Royal Caribbean Blog

If you are planning a Royal Caribbean cruise with older children, you might be stuck wondering which ship is best. 

From the brand-new Icon of the Seas to smaller, revitalized ships like Navigator of the Seas, there are plenty of options for you to choose from. Activities like ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, surfing simulators, and more will keep even the most active teens busy. 

Plus, Royal Caribbean ships have a variety of different accommodation options, so whether you want a family-friendly suite or adjoining interior rooms, you will be able to select the perfect stateroom to appease everyone in your party, even the teens who are desperate for their own space. 

Whether you're looking for a ship that's packed with WOW factors or simply a family vacation that won't leave your pockets empty, here are the 5 best cruises to take with teens. 

Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas is the namesake ship of Royal Caribbean's brand-new Icon Class. Surpassing the six Oasis Class ships, including the upcoming Utopia of the Seas, in terms of size, there's no shortage of activities that teens will enjoy onboard. 

From the record-breaking Category 6 water park to Crown's Edge, the largest ice rink at sea, thrilling AquaDome shows, a revamped mini-golf course, and more, your teens will surely have some brag-worthy stories to tell their friends about!

While the children are off exploring the ship, adults will love the one-of-a-kind experiences curated for them, too, including a walk-up champagne bar, swanky supper club, and Cloud 17 adults-only oasis with private pools, bars, and more. 

The only downside to a family vacation on Icon of the Seas is that it comes with a premium price tag. During July 2024, families can expect to pay around $2,900 per person for an interior room, while balconies are going for as much as $3,400 per person. 

Looking into 2025, prices don't drop much. The cheapest sailing in January 2025 currently starts at $2,400 per person for an inside stateroom. Prices increase again around spring break. 

Read more: Things you'll notice when cruising on the newest cruise ship

Utopia of the Seas

Utopia of the Seas, the newest Oasis Class ship, launches in July 2024, sailing 3- and 4-night cruises from Port Canaveral to The Bahamas. While these are shorter cruises, your teens won't be denied the best that the cruise line has to offer, as this ship is unlike any other in the class.

You can expect to find fan favorites like Central Park, the Boardwalk, Sorrento's Pizza, the Lime and Coconut Bar, and more. Utopia of the Seas, however, has many new experiences that you will not find on even Wonder of the Seas, including the cruise line's first-ever immersive train car dining experience and the longest incarnation of the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. 

Advertised as the world's biggest weekend, a cruise onboard Utopia of the Seas is sure to appease your teens, as they'll be able to enjoy five pools, three water slides, eight hot tubs, and 21 dining venues, among other thrills. 

However, it is worth noting that any of the Oasis Class ships are great for adrenaline-loving teens. Regardless of which you select, you'll find a zip line, surf simulator, ice skating rink, mini-golf, and sports court. 

The other Oasis Class ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet are Wonder of the Seas (2022), Symphony of the Seas (2018), Harmony of the Seas (2016), Allure of the Seas (2010), and Oasis of the Seas (2009). 

Read more: 6 things to know before you book Wonder of the Seas

Odyssey of the Seas 

Odyssey of the Seas is the last Quantum Ultra Class ship constructed by the cruise line. Having only set sail in 2021, she's one of the newest ships in the fleet, too. 

While she's full of fun activities, what sets her apart from other ships is her summer itineraries in Europe. While enjoying everything that the ship has to offer, families can cruise around the Greek Isles and explore bucket-list destinations including Santorini, Mykonos, Naples, and more.  

Icon Class ships, including Star of the Seas launching in 2025, exclusively sail to the Caribbean, so you won't find much variety in itineraries. This can get repetitive, and if you want to explore ports outside of St. Maarten, Mexico, etc., you'll have to consider sailings on smaller ships. 

Onboard, you'll find an indoor SeaPlex where you can ride bumper cars, play glow-in-the-dark laser tag, or partake in a virtual reality game. 

There's also a skydiving simulator, FlowRider surf simulator, rock climbing wall, and North Star observation capsule, where your family can soar nearly 300 feet above sea level for breathtaking views of the sea and ports of call. 

While still a newer ship by today's standards, prices are not quite as high as sailings onboard Icon of the Seas. A 7-night cruise onboard Odyssey of the Seas in July 2024 starts at $1,145 per person, which breaks down to about $163 per night, making it a more affordable choice. 

Other Quantum Class ships should be considered if you want to take your teens to Alaska, Northern Europe, Asia, or beyond. 

Read more: The forgotten new Royal Caribbean cruise ship: Why Odyssey of the Seas is worth your attention

Freedom of the Seas 

Freedom of the Seas is an older ship; however, she underwent a $116 million revitalization in early 2020 to update its pool deck and bring newer amenities onboard, meaning that you'll find plenty to do onboard without the price tag of newer vessels. 

You can, for instance, find a 6-night cruise onboard Freedom of the Seas starting at $445 per person in March 2025. 

Activities onboard include a surf simulator, pool deck, aqua park for younger children, water slides, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, and much more. 

When upgraded, Freedom of the Seas received new dining options including Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, El Loco Fresh for quick bites by the pool, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, and Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade. 

Plus, Freedom has a redesigned teen area called Social 033, where teens can enjoy their own dedicated hangout space and play games, listen to music, watch movies, etc. 

Read more: 7 Best Royal Caribbean cruise ships for kids

Navigator of the Seas 

Finally, Navigator of the Seas based out of Los Angeles, California is a great choice for families with teens who want to have plenty to do onboard and cruise elsewhere than the Bahamas or Caribbean. 

