When I first heard about the Icon of the Seas and how it would be the world's largest cruise ship, I wasn't sure what to think.
I had a hunch I'd either love it and all that it had to offer or hate it because it was just too big.
I decided to give it a try to see what the verdict would be.
I have to say, there was much potential to be disappointed. The cruise ship has been everywhere, with advertisements blasting on TV and the internet. There was a lot of hype to live up to. However, I can honestly say that it lived up to the hype.
Below are 10 things I loved about the Icon of the Seas and three things that I would like to see improved upon.
Ship Design
Our sailing had 6,100 people on board. The absolute max passenger capacity is 7,600 with every berth filled. There were only two times when I felt like there were a lot of people on the ship. Otherwise, the ship is so large that it distributes people very well.
With so many different neighborhoods to enjoy, people can pick and choose where to spend their time. There are many nooks and crannies to enjoy, and you can decide what you're in the mood for.
Would you like a quiet place to sit? Try the Overlook and its awesome pods.
Looking for thrills? Check out Thrill Island, where you can enjoy the six water slides, some water sprayers, as well as some delicious drinks.
Searching for an entertainment hub? Head to the promenade, where there are many pop-up musicians and activity options.
The promenade is nice and wide and well-lit, making it feel extra-large and spacious.
Entertainment
We loved the variety of entertainment on board. With two ice shows, a diving show, and the stage production of The Wizard of Oz, it was a really nice mix.
We were a bit disappointed that the second water show, Pirates versus Mermaids, wasn't ready yet, but sometimes new technology takes time.
All of those main productions were hits with the audience. It's especially nice that this ship has both an ice show and a water show specifically geared toward younger children.
Activities
A large ship requires large ship programming, which means many activities are available. There was an abundance of activities to choose from: trivia, sports competitions, karaoke, live entertainment, and a parade in the promenade… all in addition to the awesome neighborhoods on board.
With so many activities to choose from, guests may be as active as they'd like.
Dining
All of us agreed that the main dining room food was very good for a mass-market large ship cruise.
A menu or two were too exotic for us, as we like simpler options, but overall, we liked what Royal Caribbean has done with the menus. We had special dietary needs with one of our guests, and they took extra good care of her, providing delicious dairy-free and gluten-free options, even for dessert.
Our one issue was that they had a tough time getting our steaks cooked correctly.
We also really enjoyed El Loco Fresh and the other casual eateries around the ship.
Having a variety of quick-service options beyond the buffet was refreshing.
The Pearl Cafe
Yes, this venue deserves a call-out of its own. I really enjoyed the Pearl Cafe on the ship. It replaces the International Cafe and takes it up a notch.
This is where you may use your beverage package to get specialty coffees that are equivalent to Starbucks. In fact, they use Starbucks coffee.
In addition to the coffee drinks, they have a large variety of grab-and-go food. From muffins and sandwiches to fresh salads and vegetables, they make it easy to get a quick snack and move on to another activity.
The Surfside Neighborhood
This is a brand-new neighborhood on Royal Caribbean ships, and it is spectacular. It provides a place for families with young kids to go and have everything they need in one spot.
Not only does it have a pool and water slides, which are both heated, but it also offers snacks, ice cream, a carousel, and live entertainment. There is daily face painting, bedtime storytelling, and other surprises throughout the cruise.
We ended up spending a lot of time here since we had a 6-year-old in our party, and it was perfect.
I have to say, an absolute highlight was Admiral Awesome. He is the kids' activity host on board, and he MCs many activities. We got to know him a bit, and he's just a super great guy. Well done, Royal Caribbean.
Rover
The Icon of the Seas is the first ship to have a live dog as a mascot.
Rover and her handler roam the ship throughout the day for guests to say hello. It's a little bit like a Where's Waldo experiences the whole week, as you never know where they will pop up.
Rover is a very good girl and meeting her was a highlight of our cruise.
The Elevators
If you've been on a cruise, you know that sometimes the elevators can get quite backed up, causing a frustrating experience for those waiting. That problem is eliminated on the Icon of the Seas.
You tell the computer which floor you want to go to, and it tells you which elevator to go to. For example, you push deck 8, and it tells you to go to elevator H. Because it's grouping people who are going to the same floors, the elevators move more quickly and only stop at certain floors.
You have to experience it to understand how revolutionary this is.
Drinks
For many people, enjoying a beverage package is part of the cruise experience. For me, that's never a draw, as I don't enjoy alcohol.
However, I do enjoy tasty non-alcoholic beverages. Icon of the Seas is the first ship to roll out a non-alcoholic beverage program wherein each bar has a non-alcoholic specialty drink. They're upping the game for those who don't consume alcohol.
Therefore, it's fun to visit each of the bars and try their specialty mocktails.
For those of you who do enjoy alcohol, there's a huge variety of bars on board, and they also each have a drink created specifically for that venue.
Service
I saved this for last because the excellent service greatly enhanced our experience. Everywhere we went, we had incredible service on this ship.
Royal Caribbean has taken the best of the best from other ships and placed them on the Icon. Our stateroom attendant was top-notch and incredibly friendly.
While we know he was busy, he never made it appear so, and he always took his time to speak with us.
Guest Services people on the ship were friendly and efficient. But most of all, our dining room attendants were spectacular. They dealt with our special dietary needs with utmost patience and kindness and truly seemed to get joy out of seeing us happy. They shared with us about their home lives, life on the ship, and they were just overall wonderful.
I can't say enough good things about them.
A week may seem like a long time, but it almost wasn't enough time to experience all that is offered on board this new cruise ship.
While we enjoyed almost every aspect of our voyage, there were just three small things that we would like to change:
Kids' club programming: It would be great to have a schedule of activities for the kids' club. It can be hard to know what's going on in there. Listing out activities in the daily schedule would help families make more informed choices on whether their kids would like to visit the special space set up for them.
Theatrical productions: We missed having a variety of theatrical productions in the main theater. The only main production was The Wizard of Oz. It was incredibly well done, a fabulous production, but then the rest of the evenings it was comedians and an acapella group. As show lovers, we'd like to see another show or two added in.
Unattended kids: Many kids were left unattended to roam the ship on their own. This isn't Royal Caribbean's fault, but many of those kids were disruptive and rude. I want them to have a good time, but this is just an encouragement to remind your children to be respectful of others.
In case it wasn't clear, we enjoyed our week on the Icon of the Seas immensely. There is no doubt in my mind that it lives up to the hype. I highly recommend experiencing it for yourself.
If you are interested and sailing on the Icon of the Seas, one of its new sister ships, or any other cruise line, I'd be happy to help you make that dream happen.
Feel free to reach out anytime to schedule a chat. I'll look forward to it!
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