Royal Caribbean has outdone itself with Icon of the Seas, thanks to new innovations, changes, and a few tweaks.

Overall, I've enjoyed sailing on the new biggest cruise ship in the world because the ship has so many aspects that really stand out as being important. Subtle changes, such as the pool deck being broken up so it doesn't feel like just another cruise ship pool deck, to adding stairs, escalators, and shortcuts, have really had an effect on the enjoyment factor.

Like any Royal Caribbean ship, I can't help but compare and contrast it to other ships, and I've found a number of things I enjoy and some others I wish they would change.

Being the first ship in the Icon Class, it's impressive how much Royal Caribbean got right out of the gate with this ship. The line spent a great deal of time mocking up venues at their headquarters and utilizing virtual reality to better understand the flow and feel for venues that have never existed. The result has been fantastic.

I thought about my time on Icon of the Seas and what I've enjoyed about the ship and what truly stands out.

Icon feels uncrowded

From the day we boarded Icon of the Seas, it became clear crowds have not been an issue and it almost feels weird how uncrowded the ship is.

I'm not saying Icon feels like a private yacht or that there aren't any lines, but it has been remarkable how uncrowded the ship has felt. It's been especially true in places where I usually expect to find a lot of people, such as the pool deck or Royal Promenade.

On a sea day, I went to try to find a crowd. The Hideaway and Swim & Tonic bar is where I found the largest crowds, but even that was fairly manageable. 

In many cases, other guests mentioned how empty the ship felt.  

To be fair, the first sailing is not at maximum capacity, but there are about 5,500 passengers along with 2,300 crew members onboard. That's not a small number of humans on one ship.

I think the reason Icon feels so uncrowded so far is because of how much there is to do that draws people away. 

There are three different theaters, an entire waterpark, live music, 40 bars and restaurants, seven pools, and a variety of other activities. 

Plus, you have better flow of guests onboard with stairs, escalators, and shortcuts. It all adds up to help keep passengers moving and the ship really feels emptier than I would have ever expected. 

Really good complimentary restaurants

Royal Caribbean has introduced a lot of specialty restaurants over the last few years, but darn if the food included with your cruise fare isn't really good too.

Besides the Main Dining Room, Sorrento's Pizza, and Windjammer, there are a few other new venues included in your cruise fare that are drawing me back time and time again.

Aquadome Market is a new food hall concept and it's a home run. So much variety, and so good food. I could eat the Greek gyros every day.

The Surfside neighborhood has three new restaurants, two of which are included. Surfside Bites and Surfside Eatery might be targeted at kids, but who doesn't love chicken tenders, hot dogs, and quesadillas? 

Basecamp has a majority of extra-cost items, but I'd be remiss if I didn't stop for a complimentary basket of pretzel bites every time I walk by.

And then there's Pearl Cafe, which is a revamped version of Cafe Promenade. It has grab-and-go snacks available 24 hours a day, new drink dispensers, and a beautiful lounge space. It's one of the most popular spots to hang out on Icon.

Wide open spaces

Perhaps contributing to the feel that Icon of the Seas is uncrowded are the expanded and open venues.

The Royal Promenade stretches from side to side of the ship and it feels so nice having a space that doesn't remind me of a shopping mall. 

How did they do this? They removed the Promenade facing cabins to add more space in this neighborhood.

Chill Island is the de-facto pool deck, but Royal Caribbean has spread out the pools and added so many chairs in the shade and sun that you can roll up to the pool at lunch on a sea day and still get a chair.

By opening up these decks, it really feels like you have more space to spread out.

Empire Supper Club

I wasn't sure if I would like Royal Caribbean's most expensive specialty restaurant, but I ended up loving it.

Empire Supper Club is a new dining experience, and the only comparison I can draw is to Chef's Table. Chef's Table had three flaws that kept me from ever loving it: you have to sit with strangers, it's paired with a lot of wine, and the food was always a little too frou-frou for my taste.

