Icon of the Seas preview: Photographs of Royal Caribbean’s latest ship

Royal Promenade

The Royal Promenade stays the Important Road of the ship, as it’s on earlier Royal Caribbean ships. However on Icon, it feels rather more spacious, light-filled and ethereal due to partitions of glass home windows on either side of the ship and the elimination of cabins overlooking the thoroughfare. The principle focus is The Pearl, a walk-through sphere that’s really the structural help holding up the ship because the glass partitions are positioned the place most ships have a structural metal body.

The Pearl Cafe replaces Cafe Promenade because the all-day, all-night grab-n-go snack spot and low store. You will discover a greater high quality of snack right here than you may be used to on different ships. We predict that is going to be a key hangout and assembly spot for company.

We’re informed the whale sculpture above the seating space is sized to scale!

Sorrento’s complimentary pizza makes a return on Icon of the Seas.

Giovanni’s has moved from Central Park to the Royal Promenade. The impact is that the restaurant could have a extra bustling and energetic really feel than quiet date spot.

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Boleros returns for late-night Latin dance events.

Dueling Pianos is a brand new bar-with-entertainment venue on the Promenade.

You may be the star at Highlight Karaoke, a devoted venue for visitor leisure.

However don’t be concerned, the fan-favorite Schooner Bar remains to be right here, now with the brand new craft cocktail menu Royal Caribbean launched in 2023.

The Level & Feather is Icon’s incarnation of the promenade pub. Its facade is open slightly than closed off, with indoor and out of doors seating just like the pubs on different ships.

Royal Caribbean partnered with grasp mixologists to create lots of the drink menus on the ship. You could find a few of their craft cocktail creations on the indoor-outdoor 1400 Foyer Bar.

Royal Caribbean is thought for its enjoyable artwork, and we giggled at this statue of a canine marking his territory on a lamppost.

However the true hero of the ship is Rover, the chief canine officer who might be a everlasting resident on Icon of the Seas. She’s right here for the enjoyable and to make the crew smile once they’re removed from house, however she’ll greet company, too, when she’s within the temper.

The three-level essential eating room, with its beautiful chandelier, is positioned aft of the Royal Promenade on decks 3,4 and 5. As an alternative of the everyday two set seating occasions, Icon will provide company a selection of 5, in addition to versatile My Time Eating.

Additionally on the decrease decks are the On line casino Royale, Music Corridor nightclub and the primary theater.

Surfside

Surfside is the brand new family-focused neighborhood on Icon of the Seas. Its mascot seems to be a larger-than-life pink flamingo.

The realm is meant to create a no-compromises household trip expertise the place mother and father can get pleasure from a resort-style pool, elevated informal eating and artistic cocktails concurrently their children can splash in water-play areas, experience a carousel and discover climbing constructions.

Surfside is house to Splashaway Bay, discovered on the pool deck of different Royal Caribbean ships.

Eating places embody the Surfside Eatery buffet, the place everybody can get pleasure from a straightforward meal, and Pier 7, an extra-fee (when you’re over 12, that’s) California-style restaurant, which additionally serves breakfast all day.

Seize-and-go child meals is accessible from Surfside Bites, and an ice cream cone from Sprinkles.

The Lemon Submit serves matching cocktails and mocktails so everybody in your loved ones can quench their thirst.

Central Park

Central Park is as inexperienced and serene as on the Oasis Class ships, with a number of venue swaps.

Izumi Sushi and Teppanyaki is now positioned right here, with a brand new Izumi to Go quick-service window.

Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues brings a bit extra power to the house with dwell music. Enjoyable tip: Search for the highest of The Pearl peeking out between Lou’s and Izumi.

The Empire Supper Membership is an intimate eating venue starring an eight-course meal and dwell leisure.

AquaDome

Icon of the Seas has a novel beluga whale-style silhouette due to the rounded glass dome on the high ahead part of the ship.

The AquaDome is a neighborhood all its personal, centered round an enhanced AquaTheater with much more high-tech components than on the Oasis Class ships.

Circling the pool-theater are the Hooked Seafood Restaurant, Oasis Bling brand jewellery retailer (coming quickly: a Crown & Anchor throne simply begging for pictures) and the Rye & Bean espresso bar.

Our favourite space is The Overlook, a bar with enjoyable lounge seating with views for miles out the wall of home windows that make up the dome.