The 139,999 gross registered ton vessel sails out of California to the Mexican Riveria year-round. While certainly not as large as Oasis or Icon Class ships, there's still a lot to do and see onboard. 

Like Freedom of the Seas, Navigator underwent some major upgrades in 2018, totaling roughly $115 million. This means that she has some activities and venues that other Voyager Class ships, such as Voyager and Explorer of the Seas, do not, including the Rip Tide and Blaster water slides. 

Parents will love the Bamboo Room, too. Navigator is one of only two ships in the fleet with this unique tiki-inspired bar onboard! Plus, Playmakers Sports Bar is centrally located in the Royal Promenade, and Hooked Seafood is ideal for families who want to treat their teens to a delicious seafood dinner consisting of crab cakes, chowders, oysters, and more. 

Read more: 50 best cruising with kids tips & secrets

A cool drink in your hand on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas can offer much more than a stereotypical cocktail.

Most people think of a pina colada, rum and coke, or margarita when you envision themselves on a cruise ship.  While Royal Caribbean still offers those staples, they wanted to give passengers more choices and opportunities to find a new favorite.

Icon of the Seas has 13 brand new bars and lounges that are new to the fleet, and they created over 100 new cocktails. Sixty-five of them have alcohol.  

Read more: Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

Alexandra Palmeri is Royal Caribbean's Corporate Manager of Beverage Operations, and she helped come up with 13 new bar menus just for Icon of the Seas.

To put that in perspective, when Wonder of the Seas launched, there was only one new bar menu.

The process is methodical, but also quite fun, "We go venue by venue to start, because you really have to hone in and think about what your experience wants to be on each menu."

As an example, the Rye and Bean is a coffee-based bar, so Alex and her team started off with 20-25 drinks that they tasted and whittled it down to the ten that made the final menu.

"And then what we did afterwards was took a step back and made everything together. So every single cocktail with every single menu, all the menus created, so you look at it visually and say, okay, we really have a full variety across the entire ship."

How do they come up with a new drink?

It's not easy to come up with a new cocktail that will be just as good as traditional favorites.  

Drink menus need to balance what's popular versus what the team thinks will bring something different to make it all stand out.

Alex thinks the theme of the bar plays a big role in choosing which drinks work for that venue, "For example, Hideaway Bar is an outside, adults-only venue. We wanted to lean more into champagne based cocktails."

"Every cocktail on that menu has some bubbles in it and something that's easy to drink. You're sitting by the pool, you want to lounge all day. So low ABV really played a huge part into it."

Essentially, the location of the guest factors into the drink menu that the Food & Beverage team concocts so that it fits the vibe.

In creating new drinks, the process is very much based on trial and error. There's a panel at Royal Caribbean headquarters that sample the new drinks, "for some of these drinks, the first time we've tried them, they were a home run."

Other drinks take longer to get just right. In the case of the "Oh Mai Gawd" cocktail from The Hideaway neighborhood, Alex recalls it took the team 20 times before it was good, "sometimes it really takes that much to really get a perfect cocktail, but that's what's needed. It really makes sure you have holistically what's going to work for everybody."

You might also be wondering how the team chooses one liquor over another, and Alex said it's based on balancing taste and cost, "If we like the way it tastes in both separate ones, we'll see what the cost looks like and then make a decision from there."

Bubbles

Speaking of champagne, Royal Caribbean added a new champagne window on Icon of the Seas that leans into the increased popularity of the bubbly stuff.

Bubbles is located in the Central Park neighborhood, and it only serves champagne. Alex calls it a fun concept, "You want to go grab a glass of champagne as you're walking through Central Park. It really creates kind of a whole experience."

In thinking about Bubbles, her team came up with a drink called, "Garden Breeze", and Alex compares it to a passion fruit mojito.

Beyond the pina colada

With 13 new bar menus, there's going to be lots of new drinks to try on Icon of the Seas, and I was curious which drinks Alex recommended to try for someone who wants to branch out.

One trend Royal Caribbean is leaning into is bitters, and as a result, you'll find more bitter than sweet drinks to try.

Ed Eiswirth, Royal Caribbean Director of Beverage Operations, recommends the Jazzy Sass cocktail from Lou's Jazz 'n Blues as something different.

Alex liked many of the coffee drinks from the Rye & Bean bar in the Aquadome.

Zero proof drinks

One other trend that Royal Caribbean has embraced is the zero proof menu, which features drinks without any alcohol in them.

There's an entire bar in Surfside that features drinks that kids can enjoy too, and it's not just deconstructed alcoholic beverages.

"When you start with alcohol and you start to deconstruct it, it becomes a lot more challenging to create a non-alcoholic mocktail. So we started from the mocktail perspective and then built it built it up that way," Alex explained.

Although Royal Caribbean is known for building the largest cruise ships in the world, a brand-new class of smaller ships is on the horizon. 

Little has been revealed about "Project Discovery," so it is unsure of what consumers can expect. If, however, it's similar to Project Icon, then we can hypothesize that the first ship in the class will be named Discovery of the Seas. 

According to Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, the cruise line acknowledges that the majority of their smallest ships are aging. 

He has also alluded to the fact that the Royal Caribbean team has been working on a new ship class. Details, however, need to be finalized before anything can be formally announced. Hopefully, we will get more information sometime in 2024. 

Mega ships, like Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, have become a norm in the cruise industry. The downside, however, is that they cannot visit some ports due to size restrictions. 

