World’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, labelled ‘monstrosity’ ahead of maiden voyage

The world’s largest cruise ship has been unveiled to a range of reactions, with many unsure what to make of the gigantic ship

Construction on Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas cruise ship recently completed in Finland, with the vessel expected to make its first official voyage in January 2024.

According to Royal Caribbean, which describes the cruise ship as a “game changer” for vacations, the vessel will boast amenities such as seven pools, including the “largest pool at sea,” the “world’s largest waterpark at sea,” six waterslides and nine whirlpools.

In addition to its water-focused offerings, the ship promises more than 20 ways to dine, and more than 15 bars and “nightlife experiences,” including a karaoke bar, spread across its eight “neighbourhoods”. Icon of the Seas will also boast a rock climbing wall, Royal Caribbean’s first food hall, a beach-themed carousel, an arcade, and a mini-golf course.

Once it sets sail, the massive vessel, which is nearly 1,200 feet long, will be able to host up to 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members across its 19 floors.

On social media, the first photos and videos of the cruise ship, which is currently undergoing sea trials, have divided viewers, with many expressing horror over the “monstrosity”.

“As visions of hell go, that’s pretty much the most hellish,” one person tweeted in response to a photo of the new cruise ship, while another said: “I’m sorry but this is a nightmare.”

“The world’s largest monstrosity of a cruise ship, Icon of the Seas. 7,600 max capacity, 20 decks, five times larger than the Titanic. That does NOT look relaxing...at all,” someone else tweeted.

Others couldn’t believe that the photos of the cruise ship were real, with one person admitting that they thought the pictures were from a “Pixar movie”.

“For a second I was like ‘No, the Icon of the Seas is not real, it can’t hurt you’ because some wacky giant cruise ship seasteading scheme goes viral every 10 months. But I looked it up and it turns out they actually built this one,” another person tweeted.

Others expressed their fears for the ship’s fate in light of reports that orcas have begun attacking boats, with one person asking: “What [do] the orcas got to say about this?”

“Imagine the horror you’d feel standing on the deck, watching the army of orcas approach,” someone else wrote.

The cruise ship also prompted many to reference the sinking of the Titanic after the luxury steamship struck an iceberg.

“Netflix securing the rights to Titanic 2: Icon of the Seas,” one person tweeted, while another said: “I think I’ve seen this film before and Jack didn’t like the endinggggg.”

Despite the criticism of the new ship, it has already proven to be popular, with Royal Caribbean International reporting its “single largest booking day” in its 53-year history in October 2022, when reservations opened for the Icon of the Sea.

“There is an inherent hubristic element to continuing to build such monstrosities meant to sail the ocean. Anyway I wanna go on this,” one person tweeted.