In short, Icon of the Seas, the first of an all-new class of vessels for Royal Caribbean, will be, hands down, the ultimate megaresort at sea. What became clear to me on Wednesday as Tim Klauda, Royal Caribbean's vice president for product development, took me deck-by-deck through the partly-finished vessel at a shipyard in Finland, was that it would also have no rival in the cruise world when it comes to the breadth and depth of its offerings, particularly for families.įrom an unprecedentedly massive water park at its top with six waterslides to the most innovative interior promenade of restaurants, bars and shops ever on a cruise vessel (just wait until you see the soaring glass wall that bathes the space with natural light), there's just never been anything quite like what you're going to see on Icon of the Seas - and I say that as someone who has sailed on nearly every major cruise ship afloat. But it's not just its giant size - about 6% bigger than the next biggest cruise ship - that will set it apart.įor more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter But it's what kept swirling through my head Wednesday during a sneak peek at the line's next new ship, Icon of the Seas.Īt 250,800 gross tons, the much-awaited, 20-deck-high vessel will be the biggest cruise ship in the world when it debuts in 2024. I'm guessing that many Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line fans will quibble with it.

When it comes to building the most amazing megaresorts at sea, Royal Caribbean these days is basically just competing with itself.

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