Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Icon of the Seas vs Harmony of the Seas
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 8 years newer than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, the Icon of the Seas is 11% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Harmony of the Seas 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 Harmony of the Seas. 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.
Both the Icon of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas use a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Icon | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 250,800 | 226,963 |
| Length | 1,198 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 18 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,610 | 5,497 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 45 | 41 |
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 29 different dining options like AquaDome Market, Basecamp, and El Loco Fresh. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 15 options have an additional fee.
The Harmony of the Seas has 3 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Starbucks, Jamie's Italian, and Johnny Rockets. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 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 12% more dining options than the Harmony of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice then the Icon of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas & Harmony of the Seas
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 Central Park | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| AquaDome Market | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Basecamp | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Cafe Promenade | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Celebration Table | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Coastal Kitchen | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Dog House | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| El Loco Fresh | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Empire Supper Club | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Hooked Seafood | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Izumi in the Park | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Jamie's Italian | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Mini Bites | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Park Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pearl Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Pier 7 | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sabor | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Solarium Bistro | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sugar Beach | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Surfside Bites | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Surfside Eatery | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Grove | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Vintages Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vitality Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Wonderland | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has 6 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| 1400 Lobby Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basecamp Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Boleros | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bubbles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cantina Fresca | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dazzles | ✗ | ✓ |
| Desserted Milkshake Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✓ | ✗ |
| English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| Giovanni's Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lou's Jazz 'N Blues | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mast Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Music Hall | ✓ | ✗ |
| On Air Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rising Tide Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rye & Bean | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sabor Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sand Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Solarium Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spotlight Karaoke | ✓ | ✗ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Suite Sun Deck Bar* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Swim & Tonic | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Attic | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Grove Bar* | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Hideaway Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Lemon Post | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Lime & Coconut | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Lime & Coconut: Frozen | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Overlook | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trellis Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vintages | ✗ | ✓ |
| Windjammer Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wipeout Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Wonderland | ✗ | ✓ |
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 Harmony of the Seas 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has a total of 7 pools and 9 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only. 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.
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has fewer pools than the Icon of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Harmony of the Seas. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 5 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 7 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition
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 Harmony of the Seas, only 77% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. 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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.
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 understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.
| Royal Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 to $30 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.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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.