Royal Caribbean International’s iconic ship has finally arrived at PortMiami. At about 7 am on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, Icon of the Seas, pulled into Biscayne Bay for the first time. As Icon of the Seas became visible to onlookers, they could clearly see many of the ship’s signature features.
Icon of the Seas sailed into PortMiami to much fanfare. A crowd gathered at the Perez Art Museum Miami for the official welcome party along with a marching band and cheerleaders. The crew members onboard, including Rover, the Chief Dog Officer, lined the decks in excitement of arriving “home.”
The world’s largest cruise ship is a 1,198-foot vessel that took 900 days to build and can carry up to 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members. Today’s arrival of Icon of the Seas was a historical moment for Royal Caribbean International as the cruise line introduced the first of a new class of ship–the Icon Class.
Just glancing at the ship, you notice her Aquadome, Surfside neighborhood, and Category 6 water park. She also features eight neighborhoods, a swim-up bar, an adults-only retreat, and a Royal Promenade with more than 15 restaurants, bars and lounges and floor-to-ceiling views. Icon of the Seas has more to do onboard than other ships and is positioning herself to be the choice for family vacations.
After her spin in the turning basin, Icon of the Seas headed to Terminal A and will now sail a series of shakedown cruises until her naming ceremony on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Iconic soccer player, Icon’s godfather, Lionel Messi will christen the ship. The ceremony will include the traditional blessing for the ship and her safety.
Her inaugural voyage will be a 7-day Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day sailing embarking on Saturday, January 27, 2024. She will visit St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Thomas and Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.