We'll update this page as more information is divulged. 

Royal Caribbean's CEO has been hinting since July 2023

(Photo credit to Jon Evans)

While aboard Allure of the Seas, Bayley was asked if Royal was going to build smaller ships, to which he responded, “It is something that's certainly deeply in our consideration and our planning at the moment that we have a lot of conceptual work going on."

"I think when we're ready we can we can announce steps that will take to to do just that.”

The idea of a new ship class was confirmed again in 2024 via Facebook when Bayley responded to a comment posted by Thomas Budzyn: 

"Mr Bayley, you said years ago that Royal Caribbean was going to come out with smaller ships to get to smaller ports that people want, but the ships get larger and larger - and it’s repetitive for CocoCay."

"It’s time to listen to guests who have stayed loyal for over 30 years. People want different ports”

Bayley responded that the team had begun working on a new class and "...if all the needed hurdles are tackled, [they] can announce something this year. It is a journey. Don’t forget, Serenade just sailed on the Ultimate World [Cruise] with 274 days of global adventures! Lots of new ports.”

While speaking to the press on Icon of the Seas in January 2024, Mr. Bayley once again confirmed there's work being done on a new class, "from a brand perspective, we recognize we've got two classes of ships, Radiance and Vision, that are doing phenomenal. They're beautiful ships, beautifully constructed. "

"But... they're getting older. So we're obviously concepting thoughts and ideas on how we would ultimately replace those ships with a new class of ships."

How big could the new ships be?

Again, while nothing is confirmed, in May 2023, Radiance of the Seas' Captain commented that Royal Caribbean was planning on building a new ship around the size of Radiance Class vessels. 

While not the smallest ships in the fleet, they're certainly not the largest either, measuring around 90,000 gross registered tons (GRT). On the other hand, Icon of the Seas comes in at a whopping 250,800 GRT!

These ships can visit more unique destinations, as is being proved by the cruise line's first-ever world cruise onboard Serenade of the Seas, a Radiance Class vessel that launched in 203. 

Read more: See how Royal Caribbean ships stack up by size (2024)

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider alluded to the fact this new ship would be relatively smaller, "I'm careful to say small, but a less than large size class of ship."

The addition of a smaller ship could mean new itineraries 

In recent years, Royal Caribbean has been focusing on Perfect Day at CocoCay, their private island in The Bahamas. 

In fact, they reduced the number of ships that will be deployed to Europe in 2025, so more can be based out of North America and sail to The Bahamas/Caribbean. 

Only six ships will be in Europe during the summer of 2025, which is roughly a 33% decrease in the number of ships in Europe compared to 2023. 

Moreover, they've also begun sending larger ships to the region, which results in repetitive itineraries since they are limited in where they can visit.

Not only would a brand-new ship class appeal to many, but since it's going to be on the smaller end, there is a chance that it could offer sailings outside of North America. 

Mr. Schneider described the need for ships that can get into certain ports in January 2024, "the reality is families want to go on vacation, not just in the Western and Eastern Caribbean or in the classic Mediterranean where a ship like Icon can get into. They want to continue to stay with our brand and journey to different destinations that require more versatility and the ship size."

Currently, Royal Caribbean only has three ships on order

Unfortunately, if there's a smaller ship class in the works, an order hasn't been placed as of yet. 

The only ships on order are Utopia of the Seas, Star of the Seas, and the third Icon Class vessel set to launch in 2026. 

Before Royal Caribbean can announce anything or place an order, it needs to be approved internally.

Mr. Bayley said, "It has to go through the corporate machine and it has to go obviously to the board and it has to go through a process. But we're quite actively working on trying to figure out what that would be."

Rumors about a new ship class have been circulating for years

While onboard Royal Caribbean ships, many passengers have reported hearing rumors from crew members that the cruise line was supposedly planning on a new ship class with smaller vessels.

The name of the rumored class was Project Discovery, with the class itself potentially being dubbed the "Discovery Class." 

There is an AI-based chatbot that is available onboard Icon of the Seas. 

Before launching it on Icon, the Royal Caribbean team tested it onboard Wonder of the Seas. 

"One of our strategies is to not introduce new technologies onto a new ship, so we try to test it on a ship that's already up and running," remarked Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer for Royal Caribbean. 

This is rather common. Before launching anything new, it'll often be tested on a single ship. Not only does this help the company receive feedback, but it is easier for them to make any tweaks. 

For instance, Royal Caribbean tested out their new menus onboard Symphony of the Seas before implementing them fleetwide in early 2023. 

With a maximum passenger capacity of 7,600, the AI bot is meant to help reduce the lengthy Guest Services line. Instead, you can ask the bot simple questions or even be connected to an actual agent from anywhere onboard. 

According to Schneider, the new chat system "works beautifully." 

Read more: First look Inside the World's Biggest Cruise Marvel, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas

How does it work?

Rather than having to wait in line at Guest Services, passengers onboard the world's largest cruise ship can ask an AI bot in the Royal Caribbean app certain questions like "What can my SeaPass do?" and "How do I access Wi-Fi?" 

It will also tell you how much the drink package costs, as well as help you add a registered user to your account and opt out of gratuities.

Read more: Royal Caribbean has a $100,000 cup on its new cruise ship that includes a lifetime drink package

There's also something called "Human in the Loop," which helps connect you to an actual agent, without having to physically visit Guest Services. 

