ICON OF THE SEAS

Royal Caribbean

May 4

By Rod & Melody. Our honest take on the biggest ship Royal Caribbean has ever built.

Our Sailing: May 4, 2024, a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami with stops in St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Perfect Day at CocoCay

Icon of the Seas is the ship everyone asks us about. She's the first of Royal Caribbean's Icon Class, and when we sailed her she was the largest cruise ship in the world. We went in excited and came home with a clear list of what Royal Caribbean nailed and what we'd change.

This is our walk-through of the ship: the hits, the misses, the cabin we lived in and the tricks we learned along the way. You can watch all our Icon videos here:

Watch our Icon of the Seas videos on YouTube

What Icon Is

Icon of the Seas debuted in January 2024. She sails year-round from Miami on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, and almost every sailing stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The ship is laid out in eight neighborhoods. The ones you'll use most are the Royal Promenade, Central Park, Thrill Island at the back of the ship and Surfside, the family neighborhood on deck 7.

✈ PRO TIP: Explore the whole ship on day one. We didn't find Cloud 17, a pool and bar tucked away near the top of the ship, until our last day. It's one of the quietest pools on board because so few people find it.

What Royal Caribbean Got Right

Thrill Island: Six waterslides, a mini-golf course and a climbing wall with stations at different levels. The slide entrances are spread around, so even with thousands of people on board it never felt crowded.
Surfside: The family neighborhood feels like a boardwalk, with splash pads, kid-friendly snack shops and a milkshake shop. Don't go in there unless you're ready to gain a couple of pounds.
Central Park: We love this neighborhood on any ship that has it. It's a quiet green space in the middle of the ocean with a bar and restaurants close by.
The AquaDome: The AquaTheater moved to the front of the ship under a glass dome. The dome doubles as a screen during the show, and the shows don't get canceled for wind. The Overlook bar at the back served my favorite drink of the trip.
The shows: Broadway-quality productions in the Royal Theater, with dozens of drones flying as part of the show. Rod loves drones, so this was a big win.
The Promenade lighting: LED lights cover the ceiling and move with the music. Walk the Promenade during a show for great photos.
The elevators: You choose your deck on a screen before you get in, and it sends you to a specific door. We never had a crowded elevator.
The gym: You reach it by walking the track to the front of the ship. The equipment is all new, and Rod worked out almost every day.

Our Favorite Night: Empire Supper Club

Empire Supper Club was the best night of our cruise. It's a 1920s-style supper club with a multi-course dinner and live music. Someone meets you in the lobby and walks you in. Rod rented a tux and I wore a formal dress, and we'd do it all again.

It's expensive, and it's priced on top of the Unlimited Dining Package. We booked it as a once-in-a-lifetime dinner, and it lived up to that.

✈ PRO TIP: Book Empire Supper Club the day your Cruise Planner opens. Seating is limited to a small group each night, and it sells out early.

Tell us in the comments: Would you splurge on Empire Supper Club, or put that money toward a cabana at CocoCay?

What We'd Change

No Solarium: Icon doesn't have the adults-only Solarium we love on Oasis Class ships. The adults-only space is The Hideaway at the back of the ship, with an infinity pool. It looks beautiful empty, but when we were there it was a pool party with a DJ. If you want a quiet spot to read, look elsewhere.
Lukewarm showers: Our cabin shower topped out around 38°C, about 100°F. I get cold easily, so this was a big miss for me. Our fix is below.
Giovanni's location: The food was great as always, but the restaurant is open to the Promenade. You can hear several music venues at once while you eat.
Music on top of music: The bars around the Promenade are close together and open to each other, so there were times when four different performers were playing within earshot.
Getting to the ice rink: You walk through Playmakers to reach Absolute Zero. We sailed during the NHL and NBA playoffs, and Playmakers was packed every night.

✈ PRO TIP: Read the letter in your cabin. We bought The Key and then slept through the included breakfast because we assumed it started at 10. It ended at 10.

How We Stayed Warm: The Thermal Suite

Because the cabin shower wasn't hot enough for me, we bought Thermal Suite passes in the Vitality Spa on deck 14. We paid $109 per person for the full 7-night pass in 2024 and went almost every day.

Inside you'll find heated loungers, an infrared sauna, a steam room, a hammam and quartz beds. The big showers there run much hotter than the cabin showers, and they're rarely busy. Bring a change of clothes.

Buy your pass in the Cruise Planner before you sail. Passes are limited and sell out.
Day passes cost less if you only want one or two visits.
If you book a spa treatment, you can usually use the Thermal Suite before and after it.
In the hammam, spray the benches with cold water before you sit down.

Our Cabin

We stayed in an ocean-view balcony cabin. Halfway through the cruise I filmed how we organized it for a week.

Closet space is tight: We used carabiners in the closet and magnetic hooks on the walls for hats, bags and swimsuits.
Shoes: We lined them up by the door. It ended up being the most convenient spot.
Under the bed: Suitcases and a bag for dirty laundry.
The shower: Plenty of room, with a small bench that makes it easy to shave your legs.
Smart lighting: Preset modes for morning, evening, movie and sleep. Sleep mode leaves a dim night light in the bathroom.

Icon doesn't print a daily Cruise Compass anymore. Before we left home, I typed up our own one-page itinerary of shows and dinners, and it was handy all week.

✈ PRO TIP: Pack a few carabiners. The bathroom door has a double hanger, but there's only one hook for a laundry bag. A carabiner solved it for us.

What We Pack for an Icon Sailing

Magnetic hooks for the steel cabin walls
Carabiners for the closet and the bathroom door
A hanging toiletry bag
Reef-safe sunscreen. I got badly sunburned in St. Maarten, so learn from me.

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Before You Sail: Quick Tips

Don't wait to book shows, Empire Supper Club or Thermal Suite passes. Do it in the Cruise Planner before you sail.
Don't expect a quiet adults-only pool. If you want calm, find Cloud 17 early or head to the Thermal Suite.
Don't count on a hot cabin shower if you get cold easily.
Don't skip the AquaDome show. It was one of the best things we saw on the ship.

Icon is a lot of ship, and she's built for families and thrill seekers first. We'd sail her again for Empire Supper Club, the shows and Thrill Island. Watch the full series, then decide if she's the right ship for your next sailing.