Another Icon Post: Our Surprise Invite To The Naming Ceremony & VIP Cruise

[RCCL Fan]

It was another January day in Texas,  snow one day, sunshine the next, and our family was trudging through it like everyone else.

 

 

In case you're new to my posts, I'm a longtime RCI cruiser and cruise critic poster.  We  sail regularly with my family, my loving wife and our two school aged daughters, who have sailed so much they're diamond plus on their own accord without my status match.

 

Anyway two Saturday's ago my phone rang with a call from a Miami number I didn't recognize.  I answered only, to be on the receiving end of a call from Michael Bayley's office, asking us if we were free to join them on a VIP sailing of Icon of the Seas.    I stuttered several times, wha?  what??  why?

 

Basically they wanted to honor a family, who regularly sails them and has a multi generational connection to Royal, and we had been chosen to be that family. It meant being a part of the naming ceremony, and Mr. Bayley's guests on the voyage.

 

 

I asked them if we could switch to a facetime call, so that they could deliver this news to my wife and kids. I ran downstairs where my youngest was unloading girl scout cookies to go sell. I held out the phone  and let the team from Royal deliver the news.

 

 

Right off the bat, I'll tell you I didn't ever think Icon was going to be the ship for us,  she seemed "overly packed" with stuff. As much as I adore the Oasis class ships, as a whole, my family often prefers the intimacy of smaller ships, as many of you guys know from our repeat cruises on Vision and Voyager class ships.  However, My youngest was  fan-girling Rover big time, my oldest craving the beach during the winter, and my wife had recently been following all the ICON posts on social media and starting to talk her up to me. 

 

 

In this post we'll take you along  on a photo heavy tour on our trip on Icon this past week, our thoughts on the ship, how they evolved  once on board, and the connections we made, and some takeaways that will change how we cruise moving forward.

 

I usually post once a day "as if it were live"   hope you follow along.    

[sandebeach]

Oh wow, how incredibly exciting for you!!!!!!

[Coralc]

Congratulations! What an exciting invitation. Looking forward to your impressions. ☺️

[HicksRA]

They’ve probably seen some of your outstanding reviews on this site and figured you’ll return with such a great review of the Icon that everyone on here will rush to make a reservation as a result..  

Congratulations!  

[perfect match]

I am very happy for you and your family that you were the ones chosen. Mr Bayley’s office made a great choice! 
 

I’ll bet you’re glad you answered that phone call from the unknown Miami number. I probably wouldn’t have. 
 

I will definitely be following along here!

[sdteacher]

That’s exciting! I hope you had a great time. Can’t wait to hear about it. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Super cool!!

[Tree_skier]

20 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

It was another January day in Texas,  snow one day, sunshine the next, and our family was trudging through it like everyone else.

 

 

In case you're new to my posts, I'm a longtime RCI cruiser and cruise critic poster.  We  sail regularly with my family, my loving wife and our two school aged daughters, who have sailed so much they're diamond plus on their own accord without my status match.

 

Anyway two Saturday's ago my phone rang with a call from a Miami number I didn't recognize.  I answered only, to be on the receiving end of a call from Michael Bayley's office, asking us if we were free to join them on a VIP sailing of Icon of the Seas.    I stuttered several times, wha?  what??  why?

 

Basically they wanted to honor a family, who regularly sails them and has a multi generational connection to Royal, and we had been chosen to be that family. It meant being a part of the naming ceremony, and Mr. Bayley's guests on the voyage.

 

 

I asked them if we could switch to a facetime call, so that they could deliver this news to my wife and kids. I ran downstairs where my youngest was unloading girl scout cookies to go sell. I held out the phone  and let the team from Royal deliver the news.

 

 

Right off the bat, I'll tell you I didn't ever think Icon was going to be the ship for us,  she seemed "overly packed" with stuff. As much as I adore the Oasis class ships, as a whole, my family often prefers the intimacy of smaller ships, as many of you guys know from our repeat cruises on Vision and Voyager class ships.  However, My youngest was  fan-girling Rover big time, my oldest craving the beach during the winter, and my wife had recently been following all the ICON posts on social media and starting to talk her up to me. 

 

 

In this post we'll take you along  on a photo heavy tour on our trip on Icon this past week, our thoughts on the ship, how they evolved  once on board, and the connections we made, and some takeaways that will change how we cruise moving forward.

 

I usually post once a day "as if it were live"   hope you follow along.    

Loving it already.  @RCCL Fan's reviews are some of the absolute best!  I'm excited you got this opportunity.

[marchand28]

Oh my gosh, so excited for all of you. Excellent decision on Royal’s part. Looking forward to hearing all about this adventure.

[kernow]

Oh wow, how lovely for you all. Always love your reviews and can't wait to hear all about it.

