The world’s largest cruise ship — the size of almost four city blocks — began its maiden voyage on Saturday as it left from the Port of Miami. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas runs nearly 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern.
The ship, which left South Florida for its first seven-day island-hopping voyage through the tropics, was officially christened Tuesday with help from soccer legend Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates.
The ship sets sail the company is having a moment online. Since December, the organisation’s 9-month “Ultimate World Cruise” has captivated — and confused — a following of avid watchers on social media. Millions are following the journey through the eyes of the passengers, as they live and post their lives aboard a vessel they’ll be on for nearly a year. If it sounds like a reality show, that’s exactly what some watchers have turned it into.
When the Icon of the Seas was first revealed in October 2022, the ship spurred the single largest booking day and the highest volume booking week in Royal Caribbean’s then 53-year history, according to the cruise line.
The Icon of the Seas is divided into eight neighbourhoods across 20 decks. The ship includes six waterslides, seven swimming pools, an ice skating rink, a theatre and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges. The ship can carry up to 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity, along with 2,350 crew members.
It is powered by six dual-fuel engines, which can be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fuel alternative that the Cruise Lines International Association says reduces sulphur and greenhouse gas emissions. However, some environmentalists worry that LNG-powered ships increase methane emissions. Others say that vacationers generate eight times more carbon on a cruise than they do on land.