Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas has gotten so much praise as the new best cruise ship for families, that a lot of people are eager to give it a try.
I've taken my family on Icon and absolutely loved it. In fact, it's my new favorite ship and I'll be back onboard for spring break.
A reddit user posted their thoughts on Icon, outlining exactly what they liked, didn't like, and tips for best enjoying this ship for anyone else going on.
Getting outside perspectives is a great way to learn about different ways a ship stands out, as well as get feedback on what worked and didn't work.
Here's the critiques and thoughts Ten_Horn_Sign shared about his recent Icon of the Seas sailing from last week.
Icon is well put together
Icon of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world, and some people might think they'd never know where to go on a ship like that.
But Ten_Horn_Sign found the ship easy to navigate and the ideas incorporated into the ship design were fantastic, "the boat is super easy to navigate, there are ample plugs in the room for charging stuff, there is plenty of storage in the room for suitcases and clothes."
They pointed out was "lots of hand wringing" about how to maximize an inside cabin, but they didn't think it applied necessarily to rooms on Icon.
Everything flows well on Icon
Something else Royal Caribbean seemingly got right with Icon was the logistics of the ship.
"The ability of the cruise line to move people is really quite amazing," they wrote.
"On embarkation day we showed up at 1, strolled through the port with 0 lines, walked right onto the ship, and went straight to our cabin."
While some advocated they should arrive earlier than their assigned time, Ten_Horn_Sign felt rolling in at 1pm allowed for an effortless check-in and embarkation process.
"But boarding the ship at ports of call, going through security, moving luggage etc - this industry seems to have logistics nailed down. Shocked at how efficient they are, really amazed."
"The greatest customer service I've ever experienced"
Another thing that stood out about Icon was how good the crew members were in the Main Dining Room at dinner.
Specifically, it was the personalized service that stood out and how much they went above and beyond to cater to their family.
- On day one we went to the main dining room and our travel companion asked to order a cocktail, which they don't serve in the MDR. On day two when we were seated, they'd placed a cocktail menu there for him.
- One of the kids really liked a specific variety of the buns in the bread basket; at the kids' end of the table, they filled the basket with that specific bun.
- One of the kids just wanted mashed potatoes for dinner (not on the menu) - no problem, we will get you mashed potatoes
Ten_Horn_Sign summed it up, "the personalized service was like nothing I've ever experienced and was really truly memorable."
What it was like going to the medical facility
One of the kids had to go to Icon's medical facility.
Every cruise ship has a doctor, nurses, and medical bay onboard to handle minor issues.
After their kid had an allergic reaction, the medical staff took care of the child and gave him steroids and antihistamines and made a follow up check up to see and re-dose the steroids.
The cost for the visit was $264.
Unfortunately, the same kid had to go back again for a second visit after accidentally slicing his toe on the cabin door.
"They cleaned it with a disinfectant and bandaged it, and the ship's safety officer contacted us to file a report, so I gather they take this quite seriously. I don't think I was charged for this, as injuries on the ship are treated for free (as they should be)."
Crew worked hard on ship upkeep
Something else Ten_Horn_Sign was impressed by on Icon of the Seas was how hard the crew worked to keep this new ship looking brand new.
"I saw with my own eyes workers on their knees scrubbing stains out of carpets, or using tiny paintbrushes to touch up scuffed or scratched walls. I watched them disinfect and hose down the Surfside grill. I watched them remove the ice cream machines from the Sprinkles cubicles and clean behind them."
"They deep clean daily and it shows."
Shows were amazing
Royal Caribbean's wheelhouse has traditionally been entertainment, and the shows on Icon did not disappoint.
" Why does nobody ever talk about Effectors? The story was childish but man, the show is great - synchronized drones? Lasers? That effect where Pixel is duplicating herself with copies appearing behind the moving screen? This show was GREAT!"
"We also saw Adam Kario. If you'd tried to get me to pay to see a juggler I'd have rolled my eyes. But that would be my loss - his show was brilliant and funny and the kids and I both loved it."
Too much technology
Onto the the things Ten_Horn_Sign didn't enjoy about Icon, starting with the tech onboard.
"Too much technology, too poorly implemented," is how they described it.
One issue they had was with touchless buttons to open doors, which was problematic with kids in public bathrooms.
"I understand, post-Covid, why touchless everything sounds good. But honestly, the touchless systems on this ship are downright irritating."
They also were frustrated by the Wowbands onboard, where one kid's band didn't work at all on the arcades, even after two visits to customer service and one replacement bracelet.
"Cabin door sensors are terrible"
Ten_Horn_Sign claims their stateroom door key worked "10% of the time".
"I don't mean that I was locked out, but I would scan my card and get "red" 9 times out of ten before finally being granted access to my room."
Hard to find quiet areas
Another complaint was there weren't many quiet spaces, lamenting the lack of a library.
Royal Caribbean experimented on Icon with no library on Icon. In general, however, their issue was finding areas to chill.
"A chill lounge would be nice."
Issue with spa billing
One other problem on Icon related to how they were billed for a spa treatment.
My wife and our cruise companion both went to the spa and both had the same treatments. Our cruise companion had won a $50 spa voucher on the ship. "Somehow" the same treatments resulted in a $70 bill for my wife and a $100 bill for our companion.
So beware that if you think you've got a voucher for something discounted, the ship may just jack up the base charge to avoid giving you much at all.
Icon of the Seas tips and tricks
To round out their review, Ten_Horn_Sign shared some quick tips for anyone cruising on Icon of the Seas.
- There's a black plastic tab on the shower temperature lever you have to depress that lets you go hotter than the child-safe limit.
- Buy champagne by the glass, not the bottle.
- You can control the cabin's light, temperature, and even television with the Royal Caribbean app.
- Surfside restaurant serves a typical "American" breakfast without the lines of the Windjammer.
- Refreshment package is a waste for kids: "In hindsight, strongly wish I'd passed on the drink package; I'd have saved a few hundred bucks and had the exact same experience."
Be sure to check out our own list of ways to master your time on Icon of the Seas.
