80hrs on World's Largest Cruise Ship - Icon of the Seas

Today, I'm taking the world's largest cruise ship for 80 hours from Miami to the Caribbean. I'll show you exactly what it's like to live on board this floating city with a population of 10,000 people, from my two-story suite to the 22 restaurants and mind-blowing facilities. There's a park, aquadome, ice rink, and I'll even check out the best room on board. Yes, that's your own slide and movie theater. All this does not come cheap, though, with prices north of $30,000, but you're invited along for the journey. With that, let's pick up our story in Florida. Well, good afternoon. We're on our way to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal, where I first set eyes on our massive new home on the seas. It's fair to say I'm very excited. Well, hello there, and welcome back to the channel, where we're about to get on board Icon of the Seas. Super excited about this one. It's been a very long time in the planning. First up, we'll need to head to the special star-class check-in desk. Here, our bags will be collected for prompt delivery to our suite, whilst we're presented with our cruise card along with wristband, which will act as our room key once on board. It's time to head into the terminal building. Here, we'll bypass all the queues and are escorted via elevator to security. After a quick screening, we're met by our wonderful royal genie, Anna, who leads us onto our ship. It's here I begin to grasp just how huge Icon is, but to put it into context, she comes in at 1,200 feet in length, or about the same as the Empire State Building laid on its side. Let's go and see what it's really like then. Bear in mind, this is entirely self-funded, so I'll be brutally honest as always. Stepping on board, it's quite unlike anything I've experienced before. Is it a shopping mall, a football stadium, a theme park? So this is what's called the Royal Promenade, but it's a fair distance from our room. We're currently here on deck five, but we'll need to travel all the way up to deck 17. In order to do this in the most timely fashion, we'll need to use the new elevator system, whereby you select the floor you desire, and you'll be assigned the fastest lift. This, in theory, sounds brilliant, but we'll see if it really solves the constant overcrowding I found on board the previous largest ship, Wonder of the Seas, last year. Welcome to deck 17, and in turn to the suite neighborhood. This entire area is specifically designed for those in suites, with plenty of private facilities for our use. Let's carry on down this corridor to our room 17-0-4-4. On the starboard side of the vessel. Time to get first use of our fancy new wristbands and head inside. Welcome to our lovely new home on board Icon of the Seas, but most importantly, welcome back to the channel, Millie. I'm back. You are indeed, it's well overdue. It's so great to be on the largest cruise ship in the world. I honestly cannot believe how big this ship is, but first things first, let's take a look around our incredible Icon Loft Suite. The Icon Loft Suite is a brand new room on board the Royal Caribbean Fleet, with a generous living area of 658 square foot. We'll start off in our dining area, where you can enjoy room service from the many speciality restaurants on board. There's also a welcome bottle of Moet waiting for us, which is a nice touch. Beverage options don't stop there though. Along with a coffee machine, there's plenty of mineral water and a fridge full of, well, whatever we want. Next, we'll move on to the living space, featuring a comfy corner sofa and armchair with a massive flat screen TV. Oh, and if you're caught short, there's a downstairs washroom complete with shower. Shall we head upstairs then? At the top of the stairs, you'll find your wardrobe, which plays host to two bathrobes, a safe and a laundry bag. Do note, free unlimited laundry is included with this cabin. Now, the main event, our bedroom. The sumptuous Super King bed is adorned in upgraded Egyptian cotton bedding with a dreamy memory foam mattress, a huge improvement on the Sky Class bedding, in my opinion. Now, there are only two rooms on board, which up the ante even further, one being the Royal Suite and the other, the ultimate family townhouse at $80,000 a week. We'll check out these in detail in just a moment. Right on cue, it's time for our departure and we're invited to watch a brief safety video. First, separate the Velcro. Then, place the life jacket over your head and refasten the Velcro. Life jacket instructions are also on the back of your stateroom door and in our app. So now that we're very much on our way, I think it's time we need to start thinking about dinner. Now, dinner options on board are plentiful. There's an awful lot to choose from. However, there's one particular place that kind of stuck out this evening, but it requires something a little bit more formal than what I've currently got on. So let's change into something a little bit smarter and go for dinner. Oh, and this gives us the chance to look at the primary bathroom. Featuring double showers and upgraded amenities. Start the show, of course, being Millie this evening. Doesn't she look lovely? Let's head to dinner. Now, usually it takes some getting used to, finding your way around a new ship and my word, this is no exception. It's honestly like a small floating city and I'm sure it will take me to the end of this voyage. To properly know my way around. Tonight, we dine