Ship review: Icon of the Seas

Passengers on the world's largest ship, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, can look forward to better-than-ever amenities, finds Lucy Huxley

Ship overview 

The world’s largest ship has 20 decks and can accommodate 5,610 guests (double occupancy) and 2,350 crew. There’s been a big focus on ‘flow’, with the vessel divided into eight neighbourhoods, five of which – AquaDome, Thrill Island, Chill Island, Surfside and The Hideaway – are new to Royal Caribbean.

The Suite Neighbourhood, Royal Promenade and Central Park have featured on previous ships. Many of the neighbourhoods reflect zones on the line’s private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, which Icon visits on every sailing.

Cabins

There are 2,805 staterooms across 28 grades. They range from the Ultimate Town House over two decks, which is sold out for 2024 and most of 2025, to the stunning Icon Loft Suites and staterooms overlooking Central Park. I stayed in a Surfside Family Balcony Cabin, which sleeps up to six and is ideal for families with small children.

There’s a double bed and sofa bed in the main area, and a separate bedroom area with little bunk beds, each with a flatscreen TV at the foot. The bathroom and toilet are separate.

Food and drink

There are more than 40 places to eat, drink and be entertained on Icon. We ate at teppanyaki restaurant Izumi in Central Park; or there’s the takeaway sushi and Japanese street-food outlet, Izumi in the Park. Coastal Kitchen overlooks the Aqua theatre for the best views of the shows.

Other favourites were the Playmakers sports bar, if you like wings and sliders; the Pearl Café, for great coffees, cakes and people-watching, as it overlooks the Royal Promenade; and El Loco Fresh, for some of the best nachos at sea. Cocktails from the Lime and Coconut at Cloud 17 – the adult-only pool deck – were great, and even better in the hot tub.

Facilities

The entertainment on board Icon is incredible – from the high-energy aqua show to the ice show in Absolute Zero and the full-scale Broadway-standard production of the Wizard of Oz. We also had a blast at Dueling Pianos off the Royal Promende, went to the over-18s comedy show in the Attic and danced the night away in the Music Hall nightclub.

Activities on board 

Icon boasts seven pools and six waterslides in the Category 6 water park. Royal claims it can comfortably move 1,500 kids an hour through the park. Surfside is attracting all the plaudits, however.

The neighbourhood for under-sixes – with its water park, fairground rides, face-painting and candy floss, plus areas for parents to sit and chill while their kids run wild under careful crew supervision – is inspired. Crown’s Edge, a new high-ropes walk and zip wire course out over the edge of the ship, is new but costs an extra $89.

Book it: A seven-night Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day cruise, departing Miami on November 16, costs from £1,933 per person in a Central Park Interior View cabin.
myclubroyal.co.uk

PICTURES: Mdutcher; Sbw-Photo

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