Stunning pictures have been unveiled that show the world’s biggest cruise ship – Icon of the Seas – arriving in Miami for the first time, ahead of her official debut on January 27.
Counting down to the start of ‘a new era of vacations’, local residents and Royal Caribbean fans, executives and employees were on hand as the first to see Miami’s newest resident.
Royal Caribbean said: ‘Icon arrived in PortMiami in style, with celebratory fireboat salutes, banner planes in flight and a community celebration at Pérez Art Museum to mark the new vacation’s first appearance of many to come in the Magic City.
‘With the introduction of the world’s best family vacation less than 20 days away, Icon will continue making its final preparations in Miami ahead of an iconic naming celebration and first cruise.’
Icon’s debut sailing will be a seven-day jaunt from Miami to the Caribbean.
Stunning pictures have been unveiled that show the world’s biggest cruise ship – Icon of the Seas – arriving in Miami for the first time, ahead of her official debut on January 27
Counting down to the start of ‘a new era of vacations’, local residents and Royal Caribbean fans, executives and employees were on hand as the first to see Miami’s newest resident
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The vast vessel has 20 decks, 2,350 crew, 2,805 staterooms and room for 7,600 passengers.
The cost? A cool $2billion (£1.58billion).
Passengers can enjoy eight neighbourhoods and ‘adrenaline-pumping thrills’ such as ‘record-breaking waterslides’, seven pools (one for every day of the week, says Royal Caribbean), nine whirlpools and a huge range of dining options.
There are more than 40 restaurants onboard – and ‘deck-defying entertainment’ on offer.
Royal Caribbean said: ‘Icon arrived in PortMiami in style, with celebratory fireboat salutes, banner planes in flight and a community celebration at Pérez Art Museum’
Icon’s debut sailing will be a seven-day jaunt from Miami to the Caribbean on January 27
Icon will sail Caribbean voyages throughout the year from Miami, with the itineraries featuring ‘idyllic destinations’ and stops at ‘award-winning private island’ Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.
A fascinating video was recently unveiled that revealed key moments in the construction of Icon.
The footage shows the first cut of steel in Turku, Finland, in June 2021, the completed ship undergoing sea trials in June 2023 and then the vast vessel being delivered in November of that year.
Icon will sail Caribbean voyages throughout the year from Miami, with the itineraries featuring ‘idyllic destinations’ and stops at ‘award-winning private island’ Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas
The vast vessel has 20 decks, 2,350 crew, 2,805 staterooms and room for 7,600 passengers
Passengers can enjoy eight neighbourhoods and ‘adrenaline-pumping thrills’ such as ‘record-breaking waterslides’, seven pools (one for every day of the week, says Royal Caribbean), nine whirlpools and a huge range of dining options
There are more than 40 restaurants onboard – and ‘deck-defying entertainment’ on offer
Icon is making its final preparations in Miami ahead of ‘an iconic naming celebration’
In between these moments, the clip shows several eye-opening feats, including the installation of a 90ft-long liquid natural gas tank, the keel laying in April 2022 and the lifting on to the ship of the steel ‘Pearl’, which weighs more than a Boeing 747.
Another impressive moment in the video is seeing the 363-tonne AquaDome lifted into place by shipbuilder Meyer Turku.
The firm commented: ‘At 50 metres [164ft] wide and 25 metres [82ft] tall, the AquaDome is the largest single-piece glass-and-steel structure ever lifted onto a ship.’ The operation took 80 hours to complete.
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