The biggest cruise ship in the world has gotten a lot of attention, but there are a few things that also stand out about Royal Caribbean's mega ship.
Stacey Boden is a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser who recently sailed on Icon of the Seas. During her sailing, she noticed some aspects she felt no one else is talking about. Stacey took some time to write this guest post entry about what she loved and what she disliked on the world's largest cruise ship.
My spouse and I have been on a total of 6 cruises, all on Royal Caribbean, since May 2017.
Initially, we started out going on an annual cruise. In 2019, we canceled 2 sailings we had booked due to expecting and having our first child. We resumed cruising in June 2022.
In 2023, we began scheduling sailings twice a year and we are hoping to scale up to three sailings a year soon.
I noticed several things that I loved and some things I didn't love as much on our recent Icon of the Seas sailing. These are some things that I haven't heard anyone else mention yet.
Things I loved: the accessibility
I noticed on Icon some features that make the ship more accessible to everyone.
The addition of the shower bench
I am sure anyone who has ever attempted to shave their legs in the shower in a non-suite stateroom welcomes this change. In cabin bathrooms on Icon of the Seas, showers are now equipped with a sizable bench for guests to rest or sit on.
In addition, this feature could be helpful to individuals who are older or with invisible physical disabilities such as dysautonomia who may not require wheelchair use or accessibility but who may need to occasionally sit down in the shower.
This makes it possible without the use of an added shower chair.
Hands-free doors
Many of the doors to public restrooms throughout the ship have hands-free door openers.
This feature is helpful for a few reasons including cutting down on "touch points" that spread germs, preventing guests from having to open heavy doors, and also for individuals who may utilize a wheelchair or electric scooter.
The handicapped stalls within the restroom additionally have these door openers as well as touchless door locks.
Family restrooms
Icon of the Seas has several family restrooms, and families with young children are not the only ones who benefit from these restrooms.
These bathrooms are also great for situations such as a family member assisting an individual with disabilities or members of the LGBTQIA+ community who may not be comfortable using a different, gendered restroom.
Smoking areas
No longer is the smoking area something you accidentally walk through on the pool deck.
It seems the smoking area has been moved to an area that can only be accessed toward the back of the Cloud 17 area.
Additionally, the new ventilation system in the casino was fantastic for clearing away the smoke. This sailing was the first time I could actually tolerate being in the casino.
Things I wish existed on Icon of the Seas
There were a few things on Icon of the Seas that I wished existed or that I wished Royal Caribbean would bring back.
Shaded area in Hideaway Pool
I am an individual who has been known to get a sunburn at the mere thought of going outside.
My spouse and I went to the Hideaway pool one morning as soon as it opened and hung out at the far-left side.
At that time of day, we had approximately 45 minutes until the sun peaked out from the side of the ship and the little bit of shade was now gone. I would love it if there was some sort of way to introduce the option for shade in this area.
Regular old body slides
Category 6 waterpark has 6 water slides. Two are family raft slides, which can accommodate 2-4 riders in a raft.
One of them is a speed slide. This style of slide is a body slide where riders are sent down a steep, free fall plunge to the ground.
Two are mat racers, in which the rider rides a mat face-first down the slide.
The final slide is a drop-launch capsule in which the floor drops out from underneath the rider into the slide. I personally would have preferred a feet-first body slide without a steep drop as I am not very adventurous.
Floor display for elevators
My spouse mentioned this next one and I agree.
The addition of the destination elevators — panels where guests can select which floor they're headed to and then hop on a specific elevator — has been fantastic.
However, it is really difficult to figure out how long you will be waiting for the elevator. It would be great to still have a display with what floor the elevator was on or even for the display pads to give individuals an idea of an approximate wait time.
co*cktail drink mixes
Sometime since our last cruise Royal Caribbean stopped using the Sunsational/Island Oasis drink mixes for co*cktails. These mixes come in a carton and are used for fruit drinks such as pina coladas and margaritas.
Instead, bartenders are now using a brand called Finest Call, which comes in plastic bottles. My personal opinion is that this brand isn't as good.
Anything food and drink related is very subjective, however, I felt that this new drink mix was missing a lot of the flavor I had come to know and love from the previous brands Royal used.
Shorter spa services
I would have been more willing to purchase spa services if they offered shorter services costing less.
For example, I would love to see a 1-day thermal suite option or 30-minute massage services. The shortest massages are about 50 minutes long, and they cost from $179-$399.
Just as Utopia of the Seas has proven an appetite for shorter sailings that may cost less overall but more per day, I think that there is an untapped market for shorter services or upgrades that cost less overall but may cost more per minute. This could extend beyond the spa and extend to half-day casita rentals and more.
