All about the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas cruise ship
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas

The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. It's considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,198 ft long and 216 ft 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. 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.

Icon of the Seas Overview

Icon of the Seas Size and Passengers

The Icon of the Seas can hold 5,610 based on double occupancy (two people per room) and more when you take into account 3rd and 4th passengers. When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, the Icon of the Seas has a space ratio of 45. Depending on the ship, this number can range from 30 to 52 (with a bigger number meaning more space per person) so this ship's space-to-person ratio is about average. 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
ClassIcon
Gross Tonnage250,800
Length1,198
Beam/Width216
Passenger Decks18
Passengers (double occupancy)5,610
Crew2,350
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.4
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)45
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas Space Ratio
30 45 52

The Icon of the Seas is one of two Icon-class ships currently sailing with Royal Caribbean. The Icon-class is an evolution of the Oasis-class and has tons of superlatives like the largest ships in the world, largest pool at sea, the biggest swim-up bar at sea, the largest water park at sea, and more. It also has unique features like a huge kid's water play area, a beautiful architectural feature called the Pearl, and a new enclosed performance space called the AquaDome. The Icon of the Seas is very similar to its sister-ships; Star of the Seas, although each ship may have some differences.


Icon of the Seas Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and there will plenty on the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas. You have 23 different dining options to choose from. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 14 options have an additional fee. Some of those options are a set price and some have a la cart menu pricing. Only 39% of the dining options are included meaning you might spend more while on the ship due to the additional fees.

RestaurantRestaurant TypeCostType of Food
AquaDome MarketQuick serveIncludedFood Hall
BasecampQuick serveA la cartSandwiches
Celebration TableSit downFlat feeFoodie
Chops GrilleSit downFlat feeSteakhouse
Coastal KitchenSit downExclusiveCali
El Loco FreshQuick serveIncludedMexican
Empire Supper ClubSit downFlat feeAmerican
Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine BarSit downFlat feeItalian
Hooked SeafoodCasualFlat feeSeafood
Izumi Hibachi & SushiSit downFlat feeAsian
Izumi in the ParkQuick serveA la cartSushi
Main Dining RoomSit downIncludedMain dining room
Park CafeQuick serveIncludedDeli
Pearl CafeQuick serveIncludedSandwiches
Pier 7Sit downFlat feeCalifornia
PlaymakersSit downA la cartBar food
Sorrento's PizzaQuick serveIncludedPizza
StarbucksQuick serveA la cartCoffee
Sugar BeachQuick serveA la cartDessert
Surfside BitesQuick serveIncludedSnacks
Surfside EateryQuick serveIncludedBuffet
The GroveQuick serveExclusiveAmerican
WindjammerQuick serveIncludedBuffet

Icon of the Seas Bars and Drinks

Trellis Bar on the Icon of the Seas
Trellis Bar on the Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has 24 different bars and lounges where you can enjoy a beer or cocktail. It also has 1 other bars that are available for select guests.

BarLocation
1400 Lobby BarDeck 5 Mid
Basecamp BarDeck 16 Aft
BolerosDeck 6 Mid
BubblesDeck 8 MidSee Menu
Cantina FrescaDeck 15 MidSee Menu
Casino BarDeck 4 Mid
Desserted Milkshake BarDeck 16 AftSee Menu
Dueling PianosDeck 6 Forward
English PubDeck 5 MidSee Menu
Giovanni's Wine BarDeck 6 Mid
Lou's Jazz 'N BluesDeck 8 MidSee Menu
Music HallDeck 3 ForwardSee Menu
PlaymakersDeck 6 AftSee Menu
Rye & BeanDeck 15 ForwardSee Menu
Schooner BarDeck 6 MidSee Menu
Spotlight KaraokeDeck 5 Forward
Swim & TonicDeck 16 MidSee Menu
The AtticDeck 6 Forward
The Grove Bar*Deck 18 Forward
The Hideaway BarDeck 15 AftSee Menu
The Lemon PostDeck 7 AftSee Menu
The Lime & CoconutDeck 15 MidSee Menu
The Lime & Coconut: FrozenDeck 16 MidSee Menu
The OverlookDeck 14 Forward
Trellis BarDeck 8 MidSee Menu
* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

Alcohol is not included in the base price of this cruise ship. To see if you would save money with a drink package, try our Drink Package Calculator.

Royal Caribbean also serves 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.

Pools and Hot Tubs on Icon of the Seas

Royal Bay Pool on Icon of the Seas
Royal Bay Pool on Icon of the Seas

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 in a pool, a cruise might not be the right choice. 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
Icon of the Seas
Total Pools7
- Pools - General Access5
- Pools - Adults Only1
- Pools - Exclusive1
Total Hot Tubs9
- Hot Tubs - General Access7
- Hot Tubs - Adults Only1
- Hot Tubs - Exclusive1


cruise coloring book

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

Icon of the Seas Features and Activities

There are quite a few things to do on the Icon of the Seas. These are the main amenities that are available. Some are included in the cost of the cruise, while others have an additional charge.

Royal Caribbean
Icon of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation AreaIncluded
AquatheaterIncluded
ArcadeA la cart
BasketballIncluded
CarouselIncluded
CasinoA la cart
Climbing WallIncluded
Comedy ClubIncluded
Escape RoomFlat fee
Fitness CenterIncluded
FlowRiderIncluded
Ice SkatingIncluded
Laser TagIncluded
Mini golfIncluded
Ropes courseIncluded
Shows - Broadway playIncluded
Shows - musical reviewIncluded
SpaA la cart
Splash parkIncluded
WaterparkIncluded

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 cost more than other ships in the fleet.

Icon 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)
$18.00
Tip added to drinks & services18%
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.

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