at the Empire Supper Club. This is a brand new venue, which celebrates the glitz and the glamor of 1930s New York. Formal attire is required and the eight course extravagance is charged additionally at an eye-watering $200 supplement per person. We're led over by our host and seated in prime position among 36 other guests. The menu looks phenomenal as it should to be fair at this price point. The experience also includes a paired cocktail for each course, which will be a challenge in itself. Though, to begin, we're served a refreshing glass of Moet. The American standards trio, our jazz musicians, raise a toast to everyone and begin to play. For our first course, I'm pleased to see caviar offered. Millie though, is still not convinced. Next up, the crispy oysters, which we both thoroughly enjoy. It's time for our first cocktail, the Staten Island Spritz, whilst our second appetizer, the raviolo, is served. It's time for our third appetizer, the langoustine, served on perhaps the most creative chinaware I've seen to date. Next up, the Empire Caesar salad. Now for the main event, alongside a New York sour. The Wagyu ribeye steak, cooked rare for Millie and medium rare for me. For dessert number one, the white chocolate cheesecake and chocolate beehive. With that, course eight is presented, the chocolate tree, complete with cotton candy and ganache truffles. It's fair to say we're both pretty full now, but wow, what an experience. With the night still young, we'll journey down for this evening's entertainment at the Royal Theater, located at the very front of the ship, across both decks four and five. Tonight's performance will feature a classic Broadway production, The Wizard of Oz, with a modern Royal Caribbean twist. Now, the perk being in star class is we get special reserved seating, with the best views in the house. Well, what a wonderful first evening on board. Millie, have you had a good time? It's been amazing. It's been so good. The show was incredible, wasn't it? Definitely, it was West End level. It really was. It was so good. Like totally blown away and I just cannot believe, I keep pinching myself that we're on a cruise ship. I know. I think it's finally time to get ready for bed. We have a lot of exploring to do in the morning. Good morning. Wow, I slept like a baby. What an exceedingly comfortable bed. Time to make it downstairs and start the day with the first caffeine hit. I really appreciate having a decent Lavazza coffee machine in room. Do note though, your Royal Genie is more than happy to go grab you a Starbucks each morning. Yes, of course, there's one on board. Let's head out onto our extensive balcony, which is definitely one of the suite's highlights. It offers 173 private space with a dining table and two sun loungers. In fact, out of the seven Icon Loft suites on board, this boasts the largest balcony, thanks to its position on the ship. I make it time to start exploring. We'll begin in our current neighborhood. Oh yeah, the ship is segmented by eight of these. We're currently in this suite neighborhood, which is across decks 16 to 19. It's of course breakfast time, so it makes sense to start at the suite exclusive restaurant called Coastal Kitchen. Accessible by key card, this restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is included in our cruise fare. Coastal Kitchen spans two decks, offering a variety of seating options, though breakfast appears to only be served on the upper level. Unlike traditional cruise ships, there is no set seating here. Let's kick off with the second caffeine hit of the day to combat that jet lag as our breakfast orders are placed. So what have we gone for? Millie goes for the omelet, whilst I opt for the Baja eggs. Whilst breakfast was pleasant, I've had better on the likes of Celebrity and Virgin. Continuing on within the suite neighborhood, we'll need to head upper level to the Grove Suite Sun Deck. This features another dining venue, which is a far more casual grab and go affair. Food is freshly made here and rotated in selection throughout the day. Up yet another level, you'll find plenty of sunbeds and cabanas. So many, in fact, you'll never struggle to find a decent spot, which can certainly be a challenge on the rest of the ship. To close off the suite neighborhood, I thought I'd show you the most luxurious cabin on board, the Seoul Icon Loft Royal Suite. This retails at around $77,000 a week and features a self-playing grand piano, two bedrooms, walk-in wardrobe, stunning bathroom, and of course, a hot tub. I can't quite get over that price point, though. Now time to move onto our next neighborhood, Thrill Island. This is located at the back of the ship on Deck 16 and features the world's largest water park at sea. That's quite the accolade. I'm also happy to discover this is all-inclusive, as it should be, to be frank. Here you'll find six water slides of varying gravity to find fun, none quite as scary as the Thrightening Bolt, which is also the tallest water slide at sea. Aside from the water park, Thrill Island also includes a multi-use sports court, crazy golf course, and a Flowrider surf machine. Now, the Flowrider is a signature feature on Royal Caribbean ships, but they do offer a private lesson at a great cost. Though, as star class, we actually get this for free, and after signing the waiver, here's my attempt. No, I didn't manage to stand up. Next, we'll head to Chill Island for a more relaxed vibe. Situated over three decks from 17 to 15, it features a