0208 248 2355
Questions about your booking? Contact Us
Login
This is more than a holiday upgrade. It’s the best family holiday in the world. Introducing the new Icon of the SeasSM, a first-of-its-kind Royal Caribbean® adventure where you’ll have the time of your life, multiple times a day. It’s thrills you never dared to imagine and next-level chill you never dreamed possible. Let your adrenaline surge at the largest waterpark at sea or conquer an all-out test of courage dangling high above the ocean. Pick from seven unique pools to satisfy any mood, this is an all-you-can-swim buffet. Fuel bolder bonding with tons to do for everyone in your crew at SurfsideSM, the ultimate stay-all-day family neighbourhood right onboard. And discover dishes to delight every appetite with 40 ways to dine and drink.
This is the Icon of the Seas, arriving 2024.
My wife and I, both in our 60’s, took this 7 day cruise in December 2024 on the Icon of the Seas to Western Caribbean – Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Coco Cay and thoroughly enjoyed it! The Icon is a wonderful ship and thoroughly entertaining. Although pricey, it was well worth it. EMBARKATION/DEBARKATION: Possibly the fastest embarkation we ever experienced in spite of the 7000 passengers, full capacity. We drove to Miami (we live in Orlando) and parked in Garage A by the ship. We reserved a slot online several weeks prior to insure we could park there, otherwise if it’s full they send you to Garage J and have you shuttle to Terminal A. We had 1:30pm assigned arrival time but got there at 12:30pm - the garage had about 500 slots left according to their board. We dropped our bags off in front of the terminal, parked on level 4, and were on the ship within 10 minutes. Even though we were slightly early they let us on. I think if we were more than an hour early they might have made us wait. Cabins were ready at 1:30pm, lifeboat drill was go to your lifeboat station anytime for a short briefing. Debarkation was a minor gaggle because the ship was not cleared to offload until 7:10am, Port of Miami issue, not Royal’s fault. We chose walk-off departure with our bags and were on Deck 5 at 6:45am - it turns out with about 500 others with the same idea. Once the line started moving we were off the ship by 7:30am and in our car and gone by 7:40am to beat the Miami traffic. If we had to do it again, we would wait until 7:30am for walk-off or try to get an early group departure. Immigration & customs clearance was a breeze, no line (passport control used photo recognition, no passports needed). Again, RCL does a great job moving 7000 passengers on and off the ship. SHIP: First thing we noticed arriving on the ship around 12:45pm was the new ship look, everything was shiny, the Pearl was spectacular. Next thing we noticed was… where are all the people??? The Promenade, Deck 5, was fairly busy but no long lines at any bars or cafes. We went to Central Park, Deck 8, to Park Café for lunch (roast beef sandwiches!) and it was practically empty. We’d been on 5 Oasis-class ships and they also don’t seem too crowded but the Icon does a better job on spreading out the passengers. Even the Windjammer buffet, Deck 15, had seats available on embarkation day. Another thing that impressed us during the week was the excellent service by all the crew. They are all friendly and helpful. Our cabin steward was very efficient, provided everything we asked for. Onboard services hardly had any lines which I think is due to their excellent app where you can pretty much handle any reservations or changes as needed. CABIN: We had a Spacious Infinite Ocean View Balcony and really enjoyed the extra space. It did not have a standard balcony but instead had a small sitting room with chairs in front of a large glass window. The top dropped down so you could check the outside temperature and take in the sea air, which we did hardly at all. It also comes with a full cover screen that provides total darkness in the room, makes for great sleeping. Nightstands either side of the bed have USB ports plus one 110V outlet. Good placement of electrical plugs which is good as they don’t allow you to have extension cords or multi-outlet plugs. If you do need an extension cord, the steward probably would supply you with a heavy-duty one for CPAPs or similar. Plenty of storage – 2 closets, one long, one short. The short one has 4 large shelves underneath, there are many shelves on the dresser also. Bathroom is standard small, one sink, but with a fairly large shower, not a “torpedo tube” like other RCL ships. We had a large couch for sitting or throwing clothes on. Only 2 minor inconveniences were the bed was short due to the curved ends so my feet hung over a little, I’m only 5ft 11in. And the toilet seat was sorta small. ITINERARY: Roatan was fine, rainy in the morning but cleared up, good snorkeling. We didn’t get off in Costa Maya as we’d been there many times and we’ve seen the Mayan ruins there. Cozumel was a very rainy day, most excursions were cancelled. And unfortunately the last stop, Coco Cay, was cancelled in advance due to high winds. Fortunately we chose this cruise for the Icon, not the stops. FOOD: Food is everywhere on this ship and it’s pretty good overall. They have