Friday, April 19, 2024

My Favorite Amenities on Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas Cruise Ship

inside the royal caribbean cruise

A cozy Interior Room is our most budget-friendly option, and we offer Spacious Interiors, along with connecting rooms to accommodate larger families. The range of ultra-spacious cruise rooms across categories spans all the way up to our new Ultimate Family Townhouse — three stories that elevate the way you stay and play. Virtual balconies must also offer the right sounds to make guests feel the ambience of the open seas. There is something about the ambient sounds of the balcony–waves crashing, seagulls, port sounds–that pull you in,” said Farzad. While I would've preferred a quieter atmosphere (the DJ did not, in fact, play smooth jazz), the pool's views, day beds, and lack of screaming children were hard to beat. There's a reason Royal Caribbean's new mega-cruise ship is only operating seven-night sailings.

Times an Inside Cabin is the Best Choice on a Cruise

She is adorable and you will wish there was a sign up program to have the dog sleep in your cabin for just one night. It will have a drop slide, the tallest drop slide at sea, family raft slides and two mat-racing slides. Royal Bay Pool is slated to be the largest pool at sea, and all the hot tubs strewn around the deck should find plenty of customers. Royal Bay is enormous and looks like it takes up half the length of the deck. The Swim & Tonic pool is easily going to be the most popular pool on the ship with its swim-up bar and in-pool seating. There's still plenty of work to do on Icon of the Seas before the first revenue sailing, and that was the case with the pool deck.

I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas. These were my 8 favorite amenities on the world's largest cruise ship.

If you’ve decided to upgrade from an inside cabin, first compare the price between an oceanview and balcony cabin. While balcony cabins are usually significantly more expensive than oceanview cabins, you might be surprised to find a deal on a balcony room. Let’s take a look at the differences between inside cabins and oceanview cabins on a cruise ship.

Grand Suite

inside the royal caribbean cruise

At 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. But it's not just its giant size — about 6% bigger than the next biggest cruise ship — that will set it apart. I like variety in my cruise ships, because one day I might prefer one pool and another day a different one. The ship appeals to a wide range of cruisers, with a growing focus on the family cruise market.

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Therefore, upgrading to a spacious oceanview or ultra spacious oceanview cabin can be a great option for those looking for more living space. Oceanview cabins are a step up from an inside cabin on a cruise; they offer a private porthole with a view of the ocean. On Royal Caribbean's Oasis, Quantum, and Icon class cruise ships, the suite program is enhanced, and referred to as the Royal Suite Class.

inside the royal caribbean cruise

This may work for some people, but wasn't good for me because I don't like the amount of light the TV emits even at night. If you are sharing a cabin, privacy is always going to be at a premium. Royal Caribbean's cabins have a curtain in the middle, but it only goes a bit of the way. Frankly, I'm not sure why they exist in inside rooms unless someone is going to lay on the couch very still.

Bottom line: Inside vs. outside cabin

Besides that, Monica thought the walls and beds looked largely unadorned. If she wanted to relax in her room mid-afternoon, she hopped on the bed. In July 2021, Monica Humphries joined 2,700 vaccinated passengers on the Carnival Vista, the first Carnival ship to depart out of the US since the pandemic began. Due to COVID-19, it purposefully sailed at partial capacity but can hold 3,934 passengers, according to Carnival. The seven-night trip embarked from Galveston, Texas, and made stops in Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

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The next category up from an inside cabin is an oceanview cabin, which are slightly larger and have a porthole or window to the ocean. You can't open the window or get any fresh air, but there is natural light. With virtual balcony staterooms, guests can enjoy a balcony experience without the balcony price. Virtual balconies were initially rolled out in 81 rooms on Navigator of the Seas when the ship was renovated, but the inside sea views were originally designed for Quantum of the Seas.

While still far from done, the top deck of Icon of the Seas already is shaping up as a sight to behold, in large part because it has a water park the likes of which you've never seen on a cruise ship. The words, "wow", "I can't believe it", and "amazing" were swirling through my head as I had a brief day visit tour of the biggest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas. Or, book one of the exclusive casitas to relax with unobstructed ocean views. With most cruise lines, your base fare already includes accommodations, unlimited food, endless activities, and the opportunity to see several destinations in one go.

Therefore, the cheapest way to cruise is generally in an inside cabin. Prices will typically increase for more desirable inside cabins with extra space or in a prime location, and rooms with windows or balconies. I’ll admit the virtual balcony doesn’t necessarily make you feel like you’re looking at the scenery in real life, but it’s still a nice cabin feature. Being able to easily see what the weather is like outside, if you’ve left port yet, and if it’s day or night is helpful when staying in an inside room. Disney Dream and Fantasy offer similar inside rooms with Magical Portholes -- small, round video screens that show exterior views as would a real porthole window.

I kind of felt that way when my time on Icon came to a close, because I didn't want to get off the ship yet. I can't encapsulate everything Royal Caribbean has up its sleeve in just one post. The casino on Icon really seems to more spread out and I like the flow a lot more than on other ships. The new Empire Supper Club is a high-end dinner experience where the phrase, "going out" really has a new meaning.

The AquaDome is one of those crazily ambitious attractions that Royal Caribbean does on its ships from time to time that just makes your jaw drop. If you've seen the North Star rides on the line's Quantum-class ships, you know what I'm talking about. But the AquaDome is on an even bigger scale than the North Star rides. When it comes to the latter, what struck me most during the tour was the enormous size of the main Royal Bay Pool. It seemed to run half the length of the ship (Royal Caribbean claims this is the largest pool ever built on a cruise ship, and we don't doubt them). There's plenty of takeaways from Icon, but one I really think is just how much there is to do to keep guests moving.

These space-efficient staterooms utilize every inch of the cabin with a full-size bed, ample storage and an en suite bathroom. The best benefit of cruising in one of Norwegian's studios is access to the ship's Studio Lounge, where you'll find a nice opportunity to mingle with other single travelers. The main distinguishing factor of an inside cabin is that it's not going to have a view of the sea through a porthole or window. A few ships have gotten creative with virtual windows (LED screens, designed to look like an actual window, that project a view from outside the ship into your room). Because most cruisers prefer a balcony, or at least a window, inside cabins are considered the least desirable cabin option.

There are lots of hibachi tables, sushi tables, a VIP hibachi table, and even a walk-up window where you can get sushi as late as 10pm. Icon is not the first ship to have a Royal Promenade, but it is the first one to have a wide-open Royal Promenade that has windows, shops, and certain venues. With just weeks to go until the first paying passengers board the ship, I had a day to run around and explore as much of Icon of the Seas as I could squeeze in and share with you what this new ship is all about. We knew Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship was going to be impressive, but it's pretty darn incredible how they can push the boundaries of what we expect on a ship. Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, told investors in 2023 that Icon's inaugural season had commanded more bookings at "materially higher rates" than any of its previous ship launches. But even travelers looking to spend modestly might be shocked by the new ship's prices.

You can often save considerable money by booking an inside cabin versus an ocean-view or higher-level cabin. On the newer Royal Caribbean ships, the vast majority of the cabins are balcony cabins. Over the years, cruise lines have discovered that cruisers will pay a significant premium to have a balcony with their cabin, prompting a rush to add more balcony cabins to ships. A unique type of oceanview cabin to consider booking is the panoramic oceanview cabin. These cabins take “oceanview” up a notch by offering a floor-to-ceiling, panoramic view of the outside.

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