Jan. 27 (UPI) — Royal Caribbean’s 1,198-foot-long Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship with a gross tonnage of 250,800, was ready to set sail on its maiden passenger voyage from Miami on Saturday.
It was scheduled to depart from Miami at 5 p.m. ET on a seven-day, round-trip voyage to the Eastern Caribbean.
Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi officially christened the ship on Tuesday. It features 20 decks and can hold about 10,000 passengers and crew, according to the cruise line.
The $2 billion Icon of the Seas was built in Turku, Finland, and earlier this month sailed to the Port of Miami to prepare for its first voyage with passengers.
The 20-deck ship has a curved parabolic bow that reduces waves and makes the vessel more stable and uses liquid natural gas to fuel its engines. More than 90% of its freshwater supply is produced using a reverse-osmosis system, and a microwave-assisted pyrolysis system converts waste into energy to help power the ship.
The vessel features several performance theaters, more than 40 bars, restaurants and lounges, and special cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks that were created for the Icon of the Seas, USA Today reported. It also has a water park and several designated “neighborhoods” for passengers of different age groups, including an adults-only area.
Some of the Icon of the Seas’ superlatives include the world’s largest water park at sea, the first cantilevered infinity pool at sea, the largest ice arena at sea and the largest swimming pool at sea.
The Icon of the Seas gives Royal Caribbean the world’s two largest cruise ships. Royal Caribbean launched the Wonder of the Seas in 2022, which measures 1,188 feet in length and has a gross tonnage of 235,600.
The Icon of the Seas debuts the newest class of cruise ship for Royal Caribbean.