some many places scattered around the ship that the only place that was crowded was the Windjammer Café on Deck 15. It had a huge variety of food choices and surprisingly always had empty tables in spite of the crowds. Unlike the Oasis class ships which have small Windjammer Cafés, the Icon uses the entire width of the ship on Deck 15 so is much larger. We ate in the dining room five times, early seating which was at 5PM and too early imo. However the waiter and assistant were outstanding and the food was good. They had lobster tails on both formal nights as well as fairly good steaks. We ate at Chops and Giovannis the other two nights. Chops steaks were good, not great, so overpriced. Giovannis was excellent with their Italian food, they bring lots of it so you are stuffed when you leave. Worth the cost! We ate at all the other places. My favorite was Park Café on Deck 8, not crowded and good for breakfast. They have a mini-buffet back of Deck 7, Surfside Eatery, which mirrors the Windjammer and the dining room food and is usually empty as well. The other food places are scattered from Deck 5 to Deck 16 and were usually empty. The Pearl Café, Deck 6, is the 24 hr eatery and had lines sometimes but they moved quickly. ENTERTAINMENT: Fantastic shows on the Icon! You need reservations in advance to get the good times and they opened up about 3 weeks prior to the cruise so keep checking the website. You can make reservations on the ship but do it right away. Standby lines can be long. Wizard of Oz was great, it’s almost 2 hours with no breaks so be prepared. Ice skating and Water shows were all new to us and were much better than before. We did the Comedy Show, it was fair. Headliner act, which changes, was a comedy juggler and he was extremely entertaining. OVERALL: Icon OTS is a beautiful, well designed ship. Entertainment for all ages. In spite of the poor weather we had a great time. Only advice is to exercise a lot on the ship or be careful what you eat because there is food everywhere and it’s all pretty good!
This is a beast of a ship. Mostly very well designed and the interiors are a huge upgrade on the Oasis Class. You can actually see the sea for a start! The Pearl and the Pearl cafe were winners for me and Central Park was beautiful. The ship does a reasonably good job of managing its passengers. The only time you really feel the number of people is around the pools on sea days. For such a huge ship its mostly very easy to navigate, except for the pool decks. They're a bit of a maze with too many dead ends and nooks to get stuck in. I also think the pools are too small. The adults only area was successfully kept adults only almost all of the time. But yes, there are a lot of kids. I found the bigger problem to be older kids and teenagers who liked to go around the ship in big groups. They completely took over the overlook which is a big shame because its a beautiful area that would be suited to being adults only. Or at least for staff to stop the kids tearing around the place, chasing each other and doing cart wheels. I thought the food was very good. I didn't think the speciality restaurants were worth the money though. We did Hooked and Giovannis and felt neither to be much better quality than the included food. The cabin was lovely. Maybe could have done with more shelves or drawers but overall it was thoughtfully designed. We had an ocean view balcony and the chairs on the balcony were great and the balcony was large. Soundproofing of the cabins is not the best though. And the toilets flush so loudly you can hear the toilet flushing in the cabin next door. The entertainment was mostly awesome. I dont think the ice show was as good as what I saw on harmony of the seas but it was still very enjoyable. The aqua show was simply outstanding. Can't recommend it enough. Wizard of Oz had great production value but my husband and I got bored towards the end. It isn't really our type of show. Duelling pianos was good fun too. I would have given 4.5/5 so rounded up to 5 as 4 seems harsh. It isn't perfect and I'm sure there will be tweaks on sister ships, but for the innovation and mostly excellent execution I think it needs to be applauded. I do think people need to know what they're booking though. This it not going to be a relaxing trip. There will be a lot of families on board. If you know that then you'll have a good time.
The ship’s attractions are amazing. There are very long nubes to most attractions (water slides, water surfing—> the flow rider…) take a lot of time.. There are very few soda machines; barely about 3-4 in all the ship, also the one by the kid’s water place “surf side” was all week “temporarily “ out of service, or at least, 6/7 days. Temporary means in a short time, I think if the period of time is a week having a machine all week or almost all week is not temporary, but actually a very good way to spend less soda. Attractions not included are very very pricy, I think way too much. Last time I went on a cruise didn’t feel as much business, didn’t like this new approach. I know they have to make money, but not ALL that much. It’s way too much. There should be a way to look at a map of the ship before you go in, and the activities so as to make the best of this week.
