It might seem like a distant dream, but it’s never too early to plan your 2024 vacation. And if you’re seeking the ultimate voyage of excess, look no further than the world’s largest cruise ship the Icon of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. This floating city is pretty over the top—even for our industrial-sized eyes.
Towering 20 decks high, spanning 1,198 feet in length and weighing 250,800 tons, she’s five times larger than the Titanic and can accommodate 7,600 guests, with a crew of 2,350. After being under construction in a Finnish shipyard, the Icon recently completed her first phase of sea trials in Europe and is all set to debut her maiden voyage from Miami to the Caribbean at the beginning of 2024.
There’s truly something for everyone to indulge in Icon’s lap of gluttony and grandeur: 40 restaurants, bars and nightlight venues; 20 decks and eight “neighborhoods”; a miniature Central Park; and a world-class Category 6 waterpark with six slides, seven pools and an array of theme parks. If you have the means, you can book the “Ultimate Family Townhouse,” a sprawling three-story adventure cabin that sleeps eight.
Say what you will, haters (dissenting voices on social media have dubbed this colossal cruise ship everything from “hell on water” to “human lasagna”). The Icon of the Seas nearly sold out within hours of opening reservations in October 2022. Tickets right now seem to range from $1851 for an interior room to $10,864 for a suite.