Exactly two years ago today, every other cruise ship in the world became outdated with the inaugural sailing of Icon of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean built this ship to be a game changer, designing it from the very beginning to be different.
Her first sailing from Miami was filled with excitement and anticipation. Like many others, I was curious if the ship could live up to the hype it had already generated.
Her launch was nothing but spectacular and Icon has collected awards, accolades, and plenty of praise from cruisers who adore how well it's laid out, amenities onboard, and innovations that were introduced.
Icon of the Seas is more than just "the biggest ship", it's changed what we expect from cruises.
Why Icon was such a big deal
Royal Caribbean made a bold bet with Icon of the Seas. It was a "white paper ship", which meant it was designed from the beginning without any preconceived notions of what it would be based on.
The first in its class, Icon borrowed some elements from other ships but introduced its own design. The design team posed all sorts of ideas, especially taking into consideration feedback from guests over the years of what they wanted in a ship.
When we finally got our first look at the design, it definitely looked different.
The new ship was not only big, but had top decks that didn't look like the pool decks other ships had. There was a wide split design, with an entire water park, suspended infinity pool, multi-tiered pools, and a giant glass dome at the very front.
Her design was so revolutionary that it spurred knee-jerk reactions from people who were so taken aback that they called it a "monstrosity".
Of course, Icon was different and it looked the part.
Icon promised what no ship had delivered before, and it was certainly not cookie cutter. While different in look, her launch quickly subdued any pre-launch skepticism.
Redefining the cruise ship layout
Neighborhoods aren't a new concept with the launch of Icon, but I think they took it to a new level.
As an example, the Aquadome neighborhood is both functional and a visual centerpiece.
Of course it's home to the Aquatheater, but they expanded the footprint of the area to include my new favorite complimentary restaurant on any ship. And it has a stunning vantage point in front with bars and great seating choices.
Surfside gave families with young kids an oasis to enjoy everything they need in one area, and this family-first design philosophy stands out when on other ships kids programming feels like it's copied and pasted into random areas that had space for it.
But my favorite thing about the layout of Icon of the Seas is how it changed traffic flow and onboard pacing.
Adding a two-level Royal Promenade that loops around, offering stairs and escalators between decks 4-7 to make it easier to get between floors, and destination elevators all fundamentally changed how we navigated the ship.
Whether you were on the Royal Promenade, around the pool deck, or going to a show, crowds were few and far between.
Thrill factor that lived up to the hype
Plenty of cruise ships have water slides, but the fact Icon had an entire waterpark really made a big difference too.
Category 6 waterpark set a new precedent in the thrill "arms race" that no other ship has matched.
I also think Crown's Edge is another good example of next-gen thrills that guests clearly love.
Then you have the Flowrider, rock wall, mini-golf, sports court, ice rink, and the assortment of activities you'd expect a Royal Caribbean ship to have.
Plus, Icon appealed to both adrenaline seekers and cautious cruisers because all of these thrills are the things families would want to do together.
That's been a key element to all Royal Caribbean cruises, where you feel a draw to experience this sort of vacation together.
How Icon held up over two years
Two years later, I think Icon of the Seas is still the standard all new cruise ships are held against.
Crowd management, even during peak sailings, is consistently good. In fact, when I sail on non-Icon Class ships, it's almost a let down in having to rely on conventional elevators and spaces that feel more crowded.
Moreover, we see the ship's legacy carrying with Star of the Seas and the soon-to-be-launched Legend of the Seas. These are exciting ships that generate their own assortment of hype because Royal Caribbean isn't content making them all the same.
With the announcement that Icon will move to Galveston, Texas next year, we're seeing when an Icon Class ship calls on a new homeport, it's a difference maker.
I've sailed on Icon of the Seas a few times since her launch and it works so well.
To its credit, Icon of the Seas has had a ripple effect across the fleet.
Utopia of the Seas had destination elevators added, the Royal Caribbean app saw a number of updates and new features that were first designed for Icon, and even Wow Bands have been re-discovered among fans.
I think Icon accelerated change in many ways across the fleet.
Two years later: Icon’s place in cruise history
It may be a few more years before we're ready to put Icon of the Seas on the Mount Rushmore of cruise ships, but it's well on its way.
There's no question it has lived up to its hype of being a game changer. I think it follows in the wake of ships like Sovereign, Voyager, and Oasis of the Seas that each turned heads and generated a great deal of excitement and anticipation with their respective launches.
Icon has also ushered in a new era of modern cruising. You can see the difference when you go on an Icon Class ship versus even a ship from 10 years ago in how the ship flows, its operations, what's offered onboard, and more.
I think it's safe to say a decade or two from now when Icon is no longer among the biggest and many of its firsts fade from memory, it will still be considered a "must-do" vacation.
