Go Inside One of the Largest Cruise Ships in the World, Royal Caribbean's “Icon of the Seas”

Royal Caribbean’s ‘Icon of the Seas’ features a massive $100k stateroom

NEED TO KNOW

• Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas made its maiden voyage in January 2024
• At the time of its debut, the Icon was the largest cruise ship in the world
• The ship boasts impressive stats, including seven pools and a $100k stateroom

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas has been sailing for more than two years.

When the ship made its maiden voyage on Jan. 27, 2024, it was the world's largest cruise ship. Though it no longer is the only ship to hold the title — Royal Caribbean's ships Legend of the Seas and Star of the Seas are the same gross tonnage — it's still a seriously impressive vessel, boasting a number of next-level features that the average cruiser may not know about.

The Icon setting sail marked a new era for Royal Caribbean, starting a new class of ships for the cruise lines named after the one that started it all. Since then, two more Icon class ships have debuted: the Star in August 2025 and the Legend is planned for July 2026.

Here are five things you might not know about Royal Caribbean’s larger-than-life ship, Icon of the Seas.

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The most expensive stateroom costs $100,000 a week

The most expensive (and spacious!) room on the ship, the Ultimate Family Townhouse, costs roughly $100,000 for a full seven-night sailing. The three-level room has everything families need to experience the best vacation, including an indoor slide and direct access to Surfside, Royal Caribbean’s first neighborhood designed specifically for families.

The 2,523-square-foot lodging can fit up to eight people and features two private decks. Families can lounge together at one of the deck’s hot tubs or enjoy a game of table tennis outside. The room is so spectacular that it was quickly booked up for its first year.

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It’s five times bigger than the Titanic

In comparison to the RMS Titanic, the largest ship of its time before it sank in 1912, Icon of the Seas is approximately five times bigger with a gross tonnage of 250,800 (the Titanic weighed 46,328 tons).

Icon also features 20 decks, 2,805 staterooms and it can hold up to 7,600 guests. Depending on the deck, it takes about six minutes to walk from one end to the other.

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There are seven pools on board

While Icon of the Seas broke another record by offering the largest waterpark at sea (Category 6), it also hit even more firsts thanks to the seven pools it has on board. Royal Bay, the most expansive pool at sea, is filled with 40,000 gallons of water. 

Another great pool to check out is the first suspended infinity pool at sea, The Hideaway, which is located in the Chill Island neighborhood. Though not suspended, the Water’s Edge Pool offers similar ocean views and is family-friendly with the Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay pool areas nearby. 

Last but not least, there’s also the Swim & Tonic swim-up bar pool, adult-only Cove and Cloud 17 pools and the exclusive private pool in the Suite Neighborhood.

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The max speed it can travel is 28 mph

During a preview sailing of the ship attended by PEOPLE, Captain Henrik Loy shared a breakdown of the ship’s speed while giving an exclusive tour of the vessel’s bridge. He explained that the ship can reach a speed of about 24 knots (28 mph) which is very fast and not needed for the type of trips that cruises take.

At that moment, the captain confirmed that the ship was cruising at about 11 knots (13 mph) which was slower than usual. On Royal Caribbean’s official website, the cruise line says that the average cruising speed is about 18 to 20 knots (20 to 23 mph) depending on the ship and itinerary.

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You may feel the ship rocking

For those who aren’t regular cruisers, it’s important to note that you will still feel movement on the Icon even though it’s massive. If the ocean is particularly rough during your sailing it’s possible the ship will feel so rocky that you lose your balance.

To avoid potential seasickness, it’s best to book a stateroom toward the middle of the ship where less movement is felt.

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