TheMaxRebo

Part 9: Perfect Day NOT at Coco Cay, part 2 I brought the fancy shake back to the room so the kids could try it too as we didn't get the boozy version and then my wife and I went to the Hideaway to check that area out as we hadn't spent much there there beyond checking out the bar once. The area is really nice and just has a different vibe to it and this was a great time there as very low crowds and the DJ was pretty chill - definitely noticed other times it could get very crowded and the DJ could be thumping (not really my vibe) but for now we enjoyed it Then my wife had to do the Flowrider as she couldn't let me be the only parent to do it lol This evening we decided to just eat dinner in th Windjammer - just felt like a more relaxed experience for our final night and people didn't seem too into the options on the MDR menu We did get word via our Facebook group that someone had planted ducks in yh overlook area and my youngest hadn't found one yet so off we went on the hunt, and she found one! My son went off with his friends for the evening but the rest of us wanted to see some of the shows again so while in that area I went to check on the standby process for the Aquashow - I got mixed answers from different crew members but ultimately found that the chairs at the top, above the wooden benches are not subject to reservations so we took a few that were at the high tables (also gave a spot to out our drinks and crepes )... Overall I thought these were way more comfortable than the benches and recommended just coming early and taking some of these vs worrying about reservations. The show was great again and after they showed us a new segment they were working on which featured a gymnast balancing on handholds. How she can do all this while the water is coming down and the ship is swaying I have no idea. They said this might be worked into the show later or might be part of show on Star of the Seas After that My wife and oldest went back to the room to finish up packing (we did a fair amount before dinner) and my you great and I went to go see Wizard of Oz (2nd time for me, first for her). Again, just a wonderful show (they did have some tech issues with the sound and paused the show for about 10mins until fixed, but not a big deal) Then back to the room and got ready for bed (my wife got all the suitcases outside the room already) The next morning we met up with the families we had become friends with for a final send off breakfast and for kids to exchange contact info. We had the 8:30 departure time but at about 8:15 they announced all luggage was ready and that everyone could leave then. We got out bags and took a shuttle back to the airport (we hadn't prearranged anything and it was a little hectic as to which way to go to find what, but worked out in the end). We picked up a rental car to drive back up to West Palm Beach airport, stopping at my wife's aunt's place to see her. We were in the rental car by 9:20am, so pretty quick process overall Coming up next (and last): final thoughts and do we think Icon is worth the $$$?

Part 8: Perfect Day NOT at Coco Cay, part 1 Our last full day on the ship arrived with the ship docked at Perfect Day at Coco Cay - however no one was really feeling getting off and we wanted to explore this ship more with low crowds so we opted to not get off - turned out to be a great idea First though, my usual breakfast of a mocha with an extra shot and a steak and egg sandwich, with a view. I was the first one ready and went to explore the pool deck and was happy to see how empty they were this was at 10:15 and basically no one there (this area is always packed on sea days) Got myself a Lime and Coconut and just hung out for a while Eventually my son joined me but he wanted to explore various hot tubs and pools. This was such an enjoyable time as just no one around (never more than a couple of people at any spot) so was so easy to check out the various options I think my favorite was the Cloud 17 pool on deck 17. Nice a deep but with sitting areas in the water and right up against the glass for great views My son then wanted to try the Flowrider and he talked me into doing it as well. I am rather uncoordinated an have never done anything like this - but managed to actually do it a little. The guy there just kept telling me to relax, but I always have an issue with that (even while vacationing lol) We did lunch at the Aquadome market which was great again - Feta is like the best food on the ship. And then I got one of the fancy milkshakes which was the last think I needed to complete the bar crawl we were doing. It's fun but soooo overpriced - definitely not something I would get again Coming up next, some more pool fun, our last dinner, and evening if shows (plus lots of packing!)