[RFerrington]

What a wonderful gift !  So happy for you and your family.

 

What type of cabin did they gift you ?

[DaniDanielle]

Wow

[RCCL Fan]

 

We are Icon Bound!

 

Temperatures are in the 20's, and we hop the late flight out direct to Miami Monday night, pre cruise.

 

 

Surprise vacations are really special, and being the one who plans our family trips, I can't tell you the last time I've had a surprise vacation... the 90's maybe.

 

Our flight was bumpy and I kept telling the girls that this was just us escaping all those cold temps, and while we may not win parent of the year for pulling them out of school, we did insist they keep up with missed assignments and had them work on the plane.

 

 

We had a driver waiting for us, and headed over to our hotel for the night, the intercontinental, across from the portn of Miami oddly with the flight crew from our flight.

 

 

We all checked in, super late and snuggled up, excited for this long anticipated trip.

 

I woke up the next morning, to the window wide open.   Our room was directly across from RCI corporate offices, so my youngest thought it was the terminal and that ICON would be docking right there, right in front of us.  She kept saying, she's still not here.  I got up and pointed to the ship about halfway down the island.... she went back to sleep.

 

 

Same driver from the night before was waiting for us the next morning.  He said, "I asked for the route, you guys were so kind and excited, I wanted to be bring you to ship"  We were humbled by his words.

 

 

We were dropped off at the terminal which was our first time sailing from the new Miami terminal. So much nicer than the FLL terminal. We were in a junior suite, and directed to the suite entrance where we were escorted up an elevator to the Suite lounge area.

 

One person checked all our documents, while my daughters made a bee-line to the doughnuts and chocolate covered strawberries on offer for suite guests. 

 

 

In less than five minutes we were walking through the gangway and onto the ship. Immediately, the entrance to the ship was new, impressive, with the royal logo and a lights surrounding the doors.... 

 

 

 a few more steps inside and there is the Pearl right in front of you, her flat panels moving and glimmering under color changing lights.

 

As someone who in Icon's build kept saying, "Well what does it do?"  I got my answer, impress you with her beauty as an amazing piece of artwork and engineering. 

 

 

Just to the right of the entrance was starbucks, which on this sailing was free for everyone onboard.  Free starbucks?  My kid was in heaven and made it her first stop.  She set a mission to sample all thing weird trendy drinks she hadn't had yet.

 

 

One of the things I loved was muster stations were all along the promenade.  We immediately found ours, in the theater and checked the safety drill off as one of the very first things we did.

 

 

 

Icon immediately impressed me in decor.  She felt upscale like Celebrity, while having stunning art around the ship.

 

We like so many of you immediately wanted lunch.  We first tried Aquadome marketplace, with some awesome options, however they weren't very (picky eater) kid friendly, so Windjammer it was for us.

 

 

Well, windjammer was unlike any windjammer I've ever been inside of.  Sure it's a preview sailing so everything was going to be a little extra... like filet mignon and small lobster tails but besides the nice selection the food was very well prepared, and higher quality than I've had on other ships recently.  Really thick burgers, well seasoned chicken,I truly enjoyed my meal.  

 

 

After we walked the ship and wound up in Central Park which I have to say is really one of the big game changers of Icon.  She wasn't just an quiet little outdoor area, She was alive with people.  There was a champagne bar added, which was quite popular. 

 

 

Izumi and Chops had little outdoor demos happening, there was music and a much larger bar.  Central Park felt like an outdoor promenade, a true second promenade that was a hub of activity.  There were still flowers and plants everywhere, just not quite as "quiet" as previously... but still beautiful.

 

 

Another big difference to this ship was the pool deck. She's very re-imagined.  She's not linear. There's no more go to the top, walk outside on two alleys on each side of the pool to the other atrium.  Nope, Instead there are walls, and nooks, that divide up the space a ton.  sections of pools with walkways going in different directions.

 

 

You will find nooks of seating around the pool deck too.  There are tons of different little alcoves to go in and find a great view in or out, and lots and lots of seating.  But what took my breath away over and over again was the height.  You know how on most ships, there's a main deck, and then the elevated deck of chairs. But seriously, take in how tall the deck is, it really changes the feel of the place.

 

 

Well not here.... first of all the main deck feels two decks high,  it's tall and open and airy.  But in addition some bars, and hot tubs, and what not are on different levels.  So I often found myself looking for something and not being certain if it was on level 17 or not.  It definitely was a new ship, not Oasis 2.0 as some have called her.  She has a style and feel all her own.

 

 

By then our rooms were ready and we headed back to check out the junior suite.  This room was my first disappointment on Icon.  It felt smaller, significantly smaller than other junior suites.  The layout was different with the bed facing out.

