CruisingWalter

9 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

oh thats ok.  I am unsure it I will like the new venue and the circular rink.   I rather liked studio B 

But I will find out in early May for myself.

It's a beautiful venue that's much more of a show theater than an ice rink. As with everything else, the level upgrades of the tech and the venues is over the top on this ship. That new AquaTheater is just ridiculously amazing too. 

4 hours ago, ChutChut said:

Thanks for the review. Were you a comped guest of RC or a paying one? 

All four of the previews were invited guests only.  Media, agents and other invited guests. 

17 minutes ago, eroller said:

They do have the Aqua pool high and forward and that is 18 feet deep. So I’m sure many engineering challenges were created with that.  

Not to mention the weight of the dome itself. That is simply breathtaking when you see it so combined with the weight of the AquaTheater Pool, that probably did create issues with making deeper pools elsewhere on the ship. 

1 hour ago, erby2283 said:

Thank you for taking the time to write that up and share your thoughts with us.  Just made final payment today for May.....so excited. 

You will have an AMAZING time. What a ship! 

21 hours ago, eroller said:

It’s a shame with all those pools that not one is deeper than your waist.  In that respect the ship really seems designed for small kids.

It is a ship designed for families so you never know when a smaller child may enter any of the pools. That being said, MSC is a family cruise line with multiple pools on their Seaside class being 6 foot deep. That's really the one big thing we love about MSC, those really deep pools. 

20 hours ago, runner2013 said:

No shade on anyone who's financially blessed enough to be able to do this, if you have it, spend it right, more power to you, but it just seems too outrageous for me. 

What do you all think. Am I in the minority or majority?

At the moment the Icon is a one of a kind, $2 Billion cruise ship. So if you want to experience Icon and everything that comes with it, you have one choice.  Yep, it's expensive just like all new ships are. It's even more expensive than normal because this is not a normal ship. And you priced Christmas Week, the most expensive week for a cruise along with New Year's week. That's skewing the narrative to meet your needs. $5700 for an Interior Plus for January 25, 2025. $7000 for a Central Park Infinite Balcony. Much more expensive than the Oasis class, but this is not an Oasis class ship. Both of those categories have limited availability already so at the moment there is no shortage of people ponying up for the ship. 

Having experienced the ship for 3 days I can see why she's priced higher. She's a completely re-imagined ship, not just an upgrade to the Oasis class. With a ton of technology, many new venues and just overall an incredible ship. It's a 'grown up' version of the Oasis class borrowing many design cues and flow from sister Celebrity. It feels like Royal elevated the adult experience just as much as the family experience. 

As of right now, the people who can afford the top dollar suites have spoken. The Ultimate Family Townhouse is sold out for 2024. If the ship is too much for you, don't sail on her. As for myself, I'm looking forward to getting back onboard for a 7 night, 3 nights was not nearly enough. The Spacious Interior and Interior Plus were really impressive re-designs on interior spaces and those will probably be the cabins we'll go with because they're more in my budget. 

At some point the ship should become more affordable, but until then, Royal can charge whatever they want so long as the public keeps buying. 

For those who need accessible cabins, here's a look at an Accessible Surfside Family View Balcony. The employee in the room noted the lowered bed and the extended ramp onto the balcony makes it much easier for him to get in and out of bed without assistance and it's easier to get onto and off the balcony. 

16 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

correction though, The Absolute Zero ice rink is in the AFT of the ship. 

 

Thank you! With only 3 days onboard the ship, everything turned into a blur after a while. 🙂

18 hours ago, eroller said:

1.  Any pics of the interior cabins?  I haven’t seen any yet and you mentioned there is a better utilization of space.  

Here you go. The Spacious Interior is really nice just turning it into more of a square.  Interior Plus is clever in that not only did they move the vanity into the closet, they made a walk-in closet for an Interior cabin. And if you notice that clever little row of shelves in the first photo, those are pretty much in every standard stateroom now. A nice area for small things and note there are two USB ports to charge devices too.

18 hours ago, eroller said:

2.  The pools.  I know there are 7.  So far they all seem like wading pools with the water only going waist high.  Any there any actual pools you can really swim in, where the water is up to your head and not just waist high?  

