World's largest cruise ship: what to know as it sets sail from Miami

Table Of Content

• The world’s largest cruise ship has 20 decks, 7 pools and would cover almost 4 city blocks
• Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
• FAQ on Largest Cruise Ships
• Construction is now under way on the Royal Caribbean megaship which will have a capacity of nearly 10,000 travellers
• 'Utopia of the Seas': world’s largest cruise liner will set sail in 2024
• World’s Largest Cruise Ship
• Iona (P&O Cruises)

Details on where the ship will sail and for how long have yet to be revealed by Royal Caribbean. Millions are following the journey through the eyes of the passengers, as they live and post their lives aboard a vessel they’ll be on for nearly a year. If it sounds like a reality show, that’s exactly what some watchers have turned it into.

The world’s largest cruise ship has 20 decks, 7 pools and would cover almost 4 city blocks

Her first regular voyage departed Savona on December 31, 2019; however, there was a special voyage for travel agents that departed Barcelona, Spain on December 18, 2019. Returning neighborhoods such as Central Park, Suite Neighborhood, and Royal Promenade will also undergo some revamping. For one, Central Park will be spread out over five decks, displaying four living plant walls and containing about 20 percent more plants than in previous iterations. It’s just the first in a new class of ships from Royal Caribbean set to launch over the years to come. All itineraries also feature a day at Royal Caribbean's exclusive Bahamas island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Also new on Icon of the Seas is the Celebration Table, a private 12-seat dining experience perfect for a milestone anniversary. In addition to the traditional buffet, there is a family-focused buffet in the Surfside neighborhood, together with several grab-and-go outlets throughout the ship. For suite guests, parts of Decks 16 to 19 are devoted to Royal Caribbean's ship-within-a-ship concept offering exclusive restaurants, lounges and outdoor areas for suite guests and the line’s most loyal customers. The main attraction here is the first suspended infinity pool at sea, flanked by tiered lounge space, hot tubs and a champagne bar.

FAQ on Largest Cruise Ships

The ship is the size of almost four city blocks and runs nearly 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern. Star of the Seas will sail out of Port Canaveral; however, the home port for the third ship is currently unknown. It is fully possible to cruise on Icon without spending anything extra on food. You will have plenty of diversity, which is something older Royal Caribbean ships usually struggle with.

Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Moreover, Icon will have a long lineup of other energy efficiency initiatives onboard, all of which help to contribute to Royal Caribbean Group's goal of introducing a net-zero ship by 2035. Even though Meyer Turku's time with Icon has come to an end, they're hard at work building Star of the Seas. Plus, the first steel for the third Icon Class ship was cut in mid-January. Icon of the Seas will offer 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami, Florida.

Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Despite the focus on families, there are plenty of spaces for adults to escape. Icon of the Sea's Central Park, an open-air green space, is designed to offer adult guests a serene setting, perfect for romantic dinners or tranquil strolls amidst the plants and trees. Icon of the Seas will rise 20 decks high and stretch 1,198 feet in length. Featuring 28-room types on board, layouts have been designed with for families in mind and can accommodate three, four, five guests in options like the Family Infinite Balcony and Surfside Family Suite. Icon will feature the largest waterpark at sea, with six record-breaking slides.

In June 2023, the new 'Icon of the Seas' cruise ship set sail for the first time for its sea trials. 'Icon of the Seas' will be the biggest cruise ship at sea when it sets sail in January 2024. It is powered by six dual-fuel engines, which can be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fuel alternative that the Cruise Lines International Association says reduces sulfur and greenhouse gas emissions. However, some environmentalists worry LNG-powered ships increase methane emissions.

World’s Largest Cruise Ship

As of February 2024[update], there are 68 passenger ships with over 135,000 GT in service. The first ships over that size were the Voyager-class ships from Royal Caribbean Group's Royal Caribbean International (RCI). On Jan. 27, the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, set sail on its inaugural cruise. With the capacity to carry nearly 8,000 people, the 20-deck, 1,198-foot-long vessel is the size of a small city.

Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. By 2025 the top-10 list will all be ships with a gross tonnage over 200,000 which is pretty spectacular, and who knows by then what will be in the pipeline. Disney Cruise Line has already ordered new ships for 2024 and 2025 as sister ships to the Disney Wish, which launched in 2022. The ship still has 30 dining and drinking venues though – 11 places to eat and 19 bars or lounges, so plenty of space to unwind. But the ship is much more European in style, with Mediterranean-themed restaurants.

While we may have to wait until the bottom half of this list for a non-Royal Caribbean ship, MSC World Europa is worth the wait. As confirmed on Thursday, MSC World America will operate alternating itineraries to the Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean. For the summer of 2025, both MSC World America and Icon of the Seas will sail from Miami on Saturdays on seven-night trips to the Caribbean. Carnival Celebration will sail out of Miami on Sundays on six- to eight-night trips to the Caribbean. When complete, the bow of the 362-metre ship would reach the top of New York's Empire State Building if the vessel was standing vertically.

A Look Inside the World's Largest Cruise Ship, Launching January 2024 Condé Nast Traveler - Condé Nast Traveler

A Look Inside the World's Largest Cruise Ship, Launching January 2024 Condé Nast Traveler.

Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The 20-deck ship will feature 2,805 staterooms and have a maximum capacity of 7,600 guests—over 500 more passengers than Wonder of the Seas. It will also kick off the brand’s new Icon class of vessels and introduce passengers to five new "neighborhood" concepts, with eight neighborhoods in total. Royal Caribbean has just announced more details for its latest mega-ship, Icon of the Seas. Scheduled to set sail on her first voyage in January 2024, Icon of the Seas will usurp Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas as the largest cruise ship in the world.

At the time of writing, the lowest advertised fare on Royal Caribbean's website for a cruise onboard Icon in 2024 starts at $3,005 per person for an interior room for the March 23 sailing. Icon of the Seas measures an astonishing 250,800 gross registered tons and can carry a maximum of 7,600 passengers, making Icon roughly 6% larger than Wonder of the Seas. Whether you're counting down the days until your Icon cruise or cannot fathom stepping foot on a ship that size, there's no denying that the launch of Icon of the Seas is a major milestone in the cruising industry.

The first official maiden voyage departed on April 7, 2018, on a 7-night Mediterranean voyage from Barcelona, Spain. Symphony of the Seas has been based in PortMiami, Florida since November 10, 2018. Some trips will take travelers to destinations like St. Kitts and St. Thomas, with others calling at St. Maarten and St. Thomas. Western Caribbean itineraries include stops at Honduras, Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. When it comes to views, among the best are from the brand’s first Sunset Corner Suites and Panoramic ...

The biggest thing to ever hit cruising is coming in January 2024, when Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas—which will be the largest cruise ship in the world—will debut to passengers for the first time. Icon of the Seas offers something for everyone – on a ship that size, how could she not? The existing five Oasis Class vessels are all ranked as the world’s largest passenger ships and Utopia of the Seas will be included once it sets sail.