Empire Supper Club addresses all three of those problems, and includes amazing entertainment.

It's an intimate dining experience to be sure, but you are seated at your own table, so you don't have to worry about awkward conversations with strangers at the onset of the meal.

Instead of wine pairs, each course is paired with cocktails and I think there's a more universal appeal to cocktails. I certainly liked it better.

As for the food, the entrees are fantastic (try the Chilean Sea Bass) and I found each of the appetizers really tasty as well. Given the pacing, I think there's plenty to eat and it's all very good.

Yes, it's $200 per person to eat at Empire Supper Club, so it's not cheap. But I do think it's worth trying as a way to celebrate being on vacation and splurging a little bit.

More outlets than ever

You won't have to go very far to find a power outlet on Icon.

There are more electrical and USB outlets on Icon of the Seas than I've ever seen on another Royal Caribbean cruise ship. This is so helpful to ensure you can keep your devices charged no matter where you are.

Staterooms have always been where you could find dedicated power, and for the first time, there are likely more power and USB outlets than you can possibly use. For families, this is a really big deal as you don't have to play the game of which device can you disconnect so someone else can get a turn.

In the cabin, there are outlets on both sides of the bed, as well as by the vanity. Depending on which room type you have, there are also outlets near the television, storage areas and more.

Around the ship, there are lots of outlets in public venues and that means you can enjoy spending time in these places, rather than having to go back to your room to power up.

In Pearl Cafe and the Overlook, there are outlets at almost every chair. At bars and restaurants, you'll find them too.

Destination elevators

I never thought a new kind of elevator could have such a profound effect on crowds and waiting, but it's been a real win with the destination elevators on Icon.

Instead of traditional elevators, you go to a panel and indicate which floor you'd like to go to and are directed to a particular elevator.

Once in that elevator, there are no buttons to push and the car goes directly to the floors that have been programmed for you.

It may not seem like it would have that big of a difference, but the time spent waiting for an elevator on Icon has been substantially reduced. Even when there are big crowds, such as when a show lets out, the destination elevators more efficiently get people where they need go with less waiting.

Royal Caribbean changed to destination elevators because the cruise line knew waiting for an elevator was a problem on Oasis Class ships. Since Icon was going to have more passengers, they needed a better way to move up 7,500 passengers seamlessly.

The result has been a tremendously faster experience, and I think you'll be equally surprised how well the elevators work on Icon.

Surfside restaurants

There are many new bars, restaurants, and lounges on Icon, but I think the least-heralded ones are in Surfside because the area has been written off as "just for kids." 

However, I really think you would be remiss if you didn't stop for the food in Surfside, regardless of if you have children or not with you.

There are two complimentary restaurants, as well as an a la carte restaurant.

Surfside Eatery is a buffet, and while it is intended for kids, there's a lot of good food here. Plenty of adults are picky eaters, but more importantly, plenty of adults like quesadillas, hot dogs, and fruit.

If you're really in a rush, try the popcorn chicken from Surfside Bites next door. 

And the real sleeper hit of Icon of the Seas is Pier 7, which is a new specialty restaurant.

Pier 7 offers brunch and dinner, and the menu is meant to appeal to parents and kids. Essentially, there should be something for all palates here.

The menu consists of an all-day brunch, tacos, poke bowls, and more. It's priced a la carte, so you pay for you what you order. If you have the Ultimate Dining Package, you get $20 per person, per day to eat here.

Cruise ship food can get repetitive, so I appreciate that Pier 7 has more variety to consider and it's somewhere else you could go for a meal. Plus, I think having all-day brunch is going to be a popular choice for those who like to sleep in but still want breakfast. 

Wizard of Oz

Royal Caribbean has a well-deserved reputation for having the best entertainment at sea, and The Wizard of Oz show might be its best show yet.

As the signature show on Icon of the Seas, Oz has been highly anticipated and the show matches up nicely.

The production value is off the charts. From the set, to the costumes, to the special effects, this is no musical medley. It's on par with any stage show you might see in a city (and have to pay extra to see).

