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"Everything — every ship, every experience — starts with the guest," says Tim Klauda, vice president of product development at Royal Caribbean International. This 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise will depart from Miami and sail to Perfect Day at CocoCay, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts & Nevis. Over the next few days while in Puerto Rico, Icon of the Seas will have to pass some regulatory inspections. Additionally, there will be loading and off-loading of equipment, and yard workers will disembark the ship to return home, with more crew arriving to begin their contracts. “With each new ship, we raise the bar in the travel industry while enhancing what our guests know and love,” said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive at Royal Caribbean Group. Sailing on seven-night journeys around the Caribbean from its port city of Miami, the megaship will open for bookings next Tuesday.
World's biggest LNG-powered cruise vessel Icon of the Seas ignites debate on methane emissions
With the largest water park at sea and the first suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship, the first Icon Class vessel will set sail in January 2024. Among its standout features are what will reportedly be the largest water park ever on a cruise ship and a striking indoor entertainment venue specifically designed for the line's signature acrobatic and diving performances. By day, the neighborhood offers wraparound ocean views and a waterfall, while, by night, it becomes a vibrant place for a night out, complete with restaurants, bars, and the cruise line’s marquee aqua shows at the AquaTheater. After debuting on the Oasis Class, the show venue will feature a new transforming pool, four robotic arms, state-of-the-art projection, and more. Royal Theater is the main show lounge spreading over 3 floors (forward on decks 3-4-5). The theater presents nightly 2 grand shows - early (at 8 pm) and late (at 10 pm) to match the assigned dining room sittings.
What to know about Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship: photos - Business Insider
What to know about Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship: photos.
Posted: Sat, 27 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
POOL HOP NONSTOP
Similarly, Utopia of the Seas, the sixth Oasis Class ship, is scheduled to set sail in July 2024 on 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas. Typically, shakedown cruises are comprised of cruise line employees and their families. It is not uncommon for them to sometimes double as preview sailings for the media and travel agents. It will also be home to a 16-metre-high waterfall, a rock-climbing wall, the company's first swim-up bar and its very own "Central Park" neighbourhood, inspired by New York City's famed urban park.
Current itinerary of Icon Of The Seas
When Icon departs Ponce to sail to Miami, it will be over one year until she returns to the island, as San Juan isn't a scheduled port of call on Eastern Caribbean itineraries until May 2025. The May 3, 2025 cruise also visits St. Maarten and Labadee, Haiti, foregoing a stop at the cruise line's private island in The Bahamas. She had to sail underneath the Great Belt Bridge, an 11-mile bridge located in Denmark, in order to reach Cádiz. The 20-deck high had to have her funnels retracted to barely squeeze underneath. It required expertise from the entire crew, including meteorologists to ship operators.
The voyage ended with the naming ceremony (Jan 23rd, in PortMiami) led by the ship's godfather Lionel Messi. These RCI vessels are also outfitted with bigger-capacity water treatment systems (evaporators and reverse osmosis plants) to support the increased freshwater consumption (for the hotel operations and at all water facilities/pools, slides, etc). ICON-class are LNG-powered ships, each having two LNG fuel tanks (for storing liquefied natural gas, manufactured at Meyer Neptune) each with capacity 307 tons and length 27,4 m (90 ft). Fuel tanks, like the engines and other large machinery, are installed into the hull blocks assembled at Meyer Turku.
The largest waterpark at sea
Icon Of The Seas itinerary program was officially revealed on October 20, 2022, and RCI opened Icon OTS' cruises for booking on Oct 24th (for loyalty program members) and Oct 25th (to the general public). Royal Theater's grand productions (90-min evening shows) are titled "Effectors" (themed on superheroes), "Wizard of Oz" (musical) and "SHOWBAND! Live. Music. Now." (stage performances by 16 musicians/string, woodwind, brass, percussion). Icon OTS' venues hosting grand shows are three - Royal Theater, AquaDome, and Absolute Zero (Ice-Skating Arena).
Family rooms redefined
In the evening, AquaDome transforms into a "nightlife zone" housing RCI's signature entertainment venue AquaTheater (redesigned, smaller-sized and indoor/glass-covered on ICON ships) hosting high-diving aquatic and aerial acrobatic shows. The AquaTheater has a transforming deepwater swimming pool and is fitted with modern technologies including multi-media equipment (superior light-sound-smoke effects, 3D flying projections), stage lifts, 4x robotic arms. Four of the ship's seven pools will be found in the three-deck Chill Island pool area, with plenty of ocean views from the watery play spaces. Among the pools is Royal Caribbean's first swim-up bar; another is what Royal is claiming to be the largest pool at sea. Icon OTS has 7x swimming pools (scattered across 5 decks), 9x outdoor Jacuzzies/whirlpools, and the fleet's largest waterpark with 6x waterslides (including the largest at sea).
Anna Drescher, the cruise line's manager of architectural design, newbuilding and innovation calls Icon of the Seas℠ a "white-paper ship" because it began with a blank sheet of sketching paper. The delivery ceremony was held at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, where the majority of the ship's construction took place. The brand-new vessel still has to undergo a few more preparations before that can happen, though. Old favorites including the Windjammer marketplace, Sorrento’s pizza and Starbucks all have their place on Icon amongst the vast range of dining options.
