The Royal Caribbean has broken records and shown that anything is possible after upgrading and engineering the Icon of the Seas. The two billion dollar Icon is 1198 feet with 20 decks and 2,805 staterooms and is expected to host about 7,600 passengers. She sits at her home port in Miami in all her glory at a whooping 250,000 registered tonnes ready to embark on the 27th of January. The Icon plans to sail through the eastern and western Caribbean with the ports of call being the Bahamas, Mexico, Honduras, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.
The idea was born in 2017 and the general plan for the ship and decks was formulated in 2018. The designs and the number of rooms were finalized in 2019 and the construction started in 2021. The Icon boasts of having the world’s first onboard water park with six water slides, a casino, a theatre and over forty dining areas and drinking spots. The series of hard work and effort has come to fruition this year as the Icon has already been fully booked till 2026!
The tourism sector expects about 36M tourists this year and reports show that spending on cruises has increased by 65% since 2019. CBS news states that the ship was built with families in mind as well as people looking for high end luxury––not just newlyweds and elderly people. It is truly an experience for all.
Downsides
Moreover, the Icon champions environmental sustainability being powered by liquefied natural gas, treating her own waste and producing her own water. However, concern arises from climate activists because of the emissions released from the ship. The director of the Marine Program at the International Council on Clean Transportation, Bryan Comer, stated that a cruise generates about double the amount of total greenhouse gas emissions as flying.
The Climate TRACE coalition issued an analysis that showed that cruise ship emissions are already 6% higher than they were before the pandemic. These vessels also release black carbon that absorbs sunlight, trapping heat on the ground. The Arctic, which is becoming a home for a number of cruises, has more carbon settling on ice which is increasing the rate at which glaciers melt. For this reason, the Icon of the Seas as well as other cruise ships have resulted in using liquefied natural gas that emits 25% less carbon(IV)oxide compared to marine fuels.
However, an investigation conducted revealed that cruise ships running on LNG leak some of it to the atmosphere as methane which is far more destructive than carbon(IV)oxide. Through all this, cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050 while Carnival Corp. plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
The launch of her sister ship, the Star of the Seas will be in the summer of 2025. According to The Sun, the cabin prices are as follows:
- Interior – from £1484 per person
- Outside View – from £1707 per person
- Balcony – from £1943 per person
- Suite – from £2556 per person
The Royal Caribbean is confident that this ship will create long lasting memories and experiences for all people aboard.