Everyone knows usually all the bells and whistles that Icon offers before boarding and since this was only our 4th RC we were looking forward to it. Well, I won't bury the lead but it didn't disappoint. Full Stop. Most people have listed negatives and Ill list what didn't happen. Fyi the cruise was over 6200 passengers plus crew. This is what never happened: 1. Never felt overcrowded at any times especially during boarding and disembarkation. The traffic flow was incredible. 2. The programmed elevators are a game changer. No excessive waiting, no people running to open doors. no pushing or shoving and no stopping at every floor. 3. Never unable to find a lounger on the sun decks in over 7 days. Literally empty chairs all day long in areas. 4. No pool closed because of maintanence issues 5. Saw every show and found good seats at every performance that we reserved. 6. Got a seat at every show or activity that we did standby for. Never was turned away. 7. Never left the buffet feeling hungry because I got tired of eating filet mignon, lobster tails, lambchops, salmon, rib eye, delicious desserts 8. Ship was never overrun with rude noisy children anymore then any other cruise ship Ive been on. Most kids stayed in surfside or the big pool on deck 9. Never got tired seeing excellent Broadway talent and technically complex shows such as the Wizard of O, effectors, Legends of Rock (actual rock band members Quiet riot, Survivor etc) perform. 10. Never got tired of listening to a 16 piece orchestra, live rock band, closing the club down at 2 pm, spending numerous nights in dueling pianos 11 . Never got tired of having to wait no longer then 5 minutes to get a cocktail in any venue on any day at any time. Every bar was staffed with 2 to 3 bartenders who eager and cheerful 12. Never waited in line longer then 5 minutes for slides (port days), 20 minutes on sea days. 13. Never had a bored minute unless of my choosing, never went to bed before 11, never had a night where I didnt have 3-4 hours of entertainment scheduled. 14. never got tired of listening to DJ at hideaway, drinking in the pool and watch bartenders spray guests with champagne while DJ blasted Champagne Showers overhead. Crowd going crazy. In the end we stayed on the ship 6 days and got off at Coco Cay which had Icon and a celebrity in port and we still felt it was uncrowded and we hung around chill island all day. We are ready to book the STAR next summer!
On the new Icon of the Seas℠, where you stay is just as thrilling as how you play. From expansive balconies that invite the sea breeze to our most over-the-top family accommodations — our range of spacious rooms is designed with family comfort in mind.
With over 20 ways to dine onboard, Icon of the SeasSM is proudly serving up more options for bonding over bites. Whether you’re craving the cheesy slice of the day, freshly made sushi rolls with a side of fresh air, or a shareable smorgasbord for your whole crew — you’ll always find cuisine to satisfy any mood you’re in without having to wander too far.
AN APPETITE FOR ADVENTURE
Every dish is designed to be a treat for the senses, delivered in captivating venues, photo-worthy plating and meals served up with a side of live entertainment. That means more to taste and discover on your culinary adventure together. Memorable moments are always on the menu onboard The Icon of VacationsSM.
PALATE PLEASING PLATES
Life’s special moments deserve special plates. Elevate your epicurean adventure to mmm-possible heights with bold twists on returning favorites plus new restaurants and VIP experiences. Indulge in premium cuts of steak hand-selected for you, debuting delicacies like caviar, and seafood delights from freshly shucked oysters to Maine lobster tails. Spend an evening savoring specially curated courses, upscale dishes and unmatched ambience that make every bite feel like a celebration.
Don’t just see the world, experience it! Royal Caribbean shore excursions can help you discover even more at each incredible destination.
Iconic Wows
Technology and artistry merge on the new Icon of the Seas℠, inspiring awe on a grand scale. Get swept away by innovation to a whole new dimension of awesome. Because icons don’t just steal the show — they change the way you see it forever.
Iconic Nightlife
When the sun goes down, your night onboard lights up with possibilities. With over 15 buzzing spots and live music venues, every night onboard overflows with ways to raise the bar on spirit-sipping and show stopping.
Iconic Chills
Have the time of your life — several times a day. Whether you want to plunge in, float or cannonball, you can recharge with an all-you-can-swim buffet of seven unique pools to satisfy any mood you’re in.
Iconic Thrills
Take your best-ever vacation and crank it up — way up. That’s what you’ll find on Icon of the Seas℠, a first-of-its-kind Royal Caribbean® adventure for the whole family.
There's no better way to excite every member of your family than with a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. We offer a huge variety of activities onboard and excursions on shore, so you can explore and have fun as a group or break out and do the things you each love most.
Onboard, our Adventure Ocean Youth Program offers adventure (and education) for kids ages 3-17 with different activities and programs for different age groups.
Many of the shore excursions offer the excitement and wonder that appeal to all ages. Be sure to check the descriptions to pick the ones your family will enjoy.
