Were it not for crew members, there would be no cruising. Crew members are at work during each cruise to be sure that every cruiser has a memorable experience. Royal Caribbean seems to recognize the necessity of a happy crew and has upgraded the crew area on the upcoming Icon of the Seas.
Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, emphasized the value of Royal Caribbean’s crew, “Building Icon of the Seas and putting all these amazing neighborhoods and wow moments on there, that’s really the beginning of the experience. But in order to deliver on that experience, it will require what makes Royal Caribbean so special—which is our crew.”
The cruise line consulted with over 1,000 crew members of different nationalities, onboard positions, and ages allowing them to have a hand in designing their neighborhood. Because of this, Icon of the Seas will have about 2300 crew members from 80 countries who will be the first to experience a completely revamped crew area which will cover four decks, and include redesigned lounge areas, cabins and amenities.
One of the redesigned spaces is called The Clubhouse which is an area in the front of the shop where crew members can relax. Within The Clubhouse, crew members can enjoy a coffee or a cocktail, relax in a massage chair, or play a game of ping pong or pool.
Crew members will have a crew-only salon, store and a gym. The Crew Windjammer will offer menus similar to those that are served to guests and feature ocean views through porthole windows.
The Crew Neighborhood will have both an indoor and outdoor bar space, a multipurpose venue for entertainment or training, and a game room for gamers to enjoy.
Michael Bayley, President of Royal Caribbean International, noted the importance of the redesigned spaces for the crew, “There’s a degree of practicality that has to be applied for all of our crew spaces because we have a lot of crew. So you’ve gotta find that balance between functionality, practicality, and comfort and design. And I think we found that with Icon.”
Royal Caribbean has released a video entitled “Making an Icon: Creating the Crew’s Neighborhood” where viewers can go behind the scenes and explore the redesigned crew area.