While I was disappointed all of the shows weren't available to see on the inaugural cruise, Wizard of Oz alone makes up for it all with its high quality.

Things I didn't like about Icon of the Seas

Nothing in this world is perfect, and I found a few aspects of Icon of the Seas that I think could be improved.

Staggering of Royal Promenade entertainment

One goal Royal Caribbean has had with the Royal Promenade was to make the area have much more energy, so they opened up the venues more so that you can experience a taste of what's happening inside as you walk by.

Nearly all of the venues (except The Attic) are fully open, so music can be heard from all over the Royal Promenade, making it more enticing for passengers to want to experience it all.

I love this change, but I'm not sure the timing has been well thought out.

The issue is they want certain musical acts to be playing when others aren't, and the result is it seems like you have less time to enjoy them all.

As an example, the guitarist in the pub regularly stops performing around 10:45pm so that Boleros (located across the Promenade and above) can perform. The guitarist in the pub starts earlier, but between shows and dinner, there's wasted time as I have found the pub gets busiest on other ships between 10pm and midnight.

Noise bleed is inevitably going to happen, but I don't think the entertainment needs to grind to a halt during prime time.

Suite lounge feels cramped

The suite lounge on Icon is a shared space with Coastal Kitchen, but unlike the Oasis Class ships that do the same thing, this area feels far more constricted.

As you enter the Suite Neighborhood, you'll find the suite concierge and the suite lounge hugging the left side of the area, with Coastal Kitchen taking up much of the space.

I found there just isn't a lot of seating, and what seating is there is very close together. This is especially true of the tables in Coastal Kitchen. The nice thing about Coastal Kitchen is that it encompasses two floors.

Baskets instead of drawers

This last thing I don't love is purely aesthetic, but I noticed in many standard cabins, baskets have essentially replaced a few drawers.

The problem I have with baskets is the contents are visible to someone outside the room. The baskets are too small to put larger garments in them (such as pants), so I think smaller clothing will inevitably be put in them, such as undergarments.

Regardless of what you put in them, if you have friends come to your room to hang out, the clothing is visible and that bothers me. Maybe that's just me.

Speaking of storage, there is sufficient room to put your clothes and belongings away, but it feels like there is less space than on Wonder of the Seas. I think the change is a result of removing the storage that used to be around the bed frame on other ships.  

As I said, there is enough space to put belongings away, but it feels like there is less than you might otherwise have on an Oasis Class ship.

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I've spent over a week on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas and it's an impressive cruise ship, but there are some important things you'll want to do to maximize it all.

Royal Caribbean calls Icon of the Seas a "white paper ship", because it was designed from scratch to incorporate the line's best ideas. Suffice to say, I've heard so many great things from other passengers on how impressed they are. Destination elevators, an expansive pool deck neighborhood, more for the kids than ever, and new entertainment venues are just some of the early wins.

I got to thinking how could someone going on Icon truly get the most out of their vacation.  I thought about the ways anyone could save time, money, and their sanity, by embracing a few easy tips to have a better cruise.

Icon is a giant ship, but don't let its size overwhelm you. There's easy ways to make it all work.

Get to know the neighborhoods

Understanding the layout of Icon of the Seas is probably the first thing you should figure out.

Icon borrows the neighborhood concept from the Oasis Class cruise ships, but it's far from a copy-and-paste job. The layout is notably different, and you may find yourself early on trying to figure out which area has which venue.

Hooked is in the AquaDome, the Music Hall is below the Royal Promenade, and Surfside can be accessed from a few decks.

Neighborhoods have served two purposes.  First, it provides easy navigation aids.  Second, it helps spread passengers out.

Read more: Is the world's largest cruise ship crowded? Not as much as you might fear

At the risk of making a shameless plug, we put together a walkthrough video tour that you can watch to easily get a sense of where everything is before the cruise begins.  While deck maps are also available, I think they are not as intuitive to understanding layout and flow.

