The 1198-foot (365-meter) ship is seen being launched with fireworks as it leaves the Port of Miami to travel the eastern Caribbean for seven days. There are eighteen passenger decks, seven swimming pools, and more than forty eateries and bars on board the Icon of the Seas. With two cabins, it can accommodate 5,610 passengers and has a gross tonnage of 250,800. It now holds the distinction of largest ship in the world, surpassing Wonder of the Seas, its sister ship.
What’s New?
This ship is the first operated by Royal Caribbean to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). That decision hasn’t impressed everyone. Bryan Comer, director of the International Council on Clean Transportation’s shipping program, called Royal Caribbean’s decision to deploy LNG “their biggest climate blunder.”
Main Attractions of the Ship
The ship also has two other attractions: The Hideaway, which has the first suspended infinity pool at sea and is surrounded by a multi-level sun terrace with beach bar and whirlpools, and Chill Island, which has pools with views of the ocean and a frozen cocktail bar.
All year long, Icon of the Seas will depart Miami on seven-night cruises that include a stop at CocoCay in the Bahamas. It will be the company’s most environmentally friendly ship to date because it will be the first to use fuel cell technology and run on liquified natural gas, a clean-burning fuel. However, Royal Caribbean ranked second on Friends of the Earth’s list of the worst cruise lines for pollution in 2022.
