Best things to do on the Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship
The adrenaline is rushing and superlatives flowing at the mega launch of Icon of the Seas.
Part-theme park, part-resort, 100 per cent OTT, Royal Caribbean has built the biggest passenger cruise ship in the world and in an even bigger flex nabbed another icon, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, to officially name it.
Icon has been making global headlines - some in awe, others aghast at the excess of it all - since construction began in mid 2021, and in the lead up to the sold-out season starting on January 27 from the Port of Miami in Florida. Here is Jana Frawley's first impressions.
Part-theme park, part-resort, 100 per cent OTT, Royal Caribbean has built the biggest passenger cruise ship in the world and in an even bigger flex nabbed another icon, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, to officially name it.
Icon has been making global headlines - some in awe, others aghast at the excess of it all - since construction began in mid 2021, and in the lead up to the sold-out season starting on January 27 from the Port of Miami in Florida. Here is Jana Frawley's first impressions.
How big is Icon of the Seas?
Get out your thesaurus, look up “big” and choose any word that follows, or check out these stats: Icon is 365m long, 49m wide, 20 decks, 250,800 gross tonnage, and 7600 passengers at maximum occupancy. By comparison, if you’re familiar with Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s 10th biggest ship and the largest passenger ship in Australia, it’s 346m long and 41m wide 16 decks, 168,666 gross tonnage, and a maximum occupancy of 4905 passengers. In short, we’re talking bigger than Ben Hur and The Rock combined.
The first sign we’re not in standard cruise territory is midship in front of gangway on level five. In place of the traditional lobby and chandelier in the spacious Royal Promenade is a five-deck high kinetic sphere called The Pearl. Made with 3000 opalescent white tiles lit in a changing rainbow of neon and a marble staircase down the centre, it’s one the ship’s many engineering feats and innovations.
It’s also the entree to hundreds of deliberately Insta-worthy photo opps around the ship which will have Icon overtaking your social feeds and inducing intense family-holiday FOMO.
Jana's picks are the deck five sculpture of the cheeky oversized bronze St Bernard lifting his leg on a lamp post; the Snap Crackle ’n Pop cocktail garnished with a packet of popping candy in the Dueling Piano bar; the wildly imaginative costumes in the 10/10 Elemental ice skating show; and just about every inch of decks 15-17 with its wild rides and laid-back cabanas in photogenic Caribbean colours by day, high-vis neon by night.
It’s also the entree to hundreds of deliberately Insta-worthy photo opps around the ship which will have Icon overtaking your social feeds and inducing intense family-holiday FOMO.
Jana's picks are the deck five sculpture of the cheeky oversized bronze St Bernard lifting his leg on a lamp post; the Snap Crackle ’n Pop cocktail garnished with a packet of popping candy in the Dueling Piano bar; the wildly imaginative costumes in the 10/10 Elemental ice skating show; and just about every inch of decks 15-17 with its wild rides and laid-back cabanas in photogenic Caribbean colours by day, high-vis neon by night.
Water, water everywhere
Not only the Atlantic, though the multitude of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, notably in the Royal Promenade and 220 degrees of wide ocean views in AquaDome are a standout, it’s the water on deck that has Icon yet again reaching for the Guinness book.
There are seven pools, the best being a suspended infinity pool (a first at sea) at the Hideaway and a 540 sq metre. Swim & Tonic, a swim-up bar, is another first, but making the most splash, in every sense, is the AquaTheatre. This performance space combines two high dive boards with a moving platform that makes the pool go from deep to shallow in moments allowing aerial and aquatic acrobats and dancers, synchronised swimmers and dancing divers, deliver shows that elicit more woos and wows than nearly anything else on the ship.
There are seven pools, the best being a suspended infinity pool (a first at sea) at the Hideaway and a 540 sq metre. Swim & Tonic, a swim-up bar, is another first, but making the most splash, in every sense, is the AquaTheatre. This performance space combines two high dive boards with a moving platform that makes the pool go from deep to shallow in moments allowing aerial and aquatic acrobats and dancers, synchronised swimmers and dancing divers, deliver shows that elicit more woos and wows than nearly anything else on the ship.
Adding even more H20 over the four- and eight-night itineraries is the shore stops of Royal Caribbean’s private island, CocoCay, where the water slides are even bigger and energy levels as languid or energetic as you can muster.
A family affair
There’s a saying that parents are only as happy as their unhappiest child and Icon of the Seas has set out to make lifelong memories and ensure your offspring are having mind-blowing fun, no matter their age.
Surfside, an open-air play zone for under sixes, is safely situated on deck eight away from the high-energy action and adults-only areas on the top decks.
At one end is a water zone, at the other two-deck high pink flamingo, and among it a carousel designed entirely by children and face painters who can turn toddlers into butterflies and tigers in minutes.
The star of it all is Admiral Awesome, Australian Jake Spence (aka Apollo from the Sophie Monk season of the Bachelorette), a magician and entertainer every bit as good as a Wiggle, whose evening bedtime stories seem to be as beloved by the mums as the kids.