Once you get on Icon of the Seas, be sure to walk around a lot on the first day so you can get your bearings.

One thing you'll notice is how inviting each neighborhood is, and how you might be drawn in immediately to one area and realize you haven't made it to a different neighborhood yet. Royal Caribbean wanted the ship to offer something for everyone, and I found I would wander into one area and hang out there longer than I anticipated.

You may find yourself drawn into an a lounge, pool, or activity and spend more time there than you anticipated because it's just that endearing. 

You can use the Royal Caribbean app for much more on Icon

Royal Caribbean has introduced new app features first just for Icon of the Seas, so be sure to take advantage of them (so be sure to download the app before the cruise).

In addition to the repertoire of useful functionality, the Royal Caribbean app has new features that you can now use:

Express Boarding

Guests who check-in ahead of time and scan their documents get to go through the “Express Boarding” and breeze through the cruise terminal in minutes

Faster WiFi access

Once shipboard, guests can connect directly to WiFi and their Internet plans through the app (rather than going into their phone settings or dealing with a captive portal).

AI Help

Guests can now get help from a chatbot or chat with a Guest Services agent through the Royal Caribbean app.

The Guest Services team now has a Virtual Queueing system to schedule and manage guest visits.

Dinner reservations

Guests receive push notifications when their tables are ready for main dining, helping reduce the pre-dinner crowds.

Easier photo purchases

And guests can view and purchase photos directly through the app, instead of having to visit and crowd around kiosks.

Pre-book your shows whenever possible

Royal Caribbean allows guests to book tickets to their shows in the weeks leading up to their cruise and this is not just a good idea, it's a must-do.

The hottest ticket on Icon of the Seas are the top shows: Aqua Action, Wizard of Oz, and Starburst. Even the comedy shows are tough to book too.

Theoretically, Royal Caribbean puts its tickets to book 30 days before the cruise from the Cruise Planner website. For at least the first few sailings, the cruise line has needed more time to get its reservations open.

Regardless of when they're available, book shows to ensure you get in easily.

There will also be tickets made available on the ship. There's a box office you can visit to get reservations on embarkation day, so that's a good back-up option.

Arrive very early for standby shows

If you don't get a ticket, don't fret, you can still likely get in the show but you'll need to be an early bird.

There is a standby line for each show, and the key is to get in the standby line early. I would recommend getting in line at least 30-45 minutes before the listed start time to be able to be among the first to enter the theater once they admit standby line guests in.

Even if you have a ticket, I'd still recommend getting to the show early.  Seating is limited in many venues, especially the AquaTheater.  Remember, your ticket assures you of a seat, but not necessarily the best seat. So arrive early.

Don't overlook the great included food options

It's so tempting to book specialty restaurants, but the restaurants included with your fare are not bad at all on Icon.

Pearl Cafe has replaced Cafe Promenade, and it offers grab-and-go snacks 24 hours a day. It's a significant upgrade in terms of food quality and selection.

Perhaps the best complimentary restaurant to come out of Royal Caribbean in at least a decade is the Aquadome Market.

This is Royal Caribbean's first food hall, and it is really good. You have the choice of Greek, mac and cheese, crepes, Asian, or salads. It's all freshly made, and it's the kind of food you'll want to go back again to get more.

Surfside might be the new neighborhood for young families, but don't skip the restaurants here. There's two included restaurants that serve up a lot of comfort food: Surfside Bites and Surfside Eatery.  

Of course, you could also grab a slice of pizza at Sorrento's, which was Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley's favorite food on Icon.

There are outlets in so many public venues

Whether you want to keep your laptop, iPhone, or any electronic device powered up, it's easier on Icon.

There are so many more outlets in public venues than ever before.  On older ships, it's a miracle if you can find a single electric plug to use around the ship because ships were not designed with USB or 120V outlets in mind.

