There's officially a new world's largest cruise ship
- The Icon of the Seas officially joined Royal Caribbean's 28-ship fleet on Monday.
- The 1,198-foot-long, 250,800 gross-ton vessel is now the world's largest cruise ship.
Say hello to the new world's largest cruise ship: The Icon of the Seas has officially joined Royal Caribbean's fleet of 28 cruise ships.
The cruise giant finally took delivery of its new 9,950-person Icon of the Seas from shipbuilder Meyer Turku shipyard during a ceremony on Monday. The behemoth vessel — a culmination of about two-and-a-half years of design and construction work — is scheduled to begin a series of cruises from Miami starting in late January 2024.
At 20 decks, 1,198 feet long, and 250,800 gross tons, the Icon of the Seas towers over the average cruise ship. Onboard, travelers can expect some wild amenities with over 40 food and beverage venues, seven pools, a water park with six water slides, and a luxurious three-story stateroom for $75,000 a week. For the less wealthy travelers, the ship has another 2,804 guest cabins.
Despite having plenty of staterooms, vacations on this massive floating resort won't be cheap. The least expensive 2024 sailing starts at $1,820 per person for seven nights in an interior stateroom.
Royal Caribbean is in the business of building big ships. Before this new addition, its 1,188-foot-long, 235,600-gross-ton Wonder of the Seas has held onto the "world's largest cruise ship" title since its debut in 2022.
The cruise line has already begun construction on its next Icon-class ship: the Star of the Seas, sailing in the summer of 2025