Icon of the Seas docked in St. Skitts @livingadventurestravelagency
As we approached the port, we anxiously waited in our Lyft for the drawbridge to lower so that we
could continue toward the ship. Our excitement was growing rapidly knowing we were just a few
minutes from seeing the massive engineering marvel up close that we were lucky enough to call home
for 7 days. Finally, we rounded the last curve, and we caught a glimpse of Icon of the Seas, sharing gasps
and smiles before parking to drop our luggage off.
Icon of the Seas in Miami Cruise Port @livingadventurestravelagency
After a quick and painless check-in at the terminal, we soon stepped foot on the beautiful vessel
welcomed by friendly smiles and champagne. The 3-story glistening engineering marvel, “The Pearl” and
the massive Promenade that greeted us provided “WOW” moments that need to be experienced in
person. We quickly realized that this ship was not just another cruise ship, but an evolution of many
thoughts, ideas, and years in the making. Exploring something new on the ship every day kept the magic
fresh, but there were definitely spots on the ship that drew our attention and kept us coming back.
Face painting in surfside featuring the custom carousel @livingadventurestravelagency
Surfside: This neighborhood on the aft of the ship was designed for families, and it surely
delivered. Splashaway Bay was a hit for our 5 year-old, with plenty of water features and even a deeper
pool overlooking the wake, the best view on the ship in our opinion. There was also Lemon Post,
featuring fun and tasty drinks for both the parents and the kids. All of these activities work up an
appetite, but you won’t have to go far to find a complimentary bite to eat. Surfside Eatery, a smaller
version of the Windjammer buffet that offers something for everyone and Surfside Bites, with delicious
churros and finger foods are located here. It definitely helped that our Surfside balcony room
overlooked the fun, imaginative neighborhood as it was easy to catch the closest elevator and head
down for a few hours of fun. Adventure Ocean is also strategically positioned right next to the Surfside
entrance, as opposed other ships that place Adventure Ocean at the front of the ship. This made it easy
to drop off and pick up the kids from their favorite kids club in the world in between meals and
activities. This Adventure Ocean groups kids 3-5 and 6-12, but there were many activities for our kiddos
to choose from and the staff was amazing as always. There was even a cute 3-D puppet show in the
theater that should not be missed!
Seating area in Chill Island next to Aquadome Market @livingadventurestravelagency
Hideaway/Chill Island: We mentioned the fun pool in Surfside for the younger kids, but our 10
year-old loved the variety of pools to be found and enjoyed spread out across the top decks. This is one
of the biggest gamechangers in the Icon class. Ships of the past featured pools in the middle or front of
the ships, but on Icon there are numerous pools scattered all over, each with its own vibe and most of
them with a beautiful outward-facing view with sweeping view of the ocean passing by. Royal Bay is the
largest pool at sea, ideal for families with kids of all ages or adults that just want to lounge on the
outskirts where only your feet are submerged with a margarita in hand. El Loco Fresh, the delicious
Mexican buffet will be waiting when you are ready for some tacos, loaded nachos or whatever your
stomach desires. There’s Swim & Tonic, the first Swim-up bar at sea destined to be a hit for those with the drink package. It has a refreshing menu and many seating options in the water to mingle and cool
off while you sip on your favorite drink. Cloud 17, originally designed for adults only features a small but
deeper pool facing the ocean and is positioned next to Lime & Coconut, where you can enjoy their
signature drink poured into a souvenir bucket. This pool is worth checking out for a quieter vibe and
beautiful sunsets. There is also a pool in the Suite neighborhood, which we were not fortunate enough
to experience for ourselves. The adults only section was relocated to the Hideaway, a neighborhood on
the back of the ship that features a DJ, hot tubs, Hideaway bar and the first ever suspended infinity pool
at sea with beautiful views of the ship’s wake almost 20 decks above the ocean. Depending on the time
of day, this area can either be a party or a nice place to watch the ship’s wake as you drink a Mai Tai.
This leaves us with our personal favorite, the Cove Pool. This pool is a sleeper, at it’s tucked away from
the crowds and has beautiful views of the ocean and enough room for the kids to swim around. It also
has loungers lining the shallow edges, allowing you to relax while also keeping an eye on the kids living
their best life.
Thrill Island at night @livingadventurestravelagency
Thrill Island: When you see Icon of the Seas advertised or pictured, this neighborhood is sure to
be featured. Crown’s Edge is for the adventurous, equipping you with a harness and suspending you 150
feet above the ocean after a short obstacle course leads you to a spot where the floor drops out and you
zipline to safety. It was originally $90 and comes with a recording of your experience, but on Day 1 they
opened up more time slots and cut the price to $39 on port days or $49 on sea days. Basecamp is
nearby with a mix of complimentary and low-cost snacks, a bar and Desserted, an over-the-top
milkshake bar including a $20 milkshake with a small piñata donkey on top that my daughter just had to
try. There is also Lost Dunes, a neat mini golf course themed with wreckage caused by a hurricane.
“Category 6” waterpark should satisfy anyone above 48” tall. With 6 record breaking waterslides, it
became a challenge to try them all that I felt the need to conquer. Some of us were more reluctant and
waited until Day 6, but we all experienced what each slide had to offer and have no regrets! It’s hard to
decide which was my favorite, as they each had their own features and were unique in their own way.
