A true ‘icon’ of the seas: Inside the world’s largest cruise ship

Icon of the Seas, billed as the largest cruise ship in the world, is ready to set sail later this month. Ahead of its debut, the cruise ship was spotted at a port in Puerto Rico’s Pounce on Tuesday (2 January) as part of its trial voyage required to complete the certification process. Cruise-line company Royal Caribbean is geared up to welcome guests for the maiden commercial voyage of the largest cruise ship on 27 January from Miami, Florida in the United States. The seven-night trip will take passengers around the Caribbean, including a stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. Let’s take a closer look inside the Icon of the Seas. Features of Icon of the Seas The 1,198-foot-long cruiser costs a whopping $2 billion (about Rs 1 lakh 66,000 crore), as per a Daily Mail report. Icon of the Seas can accommodate 7,600 passengers across its 20 decks. It houses a food hall, six swimming pools and the “largest at-sea water park”, the report added.

Weighing 250,800 tonnes, the vessel is five times larger than the Titanic.

Icon of the Seas has eight ’neighbourhoods’, which the main areas on the cruiser are called, and a promenade with floor-to-ceiling windows offering jaw-dropping views of the sea to the guests, as per The Sun. Guests can also take advantage of the nine whirlpools on board the cruise. The promenade area boasts an ice skating rink, a laser tag arena, full-scale theatre productions, and more. [caption id=“attachment_13576822” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Icon of the Seas cruise ship is docked after arriving in Ponce, Puerto Rico, 2 January. AP[/caption] There will be over 40 bars and restaurants across the pleasure cruiser. The Thrill Island, the largest waterpark at sea, offers six waterslides, family raft slides, and an obstacle course where holidaymakers will be suspended 154ft above the ocean, reported The Sun. The ship will also feature the world’s first suspended infinity pool, along with an Aquadome, which Daily Mail reports to be the largest free-standing dome at sea. This Aquadome has a 55ft waterfall and is designed to seat 1,300 people. ALSO READ: Prime Minister Modi flags off MV Ganga Vilas: What to expect from the world's longest river cruise ‘Ultimate family vacation’ The fares for seven-night Caribbean sailings start at $1,542 (approximately Rs 1,28,000) per person, reported New York Post. Icon is reportedly fully booked for its inaugural voyage on 27 January. According to Condé Nast Traveller magazine, Icon’s largest suite is the three-story, 1,772-square-foot ‘Ultimate Family Townhouse’, which costs an estimated $75,000 (over Rs 62 lakh) per week. Eight people can sleep in the suite, which is equipped with its own movie theater, ping-pong table, karaoke, and a slide between floors. “We are positioning it as the ultimate family vacation, and when you step back and look at all the energy and time that has gone into creating this ship it is mind-blowing,” Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive Michael Bayley said in a statement earlier, as per New York Post. [caption id=“attachment_13576832” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The Icon of the Seas fares for seven-night Caribbean sailings start at $1,542 per person. AP[/caption] The ship’s over 2,000 crew members will have their own “neighbourhood”, with various amenities such as a gaming room and hair salon. Royal Caribbean has also made arrangements to keep the guests entertained with live music, comedy, a dueling piano bar and theaters. The company says Icon provides a “resort getaway”, a “beach escape”, a theme park, and over “40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained”. “We want guests to walk up to the ship and just have this moment of: I can’t believe that’s where I’m going,” Jennifer Goswami, Royal Caribbean International’s senior manager of product development, was quoted as saying by Condé Nast Traveller magazine. With inputs from agencies