"Being able to text someone from your pool deck chair or your swim-up bar seat is where we'd much rather you be [on vacation]," said Schneider. 

Both functions can be accessed through the Royal Caribbean app's chat function. Note that guests must be 13 years of age or older to gain access to this feature. 

Of course, if there's an emergency, you should not waste time on the app waiting to chat with someone. Instead, you should call the ship's emergency number immediately. 

AI has been beneficial for Royal Caribbean in numerous ways

There's no denying that ship development is fascinating; however, that's not the only facet of the company that AI has been helpful in. AI has helped Royal in the revenue space, pricing space, and revenue tracking space.

"The other area...for us is food waste," said Schneider.

"We have a very specific...waste program that is all about using a combination of really great hard work from our [food and beverage] staff, as well as AI and technology to reduce the amount of waste from a food perspective." 

Read more: Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

With this new program, Royal can see what's been produced, consumed, wasted, and even repurposed. It helps give better data to the chefs, so they can understand how to make adjustments for the next production. 

They even created a new food & beverage position to help lead the project of control. 

All the food produced for the Windjammer will be weighed and then measured by the user-friendly app. It's also weighed after any given service to see how much of each item was consumed. 

There were certain apps already on the market, but nothing that Royal Caribbean needed, so they produced the app in-house. 

This is a step in the company's goal of reducing food waste across the fleet by 50% by 2025. 

Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Windjammer Cafe buffet

Royal Caribbean is celebrating the launch of its newest cruise ship with a naming ceremony in Miami today, and this new ship is a big deal.

Icon of the Seas’ naming ceremony today cements her position as the newest, biggest cruise ship in the world.

After a three-day media cruise, she will take part in a traditional christening, a ceremony attended by key figures and celebrities.

Every detail of the ship just proves what a huge milestone icon of the seas represents.

From record sales to choosing an icon to name her, to all-new neighborhoods, Royal Caribbean has a lot to be proud of.

Not only is Icon of the Seas a brand-new ship—and the current largest in the world—she also is the first in a completely new class of Royal Caribbean ships.

Icon entered the scene unapologetically

Icon of the Seas is no small feat, and Royal Caribbean is incredibly proud.

“We built the biggest, baddest ship on the planet,” Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group CEO said. “that in itself is a crown jewel for marketing.”

At a briefing session on Icon of the Seas, he shared that he remembers days when the group had to really work with television stations just to get content.

But now, news stations are “lined up around the corner begging [to be able to] come onto the ship and host.”

Once news broke about the size and innovation of Icon of the Seas, the response was instantaneous.

The huge ship has pushed the boundaries of cruise ships, from her cutting-edge design to pure size, with a total of eight neighborhoods.

A ship that has been seven years in the making,  Icon of the Seas is a whole new class of ship that seeks to reach new demographics.

Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, said that the high demand for the ship proves that the new features and spaces are just right for the customer market.

“The demand we’ve seen for Icon has just been unbelievable,” Bayley said.

In addition to the multitude of news stories and chatter of digital conversation about  Icon of the Seas, sales for the ship have been off-the-charts.

Icon of the Seas’ bookings so far have performed better than any other cruise ship launch.

Bookings for the maiden voyage embarking on January 27th sold out in under 24 hours.

On January 10th, Icon entered her home port in Miami, Florida for the first time in an unapologetic celebration.

Michael Bayley said that the music blasting from the side of the ship came from $100,000 worth of speakers.

“We really woke up Miami,” he said, and that’s not an understatement.

A total of 17 formal complaints were filed with the county by Miami residents who were woken up by the noise of  Icon of the Seas entering the harbor.

From its first appearance, it became clear that  Icon of the Seas would be an incredible hit.

Choosing the right icon for Icon

 Icon of the Seas has been hosting a media preview cruise for the past three days, but today she will have her christening in Miami, Florida.

This exclusive naming ceremony is part of a longtime maritime tradition and will be attended by Icon Lionel Messi, one of the most famous soccer players of all time.

In a position similar to the ship’s godmother, Messi will serve as the icon and representative of  Icon of the Seas.

Messi will name and bestow safekeeping onto the new ship, her crew, and the millions of families who will create memories onboard.

Like  Icon of the Seas, Lionel Messi has built a career changing the status quo through his unmatched skills. He is one of the most well-known soccer players today, having made a name for himself as a top goal scorer with FC Barcelona.

Many call Messi one of the best soccer players of all time.

Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group CEO, said he first thought it was a prank when he got the call that they might be able to get the athlete onboard. “but it actually got quite serious.”

Messi has been very tuned into the process, focused on the brand and partnerships with the team.

Jason Liberty said that Messi is more than just an incredible athlete: “he’s an incredible human being.”

He also represents the ship’s focus on family.

“Not only is he going out and being the best soccer player in the world, but above that is family.”

Both the brand and the ship are about family, liberty emphasized.

Messi not only represents the ship’s excellence and fame but also the backbone of it all: family.

Icon is all about making young families happy

 Icon of the Seas includes a new neighborhood dedicated to families with children under six.

Surfside neighborhood replaces what was the Boardwalk on Oasis Class ships and has a vibrant design with an arcade, kids splash zone, aft pool, carousel, and both complimentary and specialty venues.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley explained that the cruise line intentionally wanted to include young families in this design.

Because children under six don’t have to go to school, young families can (and do) travel all year round with Royal Caribbean.

When Royal Caribbean saw that a high number of young families travel on their cruise ships, they realized that they weren’t doing enough to serve that demographic.