Around Icon, there are lots of outlets you can use.  As more people work remotely from cruise ships (thank you Starlink internet), there's more of a need to have power.  Plus, sometimes you just want to keep your phone going because you used a lot of battery already listening to music.

Pearl Cafe in particular has a ton of outlets, as does the Overlook in the Aquadome.  Most bars have plugs as well that you can use.

Book your cruise early for the best price

If Icon of the Seas sounds like a fantastic cruise ship to sail on, you will want to book it as early as possible.

Cruise prices are dynamic, but as rooms get booked up, inventory drops and prices go up. Demand for Icon of the Seas is so strong right now that you cannot expect a price drop.

Your best strategy for getting a good price on Icon is to book early, like right now.  The earlier you book, you can lock in the price.

The cruise industry is experiencing unparalleled demand, and you'll see that in the prices.  Icon is a premium ship with premium pricing, so booking early is your best plan (rather than waiting for a last-minute deal).

Read more: 15 ways to get a deal on a cruise

We asked thirteen chefs and food-obsessed executives to debate the most memorable plates on Royal Caribbean's newest ship.

There are dozens of restaurants and bars on Icon of the Seas to try, so how how do you sift through every single one and choose the most essential dishes?

I struggled with trying to sample everything on my short Icon of the Seas preview sailing that the cruise line invited me on in the days before the new ship's maiden voyage. 

It occurred to me that it would make sense to go straight to the source and ask some of the chefs, senior staff, and executives for their picks. Some of them had been on Icon for nearly a month, and had gone through preparing the venues for paying customers. As a result, they tried a lot of the food.

I was surprised by the breadth of answers I got.  I was initially worried about repetition in answers, but it turned out there are a number of great picks among the list I compiled.

Here's a list of the top dishes and drinks straight from the top of Royal Caribbean.

1. Chilean Sea Bass at Empire Supper Club

Three different people picked the Chilean Sea Bass as their favorite dish, and that caught my attention when I went to eat there.

Empire Supper Club is a brand new concept for Royal Caribbean. The line has never done an intimate dining experience that incorporated entertainment, cuisine, and formality like this, and the finished product is quite impressive.

Among the three entrees you can choose from, the Chilean Sea Bass stands out for how much flavor it has and how tender it is.  It's a cliche to say food melts, but this one really does.

Izumi Master Chef Travis Kamiyama, Royal Caribbean International Chief Marketing Officer Kara Wallace, and Royal Caribbean International Senior Director of Fleet Restaurant Operations Dominique Gamba all chose this as their favorite food on Icon of the Seas.

To the best of my knowledge, Royal Caribbean has never served Chilean Sea Bass before at another venue, but it turned out to be a great choice.  You can also try the steak or rabbit at Empire Supper Club, but given how highly recommended the Sea Bass is, it's difficult to pass up.

2. Gyros at Aquadome Market

Aquadome Market is another brand new dining concept on Icon of the Seas, and it's Royal Caribbean's first foray into a food hall. And it's complimentary!

I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the Aquadome Market when the cruise line was testing out a bare bones concept at its Innovation Lab in Miami. Even in that form, I was impressed by the food ideas the culinary team came up with.

Paul Fortin, Senior Director of Culinary Operations (and a chef), picked the gyros from the Feta station, as did Thierry Houlbert, Senior Traveling Corporate Pastry Chef.

It's easy to see why the gyros are a great choice. They're freshly made when you order them, it uses fresh ingredients, and it's a satisfying street food dish.

Feta offers pork or chicken gyro meat, as well as falafel. And since it's in the food hall, you can also grab mac and cheese, crepes, and a salad at one of the other stations too.

3. Giant meatball at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen

Royal Caribbean brought back Giovanni's Italian Kitchen to Icon of the Seas, which is the line's preeminent Italian specialty restaurant.

Among the dishes you'll find at Giovanni's, is an aptly named appetizer, the Giant Meatball.

It's doused in Parmesan cheese, surrounded by marinara sauce, stuffed with spinach, and it was the dish that Director, Entertainment & Guest Activities at Royal Caribbean International, Ken Rush picked out immediately.

