12 Things to Love on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the innovative cruise line’s most bold to date. 

Icon of the Seas carries more people and offers more activities, bars, dining and fun neighborhoods than any ship. 

It’s also the largest cruise ship in the world. It spans 20 decks, is 1,196 feet long and measures just about 250,000 gross tonnes in volume. 

The ship carries 5,610 passengers and double occupancy and 7,600 cruisers at maximum capacity. Add more than 2,400 crew members, and you could see this monster sailing with a medium-sized city of more than 10,000 people. 

I cruised on Icon of the Seas for a quick three-day preview voyage out of Miami before it started its usual weeklong Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.  

Here are the 12 top things I found that cruisers will love about Icon of the Seas. 

1. Icon of the Seas Debuts The Pearl 

This is a statement piece of functional art that is among the first things cruisers will see when stepping onto Icon of the Seas. The Pearl is a 46-foot-high installation that is the shape of a pearl but with staircase set through the center. The staircase leads from the Royal Promenade one deck up to the gorgeous Pearl Cafe, a new venue for Royal Caribbean.  

The cafe offers coffees, sandwiches, sweets and other snacks available all day, with a large seating area that features windows to let you gaze out onto the ocean views. A stunning sculpture of a humpback whale hangs from the ceiling.  

The Pearl is billed as the world’s largest kinetic art installation. The nearly 3,000 tiles that make up the piece are programmed to change colors and simulate the activity of the wind, waves and even the stars in the sky going on outside the ship in real time.  

2. The AquaDome has Royal Caribbean’s Best Water Show Yet

Located at the front of the ship and reached via Deck 15, the AquaDome on Icon of the Seas features a variety of attractions.  

This is where you’ll find AquaTheater for the line’s dynamic water shows that include aerial acrobatics, high diving, dancing and dazzling lights, robots and music. Aqua Action is the featured show in the ships’ first season. AquaTheater also can produce an eye-catching 55-foot-tall waterfall that streams from an opening at the top of the dome. 

AquaDome is home to Hooked, the line’s seafood restaurant. Inside Hooked, cruisers can book a private room and table for the Celebration Table dining experience. AquaDome Market is a series of food stalls in a market space. The street food concept offers Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, deluxe macaroni and cheese creations, specialty salads and a crepes station. 

Rye & Bean is a bar in the dome specializing in coffee and coffee-infused cocktails.  

3. The Overlook Offers the Best Views Onboard

Within AquaDome and behind the AquaTheater, almost hidden at the very front of the ship, is my favorite spot on Icon of the Seas.  

The Overlook is a brilliant oasis with a range of delightful seating — couches, day beds, chairs and a couple of pods that you can escape to up winding staircases. This is the very best place to relax and enjoy the day reading a book, taking in the views and enjoying some essential relaxing time on your cruise vacation. The Overlook Bar is nearby so you can always get a needed refreshment. 

4. Chill Island Re-imagines the Pool Deck

This is one of the five new neighborhoods on Icon of the Seas. There is AquaDome, Chill Island, Thrill Island, The Hideaway and Surfside. We’ll talk about more of them in sections that follow. The ship also has three neighborhoods that loyal Royal cruisers will recognize: Royal Promenade, Suites Neighborhood and Central Park. 

Chill Island is the ship’s outdoor multi-deck pool area. The ship features seven pools in total, and most of them are in Chill Island, which also features colorful loungers, hammocks, chair swings, hot tubs, El Loco Fresh Mexican restaurant and its Cantina Fresca bar, three The Lime and Coconut Bars, a Sprinkles ice cream station and Swim & Tonic, the new, delightful swim-up bar.  

There also is a fun dry slide that you can use to get quickly from Deck 16 down to Deck 15 on Chill Island. You can rent cabanas, and Deck 17 is called Cloud 17, which overlooks it all with even more loungers and the ship’s shapely Champagne hot tub. 

5. Swim & Tonic Lets Cruisers Splash While They Sip

This cool new concept for Royal Caribbean is the largest swim-up bar at sea. There is a submerged bar, in-pool loungers and a hot tub. Cruisers can cool off in the water and with frozen drinks and other cocktails served up here while you enjoy the sunshine and music. 

The pool even has little floating drink menus so you don’t have to work too hard to find something to order. 