I didn't see it anywhere and agree, likely exclusive to Mason Jar

Part 7 - Fun and Games and Surf and Turf After lunch we went to see the 2nd Ice Show which was the family show and themed to fairy tales. There were no reservations and was first come, first served and we were worried it would be super crowded but it really wasn't We saw it with friends and we had all the kids sit in the front row and they got high fives from the performers which was fun We then went and did the science trivia, since we are fun at parties ;), and did pretty well but another group got more of the bonus questions. A bonus for me was.getting a toasted marshmallow old fashioned which was delightful There Ethan was a singing contest thing and my youngest made it to the finals and won a pretty cool Royal Caribbean hat ... Only issue was keeping telling her to calm down as she was very hyped to be on stage This was "Dress you Best" nigh a.k.a. lobster night and Peter opted to hang with his friends but the rest of us had a delightful meal. I know some people feel the food quality in the main dining has gone down a bit but we found it to be quite good this trip and this meal was no exception After, we went down to Surfside as rumor has it some ducks were hidden recently. We also picked up some drinks at the Lemon Post - this was sort of an underrated place with some more unique drink options. Don't sleep on it Then we went to Dueling Pianos and hung, standing, near the bar as all seating was taken, but ran into some fireman so was all good. Another great time - but I do hope they increase the size to f the venue on Star of the Seas Coming up next: Perfect Day on Coco Cay ... Or is it?!?!?!?

Fortunately neither my son nor I were concerned with the hotness of the captain

Part 7: a Low Key Sea Day Morning The next morning everyone was being rather lazy, which was fine as it was a sea day, no big plans. I was up and out a little early to get breakfast (Park Cafe) and attend the tour of the Central Park gardens with the head of the agriculture for the ship and the fleet really as he has put together all of the Central Parks. The tour was really interesting and you can feel his passion but also some of the frustrations he has trying to make all this work but then other areas (structural, etc) get in the way and having to balance everything. Also mentioned how people hiding or sleek ng for ducks can mess up the watering systems lol After this I went down to get in line for the ship model signing with the captain. This was one thing my son really wanted to do and something to do together ... And a lot of people had similar ideas as the line was quite long even when I got there like 30mins early. It moves pretty fast though as he was quick with the signing and short conversation and photo, pretty efficient. (BTW, we had Captain Theo as the regular Icon captain was on vacation ) Then we had lunch at one of our favorites - Hooked! Another place we got at the 40% off discount so $11.99 for people to get all the oysters and lobster rolls they want is a pretty good deal. As you can see, Emma was quite happy to get her Oysters! We each are a dozen (plus Judi and I did some of the shooters) along with a bunch of other food and it was all very good. We always seem to get really good service at Hooked too. Our server did comment it was I testing set up there as they are surviving while all the aquatheater shows were going on or practice happening, etc. Coming up ... A low key afternoon! Plus Formal night and some more Dueling Pianos Action

the music was pretty much non-stop the entire time When we came in it was just the piano and bass player. and then there were times it was just the singer and the bass player and also a time when it was just the piano player so they did change out a little bit so they each got a little rest but there was always some music going on other than when the singer was make intro announcements or thanking the staff, etc.

Part 6: Paradise Beach and a Fancy Schmancy Dinner ... oh, and It's My Birthday! Day 5 found us in Cozumel - another new port for us, but first, needed coffee and breakfast. I am already missing these steak and egg they had at the Pearl Cafe - and love the windows in this area We were keeping it pretty simple and just going to Paradise Beach for the day to enjoy the water and food and drinks and chill out a bit - though I think Matt needs to have them trim this tree as it is blocking the Royal Caribbean dot Com promotion a bit My wife and son explored the area a bit and then my kids talked me into doing the inflatables in the water - that was actually a lot of fun but quite the workout for someone who is not in shape We didn't stay too long as my kids were getting bored and asking to go back - they just really aren't beach people but thought they would enjoy the pool and relaxing more than they did. Oh well - I could have sat at the edge of the pool with a beverage for a lot longer When we got back it was only about 2 or so and ship was still a bit empty so my son and I figured since we already had our bathing suits we would do the Category Six some more. We did one slide but then he ran into some of his friends and asked if he could do a raft slide with them, which I agreed to ... only issue is after they finished that they ran off to explore some more without him telling me what was going on, how long he would be gone, etc. After about 30 mins I got tired of waiting and asked the parents of some of the other kids to tell my son to come back to the room when they saw him as he didn't have his phone or anyway for me to reach him. He eventually got back to the room and was upset I left and I was upset he ran off as it was supposed to be some time for us and he didn't tell me what he was doing, etc. This trip was the first cruise he was able to go off on his own and definitely this was a growing pain moment - but also a learning moment for both of us. So in the long run it was good it happened but was frustrating in the moment. He was much better the rest of the cruise with checking in and keeping to timelines we gave him, etc - so guess he learned something. To try to improve the relationship in the moment though I encouraged him to come with me to watch the Anchors Aweigh Parade. I love how off the wall this parade is - especially the Admiral Admiral. I enjoyed the added Top Gun segment too - and it was good to spend time with my son and just have some positivity. Then it was time for our Empire Supper Club Dinner. My wife spent several hours working on her hair and getting ready and I think we both cleaned up pretty well. Note: Prior to the cruise this was scheduled to be "White Night" so we planned our outfits to be fancy but fit the White theme, but during the cruise they changed around a bunch of the nights, getting rid of White Night (this became a casual night, and then another night became Red, White, and Blue night and they added Colorful 70s night as well). I wrote up another thread with more of a full review of the experience, but all I will say is that the Empire Supper Club is amazing and totally worth it. The quality of the food, the creativity of the cocktails and the pairing, the level of service, and the entertainment was amazing and just the right complement. Obviously not something we would do every night but for a special occasion I can't recommend it enough (note: definitely order the seabass, best of the entrees) Link to full review: After dinner we stopped by Lou's to try another drink that was on our Bar Crawl (the Jazzy Saz) and just to try to make the night last longer. Pretty eventful birthday but definitely a reminder of how lucky I am Up Next, another sea day, 36 oysters, surf and turf, and more dueling pianos!