So in the building of Icon, the cruise line put a lot of energy into intentionally creating Surfside.

“It makes a lot of commercial business sense, but more importantly, it makes our young families really happy,” Bayley said.

How do you keep pushing the boundaries on new ships?

Icon is the most innovative cruise ship in the world, so how can the cruise line keep pushing the boundaries on new ships?

Royal Caribbean has a history of over five decades working to improve and innovate every day.

Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group CEO, believes that it “comes down to a really strong culture of dreaming, innovating, and doing the right thing.”

Across the 65 ships in the fleet, he says that senior leadership spends time in every inch of the ships, always looking for how to improve.

He used the Oasis Class ships as an example: “each version got a little bit better each time.”

As Royal Caribbean builds upon each ship, the line studies previous ships to consider what can be improved for a better cruising experience each time.

Even as the leadership team walks around Icon of the Seas, they are thinking about what to change and how to improve the next icon class ship.

“Our main mission is to deliver the best vacations in the world in a responsible way,” Liberty said.

If sharing Icon of the Seas with up to 7,600 other passengers sounds like it will be crowded, Royal Caribbean has planned around that issue.

Icon of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world, and there will be anywhere between 5,610 to 7,600 passengers depending on how many third, fourth, and fifth passengers are booked into each cabin.  Without a doubt, that's a lot of people on any ship.

Royal Caribbean knew it had to be able to accommodate that many people while still retaining a positive guest experience.  They had already successfully tackled the issue on the Oasis Class ships that preceded Icon, and the challenge was to keep crowds moving on Icon too.

Naturally, the public was curious how crowded a ship as big as Icon would be once it started to sail.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley joked about just how much time his company spent on the issue of crowds on Icon, "A lot of time. I mean, a gazillion billion, gazillion, trillion hours of time with a lot of people."

"We were obsessively focused, and we've got a lot of experience," he said alluding to the fact Royal Caribbean has been developing mega cruise ships for decades. 

"If you look at the classes of ships over time, how they've evolved, we do know a lot about the flow of people, and we do know how you need to create an experience that delights the customer, but also moves people around."

That isn't to say there wont be any lines or crowds. Any cruise ship have lines and crowds of people that occur throughout any sailing.  With Icon, the cruise line wanted to ensure the flow of passengers mitigated the problem.

Changing the formula

One way Royal Caribbean has focused on crowds has been to re-think its crowd management strategy.

"A lot of work, a lot of study, a lot of analytics, and we've got a lot of information from our existing fleet, and we utilize it a lot to try to to operate this efficiently as possible, but also make sure people have a great time," Mr. Bayley explained.

"Our classic formula is in the evening is a dinner and a show," alluding to how things have typically worked. "When you think about dinner and a show, that really allows you to understand how people do move. And then, of course, during the day, we've created neighborhoods."

Neighborhoods have served two purposes for Royal Caribbean's mega ships.  First, it provides easy navigation aids.  Second, it helps spread passengers out.

Surfside is focused on young families with kids six and under and there's so much to do for kids and their parents that it keeps those families in one section of the ship without much need to leave. Meanwhile, older kids are busy with Thrill Island's water park.  Adults can hang out at The Hideaway, and then there's likely trivia, production shows, meals, and a host of other things to do happening at the same time.

Believe it or not, there's actually less cabins on Icon of the Seas than an Oasis Class ship.  According to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty, that means the actual square footage per passenger is higher.

"I think the construction of the different neighborhoods and being able to segregate different multi generations through the course of the ship was really the focus of it."

Spinning up higher capacity

Mr. Bayley indicated prepping Icon for the crowds that would come onboard has been an ongoing effort.

Icon departed Europe with extra crew members and a lot of contractors who were onboard to continue finalizations. 

Once the ship got to Miami, they started doing shakedown cruises with employees.  That amounted to around 4,000 passengers. For the preview sailings with media and travel agents, the number went up to 4,500.

For the maiden voyage, they're expecting, "80% of the double occupancy, it's probably would probably be around 5500, which is easy," Mr. Bayley said.

"And then week by week, we increase the capacity until we're confident that we've got everything working the way it should. And so the full capacity of this ship, which typically will happen in peak summer during the school holidays, will be 7600."

For those keeping score at home, Oasis Class ships max out around a similar number, "Our Oasis class peak summer have operated at around 7500 today. So we're very confident on our ability to manage all of our guests."

By methodically increasing capacity, Royal Caribbean feels good about handling crowds, "So far we feel really good about everything that we do."

New elevators

There are no traditional elevators on Icon of the Seas.  Instead, the ship has destination elevators.

Destination elevators aren't just a fad, they're a way to more efficiently tackle the issue of getting passengers between decks and that's been a traditional pain point on big ships.

With the destination elevators, you select which floor you want to go to on a panel and are told which elevator to take.

Once in the elevator, there's no buttons to push.  This means less people coming in and stopping the elevator on every floor.  Or someone leaning against the panel and accidentally pushing all the buttons.

Royal Caribbean did a lot of proactive work to ensure destination elevators would be a good idea. 

"We even constructed the elevator lobbies in a warehouse in Miami full scale so we could visually understand how those elevator lobbies would look. "

"And then we sent teams all over the world to look at similar technologies to make sure that it really was something that we thought would work."

The result early on has been a successful and efficient system.

"We've been delighted with the elevator lobbies, and in fact, we thought because people would be confused." 

