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When the sun goes down, your night lights up with possibilities. From performances that push the bounds of bravery to mixology magic against a background of wraparound ocean views — icons don’t just steal the show, they change the way you see it forever. Now that you know everything that's included in your Icon of the Seas cruise, you can start planning an unforgettable escape on the first-ever Icon Class cruise ship. As I slink back to the ship after my brief jailbreak, the locals stand under umbrellas to gaze at and photograph the boat that towers over their small capital city.
Category 6 waterpark
The world’s largest ship delivered on its promise. For more than a year before Icon of the Seas launched, Royal Caribbean ran a marketing campaign unlike any we’d ever seen, with flashy messaging promising a ship filled with family fun, thrills and incredible choice. I usually tan very evenly, but something about the discombobulation of life at sea makes me forget the regular application of sunscreen. As I walk down the streets of Charlotte Amalie in my fluorescent Icon of the Seas cap, an old Rastafarian stares me down. In keeping with the aquatic theme, I attend a show at the AquaDome.
The six-slide waterpark
The women are equally un-shy about their sprawling physiques. Finally, I visit a comedy revue in an enormous and too brightly lit version of an “intimate,” per Royal Caribbean literature, “Manhattan comedy club.” Many of the jokes are about the cruising life. “I’ve lived on ships for 20 years,” one of the middle-aged comedians says. “I can only see so many Filipino homosexuals dressed as a taco.” He pauses while the audience laughs. He segues into a Trump impression and then Biden falling asleep at the microphone, which gets the most laughs. As I fall asleep that night, I realize another connection I have failed to make, and one that may explain some of the diversity on this vessel—many of its passengers have served in the military.
Sails To
I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad. Still, this ship, this plenty—every few steps, there are complimentary nachos or milkshakes or gyros on offer—was the fatty fuel of my childhood dreams. Icon of the Seas’ true wow factor, however, is arguably found on its upper decks, where the ship’s multigenerational family focus shines brightest. Nevermind that the area is home to multiple pools and more than a dozen bars and eateries; some of Icon of the Seas’ most emblematic attractions are found here.
Star of the Seas News: New Ship Will Have Resident Dog - Cruise Critic
Star of the Seas News: New Ship Will Have Resident Dog.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 21:36:22 GMT [source]
The customizable Mediterranean-style wrap at the five-stall food hall
Even a Pinnacle needs to be a Suite to access this level of corned-beef hash. I put on my meatball T-shirt and head for one of the dining rooms to get a late lunch. In the elevator, I stick out my chest for all to read the funny legend upon it, but soon I realize that despite its burnished tricolor letters, no one takes note.
Later, I look him up, and it appears that on land, he’s a financial adviser in a crisp gray suit, probably a pillar of his North Chicago community. “They asked me three times if I needed medication,” he says of the security people who apparently interrogated him in full view of others having breakfast. As a coddled passenger with a suite, I feel like I am starting to understand what it means to have a rank and be constantly reminded of it. There are many espresso makers, I think as I look across the expanse of my officer-grade quarters before closing my eyes, but this one is mine. “We’re just baby Pinnacles,” Mrs. Palo Alto tells me, describing a kind of internal class struggle among the Pinnacle elite for ever higher status.
Icon of the Seas Rooms Have Categories for All Family Sizes
To the sound of “Live and Let Die,” a man in a harness gyrates to and fro in the sultry air. I saw something very similar in the back rooms of the famed Berghain club in early-aughts Berlin. Soon another harnessed man is gyrating next to the first. But the show soon devolves into the usual Marvel-film-grade nonsense, with too much light and sound signifying nichts. If any fisting is happening, it is probably in the Suite Neighborhood, inside a cabin marked with an upside-down pineapple, which I understand means a couple are ready to swing, and I will see none of it.
I say hurtfully because as a Suite passenger I should be here, though my particular suite is far from the others. Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private.
A newstay-all-day neighborhood just for families
“This is very important to me, getting people to wash their hands,” he tells me in his burger getup. He has dreams, as an artist and a performer, but they are limited in scope. One day he wants to dress up as a piece of bacon for the morning shift. Another hot-tub denizen suggests that he should have asked for fentanyl. After a few more drinks, Duck Necklace begins to muse about what it would be like to fall off the ship.
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. Wondering which restaurants are free on Icon of the Seas? There are several dining options where every bite is complimentary. This includes the casual, family-friendly Surfside Eatery buffet and Surfside Bites, your go-to for sweet and salty snacks.
Each pool has its own unique vibe, and every one is free for cruise guests (though one is exclusively for Suite Guests…more on that later). So let’s take a tour of all the picture-perfect places to plunge. First stop is the Hideaway Pool — the only suspended infinity pool at sea, you can soak up ocean views surrounded by a multilevel sun terrace with its own resident DJ, whirlpools, a variety of seating and a dedicated bar. Then there's Royal Bay, the largest pool at sea with over 40,000 gallons of water, plenty of in-water loungers and raised whirlpools that offer beautiful ocean views. — grab a seat at Swim & Tonic, the first swim-up bar in the Royal Caribbean® fleet. Water's Edge Pool has everything families need to make a splash with the little ones right in the heart of Surfside.
As of 2019, the median income for crew members was somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000, according to a major business publication. Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice. Pinnacles, it is explained to me over translucent cantaloupe, have sailed with Royal Caribbean for 700 ungodly nights. Pandemic Pinnacles took advantage of the two-for-one accrual rate of Pinnacle points during the pandemic, when sailing on a cruise ship was even more ill-advised, to catapult themselves into Pinnacle status.
There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care. Because of the importance of the inaugural voyage of the world’s largest cruise liner, more than 200 Pinnacles are on this ship, a startling number, it seems. Mrs. Palo Alto takes out a golden badge that I have seen affixed over many a breast, which reads CROWN AND ANCHOR SOCIETY along with her name. “You should hear all the whining in Guest Services,” her husband tells me. Apparently, the Pinnacles who are not also Suites like us are all trying to use their status to get into Coastal Kitchen, our elite restaurant.
Plus, stops to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas – on every sailing. Amanda has written for Royal Caribbean since 2017. She also covers travel, lifestyle, food and beverage for Indulge Magazine, the Miami Herald and PureWow. She's traveled extensively around the world, enjoys building unforgettable itineraries and loves introducing readers to lesser-known destinations. Perfect for birthdays and celebrations, the menu at Desserted is all about extravagant milkshakes piled high with all your favorite toppings. Here, you can enjoy frothy classics inspired by old-school soda parlors or, for adults, boozy concoctions and spirited sweet treats.
At first glance, I had snubbed the dining and lounge area as a rip-off of a generic airport coffee shop. But during my three days on Icon, I returned to the centrally located space more often than expected. It turns out it's a great place to get some work done. It’s the best family holiday in the world – where you’ll have the time of your life, multiple times a day. Pick from seven different pools, plus nine whirlpools to satisfy any mood you're in. Or cool off with refreshing cocktails at The Lime and Coconut® bar spanning multiple levels of chill beach vibes.
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