dang, usually we only ruin current cruises ... bully to us for ruining past and future ones as well lol

So there definitely isn't a dance floor area so don't expect to be able to do the dancing that I think you are looking for They will do bits that involve dancing - for example I got asked to lead a conga line and at one point they had a couple that was celebrating a baby moon come up to dance in front of everyone, stuff like that ... but it is mostly about the performers and singing along

There are some areas that are marked as for handicap (they have plackards with the handicap symbol on them) - I'd say that was like 25% of the area or so.

We just finished up an amazing week on Icon of the Seas, sailing from February 17th to the 24th of 2024. We were a family of 5, staying in an Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony room, and there were definitely some things we learned along the way and since lists are always fun thought I would share some of them in a Top 10 format Obviously this is all just based on our experience and everyone cruises differently, but thought this could create some discussion and would be interested to hear tips from others who have cruise on Icon as well. Also should mention the ship was not at full capacity yet - there were about 6,000 total guests, with 1,200 of them being children. Also, we were seeing them making some tweaks to schedules and what is included in various packages, pricing for things .... basically, your experience may differ from what ours With that out of the way, here we go .... 10. You Will Need to Prioritize What You Want to Do This goes without saying but this is a massive ship with a ton to do and a ton of new stuff not seen on other Royal Caribbean ships. Because of that at the end of the week my wife and I were commenting about the things we didn't get to. For example we never ate at El Loco Fresh and never visited the Sports Court - whereas on our last cruise those were two locations we spent a lot of time at. A week goes really fast and if there is something you are really looking forward to checking out, make it a priority / add it to you "calendar" in the app. 9. Consider Skipping a Port To Stay On the Ship On a related note, you may want to take advantage of a less crowded ship when in port to accomplish more of your priority list. We found on sea days the pool decks to be very crowded and longish lines for water slides and crowded venues. We decided to not get off the ship when it docked at Perfect Day at Coco Cay and it turned out to be a great call as we got to check out multiple pools and hot tubs, ride the water slides a bunch, attended a trivia session with only 3 total groups, not lines at bars, minimal folks in the Hideaway Area pool, ... you get the idea. Just to give you an idea, here is a photo of the Royal Bay Pool, the main pool in Chill Island, at about 11am: It was just really nice to explore this ship with low crowds and made for a really relaxing day. 8. You Don't Need to Pack as Many Mutli-Port Adapters One thing the rooms on Icon have is outlets, especially USB ports. Between the desk, the shelf near the TV, in the bathroom, by the beds - there are outlets all over the room. Our room also had multiple USB-A outlets near the bunkbed area. If I counted correctly, we had 4 US Outlets, 1 European Outlet 10 USB-A Outlets, and 2 USB-C outlets. We did utilize one multi USB-A plug on the desk just to keep things more organized with phones and battery packs, etc. but we absolutely could have made it through without anything. This is very different than other ships where we felt like we had multiple multi-port adapters in use at all times. There are also outlets out around the ship with the Overlook area having an exceptional amount and a great place to go if you need to get on a laptop or similar. 7. You Will Want to Pack Magnetic Hooks to Hang Things From in the Room One negative things we found about the rooms (and heard from others as well) is the lack of storage compared to other ships like the Oasis class. For our family of 5 we struggled to fit everything on the hanging racks and just ran out of shelf space. We fit everything, but was tight. Additionally, there is no close line in the bathroom for hanging up bathing suits or other wet items - only a couple of knobs to hang a few things from. We are glad we brough a number of magnetic Hooks to use on the walls (which are metal) as it allowed us to hang things like hats up but also put nearly-but-not-quite dry bathing suits to air out and finish drying - and just not get other stuff damp. Bonus tip: Bring at least 1 more swimsuit than you think you might need, but also try to not overpack other items as storage is at a premium. 6. Bring Ear Plugs if You are a Light Sleeper While we overall really liked the room we had and the rooms in general on Icon, thought I would mention another slide negative thing we found which is that the walls appear to be quite thin as we could definitely hear our neighbors on both sides - with one group being rather loud with quite a bit of screaming (from both kids and adults). If you are someone who needs things really quiet to sleep or just wants quiet when relaxing in the room, consider bringing ear plugs or headphones or something that can block sound out 5. If You Are Debating It, Get the Drink Package I know the drink package, especially for this ship, is expensive - but if you are someone who is contemplating getting it, go for it. There are sooooo many unique bars and drinks on this ship that we got so much use out of our package and really enjoyed trying different things that we might not be as open to ordering (for fear of not liking it) if we were paying per drink. Also, consider doing a bar crawl as motivates you to check out the different bars and different drinks - and you can spread it out over the course of the cruise, you don't need to do it all in one day 4. Similarly, If Contemplating The Empire Supper Club - Book It! Speaking of things that are not cheap, we got to experience the Empire Supper Club and it did not disappoint - one of the best meal experiences i have had in my life. The food was wonderful and creative, really interesting cocktails - with some pairings I would never have thought of but worked - and excellent music that absolutely complemented the meal without taking away from being able to have conversations. And probably the best service I have ever had on any cruise ship. It's probably not something you are going to do every cruise but for a special occasion or if just something you think will appeal to you, go for it! A meal like this on land, when factoring the cocktails and entertainment, would likely cost 2-3x what they are charging. 