"In the beginning of our cruises, we put staff on every lobby with ask me on it to help people, and we found it's really not an issue. People kind of figure it out quite quickly. And I got to say, I think the elevators are great."

Easier ways to get between decks

As a passenger, you'll find more ways to move from one deck to another beyond elevators and the traditional stairwells.

There are multiple stairways in the Royal Promenade to go down and up, and most importantly, in the middle of the deck.

There are a few dry slides for kids and adults to go between decks that is meant to be fun, but it's functional. There's one between the two levels of Chill Island and a slide in Surfside that acts as an express way down.

While the slides aren't going to make much of an impact to lessen crowds, the escalators and stairs are easy ways to reduce the need of an elevator, and keep people moving quicker.  Moving between decks 4 through 7 is very easy on Icon of the Seas.

Keeping everyone busy

When it comes to crowds on Icon, you can expect a lot of different things happening that should draw passengers in many directions.

Royal Caribbean is leveraging entertainment, smart design, and more things to do than on any other ship to keep people busy.

Keeping in mind that Icon of the Seas is about 7% larger than Wonder of the Seas, so it's not doubling or significantly increasing the overall size of a known entity.

If you're having second thoughts about going on a ship as big as Icon of the Seas because of how many people will be onboard, it's likely not going to be nearly as bad as you think it will be.

Icon of the Seas is about to set sail on her maiden voyage later this week, and Royal Caribbean is already working on ways to improve on a ship that has barely sailed.

Star of the Seas will be the second Icon Class cruise ship and will debut in 2025 to sail from Port Canaveral.  Not only is the ship well into construction, but improvements and updates from Icon are in the works.

Icon of the Seas will have her first voyage with paying passengers on Saturday, but the ship has had employees, media, and travel agents onboard for short preview sailings to fine tune everything in the lead-up to the maiden sailing.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider is leading the charge to innovate with Star.

While the cruise line is not ready to reveal everything that will be different on Star, we have a few ideas what they have in mind.

Star of the Seas will not be the biggest ship in the world

With the Oasis Class ships, Royal Caribbean made each subsequent ship just a little bit bigger so that it could take the title of biggest in the world.  The Icon class will not follow that trend.

"That isn't the case on Icon. Star will not be a foot bigger. It will be 1198ft long. The third ship in the icon class, yet to be named publicly, will also be 1198ft long."

According to Mr. Schneider, there's no point in continuing that pattern, "We don't feel a need to do that right now. Maybe we'll change our mind. Never say never. But that isn't the design intent."

Update to the supper club

Royal Caribbean opened its first ever supper club experience on Icon of the Seas with Empire Supper Club, but expect a new motif on Star.

On Star of the Seas, the venue will be Chicago themed (Icon has a New York theme to it). And there's more ideas after that.

"It'll actually become Chicago themed, but same DNA," said Mr. Schneider. " "On Icon three, it becomes Hollywood themed."

"Great music choreographed to the delivery of the food and the service, with cocktails paired but all wired for the theme that goes with it. So Chicago will be more Midwestern themed, Hollywood will be Hollywood themed, and the decor and the venue will match, and the food and music will twist to again match that theme."

"If we build future versions of icon, we'll just keep going around the world assuming that concept remains successful."

Star and Icon 3 are being built at the same time

With Star of the Seas coming in 2025 and Icon 3 in 2026, work is happening concurrently. 

"The ships are essentially being built in parallel," which is a necessity in order to keep the ship on schedule for delivery.

While work is underway, that doesn't mean tweaks can't be made in the process.

"As we operate this with real guests over the next three, four months, that will also really help inform what we want to adjust on Star and what we want to adjust on Icon three."

A hot tub will be added

Mr. Schneider alluded to a hot tub idea that was cut from Icon due to weight concerns, but will be on Star.

"When we initially were pulling out in sea trials, we thought we were at maximum weight."

"We are not as it turned out so, we did have some room. And so the hot tub that I that painfully cut is now coming back on Star of the Seas."

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship has more for families than ever, including a new kind of stateroom.

The Surfside Family Suite is one of 14 brand-new stateroom categories on Icon of the Seas.

With Icon, Royal Caribbean wants to offer the kind of family vacation that can compete with land resorts, such as the popular theme park resorts in Orlando, Florida. In order to do that, not only does the cruise ship need to have lots of fun things to do, but it needs rooms that are a better fit.

The Surfside Family Suite overlooks the Surfside neighborhood. Like its namesake, this suite is meant to be a great choice for those with young kids.

Disclosure: We toured the room while on a preview sailing of Icon of the Seas that we were invited to sail as guests.

It's clear that Royal Caribbean wanted a cabin that allowed the parents to sleep in the same room as their kids, without feeling like everyone is on top of each other. The result are smaller nooks for the kids to have their own space.

Photos of this cabin come from room 10293 on deck 10.

Walking into the room, you'll notice the set-up has areas for everyone, and the space is maximized to take advantage of it all.

The 1.5 bedroom suite sleeps up to 4, complete with a bedroom and special kids’ nook space with a pullout couch.

In this suite, you’ll also find a split bathroom and a private balcony accessible via a convertible partition in the bedroom. 

Given that it's a suite, it comes with Sky Class benefits in Royal Caribbean's suite program. This is the mid-tier suite benefits and includes suite lounge access, priority boarding, the services of the concierge, complimentary internet access, and more. It's likely going to be the least-expensive Sky Class suite on the ship.

Walking into the room, there are two bathrooms on either side of the entrance.