At one end is a water zone, at the other two-deck high pink flamingo, and among it a carousel designed entirely by children and face painters who can turn toddlers into butterflies and tigers in minutes.
The star of it all is Admiral Awesome, Australian Jake Spence (aka Apollo from the Sophie Monk season of the Bachelorette), a magician and entertainer every bit as good as a Wiggle, whose evening bedtime stories seem to be as beloved by the mums as the kids.
Wet and wild
Older kids and brave adults gravitate towards Thrill Island where more is more is not enough. The clue’s in the name of the Category 6 waterpark where Icon has earned the title for the tallest slide at sea - the Frightening Bolt - and multiple firsts for extreme slides at sea. I take on Crown’s Edge, a modern take on walking the plank, that has me hanging close to 50m above the ocean and the GoPro footage to prove it. The more sedate high of the rock climbing wall or the slower pace of mini golf are for the more feint-hearted..
Family bonding ranges from volleyball and pingpong to nostalgic school carnival activities like egg-and-spoon races or Taylor Swift name-that-tune and a 90-minute Broadway-quality performance of the Wizard of Oz.
In upping the ante of creating the most outstanding family holidays, Royal Caribbean has added two surprising new staff members to its team: Rover, a six-month-old golden retriever and his chief of staff, another Australian, Alison Hubble. Lionel Messi’s stature as the icon of Icon is almost impossible to challenge but Rover's fame is spreading and so maybe she’ll soon be in the same league as the revered Argentinian footballer.
Family bonding ranges from volleyball and pingpong to nostalgic school carnival activities like egg-and-spoon races or Taylor Swift name-that-tune and a 90-minute Broadway-quality performance of the Wizard of Oz.
In upping the ante of creating the most outstanding family holidays, Royal Caribbean has added two surprising new staff members to its team: Rover, a six-month-old golden retriever and his chief of staff, another Australian, Alison Hubble. Lionel Messi’s stature as the icon of Icon is almost impossible to challenge but Rover's fame is spreading and so maybe she’ll soon be in the same league as the revered Argentinian footballer.
Eat, drink, repeat
There are more than 40 places to eat and drink.
A few highlights of the new additions the AquaDome Market, a food-hall style eatery with made-to-order crepes, an authentic kebab bar with delicious feta and falafel pita pockets, and loaded mac-and-cheese; Rye & Bean, a bar dedicated to caffeine with coffee first thing and espresso martinis into the evening; and the Pearl Cafe for light grab-and-go snacks.
Top picks are the takeaway bento box at Izumi in the Park, the alco-slushies the Lime & the Coconut, the margaritas, burritos and DIY nachos at Cantina Fresca and a Royal Caribbean stalwart, the Chops Grille, where the ingredients are topnotch and the preparation classic and uncomplicated. At the other end of the scale is the Empire Supper Club, the most exclusive restaurant on the ship with a seven tasting menu with matching cocktails and seating only 40 diners. The space is moody and enticing and the jazz trio superb, but the flavours pairing are not to my taste and the drinks too large and varied - there are 14 different spirits and liqueurs used in six cocktail - to make for a coherent night.
A few highlights of the new additions the AquaDome Market, a food-hall style eatery with made-to-order crepes, an authentic kebab bar with delicious feta and falafel pita pockets, and loaded mac-and-cheese; Rye & Bean, a bar dedicated to caffeine with coffee first thing and espresso martinis into the evening; and the Pearl Cafe for light grab-and-go snacks.
Top picks are the takeaway bento box at Izumi in the Park, the alco-slushies the Lime & the Coconut, the margaritas, burritos and DIY nachos at Cantina Fresca and a Royal Caribbean stalwart, the Chops Grille, where the ingredients are topnotch and the preparation classic and uncomplicated. At the other end of the scale is the Empire Supper Club, the most exclusive restaurant on the ship with a seven tasting menu with matching cocktails and seating only 40 diners. The space is moody and enticing and the jazz trio superb, but the flavours pairing are not to my taste and the drinks too large and varied - there are 14 different spirits and liqueurs used in six cocktail - to make for a coherent night.
If you’ve got a spare US$60k, the three-storey Ultimate Family suite complete with a slippery dip for kids to get from the top floor to the bottom and private access to Surfside, is all yours, though it’s fully booked for the rest of the year. For everyone else, there are 28 room categories to choose from. I always have a preference for ocean views - especially as this trip heads to the aquamarine waters of the Atlantic - but I’ll give kudos to the Central Park view balcony suites with colourful shutters reminiscent of Cuba and overlooking the 33,500 plants in the most sophisticated pocket of the ship where guests can stop at the Bubble Bar for a brunchtime mimosa or pre-dinner Moët.
The Verdict
Believe the hype. Icon of the Seas is the blueprint for an unforgettable family holiday and defy even the most anti-cruiser not to have a blast.