3. Pearl Cafe is a Game Changer One of the best changes they made for this ship was the opening up of the promenade and the addition of the pearl Cafe. I cannot overstate how much of an upgrade this is over Cafe Promenade. The setting is lovely with the large windows, view of the Pearl, and the artwork above your head. The food is really, really good - the steak and egg breakfast sandwich become an everyday item for me - and it is open 24 hours a day. I will say the line for the coffee where you can get lattes and the like made with Starbucks coffee can get rather long - the crew there is working hard, just lots of people want their coffee! 2. Seating for the Shows - Including Non Reserved Seating for the Aqua Show. Royal Caribbean entertainment is generally amazing and what is found on this ship is no exception - probably don't need me to advise you to go see the Wizard of Oz, the Ice Shows, or the Aquashows ... but for each, here are a few tips for where to sit. Wizard of Oz - do you best to sit in the lower section, as close to the middle as you can, but if only thing available is on the side that is fine too. Just being closer to the stage is great and a number of effects will, literally, go over your heads and really adds to the experience Ice Shows in Absolute Zero - Outside of a few seats that may have a pole impacting your view, there really aren't "bad" seats, but I would advice to get as close as you can and even going for the front row. Especially for the secondary show which is aimed at families as we had the kids in our group sit in the front row and at times the performers would come by and give them high fives and they loved that. AquaAction - this is probably my best tip overall all. The reservations for the shows in the aqua theater (there was only one ready on our sailing) are just for the wooden benches and chairs within that area, NOT for the chairs behind the benches. We wanted to see the show twice and just showed up early and found we could just sit in the chairs at the back and they are way more comfortable than the wooden benches (plus have tables for your beverage or a crepe from the Aquadome Market). While slightly further away, the view is just as good and I would take these over the area the reservations are for Before my #1 tip a quick bonus: Ranking the Water Slide We did get a chance to ride all of the water slides in Thrill Island and I would rank them in this order 1a/b - Storm Chasers Mat Slides: These were definitely my favorite as they were fast, fun, long, and had great lighting effects in the tubes. The lighter blue colored slide was my favorite, but both were excellent 2 - Hurricane Hunter: This is the pink colored family raft slide and was an absolute blast - also very long and with a lot of different lighting effect. Just not as fast/adrenaline filled as the mat slides, but really, really fun 3 - Storm Surge: This is the green colored family raft slide with the "leaf" that goes out over the edge of the ship. This was also quite fun but just noticeably shorter than Hurricane Hunter. Also, they were only allowing 3 people in this one vs 4 for Hurricane Hunter. 4 - Pressure Drop: The yellow drop slide that is located with the raft slides. This is a straight forward drop slide and rather short, but gives a kick of adrenaline and is overall a positive experience. 5 - Frightening Bolt - I feel a bit bad listing this one last as it does what it says it will do, which is dop you, and then is a nice long ride after the drop, but the drop was pretty severe/hard and I wound up banging my head some. Just was one of those "well I did that and don't need to again". By far the most "extreme" of the slides 1. Dueling Pianos is an Absolute Must Do - But Get There Early! One of the most fun experiences I have had anywhere let alone on a cruise ship was at Dueling Pianos on Icon of the Seas. The level of talent and engagement with the crowd is off the charts and just singing along with hundreds of strangers/new friends and laughing with the antics of the performance, you just can't not smile. The "bit" they do for Piano Man was one of the funniest things we have experienced in quite a while. That said, it is really popular - you will want to get there at least 30 minutes prior to showtime if you want a seat and you will, unfortunately, see people "Saving" seats with drinks for an hour or prior like they are deck chairs. You can see the large crowd reflected in the mirror of this photo Also, the earlier shows seem to attract more kids and they try to go with the crowd (I mean, they did take a request for Baby Shark) so I would suggest going to a later show for the full experience where it gets a bit more "PG-13" And there you have it - my top 10 list of tips and thoughts from our week long cruise on Icon of the Seas. I could probably add 10 more but this post is already more than long enough. If you have sailed on Icon of the Seas, what tips to you have for new cruisers? If you have a sailing upcoming what other advice would you want to know?