One bathroom is the full bath, which comes with a sink, toilet and full shower. Like all cabins on Icon of the Seas, the shower has a seat and isn't a typical cruise ship tube shower.

The other bathroom is a half bath, with toilet and sink. 

There is a king size bed that can be split in two if requested. The idea is for this bed to be for the parents.

There is a large television near the bed, along with nightstands and USB outlets on either side. Offering more power outlets is a common thread among all cabins on Icon of the Seas.

In the living space, you'll find metal hooks on one wall that are perfect for hanging up swimsuits, hats, and more.

There's a vanity sitting area with mirror and more outlets. Most of the closet space is located here as well.

Near the vanity is the kids nook, which has a fold out bed that is ideal for younger children.

This area has a see-through window to the balcony, and a floor-to-ceiling window so kids can see what's happening around Surfside.

The kids have their own television too.

The nook has a sliding door that can be used to essentially corral the kids in. The door isn't sound or view proof, but there are curtains you can draw as well to make it dark in there.

The suite has a balcony that comes with chairs and a table, and it overlooks the Surfside neighborhood.

The Surfside Family Suite is perfect for a family that has kids no older than 6 years old (or very short slightly older kids). 

Having separate sleeping areas without having a second room makes keeping tabs on your kids when they're at an age that they need to still be close by to mom and dad substantially more useful. On older cruise ships, it's difficult to find rooms like this that provide some degree of separation and amenities.

Plus, the extra half bathroom means more flexibility when someone is using the shower.

It's also located within the Surfside neighborhood, so it's just a few decks down to Surfside, and a few decks up to Thrill Island.

This is a suite, and not a standard room, so the price will not be as cheap as simply booking a standard balcony room that can accommodate up to four guests.  But it is usually priced cheaper than other suites, and it has much more living space.

For a family with elementary school aged kids, the Surfside Family Suite might be the perfect solution for booking one room while not being on top of each other.

Hope you had a great week and are staying safe out there. Hopefully you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

Just this week, Royal Caribbean made the last-minute decision to swap adults-only venues on Icon of the Seas.

When the cruise line initially announced details of its newest cruise ship, Cloud 17 (located in Chill Island) was the adults-only area.

Cloud 17 was intended to replace the Solarium, traditionally the adults-only area on Royal Caribbean ships.

However, Icon of the Seas has now designated the Hideaway neighborhood as the area for guests 18 and older.

This change was made, in part, to match the new Hideaway Beach on Perfect Day at CocoCay, which will also be an adults-only area.

Royal Caribbean News

• Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide
• Icon of the Seas Suite Neighborhood: What to expect
• Photos show what suites on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas looks like
• Royal Caribbean has an ultra-luxury suite that can cost over $80,000 per week — here's what it looks like
• 9 reasons to stay up late instead of waking up early on a cruise ship
• Oasis of the Seas Cabins to Avoid

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 523rd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt shares his first experience on Icon of the Seas.

Matt previewed Icon of the Seas for 7 hours this week, and he’s back to share his initial thoughts on the ship.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it!

Video: One thing I would change to improve every Royal Caribbean restaurant

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — One thing I would change to improve every Royal Caribbean restaurant — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Photo tour of a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas. It has more power outlets than I've seen on any ship

Icon of the Seas has been extensively promoted for its size and innovation over the last year. But little has been shared about the ship’s standard staterooms. 

Once guests set foot on the ship, will they also see improvements made to the typical stateroom categories?

Earlier this week, Allie also got the chance to tour Icon of the Seas for a short sneak peek. She toured a balcony stateroom and felt impressed by the upgrades she saw there.

From increased connectivity to modern designs, see what’s new. 

Royal Caribbean has a $100,000 cup on its new cruise ship that includes a lifetime drink package

Cruise drink packages attract fans who want to party extensively or save money on their beverages.

One souvenir on Icon of the Seas will take the beverage package to a whole new level.

This six-figure gilded chalice costs $100,00 just for the single cup.

However, its purchase also grants you an unlimited Royal Caribbean drink package for life.

Buying this treasure essentially guarantees you’ll never pay for another drink, including cocktails, spirits, liquors, beers, wine by the glass, sodas, water, mocktails, premium coffee and tea, and fresh-squeezed juice.

I stayed in a windowless cabin onboard Odyssey of the Seas that cost $2,300: Here's what my inside stateroom looked like

Angie recently cruised on Odyssey of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships.

For the length of the 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary, she stayed in an interior guarantee cabin.

This was the cheapest option for two people, totaling $2,321.

However, she was surprised by the quality and size of the stateroom. She shares the benefits of sailing on these newer ships, such as a better cabin design, amenities, and soundproofing.

I take care of a dog on the world's largest cruise ship. Being the Chief Dog Officer is a dream job

You’ve probably heard about Royal Caribbean’s family mascot by now: an adorable golden retriever named Rover. She lives onboard Icon of the Seas full-time.

But who is in charge of taking care of Rover?

This dream job belongs to Alison Hubble, whose job title is "Rover's Chief of Staff." 

A recent webinar interview with Hubble provided more insight into Rover’s life onboard and her interactions with crew members.

At night, any given cruise ship's atmosphere will drastically change. While activities are going on throughout the day, such as belly flop competitions on the pool deck or general trivia in one of the lounges, the ship truly comes alive at night. 

Everyone has different vacation preferences. Perhaps you are someone who enjoys peaceful mornings onboard before the majority of passengers have awoken from their slumbers. On the other hand, maybe you're the kind of person who would rather stay up late and make your way to the Windjammer for breakfast's last call. 