multitude of pools, sunbeds, and even a swim-up bar, aptly named Swim & Tonic. Despite its name, I find Chill Island to be one of the busiest areas of the ship, though Royal Caribbean, being Royal Caribbean, do offer an upsell for a guaranteed cabana, or, as they call them, casitas. This does offer great privacy, though the pricing is ludicrous, in my opinion. Remember, that's per day. Let's continue on down to deck 15 by slide. Deck 15 is where the Royal Bay is located, the world's largest pool at sea, holding over 40,000 gallons of water. It's also where you'll find a Royal Caribbean staple, El Loco Fresh, serving up delicious Mexican fare, from nachos to tacos to burritos. The best part is it's all included, with no upsell. That is by no means a full tour of the outer decks. We've still got a lot more to see, but I make it lunchtime. What exactly does lunch look like? Well, I think we're gonna head to Central Park and find out. Central Park is familiar territory to those who have sailed on Royal's Oasis-class ships, such as Wonder of the Seas. Featuring over 10,000 plants and a multitude of shops and restaurants, it's a lovely place for a stroll, or, like us, a spot of lunch. There are even some rooms which look out on the space, such as this infinite Central Park View balcony. I digress, it's time for food. We'll be eating at Azumi Sushi, which is a speciality restaurant, though inclusive for us thanks to being star-class. Let's take a seat and enjoy some edamame beans whilst we place our order. The menu is pretty extensive and offers an array of small and large plates, with the option to eat a set menu. We may have gone a little wild on ordering, but the small plates are of great quality and super tasty. For main, we both go for a large selection of sushi. I will say, though, I found the wait times to be rather long but worth it for the food. On the way out, I spot a new section of the restaurant, Azumi in the Park, which offers a grab-and-go sushi at a surcharge. Now to head down and explore our next neighborhood. Halfway through Central Park is an automated door leading to a staircase. This winds down initially to the Pearl Cafe, which you'll be glad to hear is not an upcharge. Well, speciality coffee is at a cost. Now we've reached the gateway to our fifth neighborhood, the Royal Promenade. The centerpiece of this neighborhood is the 46-foot-high, 175-ton Pearl. So aside from being a really neat feature and a great photo opportunity, it actually connects us right down here to the Royal Promenade. Should we take a look around? Now for a quick word from today's video sponsor, Odoo. I needed a website to showcase the adventures I go on, something easy to use and accessible from wherever I am in the world. Meet Odoo, the best platform to manage your whole business in one place. The Odoo website builder is a powerful tool to effectively create a website for free, easily, and quickly. I've built my website simply with no technical skills required. You can see how easy it is to simply drag and drop blocks into place. I can then quickly customize with animation, colors, and image sizes. The grid allows you to easily manipulate the layout. 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Aside from the various designer boutiques, you'll also find a Starbucks, which, whilst a supplement for most, is included for us. There's guest services and Royal Caribbean's attempt at a British pub. I appreciate the effort, and there's even Strongboat and Guinness on draft. So, Will, I spoke to the Royal Genie and I've got your surprise. Oh, dear, is it a good surprise? I think so. I've booked you in for ice skating. I absolutely love ice skating. I know. Are you coming as well? No. Icon's Ice Rink is located in the venue Absolute Zero on decks four to five. During the day, you can free skate in reserved sessions, but at night, you'll be able to enjoy the ice show Starburst. Sorry to disappoint, but I won't be attempting anything more ambitious than a gentle skate. I still do find this so surreal to be on the ice in the Caribbean Sea. After all this excitement, shall we grab a sweet treat? I have just the place. This is Deserted, the ship's milkshake bar. The menu looks enticing until you see the price. I mean, $18 for a milkshake is an utter disgrace. Thankfully, this is included for star class, but for the majority, it's not. Naturally, we choose the one topped with what I believe is an alpaca. Let's head outside to Thrill Island and give it a try. Seating-wise, we'll take a seat at Base Camp, the main eatery of this neighborhood. It provides a mix of free and paid food. It's time for the taste test and the perfect time to introduce a new segment, the milli rating. Sadly, this didn't quite deliver and whilst the aesthetics are there, in reality, it's an average overpriced milkshake. Adjacent to Base Camp is Adrenaline Peak, featuring a brand new onboard activity called The Crown's Edge. This, in true Royal Caribbean spirit, is at an upcharge. Now, and I sound like a broken record, this is included for star class, but for everyone else, it's not. So what exactly is this? Well, after being suited in a luminous green jumpsuit, you'll be led out onto this high wire course and then stepping stones out over the side of the ship, some 20 stories up. Then, when you least expect it, one of the stepping stones drops beneath you as you glide around the rest of the high ropes course. It's definitely a fun activity, but very short and very expensive. Oh, and