The world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, recently set sail from Miami for its first trip. According to media reports, the cruise ship is like a floating city, with enough room to house the population of a small city. At a staggering 2,000 feet long, the Icon of the Seas is officially dethroning its sibling, the Wonder of the Seas, to claim the title of the world’s largest cruise ship!
The ship, which cost $2 billion and took 900 days to build at a shipyard in Turku, Finland, is reported to be longer than the Eiffel Tower! Can you believe that? It has 20 decks and can fit over 5,600 guests (or a whopping 7,600 at maximum capacity), along with a crew of 2,350. That’s a total of 9,950 people at maximum capacity!
Now, if you’re worried about getting bored or going hungry on this mammoth vessel, fear not! The Icon is like a theme park at sea and has everything you can imagine. With seven swimming pools, including a massive “lake” holding 40,000 gallons of water, six water slides, a carousel, a huge ice rink, and more than 40 places to eat and drink. Talk about spoilt for choice! There’s also live entertainment from 50 musicians, comedians, and even a full orchestra.
An Eco-friendly Icon
According to the Royal Caribbean Group, despite its colossal size, the Icon is all about eco-friendliness. It is powered by liquefied natural gas, which is supposed to be better for the environment than regular fuel. It also has a system that turns waste into energy and another one that makes fresh water from seawater.
The Icon was christened in style on Tuesday by soccer superstar Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami. Following its sold-out inaugural cruise, the Icon will be sailing through the Caribbean for a week before returning to its Miami home base.