Here are 9 reasons you should consider staying up late instead of waking up early on your next cruise. 

You can see the many shows onboard

Royal Caribbean is known for its entertainment, especially on newer ships. 

From jaw-dropping high-diving spectaculars to Broadway-style musicals and even original production shows, you might find yourself struggling to fit everything in, especially on a shorter cruise! 

Shows aren’t offered during the day, so you will have to plan them around dinner. You’ll either have to attend the early show and have a later dinner or vice versa. Either way, you won't be in bed by 9:30 or 10:00pm if you hope to catch one of the onboard shows. 

Theme parties typically happen later at night

Longer cruises have theme nights, such as White Night, 80s Night, etc. These themes are accompanied by fun events, including parties!

Whether they’re on the top deck or within the ship’s Centrum or Royal Promenade, you surely won’t want to miss all the fun that happens during them.

To figure out your cruise's theme nights, you will want to refer to a past Cruise Compass. Not only will this help you figure out the themes, but it will also give you a look at everything that was offered, from the onboard shows to live music, dining times, Adventure Ocean operating hours, and more. 

You can try your luck for a late-night win at the casino

Casino Royale comes alive at night. What better time to try your luck than after a post-dinner cocktail (or two) from the Schooner Bar? 

You don't have to be an experienced gambler to put $20 into a random slot machine and hope for the best! In fact, this is one of my favorite evening activities while on a cruise. Gambling during the day just isn't the same!

Even if you just walk away with just $100, that's money that you didn't have when you started! Perhaps it'll convince you to splurge on a last-minute shore excursion or place a deposit for a future cruise. 

Read more: I gambled enough in Royal Caribbean's casino to get free drinks and a cruise

The following day is a sea day

There's no harm in staying up a little bit later than usual when you don't have a schedule the next day. Even though you should check out the Cruise Compass to see what activities are being offered, you should not feel pressured to do any. 

Sea days are meant to be relaxing. After a few long days ashore, there's nothing wrong with spending your day sleeping in and/or napping by the pool, especially if you attended some late-night programming the night before. 

Even if sleeping in isn't the most exciting activity, there's no better feeling than waking up well-rested. 

Read more: 10 mistakes to avoid making on a cruise ship sea day

You should stay up later if you took an afternoon nap

Early mornings on cruise ships are rather peaceful. 

Whether you're seeking a quiet coffee break or simply want to walk around before the majority of passengers have rolled out of bed, there are lots of pros to being one of the first awake. This, however, can make it rather difficult to stay awake later. 

When I cruised onboard Freedom of the Seas, my partner and I ended up almost sleeping through dinner after we woke up early to make the most out of our time at Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

If you're someone who wants to enjoy both peaceful mornings and late nights, consider taking an afternoon nap. 

This will give you the energy to catch that late comedy show or fully enjoy an AquaTheater spectacular without having to fight to keep your eyes open. 

Hot tubs aren't as busy at night

When dinnertime rolls around, the majority of passengers will begin to flock from the pool deck back to their staterooms to freshen up. If you're someone who loves avoiding crowds, then this is the ideal time to hang out on the top decks. 

Of course, staying out later isn't an option if you have an early dining time, especially if you are excited about that night's menu offerings. 

Even after dinner when the pools are closed, there's usually a hot tub or two still open, making it a great time for a late-night dip! 

You can dance the night away at the ship's nightclub

Unlike on land, cruise ship nightclubs don't have a cover. This means that you can dance to your heart's extent every night of the cruise without racking up some hefty entrance fees, as is the case in some cities like Las Vegas or New York. 

Even if nightclubs aren't your usual scene, you should check your ship's out at least once! I have found the vibe to be pretty different than those on land. In fact, I think they're more fun and welcoming than high-profile clubs. 

Sometimes, there will be 18+ events in these spaces, too, such as a silent disco. When I cruised onboard Allure of the Seas with friends, this was one of our favorite aspects of the 8-night cruise! 

Some nightlife venues aren't centered around dancing, either, such as Icon of the Seas' Dueling Pianos bar. 

If you haven't had time to catch up with friends and family yet, there's no better time than an after-dinner cocktail at one of the ship's many bars and lounges

Perhaps you're traveling with a large group and people broke off into groups to spend their day ashore in different ways. Some, for instance, might want to relax on the beach, whereas others will want to do something a little bit more exciting, such as an ATV tour or zip lining through the tree's canopies. 

On the other hand, it's easy to spend an entire day onboard and not see anyone in your travel party, as everyone has different interests. 

Regardless of the reason you haven't seen your crew as much as you would have liked throughout the day, there's no reason you cannot catch up over some after-dinner drinks while listening to live music. 

You'll have to stay up later to cram in as much fun as you can on shorter sailings

Some cruises are as short as 3 or 4 nights. If you want to make the most of your time onboard, you'll have to be willing to sacrifice sleep to a certain extent. 

If, for instance, your cruise is only 3 nights, likely, you will not have a day at sea. Instead, you will have two days in port, followed by evenings onboard. 

On ships like Allure of the Seas or Utopia of the Seas, this can make it difficult to cross everything off of your list. In fact, you will have to be strategic with your time and utilize embarkation day for some activities, such as the Flowrider, rock climbing wall, zip line, or mini-golf. 

Doing those things right off the bat will free your evenings for other events like shows and pre-planned programming (i.e., game shows, trivia, karaoke, etc.).