Royal Caribbean’s record-breaking Icon of the Seas is drawing closer to its debut in January 2024 after completing its first phase of sea trials in Europe.
Set to be the world’s largest cruise ship and the company’s first Icon-class ship, the vessel has been under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, according to an official release.
The cruise will offer vacationers the world’s largest waterpark at sea, dubbed Category 6 and featuring six water slides. Icon of the Seas also offers a “resort getaway,” a “beach escape,” a theme park and over “40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained,” according to the company.
Inside, it will feature a one-of-a-kind accommodation: the “Ultimate Family Townhouse,” which Royal Caribbean describes as a three-story “sprawling adventure-filled pad” with an in-suite slide, a karaoke station, and hidden areas to discover.
The ship’s 20 decks will include Royal Caribbean’s first-ever dueling piano bar, eight “neighborhoods,” the largest pool at sea and experiences for thrill-seekers like Crown’s Edge, described as “a fear-inducing challenge that’s part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride and an all-out test of your courage.”
The ship weighs in at an estimated 250,800 tons and measures close to 1,200 feet long. It also holds about 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members, according to CNN.
Over 450 specialists have run four days of preliminary tests on the ship’s main engines, bow and propellers, as well as checking noise and vibration levels, a release shared.