HAVING IT LARGE
7,600 passengers. Crammed into its 18 passenger decks are eight separate “neighbourhoods”, plus more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges, as well as seven pools.
I’m used to big ships, having sailed on most of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels, which previously held the record. Even so, as I boarded in Miami I was still overwhelmed by Icon’s size.
I toured the biggest suite, the
Ultimate Family Townhouse, which is three decks high, can sleep up to eight people, and is fitted with a slide, movie area, two private balconies and even a patio with table tennis. At a peak rate of €76,000 a week, it’s already sold out for the rest of this year.
At the top of the ship is Thrill Island where I tried out the largest waterpark at sea, featuring drop, freefall and raft slides. There are also twin-mat racing chutes, like the helter-skelters of old.
The next neighbourhood down is the three-deck Chill Island, home to four of the seven pools on board and a swim-up bar. Then there’s The Hideaway with the first suspended infinity pool at sea.
Families with young children have an expansive area called Surfside with its own pools and restaurants. Clubs cater for all ages from six-month-old babies to
17-year-old teens.
Another new feature is the Aquadome, which hosts water shows and features a 55ft-high water curtain – basically a giant shower head.
Cruisers who have been on Oasisclass ships will recognise Central Park, a verdant area of trees, plants and flowers surrounded by restaurants.
Fifteen more dining venues sit in the Royal Promenade, a central shopping and eating mall. Here you’ll find The Pearl, a huge structure with 3,600 moving metal tiles, whose main purpose seems to be as a fantastic backdrop for selfies.
A growing trend in cruising is to give high-spending customers their own area and on Icon they have a four-deck suite neighbourhood.
Innovations that used to make headlines – such as a spa, ice rink, climbing walls, a surf machine or high-end shops – are now just part of the multi-coloured furniture on Icon.
My three busy days on board didn’t allow me to sample all the restaurants – which include a steakhouse, and sushi, Italian and seafood restaurants – but the food I had was delicious. Everywhere you go are tempting stands offering tacos, hot dogs or ice cream.
I didn’t have time to visit all the bars either, although I did give it a try. My favourite was the Point & Feather pub which has the bonus of opening til 2am.
For entertainment, you’ll find shows, piano bars, comedy clubs, a 16-piece orchestra, a supper club and karaoke. More active travellers looking to work off some calories can take part in fitness classes, pickleball competitions, dance classes or volleyball games.
Even after racking up tens of thousands of steps exploring the ship, I kept finding whole new areas I hadn’t seen before, such as The Overlook, a serene
The Ultimate suite covers three decks and is now sold out – at €76k a week
retreat flooded with light near the bow. It’s good to know that on a ship which seems to always be busy, there are still oases of calm.
Captains, officers and the attentive waiters, bartenders and cabin stewards are always welcome faces but they’ve been put in the shade by a new four-legged member of the crew – Rover, a golden labrador with the title of Chief Dog Officer, who lives on board and captures the hearts of the passengers she meets on her daily walkies.
I caught up with her stretching her sea legs when Icon stopped at Royal Caribbean’s private island called Perfect Day at Cococay.
A planned helium balloon ride there was scuppered by some gusty winds and I didn’t fancy climbing to the top of the 135ft-high Daredevil’s Peak tower, the tallest waterslide in North America.
Instead, I chose to relax at the new Hideaway
Beach, an adults-only area with a party vibe. After the ship returned overnight to Miami, I stayed on board to attend the glitzy naming by football legend Lionel Messi.
Icon of the Seas made her maiden voyage on January 27, beginning seven-day Caribbean cruises including a stop at Cococay in the Bahamas.
The giant newcomer is wonderful if you want a holiday packed with sunshine, activities and a wide choice of food, drink and entertainment – especially if you have children.
Of course, not everyone will love it and it’s a very big, if moving, target for the cruise cynics and travel snobs.
However, Royal Caribbean has gone some way to meet environmental concerns by using liquefied natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel, in a transition towards more planetfriendly sources such as biomethane. It has also spent a fortune on unglamorous but key technology such as wastewater treatment, air lubrication systems and desalination.
For those who like a more intimate cruise, the line’s president Michael Bayley confirmed it is considering launching a new class of smaller ships. In the meantime, he obviously believes Icon will be a hit as two more sister vessels are already being built. The only question is – will there be room in the Caribbean to fit them all in?
‘‘
After tens of thousands of steps, I still kept on discovering new areas