RCI-Royal Caribbean's ship Icon of the Seas conducts boat rescue operation
Instead, families can enjoy the complimentary Surfside Eatery buffet, grab some snacks at Surfside Bites, or splurge on an all-day brunch at Pier 7. It's where they can stay and play all day, especially since there's no need to head to the Windjammer for lunch. Turn up bold adventures at some of the most beautiful destinations in the Western Caribbean. Marvel at lush tropical jungles in Roatán, trek through Mayan ruins in Cozumel — and brave the tallest waterslide in North America at our gamechanging private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Finding your crew’s just-right space is easy, with more rooms designed for families.
From the cruise line's first-ever swim-up bar to the largest pool at sea, infinity-edge Cove and Cloud 17 Pools, Chill Island is, undoubtedly, going to be the best pool deck at sea. Onboard, guests will find the largest waterpark and ice rink at sea, new neighborhoods to explore, the cruise line's first-ever food hall, and so much more. Choose a different pool for every day of the week, including Royal Bay — the largest pool at sea. Next-level views are never far away, with an array of infinity edges to keep you connected to the ocean.
The fourth pillar was all about offering a more diverse and expansive lineup of sensational cruise entertainment — a feat that Royal Caribbean's award-winning entertainment team is well-equipped to deliver. Jennifer Goswami, director of product development at Royal Caribbean International, adds that walking the ship through the guest lens played a huge role in the innovation process and led to the ultimate design and vision for Icon of the Seas℠. One key goal was to combine the best elements of a broad range of vacation styles and experiences — including city getaways, amusement parks, beach retreats, all-inclusive resorts and more — into one unforgettable experience at sea.
Every sailing on our newest, thrill-packed ship stops at our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. Voted Best Private Island by Travel Weekly readers, it’s a place unlike any other where you can turn up the thrills or unplug and chill. The Icon flexes a unique list of watering holes, including a dueling piano venue and a swim-up bar. This colorful getaway — complete with a giant pink flamingo and an eclectic carousel — is where the youngest guests can seek out daytime romps around the water playground and nighttime story readings. Icon OTS also has a hull (painted in baby blue) with a parabolic bow and vertical stern (also fleet's firsts) both creating a curved indentation in the hull's bottom. The parabolic bow design increases the vessel's overall stability (by shifting the gravity center forward) and also makes it less prone to heeling or capsizing.
Like on all large newbuild cruisers, the hull is fitted with Wartsila's air lubrication system that reduces frictional resistance by creating a coating of microbubbles on the flat bottom. On June 15, 2022, RCG signed with Eagle LNG Partners LLC (Eagle LNG) a contract for providing LNG (liquefied natural gas) and bunkering services to RCI liners, the first of which is Icon OTS. The gas supply is sourced from Eagle LNG's facilities in JAXPORT-Jacksonville Florida, shipped throughout the Caribbean and bunkered by Eagle LNG-owned newbuild vessels. In late-December 2021, to Meyer Turku were towed/barged by 4x tugboats the first pre-assembled in Poland (at Gdansk Shipyard) hull blocks, with weights tons. Their assembly/the ship's physical construction officially started with the keel-laying ceremony held on April 5, 2022.
On Royal Caribbean's ICON ships was introduced fuel cell technology, which combined with hull air lubrication means the vessels are among the most fuel-efficient ever built. The Music Hall (dance lounge/disco nightclub introduced on QUANTUM-class RCI boats) is a 2-level venue (decks 3-4) and provides live music entertainment (band performances daily and DJs in the evenings). It features an exclusive 2-deck Sundeck and an expanded Coastal Kitchen (suite-only restaurant on 2 levels, overlooking the AquaTheater). There is a larger exclusive sundeck (accessed only by Star Class and Sky Class suites) with its own swimming pool and an outdoor Jacuzzi, plus a new, suite-only casual dining venue (The Grove) offering traditional Mediterranean cuisine specialties. The 2024-built Icon of the Seas cruise ship is RCI-Royal Caribbean's first ICON-Class vessel scheduled for delivery and inauguration in 2024 January, being postponed from 2022-Q2 and 2023-Q3 due to the COVID crisis. The liner is currently the world's largest by volume/GT-tons (~6% bigger than Wonder OTS) and has two same-designed sisterships - Star Of The Seas (2025-Q2) and TBN of the Seas (2026-Q2).
The inaugural cruise will depart on Saturday, January 27 and sail to Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis' Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Perfect Day At Cococay. This voyage will signify the ship's completion, as the ship will officially be ready for regular service. Nearly every sailing will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas. If relaxing isn't on your agenda, head to Thrill Island, where you will find the Category 6 water park, FlowRider surf simulator, and part skywalk, part ropes course, and part thrill ride Crown's Edge, which will take you 154 feet above the ocean.
On October 10, 2016, Meyer Turku Oy (Finland) and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group signed the MoU agreement (memorandum of understanding) and officially announced the building order for two vessels under the project name "ICON". The units are LNG-powered (by liquified natural gas), employ fuel cell technology, and are classified by DNV GL (Hovik Norway-headquartered international ship registrar and classification society). The MoU ceremony was attended by Michael Bayley (RCI's President and CEO), Jan Meyer (Meyer Turku's CEO) and Harri Kulovaara (Finnish naval architect, RCCL's Maritime and Newbulding's Executive Vice President). RCI's ICON ships have a 4-deck Crew Neighborhood (housing 2350 people) featuring redesigned (new/patented) crew cabins with an L-shaped bed layout. Called "Admiral Awesome", the professional employee hosts different family-themed events. "Infinite Balcony" are "French Balcony" cabins with drop-down panoramic/wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows enclosing the terrace.
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