On January 27, the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, was launched for the first time from the port of Miami.
Its construction began in 2020 and was completed in 2023.
Icon of the Seas is a success in many ways. This is the longest and most spacious cruise ship on the planet. It is also the first Icon class ship to replace the Oasis.
The Oasis brand has produced five of the world’s largest cruise ships from 2009 to 2022. But the Icon of the Seas is even greater.
Construction of the Icon of the Seas cost €1.650.000.000
In October 2016, Royal Caribbean and Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced plans to build new Icon class cruise ships.
After several years of development and preparation, construction began on Icon of the Seas in June 2021. Cruise ships of this size are made with modules.
Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer said the construction of Icon of the Seas took place in a LEGO assembly. The ship was built from 201 blocks.
2,600 people took part in the project.who actually worked on their own ships, cabins and entertainment.
You must understand that the “Icon of the Seas” is a huge ship, which is why so many jobs are needed.
By December 2022, the ship was ready to launch, but the first sea trials took place only in June 2023. Almost the entire year 2023, they worked on the construction of all the facilities that were located on the 20 decks of the liner.
At the end of November 2023, the ship was handed over to the customer Royal Caribbean. On January 10, the ship arrived at the port of Miami to prepare for its first voyage.
The Icon of the Seas is 364.75 meters long.which is only 2.63 meters longer than the length of Harmony of the Seas – the longest cruise ship to hold this title since 2016.
The displacement of the Icon of the Seas is 248,663 tons. At the achievement of the record holder of the Miracle of the Seas, which descended on the water in 2022,
The displacement is 236,857 tons.
The Icon of the Seas drives six movements on liquefied natural gas. The ship can produce 90% of its own fresh water on board, and its cabins are equipped with climate control that changes the temperature depending on whether a person is present or not.
Royal Caribbean said LNG was the most reliable alternative fuel when decisions were made to build the icon of the seas more than 10 years ago.
Icon of the Seas has it all
On the right is the Sea Icon, on the left is the Sea Miracle, which used to be the largest cruise ship.
The Icon of the Seas is a huge 20-story mini-city that has everything, and this is not a figure of speech.
For vacationers, there will be the world’s largest marine water park with 6 slides, 7 pools, including Royal Bay – the world’s largest swimming pool located on a ship.
Icon of the Seas boasts 40 restaurants, a water surfing simulator, an ice arena, a theatre, a concert hall, a variety of bars and clubs, a casino, a mini golf course, a ropes course, a climbing wall, and a large number of shops and other establishments.
The main feature of the liner was AquaDome is a huge dome at the bow of the ship, under which there is a stage with a 17-meter waterfall.. Various shows and performances will be held here.
What makes the AquaDome special is that it is the largest glass and steel structure ever installed on a cruise ship. It was built separately from the ship, then installed onto the ship using a crane and 12 cables.
The ship can accommodate almost 9,950 people: 2,350 crew members and 7,600 passengers.. According to this indicator, the Icon of the Seas is also in first place in the world.
Icon of the Seas tickets sold out until end of 2025
Icon of the Seas will offer seven-night Caribbean cruises. The cheapest ticket costs $1,851 per person.
The most expensive room, a three-story suite, will cost $100,000 for an entire wall.. There are also apartments for $40,000 that include two bedrooms, a balcony bath and a spacious balcony.
Tickets for the inaugural voyage of Icon of the Seas went on sale in October 2022 and sold out within hours. Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bailey called Icon of the Seas the “best-selling” ship in the company’s history.
All passengers will have access to the Royal Icon application, which allows them to complete calendar check-in. It also contains a calendar of events on your tablet and allows you to quickly book a table at a restaurant.
Tickets for Icon of the Seas are sold out for 2024 and 2025. There are no new tickets on sale yet.
Source: Iphones RU
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