The raft slides are definitely a win for families of 3 or 4, with Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter. I don’t
want to spoil the surprises found inside, but make sure you check them out when heading to Thrill
Island. Pressure Drop and Frightening Bolt are definitely on the more extreme side and will quickly raise
your heartbeat as you plummet into the unknown. I was worried that these slides would be rough on my
back, but thankfully this was not the case, and I really enjoyed the thrill of riding these. The longest mat
racers at sea are surprisingly fun, with mesmerizing lights and a quick view of the ocean as you zoom
around the curves before splashing down at the end. Make sure you cover your face with the mat
toward the end, or you’ll end up spitting water out at the end like my wife!
Aquadome @livingadventurestravelagency
Aquadome: This new neighborhood just might be my favorite, and if you end up on Icon you’ll
see why. Amazing aerial aqua shows, a food market and a coffee cocktail bar were just some of my
favorites in this massive glass dome at the front of the ship. You’ll also find the Overlook, a quiet place
to hang out at night with it’s own bar and overlook “pods” that have charging stations and are
individually air conditioned. Sometimes it felt a little out of the way since most of our activities seemed
to be on the aft of the ship, but it was well worth it most of the time to enjoy some delicious crépes!
Chill Island play area, drinks from Lemon Post bar in Surfside, smart stateroom features @livingadventurestravelagency
PROS: There are too many good things to say about this ship to keep prevent becoming a novel,
but the highlights for us listed above in addition to these make this ship a 10 out of 10 for all of us:
Plenty of new complimentary dining options, many creative crafted cocktails
and more quick-bite options.
Destination elevators, escalators, abundance of venues and activities to spread
guests out, and the ability to get around the ship made the seamless flow of
guests make the ship feel much less crowded
The shows are amazing and cannot be missed. Wizard of Oz was spectacular and the features and technology were top notch. Since we were on the first voyage, one aqua show “Pirates and Mermaids” wasn’t ready yet and parts of the other shows weren’t fully operational. In the future, we’d love to sail on Icon again to get the full experience. You’ll never get bored with all of the activities, shows, music and venues to check out.
Smart staterooms: Control the lights, tv and A/C with your Royal app. The ship
also has many energy saving features, including turning off your A/C with the
balcony open or when you depart the ship. Don’t worry, it will turn back on as
soon as you board the ship so the room is set to a comfortable temperature
when you get back!
Admiral Awesome during a gameshow at Surfside @livingadventurestravelagency
“Admiral Awesome” was a fun addition to Surfside and led some of the activities
for the kids including bedtime stories, games, steel pan jams and dancing.
If love engineering and the environment, this class of ship is for you. This ship
runs on Liquid Natural Gas, which burns much cleaner than Diesel fuel and
won’t emit dark exhaust like ships previously. It also has a “bubbler” system
under the hull and a redesigned parabolic bow, helping it glide through the
water and reduce friction. It also features advanced wastewater and trash
treatment that even help the ship turn waste into energy.
CONS: Not everything can be perfect, and hopefully these improve on or get redesigned as the
new Icon ships roll out or even in future dry-dock maintenance for Icon:
Sometimes it felt like there weren’t enough bathrooms, especially in the
Hideaway and Surfside. There were only two or three family bathrooms, which
often left people waiting (hopefully) to use the bathroom after getting out of
the pool.
My son met the height and weight requirements for Crown’s Edge, but he was
turned away due to the harness not fitting properly. I definitely understand
safety is imperative for this attraction, but the lack of variety of harnesses was
definitely disappointing after hyping it up for him leading up to the cruise.
The price makes it unavailable for most families. We were lucky enough to book
it the morning bookings open and secure a decent price, but as long as people
keep paying the inflated prices for the new ship it will make it hard for most
people to experience Icon anytime soon. These prices are highlighted by the
$70-80,000 per week Ultimate Family Townhouse.
Menu from Desserted Milkshake Bar @livingadvenurestravelagency
Some of the food quality wasn’t the best. The milkshake quality from Desserted
did not live up to the price tag (and not eligible through any drink package, dining plan, or vouchers) and some of the complimentary offerings in
Surfside and Basecamp could use some work. GNGR in the Aquadome
Marketplace was mostly disappointing, but the egg rolls and noodles were tasty.
Ships of this size with this much to see and do can be exhausting, so bring your
walking shoes! For someone like me that likes to see and do it all, I easily surpassed 20,000 steps almost every day. But for people with limited mobility or trouble walking long distances, it may be harder to enjoy all of the ship than others.
Limited itineraries: One of the major drawbacks to these massive ships is that
they are literally too big to fit in many of the ports, so if you become avid
cruisers like us you will eventually find yourself sailing to the same destinations. However, there may be a smaller class on the horizon that offers more options so stay tuned!
Overall, ICON OF THE SEAS is an amazing ship and Royal Caribbean truly has cornered the market on the ultimate family vacation. There is something for everyone onboard and the cruise itself is a vacation- with destinations and ports of call being a BONUS.
Ready to book? Contact Living Adventures Travel Agency for your quote and experience this amazing ship yourself. LIVE YOUR ADVENTURES.
Photography: Living Adventures Travel Agency
#royalcaribbean #iconoftheseas #reviewicon #familycruising #momsatsea #cruiseblog #familyvacation #kidsatsea #loyaltoroyal #adventure
Comments