All of the Neighborhoods on Royal Caribbean’s New Icon of the Seas!
Royal Caribbean has recently revealed their legendary new ship, the Icon of the Seas. This brand new ship will be one of the first in a new class of ship called the Icon class. This ship will feature an evolution of the very popular neighborhood concept from the Oasis class ships. When Icon of the Seas sets sail in 2024, it will be one of the most amazing cruise ships the world has seen, not to mention the largest! There will be 8 distinct neighborhoods onboard, entire sections of the ship that feel entirely different than the rest of the ship. Read on below to learn about all the neighborhoods - and check out the details of the ones that have not been seen on Royal Caribbean before!
The Aqua Dome
Right at the front of the ship sits the AquaDome neighborhood. This is one of the new neighborhoods Icon of the Seas will feature. You can see this thing from afar, it shines like a jewel perched atop of the bow of the ship. By day this neighborhood will be a bright and airy space with comfortable seating and food and drink options where you can relax and take in the views. At night, the AquaDome will completely transform into a new Aqua Theater space, a legendary entertainment venue from the Oasis class ships. The shows will feature all kinds of great performances from divers and other flying artists. Once of the coolest features of the AquaDome will be the waterfall - yes waterfall! At 55 feet high, it will be the tallest waterfall at sea!
Chill Island
Chill Island is going to be a legendary experience on Icon of the Seas. This three deck neighborhood is going to feature some incredible spaces to relax. Firstly, Chill Island will feature Bay Pool, the largest pool ever created for a cruise ship. There will even be a swim-up bar, called Swim and Tonic. The solarium concept will be replaced by Cloud 17 a calm area with endless ocean views from the infinity edge pool, and a dedicated bar - the Lime and Coconut. Those in-water loungers look awesome!
Thrill Island
Many modern cruise ships have waterslides these days, but Icon of the Seas is of course taking that concept to a whole other level! Icon will not only have some water slides, but an entire waterpark! The waterpark and adventure zone is capped off by category 6, an awesome complex of 6 unique waterslides. The legendary surf simulator is also returning, a Royal Caribbean favorite. Thrill Island does not just feature water activities though - one of our most anticipated features to try is the new ropes course - Crown’s Edge. It will allow you swing out above the sea below - over 150 feet above the water. Adrenaline inducing for sure! Other Royal Caribbean favorites are returning as well including the putt putt course, rock climbing wall, and sports court.
The Hideaway
Another neighborhood that we are very excited to relax in has to be the Hideaway. This is Royal Caribbean’s version of a pool party or beach club. There is an awesome infinity pool that looks out over the wake view and that sounds so cool. This infinity pool is suspended over the family neighborhood below - Surfside. Other features include a dedicated bar, a ton of lounge options for chilling in the sun, and of course some whirlpools. We just know Royal Caribbean is going to throw some legendary themed parties in this neighborhood!
Surfside
Surfside Replaces the Boardwalk Concept from the Oasis Class ships
Surfside is replacing the popular boardwalk area from the Oasis class ships, and it will be completely geared towards families. There is so much for families to do together here including a splash area for babies and young children. We love that Royal Caribbean kept the carousel, it was on of our favorite parts of the boardwalk. Adventure Ocean and the kids club will be located here, so it is perfect for families. There are even new types of family staterooms that will be included here , including the amazing Ultimate Family Townhouse.
Royal Promenade
Ice dancing show at the “Absolute Zero”
The Royal Promenade, a highlight of many of the new ships from Royal Caribbean will return on Icon class ships. This Royal Promenade will be unlike anything we have seen before though. One big change is there will be windows - giant ones! These will allow natural light to pour into the promenade from outside. Another new feature on the promenade will be Absolute Zero - Icon of the Sea’s Ice Rink. Some Royal Caribbean ships are home to an Ice Rink, but none are located on the promenade! Icon’s promenade neighborhood will also feature the new “Pearl” - we are not quite sure what this will feature and more details are to come.
Central Park
One of our favorite neighborhoods on past Royal Caribbean ships is Central Park. There is just something special about strolling through the park in the evening with soft music playing and a drink in hand. It is so cool they are able to bring so much live vegetation onboard a cruise ship! Another neat feature are the balconies. If you so chose, you can actually have an extension of your room above central park. These are often much more affordable than Ocean View balconies. The shopping and restaurants that the Central Park neighborhoods are known for will likely return to Icon as well.
The Suite Neighborhood
The last neighborhood is definitely the most exclusive. Royal Caribbean’s suite neighborhood on Icon of the Seas is a newer neighborhood concept and they are again upping the ante on this new class. The suite neighborhood will feature private dining, a two level private sundeck, private pools, and a private bar for suite guests. We can’t wait to see what all goodies Royal Caribbean has in store for their suite guests here.
Thanks so much for reading about what neighborhoods will be featured on Icon of the Seas - we know we can’t wait to sail on this beauty and try out all the features. Do you have a favorite neighborhood from Oasis class ships? Is there one you are just dying to try on Icon of the Seas? We would love to hear from you! You can reach us at seeseeksleep@gmail.com. Be sure you are following us on Facebook at Sea, Sail, Sleep. Happy Cruising!
