Icon of the Seas

The Icon of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship and the biggest in the world. If you're planning on sailing on the Icon of the Seas, there are some things you should know to be prepared. Being the first of its class, the Icon of the Seas is unlike any other Royal Caribbean ship. We had the opportunity to sail on the Icon's inaugural sailing and are here to share our do's and don't's.

For a tour of the Icon of the Seas, watch our video here. 

Aqua Show

Aqua Action!, Icon of the Seas' aqua show, sells out quickly because seating is limited so fewer people are able to grab reservations in comparison to other Royal Caribbean ships. If you don't get a reservation, don't panic. The benches in front are reserved for those with reservations, but directly behind them is an area with plenty of tables and chairs where anyone can sit. If you are hoping to snag one of those unreserved seats, we recommend arriving early. However, if you are okay with standing for the entire show, which is only 30 minutes in total, then you can arrive anytime, as there is plenty of standing space with great views. 

Aquatheater

We thought Aqua Action! was an enjoyable show, but felt there was opportunity for improvement. It seemed like there was more dancing than diving, which is what we hoped to see more of. However, it is still worth going to see if you have time. 

Scene from Aqua Action!

Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is the featured broadway style musical on the Icon of the Seas and is a must see. The show features suspended actors flying above the audience and an interactive screen that changes background with the scenes. While following the original storyline of the 1939 film and featuring many of the original songs, the broadway show introduces new technologies that make for a highly entertaining show. Be sure to grab reservations as soon as you get on the ship, as this show sells out quick. 

Wizard of Oz theater exiting after show

Ice show

The ice show on Icon of the Seas is called "Starburst: Elemental Beauty". We enjoyed the unique science theme and talent onboard. The ice show requires a reservation and often sells out, so you'll want to grab this one at the beginning of the cruise as well. 

Absolute Zero

Dining

The Icon of the Seas has several unique dining spots with delicious food. We were super impressed with all the tasty food options and wish we had more time to explore them all. 

Surfside Bites

Our favorite complimentary lunch spot was Surfside Bites located in the aft on deck 7 in the Surfside area, which is dedicated to kids on this ship. They offer popcorn chicken, french fries, pizza flop over, and several other options ideal for picky eaters. There is also an indoor section called Surfside Eatery which offers a wider selection of foods. Be sure to try the cookie sandwiches - they don't have these everyday so when you see them, grab them! 

Cookie Sandwich from Surfside Eatery

We also enjoyed the complimentary Mexican restaurant El Loco Fresh located on deck 15. It is a short walk to any of the pool areas, so it's ideal for a quick bite if your plan is to head back and sunbathe without losing your spot. El Loco Fresh is self serve, so you will have to stand in line and grab your food buffet style. They offer quesadillas, nachos, tacos, and more. 

A unique dining opportunity on the Icon of the Seas is the Aquadome Market. Located next to the Aquatheater, you can choose from Mediterranean, Korean, Mac n cheese, and even crepes. We loved the variety of options in the Aquadome Market for a unique quick bite. 

Izumi Hibachi menu

For specialty dining, we recommend Izumi Hibachi for an interactive dining experience where your food is cooked right in front of you. For the main course, you can choose from chicken, steak, shrimp, beef, or scallops served with rice on the side.

Chicken and beef from Izumi Hibachi

We were particularly excited to see mochi ice cream on the dessert menu, something that we first discovered in Japan and fell in love with. The outside layer is like a flavorless dough and on the inside is ice cream. You can choose from several different flavors. Read more about our adventures in Japan here. Overall, we highly recommend Izumi Hibachi if you're looking to try a specialty restaurant on the Icon of the Seas. 

Mochi ice cream from Izumi Hibachi

Sunbathing

We highly recommend Cloud 17 for days at sea on the Icon of the Seas. Cloud 17 is ideally positioned on deck 17 with a small pool and bar nearby. There is a band that plays on the other side of the deck, so you can hear the live music playing without it being too loud. Lunch is only a short walk to the Windjammer buffet and El Loco Fresh Mexican restaurant. Cloud 17 the only section that has lounge chairs with thick cushions making them very comfortable to lay on. Overall, Cloud 17 is a fairly relaxed area with not too many kids and not too much drinking, with everything you need located close by. 

Thrill Island

Thrill Island on Icon of the Seas houses six waterslides at varying thrill levels. There are two raft slides - Hurricane Hunter and Storm Surge. Everyone planning on being in the same raft together gets weighed to determine which slide you are eligible to ride. Storm Surge is the more thrilling of the two, and the one where they have stricter weight requirements. This slide is designed to hang off the edge of the ship making it extra thrilling. For those who don't mind water slides with no raft, the other slide options include Pressure Drop, Storm Chasers, and Frightning Bolt. Pressure Drop is the first freefall slide on a cruise ship, and Frighning Bolt is the tallest. In Storm Chasers, you can race a friend to the finish line on your mat. Overall, Thrill Island is a blast no matter your age, we highly recommend checking out some of the slides. 

Slides at Thrill Island

Cupcake decorating

We tried the cupcake decorating class located on deck 7 Surfside. All ages are welcome to this class and it's a fun activity for the family to enjoy together. In our class, we learned how to make a frog cupcake. All the supplies we already laid out on a plate for us, and we followed the instructor to design the frog primarily by rolling pieces with our hands. The whole experience took around 30 minutes and cost $40 a person. If you're looking for a family friendly experience, cupcake decorating on the Icon of the Seas is sure to be a fun experience. See the picture below for how ours turned out. 

Oceanview room

We stayed in an oceanview room on deck 4 midship. It was centrally located making it easily accessible to anywhere on the ship. We also found the room to be plenty spacious with a nice living room area, and a much larger shower in comparison to most cruise ships. For a full room tour of room 618, watch our YouTube video here. 

Deck 4 Room 618

Elevators

The elevators on the Icon of the Seas are unlike anything we have seen before and require a brief learning tutorial. There are several touchscreen stands located in the elevator sections where you click which floor you are going to. The screen will then tell you a letter and you walk over to the elevator with the corresponding letter. Once the elevator arrives, you get on and it takes you to your floor without pressing any buttons. There are no buttons inside the elevator except for the emergency button, close door, and open door. 

Elevator touch screen

Pros: 

- no fighting to get in a crowded elevator

- less stopping at every floor

- no reaching over others to press buttons

Cons: 

- once you are on the elevator, there is no changing your mind about which floor you're going to

- you could be waiting a while for the elevator to get to you if someone is holding it open on another floor

Icon of the Seas vs. Mariner of the Seas

We hope that we were able to provide you with some insight for the Icon of the Seas whether you already have a reservation or are still thinking about sailing. Booking a cruise on the Icon of the Seas will undoubtably be an amazing adventure and we highly recommend checking out the world's largest cruise ship! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.