Icon of the Seas cruise ship: who it suits and which cabin to book

Icon of the Seas at a glance

Line

Royal Caribbean

Class

Icon

Entered service

2024

Gross tonnage

248,663

Guests

About 5,610 (double occupancy)

Crew

About 2,350

Decks

20

Part of the Royal Caribbean fleet. Sister ships: Star of the Seas, Legend of the Seas. Home ports: Miami, Galveston.

Meyer Turku in Finland built Icon of the Seas, and it entered service from Miami in January 2024. It is 364.75 meters (about 1,197 feet) long and was the first Royal Caribbean ship to run on liquefied natural gas. The double-occupancy figure understates how full it gets: with every berth taken, the ship can carry about 7,600 guests.

Who it suits

Multigenerational families are who Icon was built for. The ship is split into neighborhoods by mood and age: Surfside for families with young children, Thrill Island for the water park, The Hideaway for adults, and Central Park for a quieter meal.

Families with toddlers in particular. Surfside puts a splash area, a pool, a casual eatery and family cabins in one place, so you don’t have to cross the ship with a stroller every hour.

Groups celebrating something who want different plans every day. There are, in Royal Caribbean’s count, about 40 ways to dine and drink on board.

Who should look elsewhere: couples who want calm and travelers who dislike lines. Try our adults-only cruise picks or the Celebrity guide instead. If you want the big-ship feel for less money, Wonder of the Seas runs shorter, cheaper Bahamas trips.

Standout features

• Category 6 water park on Thrill Island, with six slides. Royal Caribbean bills it as the largest water park at sea.
• Seven pools, including Cloud 17 and The Hideaway, whose suspended infinity pool was the first at sea.
• AquaDome: a glass dome at the front of the ship. By day it’s a food hall and lounge; at night the AquaTheater hosts high-diving and acrobatic shows.
• Absolute Zero ice rink for ice shows and skating sessions.
• Ultimate Family Townhouse, a multi-level family suite with its own slide, for families with a large budget.

Cabins to pick, cabins to avoid

Pick:

• Infinite Balcony cabins midship. The window lowers halfway, so the whole room gets the view, and midship keeps motion to a minimum.
• Cabins with other cabins directly above and below, such as the mid-level decks midship, for the least noise.
• Surfside Family cabins if you have young children and want to be close to the family neighborhood.

Avoid or think twice (cabin ranges from Royal Caribbean Blog’s deck-plan review):

• Deck 14 midship under Chill Island (14164–14286 and 14564–14686). Crew move pool loungers early in the morning and late at night.
• Deck 14 aft under The Hideaway and the Windjammer (14288–14362 and 14688–14762). DJ music on sea days and buffet traffic.
• Forward cabins on Decks 12 and 14 near the AquaDome (12134–12162, 12530–12562, 14138–14162, 14538–14562). Bass from shows and rehearsals.
• Surfside-facing balconies on Decks 7 and 9–11 if you want quiet during the day.
• Central Park balconies on Deck 10 (10219–10235), where The Pearl blocks part of the view.
• Cabins near the Music Hall on Decks 3 and 4 (3180–3200, 4180–4200, 4577–4591) because of late-night live music.

Check any cabin number against Royal Caribbean’s own deck plan before you book, since layouts can change at refits.

Dining and activities

The main dining room, the Windjammer Marketplace buffet, the AquaDome Market food hall, Surfside Eatery and Surfside Bites, Park Café, Sorrento’s pizza, El Loco Fresh and Sprinkles are included in the fare. Extra-charge venues include Chops Grille, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Hooked Seafood, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, Starbucks, the Desserted milkshake bar and the Empire Supper Club, the most expensive meal on board. Pier 7 in Surfside has a small cover charge for adults and is free for kids under 12.

Drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are extra across Royal Caribbean. On Icon they add up fast, so price a drinks package before you compare fares with lines in our all-inclusive cruise guide.

Activities in the fare include the water park, the pools, the climbing wall, mini golf, the sports courts and the kids’ clubs. Some extras cost more, such as the rentable day beds at The Hideaway.

Where Icon of the Seas sails in 2026–2027

Until August 2027: Miami. Icon runs 7-night round trips from PortMiami, alternating two routes:

• Western Caribbean: Costa Maya, Roatán and Cozumel, then Perfect Day at CocoCay, with two sea days. See our Roatan port guide.
• Eastern Caribbean: St. Maarten and St. Thomas, then Perfect Day at CocoCay, with three sea days.

From August 2027: Galveston, Texas. After a 9-night repositioning cruise from Miami, Icon has sailings on sale from Galveston from mid-August 2027. It becomes the first Icon-class ship based outside Florida. From Galveston it sails 6- and 7-night Western Caribbean trips to Costa Maya, Roatán and Cozumel, and 8-night trips that add Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Sample Icon of the Seas sailings. From-prices per person, checked September 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Mar 6, 2027	Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas	7	7 Night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day (from Miami, Florida)	$1,196	Check price
Aug 7, 2027	Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas	9	9 Night Perfect Day Cococay To Texas (from Miami, Florida)	$1,470	Check price
Aug 16, 2027	Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas	6	6 Night Western Caribbean (from Galveston, Texas)	$1,356	Check price
Aug 22, 2027	Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas	6	6 Night Western Caribbean (from Galveston, Texas)	$1,052	Check price
Oct 23, 2027	Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas	8	8 Night Perfect Day Cococay & West Carib (from Galveston, Texas)	$1,365	Check price

Sister ships

Icon of the Seas is the first of the Icon class. Star of the Seas (2025) sails from Port Canaveral and Legend of the Seas entered service in 2026. Hero of the Seas is due in 2027. The ships share the same design, so pick between them on home port, dates and price. Compare Royal Caribbean with other family lines in our best family cruises and cruise line rankings.

Icon of the Seas FAQ

Is Icon of the Seas the biggest cruise ship?

Yes, jointly. Icon of the Seas measures 248,663 gross tons, the same as its sister Star of the Seas, and the Icon-class ships are the largest cruise ships in service. It carries 5,610 guests at double occupancy, up to about 7,600 at maximum, and about 2,350 crew across 20 decks.

Where does Icon of the Seas sail from in 2026 and 2027?

From PortMiami until August 2027, on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean round trips. From mid-August 2027 it is based in Galveston, Texas, on 6- to 8-night Caribbean cruises.

How much does an Icon of the Seas cruise cost?

Icon is one of the most expensive ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, and fares change a lot by week and cabin. Check the dated from-price in the price box and the sailings table. School holidays cost the most; late spring and fall sailings are usually cheaper. Add gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi and specialty dining to compare fairly.

Are there Icon of the Seas cruise deals?

Royal Caribbean runs frequent fare sales. The best way to find a deal is to be flexible on dates: compare several weeks in the sailings table before you pick one. See our last-minute cruise deals for how late bookings work.

What's the difference between Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas?

Very little on board: they’re the same class and design. Icon sails from Miami (then Galveston from August 2027), while Star sails from Port Canaveral. Choose on departure port, dates and price.