It's official. The world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, pulled into its new home port in Miami on Wednesday morning.
At nearly 1,200 feet long and weighing 250,800 gross tons, the 20-deck ship is the first in Royal Caribbean’s new Icon Class and has been making its way to Miami from Europe since December.
The Icon will be joined by two more ships in the coming years – one in 2025, Star of the Seas, and another in 2026.
On Wednesday, the cruise line is marking the occasion with a party at the Perez Art Museum to give their employees on the shore a chance to see the brand new ship up close.
The ship, which took 900 days to build, is set to set sail from PortMiami on Jan. 27 and will be offering year-round alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
And last December, soccer superstar Lionel Messi was named the official icon of Icon of the Seas when he welcomed the ship in an exclusive naming celebration in Miami.
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Not only will the ship have eight different neighborhoods for travelers to explore, but the 7,600 passengers allowed onboard will also have seven pools, six record-breaking waterslides and about 40 bar and dining options to choose from.
“We are celebrating more than a new ship; it’s also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation and dreaming at Royal Caribbean to create the ultimate vacation experience,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group.
For the adventure-seekers, Thrill Island will feature Category 6, the world’s largest waterpark at sea.
This neighborhood will also have a ropes course and thrill ride, a FlowRider wave simulator and a mini golf course.
The ship's Chill Island has four of the seven pools and an adults-only area.
The company added that the Icon of the Seas is also the cruise line’s first ship that can be powered by liquefied natural gas, a transitional fuel.
The dual-fuel engines will work alongside a lineup of energy efficiency initiatives and industry-leading environmental programs on board, like the first waste-to-energy plant at sea.