 

 

Perhaps that was the issue, but junior suites are our favorite typically, for the space they provide.  I just didn't feel like this one measured up for holding our family of four.  Of course our last cruise on Vision we were in the two bedroom, two bath suite, so maybe it skewed my opinion, but the Junior Suite didn't do it for me.

 

Here's a link to my quick youtube review of it.    

 

This made me curious how some of the other rooms were on board, and on this sailing there were a lot of travel agents so they had all the room types open for review and tour. 

 

 

 

So we checked them out, including the ultimate family suite which boggles my mind on how many people are able to drop 100K on one week at sea but hey, knock yourself out!  hahaha  I walked away from it going no way,  my daughter had stars in her eyes and was like "someday"  But hey there was a slide. 

 

 

Two of our favorite rooms the sunset balcony suites were both gorgeous, amazing layout, balcony, and views.   The other is the family infinite balcony with bunkbeds, while not a suite, these are perfect for families with two kids, and I think will be high on our list.   I've never been a fan of the infinite balcony, preferring a traditional one instead of what to me amounts to just a really big window to open, but I'd put up with it for those bunkbeds for my kids.

 

 

Next we checked out surfside, this one was only neighborhood I wasn't so sure about.  It had everything for littles, I'm talking 0 - 6 years olds.  If you're a parent of kids in this range, you will literally live in this part of the ship.  From food to games, to water toys, candy, food, and arcade. Everything someone in that age group could want would be here.  However, I do think if I were a parent of kids that age, I don't know how long I would be able to sit back there.   Or if I had kids who were older they wouldn't want to be there.  My youngest is 9 and she had little interest. 

 

 

 I would see us on the pool deck trying to find something for everyone rather than all of us being content to be with the littles.  This would be the spot if you had grandparents who  wanted to come and spend time with the babies all the time. Adventure Ocean is right next door and I think that's perfect.  My wife on the other hand thought surfside was perfect and that she would be totally cool down there all day with the girls when they were little.  So there's that too. Everyone has a different opinion. I did really like the windjammer for kids down there.

 

 

Upstairs toward the rear of the ship is Thrill Island or what I like to call the mess of waterslides that in pictures makes many of us  say "that ship is too much"  Well In real life it doesn't look overwhelming at all. Its a great offering of slides where you can spend hours going from slide to slide, it's not a one trick pony. 

 

 

It doesn't in my opinion overwhelm or make the ship look unappealing, I think she serves her purpose and added to the sports complex, and minigolf (which was majorly upgraded with all kinds of cool hazards) I think this area would appeal to a ton of families.  Basecamp has a nice bar, and there's good food there.  it's where families of older kids would definitely hang. I understand why Royal didn't immediately name the hideaway adult only because it's right next to this high traffic kid area.  but there's enough separation for it to work. 

 

 

Getting tired yet? 

 

This ship just goes on and on, and on....

 

So why don't I take a break here. I'll come back later with the Naming Ceremony and sail away, and the first of many VIP's we saw this week.   

 

Stick around!

 

 

 

[loug1601]

Wow! What a great trip report beginning!

I can’t wait for more, and keep those pictures coming!

Edited January 29 by loug1601

[perfect match]

All I can say is WOW! I am loving seeing Icon through your eyes! 
 

I had no plans to book this ship. At her current prices I still don’t. If the prices come down enough then I’m in.

 

I hate that Icon is only sailing short itineraries now. There’s way too much to see and do on this ship for 3 or 4 day cruises. Yes, I know I can do a B2B like we’re doing in a couple of months. I’d rather have a 7 or 8 day sailing so I didn’t have to deal with a turn around day.

 

I can’t wait to read the rest of your review! 

[Jenna]

14 minutes ago, perfect match said:

All I can say is WOW! I am loving seeing Icon through your eyes! 
 

I had no plans to book this ship. At her current prices I still don’t. If the prices come down enough then I’m in.

 

I hate that Icon is only sailing short itineraries now. There’s way too much to see and do on this ship for 3 or 4 day cruises. Yes, I know I can do a B2B like we’re doing in a couple of months. I’d rather have a 7 or 8 day sailing so I didn’t have to deal with a turn around day.

 

I can’t wait to read the rest of your review! 

It’s doing 7 day cruises. These short cruises were only the preview and shakedown cruises before the first revenue sailing. 

[Gardener5b]

WOW!!!  How exciting for you and your family.   I love your reviews, and am very excited to follow along on this one.   Wishing you a fabulous cruise.

[BND]

There's a lot of people who "regularly  sail" with Royal and have done so multi generationally, so I wonder how exactly they chose you.  We absolutely have no plans to sail on Icon but there are so many who fit that description and would love to.  We just got off a b2b on Wonder today and were in Coco Cay with Icon on Jan 15.  

[perfect match]

2 hours ago, Jenna said:

It’s doing 7 day cruises. These short cruises were only the preview and shakedown cruises before the first revenue sailing. 