I think the only pool you could even attempt to swim in would be the big infinity pool in The Hideaway but they are all shallow. If you want deep pools, you'll need to go to another ship. 

18 hours ago, Newcruiser215 said:

Thanks for the review! Was there anything about the ship that you didn’t like or wish they did it differently?

Really it was just the flow into Absolute Zero going through Playmakers. That is such a bad design and really makes no sense. It almost felt as though they 'forgot' Playmakers and threw it into it's current location. To have hundreds of folks lining up inside the venue and then over 1000 pass through the venue at the end of the show doesn't make any sense. And it disrupts the enjoyment of Playmakers. It's my least favorite Playmakers set up of the ships we've been on. There is a way to get into Absolute Zero from Deck 5 instead of Deck 6 so perhaps in the future they'll move the queue down there. 

The only other minor quibble was the volume for the DJ and band up on Deck 16 at the bandstand across from the pools. Really don't understand the need for the volume to be that high when the seating areas are right in front of the bandstand. But that's the trend now I guess over the top volume.

Overall the ship is just stunning and I'm looking forward to getting back again for 7 nights. 

A quick overview of Icon of the Seas from our Jan 20-23 preview sailing. Some background on us. Cruising nearly 20 years, have sailed on 10 cruise lines. We love all manner of ships from the Icons to the small 650 passenger vessels. Prior to Icon we've sailed Mariner and Symphony on Royal. From what we were told there were 4000 on our sailing and I can tell you the ship felt empty. 

This ship is so far beyond an "Oasis upgrade," it's an intelligent, complete reimagining of what a big family ship can be. In particular Royal has really elevated the adult experience onboard by leaning into Celebrity. You can see influences of that cruise line everywhere with cleaner lines, a more contemporary and 'adult look' to spaces and elevated dining and entertainment options. 

I’ll start with our stateroom that was the Ocean View Balcony. Really nice design features including some extra power and USB outlets and a ton of storage. The best part was the redesigned bathroom. Small changes resulted in a larger shower and a better layout. The showers all have benches now and just moving the towel rack into the shower makes the rest of the bathroom feel larger. It’s the largest shower in a standard stateroom that we’ve stayed in for some time now. 

We were able to tour 21 stateroom categories during our sailing. The one great change is that the beds in suites are now turned to face the ocean vs. being sideways on the wall. I especially liked the reconfigured Junior Suite which is one of my favorite staterooms at sea. The new Spacious Interior and the Interior Plus are really clever re-designs of the interior stateroom. Spacious is a square room giving you more space around the bed. Plus moved the vanity into the closet creating more space in the main room. 

My favorite rooms on the tour were the Sunset Corner Suite and the Icon Loft. The sunset (aft) suites are just beautiful and there is a Sunset Junior Suite as well. The room I would not recommend is the Royal Loft. So much money to have a view of Swim and Tonic and the hot tubs. Yes there are ocean views around the side, but the main part of your balcony is right above the swim up bar. If you want a loft suite, go with the Icon Loft that has more private balconies that look out over the ocean. They seem like they’re similar to the Edge villas on Celebrity. 

Two small things that I really like. The Promenade has been redesigned with Deck 6 now a full deck allowing you to walk from front to back above the promenade on both sides of the ship. It's not just a partial deck so you have to keep going down the stairs into the Promenade, they connected it and created some amazing spaces on both sides with the showcase being Pearl Cafe.  

Second is the abundance of casual seating everywhere and the integration of spaces for parents and kids to hang together throughout the ship.  For instance in the Category 6 waterpark, there are many big round loungers and an abundance of chairs where the parents or other family members can chill while others take advantage of the waterslides. 

One big change from the Oasis Class is Surfside. Not just a reimagining of that space, but just how quiet it is now at night. With the AquaTheater moved to the front and Playmakers moved to the front, the entire space shuts down by 9pm. On Oasis class ships we avoid the Boardwalk balconies because there can be a lot of noise at night with the water shows and with big sporting events at Playmakers. Now it’s a much different and quieter vibe at night. For those of you with really small kids, note that they have a specific splash pad for toddlers in swim diapers. I love that they put a nice infinity pool behind the splash pad so mom and dad have a nice pool to enjoy while the kids splash around. And there's a lot of seating around the splash pad so parents and grandparents can relax while the kids play. 