this photo wasn't free. That'll be 25 bucks, please, sir. Just a few hours later and it's time for dinner. We have reservations down in Central Park again, but this time at a new venue. Of course, what would be sailing on Royal without a meal in Chop's Grill? Offering both outside and inside seating and, for the first time, a display of the various steak cuts available to order. We'll take a seat outside, which I feel is a much better atmosphere and general vibe than inside. I mean, you're kind of in a leafy park in the middle of an ocean. Shall we take a look at the menu then? If you fancy something even more special, there's also an iconic menu. However, this is at an additional charge. As our order is placed, we're served a G&T and lavender cocktail, which definitely hits the mark. To begin, I go for the wedge and, merely, the wild mushroom soup. This is followed by our mains of a rare bone-in ribeye and a medium-rare wagyu fillet. To close, we're offered dessert and we share the New York cheesecake and the warm chocolate cake. With dinner out of the way, a stroll in the park is in order. This is truly such a lovely place to be in the evening. During this stroll, I spy a champagne bar nestled in the foliage. Needing no invitation, let's check out the aptly-named Bubbles Bar for a post-dinner drink. Moet is served by the glass and there's even a reasonably-priced Dom option. What a lovely end to our meal in the park. Next, we have an after-dinner show planned. Anna has booked us into the Attic Comedy Club and, as with last night, in some of the best seats in the venue. We're served some pre-show drinks and I'm happy to see my friend Adam open up the show and introduce this evening's hilarious acts. Good morning. For a more leisurely pace this morning, we've elected to take breakfast on our balcony. I mean, we certainly have the space. Ordinarily, this is the menu, but being star-class, we can choose anything from any of the restaurants on board. We order a selection ranging from scrambled eggs, French toast, an omelette, Eggs Benedict, and a granola parfait. Our royal genie even dropped down to Starbucks for us for our coffee order. Now, that's phenomenal service. I'm conscious I'm showcasing the very best of star-class, but what about the other complimentary breakfast options? Well, for that, you'll want to head to Windjammer on deck 15. After washing your hands, you'll be treated to a wide array of help-yourself buffet options. The quality here is fantastic, and you know my view on cruise ship buffets is generally pretty low. This is quite the exception. There's also plenty of seating with stellar views out over the Caribbean Sea. Anyway, with breakfast out of the way, it's time we explore another new neighborhood. Introducing Surfside, located right at the very back of the ship on deck seven. This neighborhood has been designed specially for younger families, though older ones can certainly enjoy this space too. Let's take the slide down and explore this vibrant, fun space. Surfside has been created to be self-contained, so you can stay all day with plenty of food options to keep you and the kids fed. The Surfside Eatery is one such example, a buffet specifically designed for families, which is a Royal Caribbean first. Moving onwards, you'll get to the Merry-Go-Round, which I do confess I have had a go on, along with more food options, such as Sprinkles ice cream and a grab-and-go burger and fry station. There's also an arcade, a place which I spent far too much money in. Honestly, it doesn't feel like you're spending when you just have to tap your wristband to play. Lastly, and to the rear of the neighborhood, there's a kids' pool and play area, which I'm positive would be my nephew and niece's favorite part of the ship. In terms of accommodation, there's some family-specific rooms here, such as the Surfside Family Suite, which even features a small separate kids' bedroom. On the other end of the scale, there's the Ultimate Family Townhouse, which is the largest suite on board the entire Royal Caribbean fleet. Yes, you do see correctly, there's a floor-to-ceiling slide in the living room. There's a separate cinema room, which comes complete with a PS5 and popcorn machine. Moving on to the interactive dining table with games and TV shows. Oh, and of course, there's a hot tub on the balcony. Time to head up the musical staircase. Yes, these play a tune much like a piano when you walk up them. Up through the mezzanine leads us to the primary bedroom, which to be honest, I was expecting to be a little grander, given this price point. There's also a kids' bedroom, complete with individual TVs and consoles and a separate en suite bathroom. So it's fair to say it's very impressive, but I think the most important thing and what you've all been waiting for to laugh at is me going down the slide. Okay, I definitely did that about five times. Now there's one more level, which provides direct access to Surfside. The cost, well, that's in another dimension, at over $80,000 for the week. I make it lunchtime and we'll head to yet another neighborhood for this. Perched on top of decks 14 and 15, you'll find the Aquadome, a totally new concept for Royal Caribbean. First up, you'll notice the Aqua Theater, which historically has featured to the rear of the Oasis-class ships. We have tickets for this show tonight, so we'll be back later for a closer look then. Moving on, we get to another first for Royal, a food hall called the Aquadome Market. You