Like so many dishes at Giovanni's, the meatball is a comfort food and classic dish.

4. Amuse-bouche at Empire Supper Club

Another entry from Empire Supper Club is actually something you won't find listed on the menu.

This new restaurant boasts eight courses, including a very tasty start to the meal.

Royal Caribbean International Assistant Vice President of Guest Experience, Aurora Yera-Rodriguez, chose the amuse-bouche (pronounced ahmooz-boosh).

This is a French term that comes from the combined words amuser (to amuse), and bouche (mouth), and it's a tiny bagel topped with cheese and caviar.

5. Pepperoni pizza at Sorrento's

When I asked Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley his favorite food on Icon of the Seas, I don't think I would have predicted pizza would have been his choice.

Sorrento's is the well-known pizza chain on most of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships. Pizza might not be the most impressive food on Icon, but darn if it's not a good eat everytime you have it.

Mr. Bayley (AKA Bada-Bling Bayley) picked the pepperoni pizza specifically, noting it was something he always eats on any cruise.

6. Korean Fried Chicken at Pier 7

Royal Caribbean Vice President Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza, is responsible for all the dining venues on Icon of the Seas.  In fact, he lead all the dining initiatives around the fleet, so he has had his hand in pretty much every aspect of eating on Icon of the Seas.

Mr. D'Souza picked a restaurant from the new family-friendly neighborhood of Surfside.

Pier 7 is the first family-oriented specialty restaurant that is free for kids, and only the adults pay for it.

Mr. D'Souza chose the Korean Fried Chicken as his top dish, and he's become quite the connoisseur of fried chicken during his tenure at Royal Caribbean.   You'll find a fried chicken dish at the Mason Jar and Portside BBQ, both of which are new venues that he lead the creation of on other ships.

7. Goat cheese salad at Chops Grille

Chops Grille is on every single Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and its menu is among the most well-known.  That might be why Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty picked something from its menu.

His choice was the Goat Cheese salad appetizer, which features a bed of greens topped with a large fried piece of goat cheese.

The crispy goat cheese salad is served with green apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, and balsamic dressing. 

It's creamy and delicious, with a tang from the balsamic dressing and sour green apples.

Mr. Liberty also gave an honorable mention to the Penne alla Puttanseca with Salmon from Giovanni's Italian Kitchen as another of his favorite foods on Icon of the Seas.

8.  Raviolo at Empire Supper Club

Yet another pick from Empire Supper Club is from Heather Hust Rivera, Royal Caribbean Group Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer.

She chose the Raviolo, which is served towards the beginning of the meal.  

Paired with the Staten Island Spritz, the Raviolo is a pasta with a soft egg yolk inside, surrounded by a lovely sauce.

A raviolo is a single, large piece that is served as its own dish, and our team ranked it at the very top of the Empire Supper Club's menu.

9. Tomahawk steak at Chops Grille

On Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean introduced a new sub menu to the Chops Grille menu that offers higher quality cuts of meat to enjoy.

There's waygu beef, Porterhouse, and a Tomahawk steak (among other choices).  The extra cost these steaks have serve up the sort of steaks you'd find at a high-end land restaurant.

Sean Treacy is Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations, and he chose the tomahawk steak specifically.

I tried it out too, and it's a giant cut of meat. It's 32oz and can easily be shared with someone given its size.

What makes a tomahawk steak taste so good is the fat mixes with the elements released from the large bone. The rich flavor is why so many people prefer it.

Speaking of the Iconic cuts, Chef Travis Kamiyama also chose the Waygu Beef from this menu as a favorite of his.

10. Jazzy sass from Lou's Jazz 'n Blues

When I asked Ed Eiswirth for his top recommendation from Icon of the Seas, he went with the cocktail he loves the most.

Mr. Eiswirth leads all aspects of Beverage Operations on Royal Caribbean. Icon of the Seas has 13 brand new bars and lounges that are new to the fleet, and they created over 100 new cocktails. 

