The Icon of the Seas is preparing to embark on its maiden voyage next year, when it will assume the title of world’s largest cruise ship.
Operated by Miami-based Royal Caribbean, the ship sports seven swimming pools, 40 bars and restaurants, the largest waterpark at sea, and an ice rink.
At 1,198ft long with a gross tonnage of 250,800, the Icon of the Seas is set to take 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew on its maiden voyage in the Caribbean.
Currently being built in the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, the ship has reportedly racked up a bill of £2billion (£1.5billion) to bring it into existence.
The cheapest ticket for the January 2024 maiden voyage is $1,851 (£1,416).
Royal Caribbean Cruises
The cruise aims to appeal to younger voyagers seeking “adrenaline-pumping thrills,” while also catering for those in need of a “chill getaway.”
For the former, Royal Caribbean has created the largest waterpark and the largest pool at sea.
Dubbed Category Six, the waterpark will feature the Frightening Bolt, the tallest waterslide to sail, and Pressure drop, the first open freefall waterslide on a cruise.
On board is also the first to have a suspended infinity pool area and a zipline 154 ft above the ocean.
There are said to be over 40 ways to “drink, dine and be entertained” on board.
Royal Caribbean Cruises
Other activities include mini golf, rock climbing, obstacle course, and an arcade.
There are said to be over 40 ways to “drink, dine and be entertained” on board, including a karaoke bar, a casino and nightclubs.
The cheapest ticket for the January 2024 maiden voyage is $1,851 (£1,416), while a suite costs around $10,864 (£8,311) per person.
Touting success off the bat, Royal Caribbean reported its single largest booking day when reservations opened in October.
CRUISE SHIPS IN FOCUS:
The club-inspired Hideaway, promises to "conjure Mykonos moods and Mallorca mindsets" with an infinity pool.
Royal Caribbean Cruises
The ship is 10ft longer than its last incarnation and one time largest cruise ship in the world, the Wonder of the Seas.
Not content to rest on its laurels, Royal Caribbean are already striving to one-up themselves with two further ‘Icon’ ships setting sail in 2025 and 2026.
Yves-Marie Abraham, a professor in the department of management at HEC Montreal, described the ship as “a destructive and obscene monster, which feeds on all that remains of a little exotic in our world and on our rightful need to escape an alienating and harassing daily life. It’s a caricature of this industry in general”.
Meanwhile, Luc Renaud, a professor in the department of urban and tourism studies at UQAM, told Le Devoir: “It’s a symbol of unbridled capitalism that represents everything that should not be done in terms of economic development.”
Rich Harrill, an international tourism research professor at the University of South Carolina, told The Telegraph: “During Covid, people were dreaming about this type of experience and people saved up for it, they waited for it and now they’re doing it.”