Do not miss the AquaDome Market, a five-stand meals corridor serving candy and savory crepes, macaroni and cheese, Asian favorites, Mediterranean dishes and sandwiches.

Thrill Island

Class 6 is the biggest water park ever discovered on a cruise ship, and it is positioned within the aptly named Thrill Island neighborhood.

You will discover six waterslides, together with a drop slide.

Additionally on this neighborhood is the Crown’s Edge ropes course that may take a look at the bounds of your braveness, the rock-climbing wall, FlowRider surf simulator and a ship- and plane-wreck-themed minigolf course.

If all that racing adrenaline leaves you hungry, seize consolation meals at Basecamp. The pretzels, scorching canine and tater tots are free, however you will pay further for hen and waffle bites and Wisconsin-style cheese curds.

Or amp your power up even additional with a large sugar rush at Desserted, a milkshake bar serving towering ice cream drinks topped with cookies and brownies (with or with out a shot of alcohol).

Chill Island

The three-deck-high Chill Island is Icon’s model of a lido or pool deck.

Deck 15 is swimming central with Royal Bay — the largest pool within the fleet — and the Cove Pool, nestled up in opposition to the aspect of the ship for sea views.

El Loco Contemporary serves up complimentary tacos and quesadillas, and the Lime and the Coconut (you will discover one on every of Chill Island’s decks) quenches your thirst with cool and refreshing cocktails. The Sprinkles soft-serve ice cream station is a returning staple.

Colourful seating and play areas name to adults and youngsters alike.

You will discover Swim & Tonic, the primary swim-up bar on a cruise ship, on Deck 16. The Cloud 17 pool and scorching tub are, in fact, on Deck 17.

The Hideaway

Icon of the Seas’ iconic back-of-ship cantilevered pool might be reserved for adults 18 and over. It would have a seashore membership vibe with a DJ, scorching tubs, bar and lounge house. (Sadly, crew members had been conducting water security coaching after I went to {photograph} the house.)

Professional tip: The Hideaway is on Deck 15 however you have to entry it from above because it backs as much as the Windjammer buffet.

Suite neighborhood

Royal Caribbean has been on a journey to create a cohesive suite space over the previous few new-builds, and the thought has lastly come collectively on Icon of the Seas. The multideck suite neighborhood on decks 16 by way of 19 creates a ship-within-a-ship expertise with every thing upscale vacationers will want.

Coastal Kitchen, the suites-only restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, is now two decks excessive with big home windows overlooking the AquaDome. Although the venue is the best guest-rated restaurant throughout the fleet, Royal Caribbean nonetheless selected to take the menu up one more notch. The dinner menu will now function lobster in some kind each single day.

The Grove is the title for each the quick-service alfresco Mediterranean restaurant on Deck 18 and the suite-exclusive solar deck on decks 18 and 19. It is the largest suite solar deck within the fleet and contains a bar, scorching tub and pool.

Many of the cabins on board had been closed to guests however we did get to see three suites.

The Proprietor’s Suite is 658 sq. ft with a 190-square-foot balcony.

The Icon Loft Suite is a two-deck-high suite with a residing space beneath and a main bedroom upstairs.

The Royal Loft Suite is the fanciest suite on board (when you do not depend the large however family-friendly Final City Home). It is obtained two flooring, two bedrooms and a number of residing areas, and may sleep as much as six folks.

Spa

The Vitality Spa largely has the soothing, neutral-colored look standard throughout the cruise business. Nevertheless, the To Dry For salon rocks a sassy vibe with pops of scorching pink and graffiti-style wall artwork.

The thermal suite gives saunas, aromatherapy showers and heated loungers.

Two {couples} therapeutic massage rooms and a brand new Quartz mattress are simply a few of the facilities you will discover within the spa.

The spa additionally options the Vitality Cafe, a smoothie and juice bar.

The health middle just isn’t adjoining to the spa however on Deck 6 previous the Royal Promenade.

Journey Ocean

The children areas of the ship are conveniently positioned near Surfside. Go down the steps towards the Royal Promenade however take a direct U-turn. Journey Ocean is split into play areas for infants and tots, preschoolers and school-age children. There’s even a theater house.

Throughout from Journey Ocean are Playmakers Sports activities Bar and Arcade, teen membership Social020 and the Absolute Zero ice skating rink. Sadly, the ship was internet hosting non-public features in that space they usually had been inaccessible to guests.

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