He went with the Jazzy Sass from the new jazz club, Lou's Jazz 'n Blues.

I've known Mr. Eiswirth for a few years, so I know how much he loves his bourbons and this new cocktail stands out as something unconventional, yet tasty.

His team wanted to come up with drink ideas that went beyond the stereotypical drinks most people associate with a cruise ship.  While there's nothing wrong with a pina colada or margarita, they sought to find something else to give passengers an opportunity to discover a new favorite.

Happy weekend! We hope you are enjoying a wonderful and relaxing weekend and managing to stay warm. Now it is time to sit back with a cuppa tea or java, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean cruise news.

Icon of the Seas has set sail on its first ever cruise, and it's a big deal.

Photo by Leeann Cris

The world's largest cruise ship departed Miami on Saturday with over 5,000 passengers and 2,300 crew members.

The 20-deck high ship has seven swimming pools, six waterslides, the largest ice arena at sea, 40 restaurants and bars, and a sprawling casino.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean CEO rejects changing to all-inclusive cruise prices
• Did Royal Caribbean's CEO hint Wonder of the Seas could be deployed to Galveston?
• 7 foods not to eat on a cruise
• 5 best cruises for teens
• Royal Caribbean's clever idea using AI to get help on the world's largest cruise ship
• Royal Caribbean CEO: "We built the biggest, baddest ship on the planet"
• Tweaks are being made to Star of the Seas based on Icon's feedback
• Royal Caribbean added a new suite for families on Icon of the Seas that has more space than ever

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 524th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, with a preview of Matt's cruise on Icon of the Seas.

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.

New RCB Video: Icon of the Seas walkthrough tour

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 — Icon of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Discovery Class: Royal Caribbean's new smaller cruise ship project

Royal Caribbean has been cagey with details, but it's clear that there is likely a new smaller class of cruise ships coming eventually.

How small? It's still anyone's guess, but the goal appears to be to replace the aging Vision and Radiance Class ships.

Referred to as the Discovery Class, we accrued all the information we know so far about this project.

Hideaway Beach adults-only section

There's a new adults-only beach at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and it's an impressive expansion.

Hideaway Beach includes a beach, infinity pool, new restaurants and more.  Plus, it's an enclave for adults who want a break from the family activities elsewhere on the island.

Before you buy a pass, here's what to expect and what you should know.

I designed 13 new bar menus for Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas has 13 new bar concepts, and that meant coming up with cocktails to offer in each one.

Alexandra Palmeri is Royal Caribbean's Corporate Manager of Beverage Operations, and her team was tasked with coming up with drinks for each one.

One of the primary goals of creating new bar menus was offering something more than just the typical cruise ship beverage, and the result was 100 new cocktails (65 with alcohol).

Is the world's largest cruise ship crowded? Not as much as you might fear

Icon of the Seas can handle almost 10,000 people when filled to the brim, but it's far less crowded than you might expect.

There's going to be a lot of people on any of its sailings, but Royal Caribbean has designed the ship to offer more activities and ways to keep people moving to mitigate crowding.

While the new ship won't feel like a private yacht by any means, it's also unlikely you will feel packed in as much as you might otherwise believe.

It doesn't look like Royal Caribbean will offer all-inclusive prices for a cruise anytime soon.

Royal Caribbean cruise fares typically offer a modular approach to pricing, where the base fare gets you on the cruise with a certain subset of included amenities.  Everything else costs extra, including shore excursions, most drinks, gratuities, and more.

Other cruise lines have recently made a shift to include more in their cruise fare, such as Celebrity Cruises which includes a basic drink package and internet package with its All Included fare.

A travel agent sailing on a preview sailing of Icon of the Seas asked Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley if his cruise line would make a similar move, and Mr. Bayley balked at the suggestion.

Half of passengers don't want a drink package

It doesn't seem like Mr. Bayley sees a need to include a drink package as part of the cruise fare.