so prior to this question, I hadn't even considered this, but thinking about it, I really don't think it would work logistically to dance during the event. There really isn't room and the food and cocktails are coming out at a pretty regular clip, and many, many servers moving around, etc. They didn't ever explicitly say you cannot dance but also didn't invite it and didn't see anyone try. The vibe they are going for is "speakeasy" and they "lock" the doors and you have to be escorted by someone to a back "secret" door to get to a bathroom, so I think it really is more about the food and cocktails and the music to enhance that vs a dancing situation. Probably not response you were hoping for. There is a separate Jazz club in Central Park and still Baleros which has room for dancing, just don't think this is the venue for it, at least based on our experience

Just got off Icon of the Seas and my wife and I dined at the Empire Supper Club for my birthday on February 21st. It was hands down one of the best meals of my life and can't recommend it enough. The creativity with the dishes and the cocktails, the amount you got, made the food alone worthwhile but the music just made the event - they really nailed being totally present but still allowing for conversation to take place. The service was just top notch - but without being fru-fru or anything as well. My only minor not pick is the wagu wasn't exceptional and they served it on a plate so hot the side touching it got a bit more cooked. So if on the fence for which entree to get, get the Sea Bass for sure. The Raviolo was probably my favorite of the courses Happy to answer any other questions but if you are contemplating it and think it is something you would like, do it. I know not cheap but a comparable meal, inclusive of the cocktails would cost 2-3x as much

Depends how into Seafood you are. We love it and my kids always get a ton of oysters there so we get our money's worth for sure. They do have a surf and turf option there as well.. We did Giovanni's Table as well on Icon and thought it was good but nothing amazing (the desserts were really good though) and it being open to the promonade made it really noisy. Can't comment on Chops as we didn't do it but for us we would pick Hooked over Giovanni's