Thank you. You’re right, of course. I just realized that I was mixing up Icon and Utopia and came back here to correct my mistake. Add in Star of the Seas to the mix and with all of these shiny new ships coming out I can’t keep them straight.  
 

[Ashland]

Thanks for sharing and congrats on being chosen to sail. Personally I probably wouldn't have answered that unknown call. I agree with your impressions of the JS. Does that TV swivel so it can face the bed?

[FionaMG]

On 1/28/2024 at 1:58 AM, perfect match said:

I’ll bet you’re glad you answered that phone call from the unknown Miami number. I probably wouldn’t have.

 

I wouldn't have either but note to self going forward: answer any phone calls from unknown Miami numbers! 😂

[FionaMG]

Looking forward to the rest. Thanks for sharing. 😊

[sgmn]

Congratulations to you and your lovely family. How exciting !!

Well deserved, I've always liked your trip reports. 👍 

[livingonthebeach]

 Wonderful review! Thanks for sharing your adventure!

[RCCL Fan]

An Iconic Night

 

 

The naming ceremony got underway in the aquadome on the front of the ship, and this area was another big surprise for me on Icon.   Yes, there was the indoor aquatheater as expected, but walk past it, like backstage and there's a huge lounge area with windows which I can only describe as the biggest most beautiful viking crown lounge.  More on that later.

 

 

The naming ceremony was invite only, and the people in the room were really cool. We saw everyone from the widow and daughter of Royal Caribbean's founder,  to Danny Harr of those Harr Travel videos on youtube.

 

 

Mario Lopez from Access Hollywood hosted the festivities as everyone from Chairman Richard Fain to one of the company's oldest employees.

 

 

In his speech, Michael Bayley asked us to stand as he shared our deep connection to Royal.  From my sailing with my grandmother on Sun Viking when Bayley was the purser onboard, and my high school graduation party with a good chunk of my graduating class I talked into going on Monarch,  to my wife and I bringing both our families onboard Indy for our wedding, and my youngest taking her very first steps running down the hall to our aft cabin on Serenade...  and we are still here, every year sailing with Royal and pledging to make new memories for years to come.   I know we're just one of millions who have strong connections to this to the cruise line, and it was our honor to represent all of you, the loyal customers, at this ceremony.

 

 

We all gathered to watch the ship's ICON Lionel Messi use a soccer ball to hit a button, purporting to drop the largest bottle of champagne you could imagine on the bow of the icon.

 

 

 

I can't begin to tell you the energy that was in that room...  there were longtime employees who were emotional, you could see those like Harri Kulovaara and Kelly Gonzalez who if you read of watched any press about the new build process you've seen.   This night meant a lot to the team who built this ship, you could just feel it in the room.

 

 

 

The room was showered with confetti and then it was a big party of mingling, picture taking, and listening to the huge fireworks show happening outside the ship. Which we missed as we were too busy talking to everyone.

 

 

 

After the ceremony, my wife wanted to meet Mario Lopez, who was her crush in high school from Saved By The Bell.  He was having dinner in Chops, but the folks at Royal arranged a meet for us.

 

 

I thought it was funny that while everyone chased Messi around the ship,  my wife was on Mario Lopez watch, my daughter surprisingly was too, but she's at that age where photos with celebs are always good for her cred.   So we made that happen, and did get a photo with the soccer ball used to drop the champagne,  signed and everything by Messi.  I'm sure it will live in Jason Liberty or Michael Bayley's office for years to come.

 

 

 

Ok  enough of us, back to the ship.  We had dinner that night at Giovanni's.  Royal tried hard to choose family friendly places for us for dinner.  Little did they know this diamond plus diva's are all about just about any restaurant in the fleet.   Giovanni's is a fan favorite in our family, so we gladly pulled up a chair.  I had an amazing filet, everyone loved their dinner, although I still might think Giovanni's on Odyssey is the best.  

 

 

After dinner we went to Dueling Pianos, the new spot in the promenade.  I'm from New Orleans, where RCI got this concept from. 

 

 

Tim one of the performers who has a long history on Bourbon Street and he put on a lively show that had everyone outside in the promenade trying to get in. 

 

 

 

My kids and I have a tradition of having long, deep conversations together one on one late night on each cruise.   So my oldest and I got in the hot tub, and discussed everything high school, college & beyond, mixed with a little family dynamics and friend drama.  The pool deck was empty and it was beautiful to take her in at night all lit up and showing of fher newness.

 

 

We realized at midnight that there was the big balloon drop in the promenade, but we were about 5 minutes late when we rushed down there from the pool deck.

 

 

We still grabbed a drink (mocktail for her of course) and enjoyed some time together before joining the rest of the family for a good night's sleep before our single island stop, in coco cay.