Another obvious big change is the AquaDome. I was not prepared for how much I was going to love that space. That could be one of the most beautiful venues at sea on any cruise ship, honestly breathtaking when you come around the corner in front of the AquaTheater. I loved all the big comfy chairs to just relax and enjoy those amazing views. And at night it’s quite lovely with the subdued lighting. The Rye and Bean coffee shop and bar is my new favorite Royal Caribbean bar. Espresso Martini and Coffee Boulevardier were awesome, as were the macchiatos. 

The new Central Park is much cleaner and I personally love the splash of color with the shutters. I think the infinite balconies are a perfect addition to that area creating a much cleaner and more contemporary look. The balconies on the very top are cleaner as well now flush with the walls vs. hanging over the edge. The addition of Lou’s Jazz Club and Izumi in the Park just fit. I LOVED Lou’s. Royal also integrated Central Park with the promenade both through large windows that allow you to look out at the ocean and a staircase that takes you directly down to Pearl Cafe in the Promenade. That’s a really nice chance, especially bringing the ocean views to Central Park.

The Hideaway 18+ Adults area is nice. Big hot tubs, lots of sun loungers and of course that ridiculous infinity pool suspended between the two sections of the aft. The only quibble is they didn’t really put anywhere to keep your towels while you’re in the hot tub so there were towels all over the planters near the tub. It degraded the look of the space a bit. No shade though, this is pure sun decks. 

It was too cold for us to try out Category 6 waterpark but dang, that is some awesomeness back there. My walk on the Crown’s Edge was canceled due to high winds. We were told it’s $39 on port days and $89 on sea days, but that could change based on time of year and sailing.

New entertainment venues and redesign of familiar venues were awesome and based on the crowds each night, well received. The big difference you’ll notice is that the venues are wide open to the promenade or Central Park. The biggest change being Lou’s Jazz Club moving out to Central Park to replace Jazz on 4. Jazz on 4 was really not that inviting of a space, but Lou’s a beautiful, open venue with some great music. Dueling Pianos was fabulous, two great singers that I saw the first night and the crowd was really into the show. Bolero’s has a hopping new space on Deck 6 at one end of the promenade. Schooner Bar is right across from Bolero’s and it was probably the quietest of the venue. There’s definitely music bleed from Bolero’s to Schooner Bar so that might diminish your enjoyment of the quieter bar. I missed the Music Hall and its new location. 

The new theater is just beautiful and the Wizard of Oz was a fun show. That 16 piece orchestra really makes it sound like you’re on Broadway, they sound so good and the cast was fun. We saw 4 numbers from the upcoming Aqua Nation show and dang, they were amazing. The new AquaTheater is more intimate and changes the complexion of those shows entirely. It’s like a professional theater now. Absolute Zero is a huge ice venue in the front of the ship. I’ll admit I didn’t understand the storyline of the show, but the show itself was beautiful. Between the skaters and the tech, it was an awesome show to watch.

How Absolute Zero is configured is really my only complaint about this new ship. To get into Absolute Zero you have to line up inside Playmakers Sports Bar. Guests were having to avoid getting jabbed by a pool cue, blocking TVs and otherwise interfering with the folks in Playmakers. Then at the end of the show, you have a theater crowd of over 1000 passing through Playmakers on the way out. This flow really made no sense and I’m hoping they figure a different way to get folks into and out of Absolute Zero vs. having to pass right through Playmakers. 

The specialty restaurants were not open during the preview but they allowed us to get a tasting. Giovanni’s is now in the middle of the promenade on Deck 6 and it’s a lovely space. The Fried Lasagne was amazing. Hooked Seafood is now in the AquaDome, again a beautiful space. Loved the Scallops, shrimp cocktail and coconut shrimp. Empire Supper Club is the venue I really wish was open during our sailing. What a stunning location and I would have gladly paid the $199/pp to try this venue out. They had the standout sample of the entire tour with rabbit. So freakin good and it was just a tiny sample. Izumi still makes fantastic sushi. Pier 7 in Surfside is billed as a California surfin menu. I would give it an “ok” based on the samples. I would not spend my own money on that location, especially with Surfside Eatery on the other side included with the cruise fare.  That’s a kid friendly comfort food kind of place. 