6. Cool Off at the Expansive Royal Bay Pool 

This pool sits within the Chill Island neighborhood and is notable because it is being billed as the “most expansive pool at sea” measuring 5,813 square feet. With a large number of lounge chairs surrounding the attractive pool that covers the midship space on Deck 16, you would expect that this might be the first cruise ship pool where people won’t have to get up early in the morning to race out to claim chairs. You can choose from regular loungers and in-pool seats. Three hot tubs are close by that overlook the oasis, and you can find seating in the sun or shade. 

7. Thrill Island has the Largest Waterpark at Sea

This neighborhood features a huge waterpark, the first of its kind on a cruise ship. Kids of all ages will go crazy for this. Icon of the Seas has six waterslides, and they are included in your cruise fare.  

Called Category 6 Waterpark, the facility includes the Frightening Bolt, the tallest drop slide at sea (46 feet tall and 282 feet long); Pressure Drop, the first open free fall on a cruise ship (66-degree incline); Hurricane Hunter and Storm Surge, the first family raft slides for cruisers; and Storm Chasers, two mat-racing slides. 

Also within Thrill Island, you’ll find the FlowRider surfing simulator, a mini-golf course called Lost Dunes, the Adrenaline Peak rock-climbing wall and Crown’s Edge, a short walk out and drop to a zip line that leaves you dangling for a ride some 154 feet above the ocean. Crown’s Edge has a pretty steep fee for a short experience. You pay at least $39 (prices vary based on season and port vs. sea days) for about 90 seconds of walking out and zipping back. This includes a GoPro video and pictures to commemorate the adventure.

There are plenty of refreshments available at Thrill Island, with Basecamp offering a bar and an eatery with a mix of complimentary food items like soft pretzel bites and cheese sauce or premium bites like crispy shrimp bao buns that have a charge. Nearby, you can also duck into Desserted milkshake bar for thick and creamy hand-crafted shakes. These also come with an upcharge, and you can get traditional like a vanilla or chocolate shake or extra-special concoctions with cookies and candies mixed in or shots of booze added. 

8. Surfside is Made for Families with Kids 6 and Under

The focus is on families in this new neighborhood concept. Surfside on Icon of the Seas is ideal for parents cruising with younger children. Down on Deck 7 at the aft of the ship, the space features Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay aqua parks, as well as the Water’s Edge pool. Nearby on the concourse is Lemon Post, a fun bar that offers colorful drinks for kids and adults. Enjoy meals at Pier 7 (a la carte pricing; kids eat free), which features all-day brunch; Surfside Eatery or Surfside Bites.  

Surfside also features an ice cream stand, carousel, Sugar Beach candy shop and an arcade. 

9. The Hideaway is the Perfect Adult Escape

Another new feature for Royal Caribbean, The Hideaway is an adult’s-only retreat on Icon of the Seas. This large space is located at the very aft on Deck 15, tucked behind all the waterslide structures at Thrill Island.  

The Hideaway features a large hot tub, sun-splashed lounging terraces, a large bar space with 180-degree picturesque views and a huge suspended infinity pool.  

We enjoyed a day out here with fresh cocktails and live music from the dedicated DJ. This is a serene spot that adults who aren’t cruising with kids probably will choose for a day of relaxing. 

10. Dueling Pianos Gets Lively with Sing-a-Longs

This new concept for Royal Caribbean features two red baby grand pianos facing off in a hip venue on the Royal Promenade. Crowds gather for lively sing-a-longs each night in Dueling Pianos. The two pianists take requests and infuse an element of comedy into the shows. 

Get here early if you want a good seat. 

11. Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues is Quaint Yet Bustling

Another new bar for the Royal Caribbean fleet, this atmospheric jazz club is one of 40 bars, lounges and eateries on Icon of the Seas.  

Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues features a house band playing a wide range of jazz and blues favorites from hot scenes like New Orleans and NYC. The sounds from the intimate venue fill Central Park, so you can find a seat inside or enjoy the tunes while on stroll through the neighborhood or seated on a bench and enjoying the fresh air and star-filled skies overhead. 

12. Izumi and Izumi in the Park Elevate Japanese Dining Experience

Izumi is a popular Japanese restaurant found on many Royal Caribbean ships. Izumi in the Park is an elevated version on Icon of the Seas. The restaurant is located in Central Park and offers  

Inside, cruisers can dine at the teppanyaki for an eye-catching meal prepared with a flair tableside alongside fellow passengers. You can also enjoy fresh-made sushi at the counter or at an intimate table. 

Outside, the Izumi in the Park is a window open all day for takeaway sushi and other street-food-style preparations.