The “Wonder of the Seas” of the US shipping company Royal Caribbean is currently the largest cruise ship in the world. But he will soon have to give up this title, because soon the “Icon of the Seas” of the same shipping company will be completed – and it will be much larger. The outer shell of the new building is already finished and the vessel has already undergone sea trials. TRAVELBOOK shows the first renderings of the giant and a look behind the scenes.
The next record-breaking newbuilding for Royal Caribbean International has been under construction for months at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland. The “icon of the seas” – with room for 7600 passengers. Including crew, nearly 10,000 people will be on board when the new world’s largest cruise ship sets sail with passengers for the first time in early 2024. For comparison: the current record holder, the “Wonder of the Seas”, has “only” room for nearly 7,000 passengers.
The outer shell of the “Icon of the Seas” has already been completed and the technical elements are largely installed: according to the industry portal “cruise updatesThe record-breaking vessel was then able to leave the yard for the first time on Sunday 18 June and successfully completed the heavily monitored four-day sea trial. All systems are checked for their performance and functionality during such test drives. The giant has since been back in the pipeline and is expected to be completed by the end of this year – there have been insights since the end of June on travel influencers YouTube account ‘Trev & Chels’:
A floating amusement park
As early as October last year, the Royal Caribbean shipping company published details about the “Icon of Seas”. also announce and publish the first renderings. These show that the new cruise ship will be above all one thing: a giant floating amusement park. According to the shipping company, the largest water park at sea is being built on the upper deck, with a total of six water slides. Below this will be an open free-fall slide and a raft slide that four people can ride at the same time. Other highlights include a miniature golf course, ice rink, rock climbing park, and surf simulator.
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There are also other amenities like a floating infinity pool, hot tubs, spa, exercise facility, and more than 40 restaurants. In the evening, acrobatics and diving shows will take place in the gigantic “Aquadome”, and there are also various bars.
According to Royal Caribbean, the ship is primarily aimed at families with children. But “Icon of the Seas” also offers “a variety of innovations and favorites for everyone” for couples or friends.
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Learn more about the seas icon
Icon of the Seas will cover 20 decks, two more than Wonder of the Seas. The vessel will be more than 365 meters long and will weigh 250,800 gross tonnage. The number of cabins is 2805, which is less than that of the “Wonder of the Seas” (2867 cabins), but there are still about 600 more people on the new ship. This is because the shipping company wants to primarily address families with the “Icon of Seas” and is therefore planning more cabins with space for more than two people.
Good news: She’s the first Royal Caribbean ship to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is equipped with fuel cell technology. According to the shipping company, she also has “a state-of-the-art waste management system and can convert heat from the car into electricity.”
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The first true cruise of the “Icon of the Seas” is scheduled for January 28, 2024. According to the cruise line, the ship operates seven-day cruises year-round in the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami be in motion. Ports of call include the Bahamas, Cozumel, Philipsburg, St. Maarten and Honduras. It remains to be seen whether the new largest cruise ship in the world can really be determined by early 2024.
Another new largest ship in the world? A comment from our editor Susanne Resch:
Higher faster further! This is of course still the motto of Royal Caribbean and other major shipping companies. Quite questionable, as the cruise industry is repeatedly criticized for its ecological balance and mass tourism.
Do we really need bigger ships? ANOTHER floating amusement park? OTHER people being “dumped” in port during a shore leave to flood cities? Many cities with cruise ports, such as Dubrovnik, advise non-crusaders to explore the city outside the giants’ docking hours. Because otherwise it is too crowded. Some of the ships are so large that they no longer enter ports. Of course, new piers will then be built – the journey to the city, which you can only see from the pier with binoculars, will only be longer and therefore usually more expensive.
In addition, there are long queues during the cruise, both for embarking and disembarking, as well as for offers on the giant. A trip on the world’s largest cruise ship doesn’t necessarily promise a better cruising experience.
Higher faster further? What do you mean? Shouldn’t cruise tourism even withdraw from the mass market and focus more on high-quality and expensive travel? For the good of the environment and cities? Write to us at [email protected]!