My favorite new included food venue is the AquaDome Market. I tried the Feta Mediterranean, GNGR, Mac and the crepes.  Mac was ok, I had the bacon mac and the pepperoni mac. Both were ok. Greek salad with grilled chicken was great from Feta. The chicken and pork from GNGR was my favorite dish of everything there. The salted caramel crepe was good, not great, but good. Next time I’ll try the traditional lemon crepe. Base Camp’s paid food items were ok. I had the crispy shrimp bao buns and the chicken and waffles. Both were ok, not sure I’d want to pay for them. Sorrento’s pizza was actually edible on this ship. It’s the first time I ate an entire slice on a Royal ship. Just one slice though, that was enough.

The Pearl Cafe is such an amazing overhaul of the Cafe Promenade. Stunningly beautiful coffee shop that really feels like it came right out of a Celebrity Edge class ship. Those massive windows looking out, lots of casual seating, power outlets under the benches and a greatly improved sweet and savory lineup of snacks. Again, you have stairs leading directly up to Central Park from this area as well so you can take your coffee and snacks directly up to that space to enjoy. 

Throughout the ship the overall flow of traffic has been greatly improved making it easier to get around the hip. The addition of the escalators to exit and reenter the ship are fabulous for port days. The Smart Elevators worked well during our preview sailing but I am curious how they will scale up if the ship pushes 7000 guests. The hallways outside the staterooms have gotten narrower, especially when there’s luggage out there. But if that allowed us to have larger, better configured staterooms, I’m ok with that. 

And last but not least, we got to spend some time at Hideaway Beach, the new 18+ beach space on Coco Cay. This is a driving, Las Vegas party vibe space with a DJ, massive pool, swim up bar, private cabanas and a lovely protected lagoon. That protected lagoon may be the best part of the entire space because on the day we visited the winds were howling like our previous visit. The surf was probably kicking up good at the Coco Beach Club, but at Hideaway beach, the water was calm. There’s really no way to escape the music so if you’re looking for a tranquil place to get away from the kids, the best you’re going to get is ‘quieter’ spaces if you go as far away from the DJ as possible. If you plan to rent a private cabana, note that the regular ones are really close to the main pool and all the music. If you rent the swim up cabanas, those are further away and quieter. The pool is absolutely stunning and massive. The bar is dual level with a walk up bar on top and swim up bar in the pool. We were there early so the food venues were not open yet, but you have your usual assortment of hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, salad and other items available. Is Hideaway Beach worth it? That’s up to you and if you’re ok with all the music. Honestly it’s cheaper to simply stay on the ship and enjoy the pools while most of the kids are on the island. 

I was not prepared to like this ship as much as I did. It’s now my favorite Royal Caribbean ship. Having sailed it I better understand the pricing model too. Not only is this the first of its class, it’s currently a one-of-a-kind ship. There is so much technology and upgrades throughout this ship, I can see why Royal is charging a premium right now to sail Icon and soon her sister Star. I can’t wait to come back and sail a full 7 days on her. 

1 hour ago, cruisinfanatic said:

How would that happen on a sold out cruise?

For these first few sailings she's supposedly sailing at 80% so there should be some cabins available to swtich.

9 hours ago, WatermelonSugarHigh said:

We left starved and laughing at how silly it was. 

The small portions and overall small meal are well known for Test Kitchen. Most of us grab some pizza about an hour or two later. It's a fun place and we enjoy seeing what they try to come up with. It's not for everyone but nowhere near a 0 for us. It's a 7 most of the time. 

I don't have that personal experience but I do advise all my friends to avoid staying under or above The Manor. It's the bass that comes through the below and above cabins. How bad it will be depends on the ship construction, but it's nearly unavoidable.

We just came off Icon of the Seas and while sitting in Surfside my chair was vibrating so bad I was almost sliding across the floor. It was the bass from the Absolute Zero ice rink below us while they were rehearsing. That's an extreme example and that show is LOUD, but it's near impossible to prevent bass from going up or down from the venue. 

2 hours ago, jon81uk said:

I was going to say exactly this, it is only while the muster drill is going on that it locks you out, before that period you can get booking.

I guess that's why I never noticed it. We're usually in the first boarding group. 