Celebrity's drink package is similar to Royal Caribbean's deluxe beverage package in the sense it includes many extra cost drinks, such as beers, cocktails, sodas, and more.

Read more: Royal Caribbean drink package guide

"Our strategy has always been the unbundling of pricing to give people as much choice as they possibly can," he explained in answering the question.

"Our research says that around about 50% of the guests don't want a beverage package."

The average cost of Royal Caribbean's top drink package is around $65 to $105 per person per day, depending on the sailing.

"We've learned that unbundling is much easier and better for the guest. It also gets the price point in front of the customer, especially for families. And remember family is our is our real core target market."

Royal Caribbean's commitment to being a family cruise line above all else is self-evident with the launch of Icon of the Seas, which it considers the best alternative to a family land vacation to a place like Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Icon of the Seas features more for families to than any other ship before, and not just kids. It's designed for every member of the family.

The ship has eight neighborhoods offering an entire waterpark onboard, FlowRider surf simulator, mini-golf, and rock climbing.

Chill Island has seven different pools, with plenty of chairs nearby to enjoy the sun or shade.

Surfside is an entire area of the ship designed for young families. Parents can enjoy the Water's Edge pool at the back of the ship, while their kids enjoy Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay. Surfside also has three restaurants, an arcade, carousel, and lots of things to climb.

Unbundling offers choices

Mr. Bayley's comments focused on how much customers prefer having the discretion to add-on certain extra charges, rather than paying more up-front for a cruise fare.

"When you unbundle everything, it gives people choice and it pushes the pricing closer to their budget, which is a really important thing for families," he continued. 

"We feel like the pricing strategy that we have on the bundling, unbundling is the right path to go."

Mr. Bayley's comments echo what travel agents have been told before.  In 2020, Royal Caribbean Director of Revenue Strategy, Brittany Briggs, had a similar response when her team was asked during a webinar about all-inclusive pricing.

"We're a multigenerational cruise line with a lot of family sailing with us, so we do want to continue to be a family brand. I don't think this direction is a good fit for us," Ms. Briggs said.

"At this time we're not considering changing our pricing structure as we are truly focusing our on board experience for all of our guests."

Star Class is the exception

Mr. Bayley was quick to point out that if you move to Star Class cabins, you'll get as close to all-inclusive as Royal Caribbean can get.

"Around 10% of our total inventory, it falls into the suite category overall. So I think we're in the right place."

Is Crown's Edge too expensive?

Speaking of things that cost extra on a Royal Caribbean cruise, Mr. Bayley also took time to address concerns that the Crown's Edge experience is too pricey.

Crown's Edge is part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride, and an all-out test of courage.  It's a ropes course-style attraction that goes around the ship's Crown and Anchor logo.

The initial price for this thrill attraction was $89 per person for a ride that is listed at taking 90 seconds.

Photo by Vicki Freed

Mr. Bayley pushed back on calls for a lower price because of everything involved to make it happen, "when you experience that and you see what's involved in it, there's multiple staff interactions. There's a huge amount of safety involved in it. There's a video that records your whole experience that you then receive on your phone. There's a lot that comes with the experience."

He also added that pricing helps control demand in many cases for limited opportunity experiences, "sometimes pricing is to manage just the sheer volume of expectations."

When it comes to pricing, Mr. Bayley believes a higher price is acceptable if the product matches it, "we've also learned is that if you have a genuine quality product that ticks the box and delivers the goods to the customer, you'd be surprised at how the customer is willing to pay the price for that product."

"For example, with the overwater cabanas in Coco Cay. If you've experienced the overwater cabanas, it is literally like going to heaven for the day."

"It's not cheap, but people have the most remarkable experience and they're willing to pay for that... We feel like we're on the right track."

Ultimately, he is waiting for feedback from passengers on a revenue sailing, "as we go through the next several weeks, we'll get a lot of feedback from our revenue customers. They are going to tell us that this works or that doesn't."

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.

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.