One step closer to its debut in January 2024, Royal Caribbean's highly-anticipated Icon of the Seas — touted to be the world's largest cruise ship — has successfully completed its initial round of sea trials and sailed the open ocean for the first time. The company's first Icon-class ship, the vessel has been under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. "Icon returned to the Meyer Turku shipyard, where it is under construction, after four days of preliminary tests on a lineup of its latest technologies and equipment. From the main engines to the hull, to the brake system, to steering as well as noise and vibration levels, the hundreds of workers on board covered an extensive checklist of key technical areas," said the official press release. According to CNN, Icon of the Seas is a 365 meters long (nearly 1,200 feet) vessel and will weigh a projected 250,800 tonnes. It is built to hold 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members. Setting yet another record, the cruise ship's piece de resistance will be the world's largest waterpark at sea. Named Category 6, it is all set to feature six water slides. It will also have seven pools and nine whirlpools. Icon of the Seas also offers a "resort getaway", a "beach escape", a theme park, and over "40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained," according to the company. Further, the cruise ship also houses a one-of-a-kind accommodation, called "the Ultimate Family Townhouse", which Royal Caribbean described as a three-storey "sprawling adventure-filled pad" featuring an in-suite slide, a karaoke station, and hidden areas to discover. According to the press release, "Between preparations and the trials, the important step in the journey to bring Icon to life involved more than 2,000 specialists, hundreds of miles travelled, four 37- to 67-ton tugboats and more than 350 hours of work." The second round of sea trials will be held later this year, which is when the first Icon Class ship will be pushed to its limits ahead of its debut in Miami in January 2024. The company said that Icon of the Seas will introduce a new era of vacations for years to come. "From the resort getaway to the beach escape and theme park adventure, every type of family and kind of adventurer can make memories together and on their own terms without compromise across record-breaking thrills, relaxing ways to chill, a neighbourhood designed for young families, more than 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained, and more." The ship will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami all year. "Tourists on board will island hop from destinations like Royal Caribbean’s award-winning private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Roatan, Honduras," Royal Caribbean noted. 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
