Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas is the lead ship of the Icon-class cruise ship. She entered service on 27 January 2024 out of the Port of Miami in the US. At, Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world.

History
In October 2016, Royal Caribbean and Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced an order to build two ships under the project name "Icon". The ships were expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2023 and in 2025 and would be classified by DNV.

Royal Caribbean applied to register a trademark for "Icon of the Seas" in 2016.

Steel-cutting for Icon of the Seas began in June 2021. In October 2021, Royal Caribbean announced that the first LNG tank for the ship was installed at the Neptun Werft in Rostock, Germany. In December 2021, the floating engine room unit, including the LNG tanks, was towed to Turku in Finland by tug. The keel was laid in April 2022. In May 2022, Royal Caribbean confirmed that Icon of the Seas would be bigger than the Oasis class.

On 19 June 2023, Icon of the Seas sailed for the first of her sea trials. She returned to the Meyer Turku shipyard on 22 June for adjustments to her systems, and to have interior spaces completed and furnished.

On 27 November 2023, the ship was officially handed over to Royal Caribbean, just two months ahead of the official debut from Miami in January 2024.

On 1 December 2023, Icon of the Seas passed under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark. The ship docked at the Navantia Shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, for final outfitting work.

The ship departed Cadiz on 23 December 2023 for Puerto Rico and on 10 January 2024 arrived at her home port, PortMiami. On 23 January, the naming ceremony was held and Icon of the Seas was christened by footballer Lionel Messi. Her official maiden voyage began on 27 January out of Port of Miami in the US.

On 25 June 2024 a fire was reported onboard while docked at Costa Maya, Mexico. Electrical power was lost for a while but the flames were quickly extinguished.

Design
Icon of the Seas can be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship has six multi-fuel Wärtsilä engines; these can be powered with both LNG and distillate fuel. Environmental groups have said that LNG is a more damaging fuel as it releases more harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Nick Rose, a vice-president of Royal Caribbean, said "We consider [LNG] a transitional fuel that helps build flexibility into our ship design ... LNG is one part of our alternative fuel strategy, along with biofuels, methanol and other energy sources like shore power". Icon of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean vessel to use such technology.

The ship has a crew of 2,350, and a capacity of 5,610 passengers at double occupancy, or 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity. Icon of the Seas has 20 decks with seven swimming pools and six water slides. The company claims the ship has the tallest waterfall, the tallest water slide, and the largest waterpark of any cruise ship.

The ship was designed by a team of architects and designers, including Wilson Butler Architects, 3Deluxe, RTKL, and Skylab Architecture. The designers introduced new concepts including:


 * Aquadome: A diving and performance venue under a glass dome on the top of the ship
 * The Pearl: A structural feature designed as a dynamic art installation on the Royal Promenade
 * Absolute Zero: Ice skating rink and entertainment venue
 * Surfside: Family neighborhood
 * The Hideaway: Beach club featuring first suspended infinity pool of any ship
 * Thrill Island: The largest waterpark at sea, featuring six different water slides
 * Swim & Tonic: Largest swim up bar at sea