, through Royal Caribbean’s online portal) or after you board but before you plan to head to the dining room. The earlier you can make reservations for the time slot you want, the better. Reservations for dinner in the main dining room on Royal Caribbean ships are particularly important if you want to dine during the busiest times, which typically are between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on the line’s ships.

Bring your own

Drinks on Board

Many cruisers assume they can’t bring their own drinks on board a ship. And at some lines that is, indeed, the rule. But Royal Caribbean is one line that allows passengers to bring their own drinks on ships — albeit in small amounts. It’s one way to save money when cruising on a Royal Caribbean ship, as drink prices on the line’s vessels can be high.

Photo: Clovis Wood, 2023

Try the Marquee Attractions on

Departure Day

If Royal Caribbean ships are known for anything, it is their marquee deck-top attractions — giant waterslides, surfing simulators, climbing walls and skydiving tubes, to name a few. Some Royal Caribbean ships even have bumper car pavilions. To make the most of these activities, head straight to them on the first day of your sailing. You’ll often find that they are less crowded on embarkation day, when many cruisers still are getting oriented, than later in the sailing, when the attractions have been widely discovered.

Watch Sailaway from this Secret Spot

On roughly half of Royal Caribbean’s ships, you should be able to watch the ship sail away from port from an amazing location that normally isn’t open to passengers: the helipad on the bow. Many passengers don’t know about this secret spot for watching sailaways, found on Radiance-class, Voyager-class and Freedom-class vessels. It offers a truly wonderful vantage point. Royal Caribbean usually allows passengers to walk out onto these helipads around the time that a ship is departing. It’s not always open the rest of the cruise. To reach the helipad on these ships, head to the promenade deck (the deck where there is an outside walking area) and walk toward the front of the ship until you reach the helipad area.

Tip Spotlight: JOHNY

ROCKETS

Many Royal Caribbean ships feature Johnny Rockets eateries serving the chain’s signature burgers and shakes. Meals there are not free; they come with an extra charge. But there’s an exception: The Johnny Rockets venues on Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis-class ships offer breakfast for free. Even better, Johnny Rockets outlets on Oasis-class ships (located in the Boardwalk amusement area) typically aren’t crowded at breakfast time, in part because many people don’t realize they’re open. Photo: Cruise Critic, 2023