The World's Biggest Cruise Ship Is Here, and It's Hard to Believe It's Real
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas is an entirely new category of cruise ship.
I always think about those people who showed up to look at the Titanic. At the time it was the biggest ship in the world, and people literally stood around looking at it, like dang that's a huge boat. There's a John Mulaney bit that credits this with the fact there really wasn't much going on back in the olden times. And up until today, I would have agreed that this was a pre-smartphone activity.
But, with the arrival of the Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's highly anticipated newest and biggest cruise ship, it's clear that staring up at ships is not a habit relegated to a pre-high tech past. The ship arrived for the first time in Miami last week and received some very Titanic-esque fanfare. The ship doesn't officially debut until it sets sail on its maiden voyage on January 27, but its arrival in Miami gave us plenty of time to preview all that's going to be available on this absolute marvel of modernity.
So what makes this ship so worthy of this attention? To start it has more water slides than any other ship, at a record six slides. There are seven pools, including the first suspended infinity pool at sea. The slides and pools are part of the Category 6 Waterpark, which is above 154 feet above the water.
There's an onboard neighborhood designed for families with young kids, 40 different restaurant, bar, and lounge options, and on-deck entertainment that cover the elements of air, ice, water, and of course, theater.
You can see all of this on deck extravaganza in aerial photos taken as the ship arrived in Miami. The promise from Royal Caribbean is momentous:
"Dial up the daring. Unwind like never before. Bond over new bites and toast to next-level nightlife. And catch showstopping spectaculars that will leave you in awe. This is your week to enjoy everything you’ve ever loved about every vacation—all rolled into one," the Royal Caribbean website reads.
Has all this nostalgic awe of a cruise ship got you feeling inspired? Sailings will start from Miami for seven-night cruises through the Eastern or Western Caribbean begin on January 27. You can learn more about the ship and make a booking for future sailings at Royal Caribbean's website.
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