On 1/22/2024 at 6:29 AM, Lustate said:

 

Unless, of course, VV pull it out of the hat, cancel Dubai to Athens, and launch Brilliant Lady with a TRF of the crew as well? Offer people credit for the flights, and do a trip around the med for the same number of nights, finishing in Athens on the previously agreed date?

The last we saw any mention of Brilliant Lady from VV it was sitting on a calendar in the fourth quarter of 2025. No dates, just a big red "Brilliant Lady" in the fourth quarter of 2025. Reports I've seen lately says they have yet to take delivery of the ship. It's basically ready to go, just VV is not taking delivery of it at this time. And all mention of it has ceased from the VV side as if they want everyone to forget about it for the time being and concentrate on the current three ships. 

On 1/22/2024 at 1:08 PM, Jamesv281117 said:

They could have any number of ideas of making it work which could include a new itinerary for people to stay on around Africa,

Going around Africa is a HUGE change that requires so much to make that happen with infrastructure and port availability. That would not be "hey we're going to make a longer itinerary and not charge you anything for it." That would involve a big price increase to cover the costs for the added time to go around Africa, which is exactly what the freight companies are doing. Lots of additional fuel required and additional ports requires to make that journey. It's not an easy decision and I would not want to be at the center of that logistical nightmare for all the cruise lines.

On 1/20/2024 at 8:58 AM, Jamesv281117 said:

Hi

I'm just wondering if there's any thoughts on what might happen to schedules if Resilient Lady is unable to complete it's Dubai to Athens sailing as planned? Are there any clues from what other companies are doing as I can't see it being safe to travel through the Red Sea when it's due in April. 

The situation is so fluid there that's probably why they have not made any announcements yet. With the recent attack on a US Navy ship, that makes the situation even more perilous. As others have mentioned, making changes to the itinerary has ripple effects on new ports that have to be sourced and possibly a longer cruise to avoid that area. It appears that most cruise lines are wisely avoiding that area for now. 

19 hours ago, neverendingcruising said:

With you on the original Razzle dinner menu, truly a loss. 
 

I believe all sailings/all ships now have a nightly dinner special at the Galley. The burger place is also open for dinner now which is nice. 

I believe the Burger Bar is now open till midnight if I recall correctly from our Scarlet Lady cruise a few weeks ago. Still amazed the Ramen station is closed for dinner and late night. I mean ramen IS a late night staple in so many places. 🙂

I don't recall having to watch the video before we could book shows, but I suppose it's possible. It's usually the first thing we do as soon as we're onboard, pull up the video on the app and let it run. 

10 hours ago, katef529 said:

I think I read somewhere that VV does the one where everyone goes at the same time and listens or watches a video together.

As soon as you get to your stateroom, start the video, wait for it to end, check off that both Sailors (if there are two) have watched it. Go enjoy the ship. When they announce Muster Stations are open, report in and watch a life vest demo. If you've never seen the video, you'll enjoy it, best safety video out there since Princess included all the Love Boat stars. But still not at good as New Zealand Air's classic safety video. 

3 hours ago, Watchmen said:

Did you make reservations when you boarded or just walk in?

Reservation. 

14 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

To answer one of your questions--most lines prohibit tattoos that can be seen while wearing uniforms.

That rule is definitely changing. I saw some tattoos on crew members on Oceania over the holidays. Much more modest than the openness of VV, but I was pleasantly surprised. Curious to see if Royal has started relaxing their appearance protocols when we sail next weekend. 

These sailings are from San Juan and Barcelona only. Valiant is sailing from San Juan during that time, Scarlet Lady will be sailing from Barcelona.  

The only cabins eligible for this special is the Central Sea Terrace. 

27 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

Have any men had the haircut and shave on board? How was it? I might do it just for fun and to feel pampered for an hour. 

I had the worst haircut on any cruise ship in November on Valiant. I actually enjoy getting my hair cut onboard and chatting with the always interesting crew. I think I've had my hair cut on 5 or 6 cruise lines now. She was quick and efficient on Valiant, but it really wasn't that great. Certainly not worth the price they charge, but we used our Sailor Loot for it. Princess has been consistently good for me with the hair cuts along with NCL and Royal Caribbean.