can choose from four food stations, from noodles to mac and cheese to Mediterranean kebabs. It's perfect for a quick and hearty lunch. Oh, and there's also a crepe station. These are all included in your cruise fare and I have to say I'm very impressed. Moving forwards, you'll get to what's called the Overlook, providing awe-inspiring wraparound ocean views, which is quite unlike any perspective I've had at sea before. It's all about relaxing here, with plenty of chill-out areas to kick back with a book and a cocktail. There's even Overlook Pods, which, if you manage to find one empty, can provide a lovely perch up high. And finally, after all our exploring, we reach our lunch venue, Hooked Seafood. This is at an additional charge, though included for us, thankfully. Let's take a seat and settle into some much-needed lunch. The menu, as you'd expect, is heavily seafood-focused, with a smattering of meat options. As our order is placed, we're served some garlic biscuits, and to my British friends, these are similar to scones. To start, we decide to try the freshly-shucked oysters, something neither of us have sampled before. Should we just say I'm not a fan? Moving on, Millie goes for the steak and lobster, which was a very good choice. I, however, went for a poor choice, so feel free to roast me down in the comments. We are currently on our way for a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship. We've got a meet-down in the main dining room, so let's head there right away and see what it's like behind the scenes. The main dining room is located across decks three to five, and it's the main venue for most passenger meals. Menu-wise, here are a few samples. To note, these do change each night. We're joined by the head chef, who talks a little around the scale of the operation for feeding nearly 10,000 people on board. Next, we're led downstairs and into the main kitchen. Here, we're shown some of the key food preparation stations. Now for the second segment of our behind-the-scenes tour. We'll be heading up to the bridge on deck 12 to meet Captain Henrik. It's fascinating to see the space and meet the people who are in charge of looking after 10,000 passengers and maneuver this 248,000-gross-ton ship. It's amazing to have this opportunity, as currently there are no official behind-the-scenes tours, and this was on an invite-only star-class basis. As evening begins to draw in, I make it time to head to the eighth and final neighborhood on board, the hideaway. It's a brand-new space for Royal Caribbean at the very back of the ship on deck 15. It's also adults-only and creates a kind of beach club vibe with plenty of sunbeds and incredible views of the ship's wake. The crown jewel is the suspended swimming pool in the center, 135 feet above the ocean. Like a beach club, you can book a daybed, which, as you'd imagine, are charged with intent. There is also an extensive bar and lounge area, which is ideal for a sundowner and our main reason for visiting this evening. Now, these are included for us, but chargeable for guests without a drinks package. Right, very exciting. We are off for somewhere a little bit different this evening. Millie, are you looking forward to a live food show? Yes, I am. Well, it's teppanyaki. Let's go. Dinner plans take us back down to the Central Park neighborhood on deck eight. We'll be dining in a separate part of the Azumi Restaurant. This is my first teppanyaki experience on board a ship, so Millie and I are eager to see Royal Caribbean's take. We're seated on a table with six other guests and presented with a menu. We're served G&Ts with some edamame beans and the show begins. Our chef, Ryan, is brilliant and gets everyone involved with the experience. To begin, we're served a delicious egg fried rice, which seems to taste even better being made right in front of us. And now it's time for the main event. And the taste test. Top marks all around. We have, of course, after dinner plans in the Aqua Theater, but that's not for another hour. So let's drop into Lou's Jazz and Blues Bar for a drink beforehand. I love the variety of venues on board and it really does feel like we continue to discover them even days into the voyage. It's time we finally experience the Aquadome in all its glory at night and with our favorite show on board to boot. Anna reserves us some of the best seats in the house, so let's settle in and enjoy the jaw-dropping performance. Wasn't that one of the most amazing shows we've ever seen on board a cruise ship? I'd say it was even better than the Aqua show on Wonder of the Seas. I think so. If that could even be possible. I know, you couldn't stop talking about that. I know, I know, it was amazing. So with that, I think it's time to get some rest. Night tour. Well, good morning. Join our slumber we've docked in the cruise port of Cozumel in Mexico. Let's head down to deck two and disembark the incredible Icon of the Seas. A question on most of your lips, I'm sure, is just how much this cost. This is entirely self-funded, but I booked smartly. On the Royal Caribbean website, they wanted $36,000, but simply by shopping around, I found this over $4,000 cheaper on another website. It's still a lot of money, but Starclass is worlds ahead of the similar priced loft suite, which we had on Wonder of the Seas last year. Welcome to Mexico. Welcome, we've had the most amazing time on the world's largest ship. Thank you so much for watching. And we'll see you all again next time. Next time, bye.