Following her transatlantic crossing from Spain, Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas arrived in the Caribbean and docked at Ponce, Puerto Rico on January 2, 2024.
Icon of the Seas was handed over to Royal Caribbean from the Meyer Turku shipyard on November 27, 2023. She left the port of Algeciras in Spain on December 23, 2023, after she took on more than 10,000 plants and trees which are part of her Central Park neighborhood as well as 2,500 cubic meters of LNG.
Michael Bayley, the CEO and President of Royal Caribbean International, speaking of the ship’s first-ever arrival to a Caribbean port said, “Oh look who just arrived early this morning into the port in Ponce, Puerto Rico! ICON! Next few days lots of regulatory inspections, loading and offloading equipment, yard workers going home, more crew arriving along with a very special crew member. Preparations going well for the arrival into Miami Jan 9th where we will host the ICON arrival party.”
Known as the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas is easily one of the most anticipated cruise ships. Design and development began over seven years ago with the actual construction of the ship taking about 900 days. Bayley said, “Seven years ago, we had an ambitious idea to create the first vacation truly made for every type of family and adventurer; now, it’s in our hands, and in this final stretch, we’ll bring it all to life for the biggest debut in our history in January 2024.”
Onboard guests will find eight neighborhoods that include the largest glass and steel structure on a cruise ship, the AquaDome, which offers amazing aqua shows and the highest waterfall at sea. Out of its seven pools, the ship also houses one of the largest pools at sea and six unique waterslides.
Icon of the Seas also offers 20 different iconic dining venues–everything from casual to elegant, sit down to walk up, and live music to chefs that put on a show. She also offers more than 15 bars and lounges. Guests will find dueling pianos, a jazz club, a coffee bar and a walkup champagne bar. There will be something for everyone.
Icon of the Seas is expected to arrive in Miami on Tuesday morning, January 9, 2024, for what is sure to be an iconic welcome celebration. Her first official cruise will embark on January 27, 2024, and sail a 7-day Eastern Caribbean voyage to St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Until that time, she will sail a series of “shakedown” cruises. These cruises are intended to test the ship’s features with media and travel agents onboard.