Fitness
What I Discovered On World's Largest Cruise Ship
Here's my honest review.
Courtesy Royal Caribbean
Eighteen decks. Seven pools. More than 20 dining options. The entire undergrad student body of Yale University can fit, as can four football fields. These ships, AKA Floating Cities, contain eight neighborhoods.
First came Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, a huge success. Shortly after, came its twin, Star of the Seas. And in November, Legend of the Seas is expected to launch.
But the bigger question is . . . does a larger cruise ship actually equal a better vacation?
Courtesy Royal Caribbean
The ships are divided into neighborhoods: Thrill Island, with pools, restaurants and swim-up bars; The Hideaway, designed like a beach club; Surfside, packed with family activities; and AquaDome, which houses one of the coolest AquaTheaters at sea.
The genius of the layout is that it somehow keeps the ship from feeling overwhelming. Despite the scale, the signage is intuitive, the neighborhoods feel distinct, and even those of us with questionable navigational abilities can figure out where we’re going.
Veteran Royal Caribbean cruisers will recognize many familiar spaces, including the leafy Central Park neighborhood, the bustling Royal Promenade, Sorrento’s Pizza and the Windjammer Cafe. But these newer ships also introduce splashier additions: a milkshake bar, a supper club, more slides and an almost absurd number of water attractions.
Courtesy Royal Caribbean
We spent most sea days at Thrill Island, the largest water park at sea, spanning 17,000 square feet. There were six waterslides, including the tallest drop slide at sea, the first free-fall slide on a ship, and racing slides that felt ripped from a land-based water park. For families with kids and teens, this is vacation paradise. There’s even a separate splash area for babies and toddlers.
I can’t fail to mention the crowds. I was nervous about the sheer number of people, the lines for . . . everything and the patience required to be around all the people. But thankfully, the ship is huge and was built to accommodate the masses. I never had to wait longer than a few minutes for a lounge chair, a drink or a water slide.
The only time the crowds were noticeable was during shows and evening events. The theaters didn’t always seem large enough to accommodate everyone, and lines for standby stretched out long before showtime. Pro tip: Book specialty dining and entertainment reservations through the app before boarding. Otherwise, you’ll spend the first day frantically trying to secure spots while everyone else does the exact same thing.
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One unexpected highlight? The destination elevators, which actually worked. This was the first cruise where I consistently used elevators instead of angrily taking the stairs when I got impatient.
Not surprisingly, the Royal Caribbean’s new massive ships cost about double the price of their smaller ships — coming in at about $1,800 per person for an inside cabin for seven nights. These prices jump even higher during peak times.
Courtesy Royal Caribbean
So is it worth it? If you’re traveling with kids or teens, these large ships are 100 percent worth the extra money. While my teens have loved every cruise they’ve ever taken, they have the tendency to get bored on some of the smaller ships. But here, they never got bored. There was always another slide to conquer, another pool to test, another milkshake to order, another trivia game or dance party or late-night pizza run to conquer.
For adults traveling without children, though, the answer is murkier. Yes, the ships are dazzling. Yes, they’re engineering marvels. And there’s something undeniably thrilling about standing on a deck that feels more like Las Vegas floating through the Caribbean, than a traditional cruise ship.
There were moments when I missed the quieter lounges and slower pace of Royal Caribbean’s midsize ships, where you could stumble into a nearly empty hot tub at sunset, or easily snag a seat at a comedy show without strategizing like I was trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets. On Icon, everything felt supersized: the crowds, the noise, the stimulation, the endless parade of things to do.
Still, it’s impossible not to be impressed. These ships are feats of imagination, giant floating playgrounds that seemed to be created by toddlers with credit cards who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. And perhaps that’s the real point. These ships are creating a vacation where the ship itself is the destination. And for anyone who typically declares themselves bored within 15 minutes of arriving anywhere, these ships are worth their weight in gold.
How many of you have been on a cruise? Let us know in the comments below.
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