The world’s largest cruise ship, boasting 20 decks and spanning nearly the length of four city blocks, embarked on its inaugural journey from the Port of Miami in January this year.
Royal Caribbean’s colossal ‘Icon of the Seas’ measures an impressive 1,200 feet (365 metres) from bow to stern and has the capacity to host up to 7,600 guests along with 2,350 crew members.
The ship is a floating paradise featuring seven swimming pools, an ice rink, a theatre, and a plethora of over 40 dining and entertainment venues.
Setting off from South Florida, the ship commenced its first seven-day tropical island-hopping adventure at the start of the year, receiving its official christening with the assistance of football superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami colleagues.
“Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of dreaming, innovating and living our mission to deliver the world’s best vacation experiences responsibly,” declared Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty.
A restaurant on Icon Of The Seas (Image: Getty)
“She is the ultimate multigenerational family vacation, forever changing the status quo in family travel and fulfilling vacation dreams for all ages on board.”
As the ship sailed away, Royal Caribbean’s cruises enjoyed a surge of popularity online. Since December, the company’s ambitious nine-month “Ultimate World Cruise” has been capturing the imagination – and occasionally baffling – a dedicated group of social media enthusiasts, reports the Mirror.
Millions are vicariously experiencing the voyage through the posts of passengers who are documenting their life at sea, where they will reside for almost an entire year. To some followers, this journey has all the hallmarks of a reality TV show.
The Icon of the Seas, first unveiled in October 2022, sparked the largest single booking day and highest volume booking week in Royal Caribbean’s 53-year history, according to the cruise line.
The colossal ship is divided into eight distinct neighbourhoods across its 20 decks. It boasts six waterslides, seven swimming pools, an ice skating rink, a theatre and over 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.
The vessel can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers at full capacity, along with a crew of 2,350.
Water park on the cruise (Image: Getty)
US Mirror reporter Dave Monk went on the ship where he revealed a new thrill-ride called Crown’s Edge which involves walking on a series of shapes, including crosses, before you wait for the platform below to give way and propel you into the void.
He said it was even scarier than riding the tallest drop slide at sea, which he had done earlier in the day.
Dave went on to explain there was even a production of The Wizard Of Oz – which was “as good as anything you’d see in the West End – including a puppet Toto and Dorothy flying in a bed above the audience during the cyclone.”
He said: “These were the highlights of just one day on a preview cruise on Icon of the Seas, which is so big it’s like a moving island rather than a cruise ship.
“With 2,350 crew, it can carry up to 7,600 passengers. Crammed into its 18 passenger decks are eight separate ‘neighbourhoods’, more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges, plus seven pools.”
The cruise has 40 bars (Image: Getty)
The reporter spent three days on the cruise, however this didn’t allow him to sample all the restaurants – including a steakhouse, sushi, Italian and seafood – nor visit all the bars.
Onboard is also a ‘staff neighbourhood’ which features a clubhouse with its own coffee shop, a pub, a crew market with items from their home countries, gaming room, gym, a karaoke room, and outdoor spaces to take in the views and grab a drink.
Guests have a huge amount to get stuck into, including more than 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained.
Named Category 6, the water park also features six record-breaking water slides, seven pools and nine whirlpools.
Among them is ‘Pressure Drop’ which has a 66-degree incline and is “the industry’s first open free-fall slide”; the 14m tall ‘Frightening Bolt’ which will be the the tallest drop slide at sea, and Storm Surge, the first family raft slides at sea.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/travel/cruise/1946749/Inside-world-s-biggest-cruise-ship-which-is-the-size-of-a-floating-city-with-40-bars