When the sea sign departs early next year, it will take some time for it to disappear from the horizon. At 1,198 feet long and 250,800 tons deadweight, it’s hard to ignore.
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship will have 20 decks filled with more than 20 bars and restaurants, seven pools, nine whirlpools and six water slides, as well as mini golf, rock climbing and an arcade. It will consist of 7,960 people – 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew – serving drinks, flipping lids, cleaning decks and keeping the ship running.
Since Royal Caribbean announced this latest ship last year, it has helped boost the company’s sales with high demand for advanced bookings.
It has also become a subject of fascination (and disdain) on social media.
Some can’t wait to board the ship, as rooms are already sold out for the ship’s maiden voyage. But others criticized its size and bright colors, calling it “ugliness, One critic described the performance of an artist as “candy crush edition The dystopian underground world from the science-fiction series “Silo” on Apple TV+.
Some critics even compared it to an ill-fated shipwreck of the past, saying that it is fivefold.bigger and heavier than titanicand about 300 feet tall.
royal caribbean old bill wonder of the sea as “the largest ship in the world”. When the new one is ready, it will be 10 feet longer, heavier and carry more people, perhaps giving it the right to claim the title of the world’s largest.
Royal Caribbean said in a statement Last month, Icon of the Seas underwent its first round of sea trials off Turku, Finland, sailing the high seas for the first time. The company said the ship will undergo another round of tests later this year before its launch in January.
Interest in the ship comes as the cruise industry tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, after several outbreaks on ships prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to punish the industry and ban cruises.
But now that travel has resumed and holidaymakers have returned to the ocean, the industry still faces health and environmental concerns.
This year, for example, the CDC recorded 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise shipsFour of them are on Royal Caribbean International Cruises.
And environmentalists like Marci Keever, program director for oceans and ships at Friends of the Earth in Washington, argue that cruise lines “continue to build large ships rely on fossil fuels, discharge toxic wastewater into our oceans and burden coastal communities with air, water and waste pollution.
Royal Caribbean sent out a request for comment on Tuesday seeking more details about the ship Website, The company said it could not comment on environmental concerns, citing a necessary quiet period before its next earnings report.
However, the company said in a statement that Icon of the Seas is already showing on its bottom line. statement Advance bookings during the first quarter were “significantly higher” than the first quarter of 2019.
Jason Liberty, chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group, said during an earnings call in May that Icon of the Seas is “booked significantly more than any other Royal Caribbean ship launch” for its inaugural season.
Michael Bayley, president and chief executive of Royal Caribbean International, said during the call that the ship was “the best performing new product launch ever in the history of our business.”
“It is driving a really huge amount of demand,” Mr. Bayley said.
