The world's largest cruise ship, with 20 decks and spanning nearly four city blocks, set sail on its maiden voyage from the Port of Miami in January of this year.
Royal Caribbean's colossal “Icon of the Seas” measures 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern and has the capacity to accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members.
The ship is a floating paradise featuring seven swimming pools, an ice rink, a theater and a plethora of more than 40 dining and entertainment venues.
Departing from South Florida, the ship embarked on its first seven-day adventure through the tropical islands earlier this year, receiving its official christening with the help 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 delivering on our mission to responsibly deliver the world’s best vacation experiences,” said Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.
A restaurant on Icon Of The Seas (Image: Getty)
“It’s the ultimate multi-generational family vacation, forever changing the status quo of family travel and making vacation dreams come true for all ages on board.”
As the ship set sail, Royal Caribbean's cruises have enjoyed a surge in popularity online. Since December, the company's ambitious nine-month “Ultimate World Cruise” has captured the imagination – and sometimes baffled – of a devoted group of social media enthusiasts, the Mirror reports.
Millions of people are experiencing this journey vicariously through passengers' posts documenting their lives at sea, where they will reside for almost a year. For some, the journey has all the makings of a reality TV show.
Icon of the Seas, which first unveiled in October 2022, has sparked the largest single booking day and largest booking week in Royal Caribbean's 53-year history, according to the cruise line.
The colossal ship is divided into eight distinct neighborhoods spread across its 20 decks. It features six water slides, seven swimming pools, an ice rink, a theater and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.
The ship can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers at full capacity, as well as a crew of 2,350.
Water park on the cruise (Image: Getty)
US Mirror reporter Dave Monk went on board the ship where he revealed a new thrill ride called Crown's Edge, which involves walking across a series of shapes, including crosses, before waiting for the platform below to give way and propel you into the void.
He said it was even scarier than going down the highest slide in the sea, which he had done earlier in the day.
Dave then explained that 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 Toto and Dorothy puppet flying in a bed above the audience during the cyclone.”
He said: “These are the highlights of a single day's preliminary cruise on the Icon of the Seas, which is so large it feels more like a moving island than a cruise ship.
“With 2,350 crew members, it can carry up to 7,600 passengers. Its 18 passenger decks house eight distinct “neighborhoods”, more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges, as well as seven swimming pools.”
The cruise has 40 bars (Image: Getty)
The journalist spent three days on the cruise, but that didn't allow him to try all the restaurants – including a steakhouse, a sushi restaurant, an Italian restaurant and a seafood restaurant – or visit all the bars.
Also on board is a 'staff quarters' which includes a clubhouse with its own café, a pub, a crew market with items from their home countries, a games room, a gym, a karaoke room and outdoor areas for admiring the views and enjoying a drink.
Guests have a multitude of things to do, 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 swimming pools and nine hot tubs.
Among them are “Pressure Drop,” which features a 66-degree incline and is “the industry's first open-top freefall slide,” “Frightening Bolt,” which stands 14 meters tall and will be the tallest freefall slide at sea, and Storm Surge, the first family-friendly slide 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