Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Icon of the Seas vs Seaside
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. Icon of the Seas is the first in a whole new class of ships by Royal Caribbean that's designed to provide the "ultimate family vacation." It is currently the largest cruise ship in the world. It's 7 years newer than the Seaside, which was built in 2017.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Icon of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,198 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 18-story building. Compared to the MSC Seaside, the Icon of the Seas is 63% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Seaside based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Icon of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Seaside. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Icon of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Icon | Seaside |
| Gross Tonnage | 250,800 | 153,516 |
| Length | 1,198 | 1,060 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 18 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,610 | 5,084 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 1,513 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 45 | 30 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Icon of the Seas has twenty-three different dining options like Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Sorrento's Pizza, and Pearl Cafe. Of those options, fifteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fourteen options have an additional fee.
The Seaside has twelve fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, Ocean Cay Restaurant, and Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Icon of the Seas might be a better choice. It has more than double the amount of dining options than the Seaside.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Icon of the Seas might be a better choice then the Seaside. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 23 | 11 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 14 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 39% | 27% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has 9 more bars than the MSC Seaside. The Icon of the Seas has 27 bars like Playmakers, The Lime & Coconut and The Overlook. On Icon of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Aurea Bar, Casino Bar and Miramar Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | MSC Seaside |
|---|---|
| •1400 Lobby Bar • Aquadome Market Bar • Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Attic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer Bar | •Aurea Bar • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Garage Club • Haven Lounge • Jungle Bar • Marketplace Bar • Miami Beach Bar • Miramar Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seaside Bar • Seaview Lounge • Shine Bar • South Beach Bar • Sports Bar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar • Wine & Cocktails |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Icon of the Seas and the Seaside below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has a total of 7 pools and 9 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
MSC Seaside has fewer pools than the Icon of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seaside. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Icon of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 7 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Icon of the Seas, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Seaside, only 57% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Glass Bridge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and MSC are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on MSC Seaside.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.