Royal Caribbean just announced the latest and greatest achievement for its fleet- Icon of the Seas. A new generation of ships is designed to push the limit of what can or cannot be onboard a cruise ship with families in mind. Perfect Day at CocoCay introduced the idea of Thrill Islands and Chill Islands where you can get all the excitement of the rides and adrenaline pumping while a place to just relax or lounge around. With so much onboard, it will be hard to figure out what you want to do and explore.
Here are some of the new features to look forward to onboard for the Thrill Island and new layout at the back of the boat. You can see all the fun activities on the top decks- slides (deck 20), basketball court (deck 19), Flowrider (Deck 16) . Will there be enough umbrellas to relax under while you are people watching?
AquaDome (see pictures below - Deck 14 & 15) - Royal Caribbean has combined the AquaTheater and the Viking Crown Lounge. The water show can now be indoors- rain or shine at the front of the ship. It will be a water show at night, but during the day, it will be a sunroom of sorts - a quiet place to lounge or grab a drink.
AbsoluteZero - The biggest at sea ice-skating rink will now have a great view from anywhere in the arena and on top of it, the backdrop and
ceiling transform to go along with the show.
Don't forget during the day, you can practice your figure eights, loops, spins, three turns, and much more.
This venue is complimentary, but space is limited forget to reserve your seat on the Royal App for your first showing!
Note: AbsoluteZero is on deck 5 aft but the entrance is on deck 6 aft. If you go to deck 5, you will encounter the Dining room or if you go outside, you will be on the running track.
The Crown's Edge will certainly push the boundaries for most and those who are brave enough to venture out over the ocean. Imagine being a pirate walking the plank and suddenly the plank collapses and now you are dangling over the ocean. Don't worry, you are sliding back to the platform instead of being dropped into the ocean. This is a complimentary activity and with such a long wait, you may want to reserve your spot along with some spare clothing.
Now for the Chill Islands -These areas are places to lounge around the ship after your time at Thrill Island. You have Surfside (Deck 7 Aft), Cove Pool and Royal Bay (Deck 15 Mid), Hideaway Pool (Deck 15 Aft), Cloud 17 (Deck 17 Fwd) and The Grove (Deck 18 Fwd- Suite Access Only),
Now that we have all the fun features on the ship out of the way, which cabin do you want to be in? As a multi-generational ship, there are many options to choose from. Royal Caribbean made mention that the showers will now have a bench- no need for shower stools anymore!
Deck 7 - CB- Connecting Balcony holding triple and quads in each room with balconies connecting. These rooms will have a sliding glass door to separate the balcony from the room. (green colored rooms).
Deck 9 - 1B- Infinite Balcony holding doubles, triples, and quads. Taking a page from Celebrity and river cruise lines, these are "French Balcony". The window will roll down with a touch of a button and now you have access to fresh air. Your balcony is part of your room. (red colored)
The plus is now the bathroom is split like what Disney Cruise Line features. For the accessible cabins, the bathroom will not be split but will have the roll-in shower option.
Need an accessible room, there are many options to choose from.
Here are my two new favorite suite rooms on the ship for spectacular views of the sunset and comfort.
Changes I've noticed so far as to the layout or design of the Icon of the Seas.
When you look at the deck plan, you will notice many of the balcony rooms start on deck 7 and above with the lifeboats on deck 5 which mean fewer obstructions when you look down.
For this size of the ship, 12 elevators should accommodate passengers going up and down all 20 decks. The forward or aft elevators will look wider as well and not many cabins are nearby to hear the noise of people waiting around.
The teen and kids will either be at the top decks for Thrill Island or on deck 6 & deck 7 aft - Adventure Ocean, Social 020, Entrance to Absolute Zero (not deck 5). Splashaway Bay or Baby Bay is deck 7 aft. This would be a good deck for younger families who have kids for easy access to the connecting rooms.
The fitness area has been moved to Deck 5 and 6 forward near the Royal Theater. Full running track is also on this deck.
If you want to avoid some elevator riding or the stairs, take the dry slide from deck 16 and slide your way down to deck 8.
Designated Smoking area on Deck 17 aft.
Royal Promenade consists of two decks - 5 & 6.
Surfside updates the Boardwalk.
Royal Promenade will have floor-to-ceiling ocean views- opening it up!
How much is this going to cost compared to the other ships? New builds are always more expensive.
Interior rooms start at $1188 per person double occupancy! I would reserve space on this ship for the lowest pricing in advance unless you want to wait a few years when the pricing drops.
For more information
YouTube Videos: #iconoftheseas - YouTube
Check out the deck plans of the ship- Icon of the Seas deck plan