Icon of the Seas Reveal What is included in a Cruise

Table Of Content

• A newstay-all-day neighborhood just for families
• SIGN UP TO STAY IN THE LOOP
• The largest waterpark at sea
• The six-slide waterpark
• Where does Icon of the Seas sail from?
• Icon of the Seas Deck Plan Emphasizes Immersive Neighborhoods, Including New Options
• The adult-only suspended infinity pool
• MEET THE ICON OF VACATIONS

It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD, or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship.

A newstay-all-day neighborhood just for families

I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship. They already speak English better than most of the passengers and, per the Serbian lady’s sales pitch above, better understand what America is as well. Crew members like my Panamanian cabin attendant seem to work 24 hours a day. A waiter from New Delhi tells me that his contract is six months and three weeks long. After a cruise ends, he says, “in a few hours, we start again for the next cruise.” At the end of the half a year at sea, he is allowed a two-to-three-month stay at home with his family.

SIGN UP TO STAY IN THE LOOP

In keeping with the family theme found throughout the ship, Icon of the Seas rooms are designed for groups. Half of the ship’s 28 cabin categories are new to the line, including the much-talked about three-level Ultimate Family Townhouse, which costs a cool $80,000 a week and includes a slide from the top level down. Deck 15 is home to AquaDome, one of Icon of the Seas’ new neighborhoods that’s housed within a 363-ton glass dome. The centerpiece is the AquaTheater, where the vertigo-inducing Aqua Show takes place. But other venues -- like Hooked Seafood, Celebration Table, AquaDome Marketplace and the weirdly cool Overlook Pods hangout areas – also bring AquaDome to life.

The largest waterpark at sea

Storm Chasers consists of falling from the “mast” down a long, twisting neon tube filled with water, like being the camera inside your own colonoscopy, as you hold on to the handles of a mat, hoping not to die. The tube then flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz, an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations. The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them.

Brace yourself for Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea with six record-breaking slides. Like the Frightening Bolt, the tallest waterslide to sail. And the Pressure Drop, the first open freefall waterslide on a cruise. Icon of the Seas has plenty of live music venues — including rowdy karaoke and dueling pianos bars, if that counts. But if you're a jazz fan or looking for a peaceful nightcap, none of these options will top the live music at Lou's Jazz 'n Blues. Turn up bold adventures at some of the most beautiful destinations in the Western Caribbean.

At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station.

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Icon of the Seas Deck Plan Emphasizes Immersive Neighborhoods, Including New Options

Finding your crew’s just-right space is easy, with more rooms designed for families. 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. Bond over new bites 
and toast to next-level nightlife.

I trust that you have enjoyed this nautical lesson. Icon of the Seas℠ brings on the most thrilling Western Caribbean adventures for the whole family. Plenty of family-friendly cruise ships have waterslides, but few have six — or even one that requires a multi-person raft. Now that you know all of the wonderful entertainment, attractions, dining and more that is complimentary on Icon of the Seas, what is not included in your cruise fare? The following restaurants and attractions are open to guests sailing onboard Icon of the Seas, but you'll have to pay an additional fee to access them.

MEET THE ICON OF VACATIONS

There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000. There’s the aforementioned Royal Promenade, where I had drunk with the Rands, and where a pair of dueling pianos duel well into the night. There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself.

The variety of rooms onboard Icon of the Seas is impressive, with more than 80% offering beds for three passengers or more. Cabins are made for families, though storage space ultimately could be an issue with larger groups, especially with more standard accommodations. Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines. He is a sweet, gentle man, and I thank him for the earworm of a song he has given me and for keeping us safe from the dreaded norovirus.

As a ship made for families, Icon of the Seas primarily attracts cruisers traveling with children – 82% of the cabins can hold three guests or more. Most passengers will be from North America, but given that the ship sails from Miami – a destination known for international tourism – it won’t be uncommon for Icon of the Seas to attract global passengers. The Windjammer Marketplace is a win; the company has managed to create a buffet with excellent options (including those for people with allergies) and an efficient layout that moves people through effectively.

It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots. Vibrant, oversignifying colors are stacked upon other such colors, decks perched over still more decks; the only comfort is a row of lifeboats ringing its perimeter. There is no imposed order, no cogent thought, and, for those who do not harbor a totalitarian sense of gigantomania, no visual mercy. This is the biggest cruise ship ever built, and I have been tasked with witnessing its inaugural voyage.