As excited as everyone is for Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, the one thing everyone wants to know is what the ship looks like.
Icon of the Seas will be a new class of cruise ship, which means it will have a new structure to it that isn't exactly like any ship before. When it comes to ship class design, think of it like a car model, where one model looks different from another.
Royal Caribbean has promised the ship will be innovative and unlike any other ship before her.
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said Icon of the Seas will feature a combination of ‘tradition, evolution and revolution’ cruising elements from Royal Caribbean.
Let's be clear, we don't know what it will look like, but we've gotten a few hints over the last few weeks as to its general look.
Until the design comes out, here are the latest hints to consider.
Hint 1: The front?
In the newest video update that showcases the creation of Icon of the Seas, what appears to be the front of the ship can be seen in the background of a meeting.
While it doesn't give a tremendous amount of detail, it looks as though Icon of the Seas might have a new bow design.
It's been speculated that Icon would be the first Royal Caribbean International cruise ship to employ a parabolic bow.
While visually polarizing, parabolic bow design is about engineering and not aesthetics. They are known for offering a smoother ride overall.
Sister company Celebrity Cruises has employed the parabolic bow to its Edge-Class ships and the consensus has been a success.
Hint 2: Blueprints
In both of the video updates Royal Caribbean has released, blueprints for Icon of the Seas can be seen in the foreground.
While the video isn't clear enough to show us exactly what the blueprints have on them, it seems to indicate there could be some kind of an open-air part of the ship.
The Oasis Class ships were the first to introduce open areas of a cruise ship in the form of Central Park and the Boardwalk.
Read more: How Royal Caribbean was able to add a giant park to its cruise ships
Hint 3: The ship's silhouette?
Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the ship's look could be from a recent accolade given to Royal Caribbean's top cruiser.
A photo emerged online of what looks like the silhouette of Icon of the Seas as a gift to Royal Caribbean's top cruiser, Super Mario.
Read more: Man who has cruised the most with Royal Caribbean reaches 10,000 points
Is this gift an actual representation of what Icon's profile will look like? Or is it just a generic design they came up with for gifts?
When will we know what Icon of the Seas look like?
If these hints aren't satisfying your curiosity, you aren't alone.
Royal Caribbean has said we should get further details about Icon of the Seas later this fall.
When Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, was asked in June 2022 about when we might get more information, he pointed to September, "We are launching Icon of the Seas starting this September."
"By launching, I mean, we are we are starting to communicate. We have a whole planning program of communication, social media, marketing, TV, radio, you name it."
Icon of the Seas is set to debut in late 2023.
