ONBOARD ICON OF THE SEAS — Believe the hype.
Royal Caribbean’s brand new Icon of the Seas, making its debut this past weekend, is spectacular from first impression.
That’s especially true when you enter the Royal Promenade facing the kaleidoscopic hues of ‘The Pearl’.
This glowing sphere – a veritable engineering feat designed for structural support – is lined with kinetic tiles that create flowing lights luring you forward, into a floating world of delights at sea.
The 7,600-passenger Icon of the Seas is so cleverly designed, that even at 250,800 tonnes, the ship’s massive space is lost in the illusion of smaller spaces.’
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- The verandah stateroom sleeps three people thanks to a sofa daybed
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- Verandah stateroom onboard Icon of the Seas
A COMMUNITY OF NEIGHBOURHOODS
To visualize Icon, think of the ship as a community of neighbourhoods, each designed to satisfy a certain type of passenger, and each an entity to itself with its own pools, whirlpools, eateries and activities.
For example, take the ship’s Surfside neighbourhood. Customized for families with young children six and under, it oozes a park atmosphere for safe childhood fun with a merry-go-round, childhood games, costumed characters, and a variety of pools stocked with kiddie life-jackets.
Every neighbourhood onboard Icon of the Seas has pools, many with ocean views to give people a feeling of being connected to the sea beyond the ship
Yet, while Surfside eateries include kid-friendly foods, ice creams and snacks, they also offer substantial adult dishes, and there’s an adult bar where Mom and Dad can sip Gin and Tonic while kids slurp punch.
At the far end of Icon’s spectrum of joyous places, The Hideaway, designed purely for adults, features the world’s only suspended infinity pool at sea.
For adults only, The Hideaway feels like an exclusive enclave. It features the world’s first suspended infinity pool at sea, and a secluded area terraced with lounges and whirlpools, all accessible to it own bar
Located aft, with vast views of the sea, its terraced lounging area includes whirlpools, with areas for sun and shade.
Other hot spots onboard include Thrill Island, Chill Island, the Aquadome and Central Park – plus, of course, a variety of accommodations to suit your clientele.
The bottom line: When Royal Caribbean pushed the boundaries of architectural marine design to create “the best vacation in the world” they certainly accomplished their goal with Icon of the Seas.
Watch for more coverage from Icon of the Seas in upcoming editions of Travelweek Daily
