The vacation and cruise company, Royal Caribbean, is set to release its newest and largest cruise ship ever. Its new ship, Icon of the Seas, is the latest in the Icon series, and is larger and more advanced than any of the other 27 cruise ships in its category. The Icon of the Seas is 1,198 feet long and can hold a max occupancy of 7,600 passengers, in addition to the 2,350 crew hands on board. The ship has 20 decks ranging from cabins for the passengers and crew to mini-malls, pools, restaurants, etc. The Icon of the Seas was released for its first test launch on December 9, 2022. The ship is expected to be ready and available to board early in the 2024 season.

The creator of the ship, Meyer Turku, envisioned the ultimate vacation for family and friends, even the perfect getaway for parents. The ship features over 20 dining venues and over 50 different attractions for kids and adults. Turku wanted more than anything to bring land on water, and to do this, he imported and planted thousands of plants and trees to make a “Lush Zone,” that features shops, restaurants, play-places and picnic areas. That is what makes this ship genuinely unique.

A cruise is like a resort vacation on a massive ship that takes you to other resort activities on the way. These activities on the way are called excursions, and you have to pay for them in advance, some of these events include swimming with stingrays, jet skiing and the most popular, snorkeling. These events cost extra and are added to the ticket value. Many other fun things included on the cruise ship that you don’t need to pay for are wave boarding, waterslides, an assortment of pools and hot tubs and a theatre.

The Icon of the Seas is the best possible option for a cruise; however, I won’t buy a ticket anytime soon due to the insane ticket prices. The base cost per ticket is around $1,800 per person and stretches as high as $14,000. Don’t get me wrong, it would be a blast, just not a $3000 blast.