rjac

Not sure by what you mean by bad. We were on the Icon two weeks ago and our last port was Coco Cay. The wind was so bad ( 30-40 mph) that the Captain of the ship could not dock the ship and he cancelled that port. We headed back to Miami and everyone got a refund for any excursions, activities, etc. for which they had booked/paid. Hope this helps.

Be prepared for the heat. We did a Greece cruise last July on the Explorer OTS. If it is over 100 degrees on the Greek Islands, they close the historical sight seeing features. We booked catamaran trips through VIATOR, the water was great!

You're welcome! I would hope that Royal adds a gluten free section to all of their Windjammers.

Hey, I know the same guy!

"Kids sail for free" is a great deal for a family with a couple of children.

The Miami Terminal (our first time out of Miami) was impressive. New, clean and organized. Upon debarkation, our luggage was easily located thanks to the LARGE numbered signs. Our check in time was 12:00 (noon) and we showed up at 10:45 am in spite of all the texts and emails saying not to show up early. We had Express Check In on our Sea Pass paperwork and just breezed through the terminal and was on the ship in about 15 minutes. more bars and places to eat/get snacks that we could handle in just 7 days! The Park Cafe on deck 8 had the delicious Kummelweck sandwiches every day. Word of caution, they no longer use the one hand hold buns. The buns are now a definite two hand grip loaded with roast beef! Elevators, remember on all of the prior Royal cruise ships that had elevators towards the bow, center and aft of the ship? That had those buttons you had to select which flow you wanted? That many times kids would push all the floor buttons so you got an extended elevator ride and eventually got to your floor? Not so on the Icon. Elevator stations at the bow and aft, no buttons to push inside the elevator. Elevators are marked A-I and there are multiple key pads at each station where you push the floor number you want and an alphabetical letter is displayed. You go to that letter and within 30 seconds your elevator arrives for everyone going to the same floor you selected. GREAT feature! Great entertainment, book as early as you can. I recommend booking the Aqua Show twice, fantastic. There is an escalator on deck 5 that takes you to deck 2 (gangway) on port days. On Embarkation day and on Day 6, the Windjammer has a Seafood Station. All the shrimp, crab legs, calamari, lobster tails (yeah, Maine lobster tails that have been steamed not boiled) you can eat. And at the back of the Windjammer they have a Gluten Free Station (very considerate).

Atricks & tonyfsu21, A HUGE thanks for the recommendation about getting to Royal terminal at the Miami Port regarding traffic. We left the hotel at 9:30 (15-20 minutes from the port we were told by the hotel and van driver and arrived at the terminal at 10:45! Traffic was horrendous but moved along and the tunnel was closed due to construction. Thanks again for your tips!

Matt, Was on the Icon last week. The Hideaway was 18 and older (not enforced) but a joke. Infested with teens of all ages and shapes, no shade to speak of and what there was by the bar was used by the afore mentioned. What ever happened to young folks getting off their butts to relinquish their seat for a senior citizen? The Overlook was also a disaster. There were 7,230 passengers on board. For the first time EVER, three counties in Florida had Spring Break at the same time, last week. As a result, the Overlook too was infested with children of all ages, shapes and sizes. It IS NOT designated an over 18 year old area either. FAR from the quiet, serene relaxing atmosphere of the Solarium on other RC ships. Sorry for the rant, I could go on but I won't. The Icon was just too big for us, plus no Solarium and sailing out of Port Miami. We'll stick to the Oasis Class.

Icon requires you wear socks and long pants. They recommend elbow and knee pads if you have them. We were on the Icon last week and saw the Ice Rink, it was chilly!

This WEEKEND, Icon of the Seas!!!

Is a reservation for dinner required or is it first come first served? Thanks! rjac

Hi Pat, Show this to your first timers who are afraid to get on the ship

What we love about cruising is you get to your cabin, unpack your luggage and the only decisions you have to make is where and what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Beats the hell out of going on a vacation by automobile or worse flying to a resort for a week. On a cruise, you get to see a different port/location pretty much everyday.

I would strongly recommend you have a travel agent set everything up for you if your family decides to do a cruise. [email protected] has been handling our reservation for our cruise this coming weekend and so far it has been smooth sailing. Please note that mei-travel is a sponsor of this forum and a lot of folks here book through mei-travel. By the way, I was the same way many years ago and finally caved in in 2006 when my brother in law kept bugging me after five years. I had the same fear about the ocean, getting sea sick, etc. We went on the Navigator of the Seas. When the cruise ended, my brother in law asked me if I liked the cruise. My response was "no, it was too short". We have become "cruise addicts " and have been cruising pretty much every year doing back to back cruises or cruises over 11 days. Hope this helps!

Matt, Thanks for the tip. My wife needs shade, are there any loungers in shade? Looks like your only choice are the day beds in full sun.

Here's the link: Kompose Boutique Miami Airport, Miami (updated prices 2025). Best be sitting down when you see the room price, OUCH! I booked last December at a much lower price. Have you checked hotels at/near the airport? If you do, expressshuttlemiami.com can get you to the port unless the hotel has a complimentary shuttle. Good luck!

Less than two weeks to go for our Icon cruise. One thing we have enjoyed on all of the other Royal ships has been the Solarium. Not crowded, nice bar, no little children, quiet and relaxing. As far as I can tell, the Icon does not have a Solarium. So, for all the previous Icon passengers what would you recommend on the ship that would be similar to the Solarium. Thanks!

We are staying at the Kompose Boutique Hotel in Miami. It used to be the Radisson RED Miami Airport Hotel. Not sure if they were bought or just did a name change. Looks like a nice place for one night and they have a complementary shuttle from the Miami airport to the hotel. They also have a third party company that provides transportation to the cruise port at a cost of $15.00 per person.

We are now less than two weeks out from our first cruise out of Miami on the Icon of the Seas. Excitement is starting to build! Which terminal at the port will the Icon use for embarkation and debarkation. Thanks!

Tx's comment is on target about the Beach Club. It is on sale now for $217.78 per person. I would book it now and watch for a lower price then rebook it. But it is much quieter, limited number of guests, no problem finding an umbrella and lounge chair, great infinity pool, swim up bar, towels provided and a GREAT complimentary lunch. We had steak and lobster a few years ago and we had more than two lobster each. There is a free shuttle that will take you around the island and you get off at the beach club, or any place else you desire. Be sure to check out the "small" waterslide", which you have to pay for. It is awesome. Have a great time!

You are correct, one for yourself and one for she who must be obeyed who is waiting, patiently in your cabin. Then you end up with two empty glasses.

Long walks to the elevator = an empty glass that HAD a drink in it.

To be honest, the only thing I see that's not so good, is there is no bar close by if you want a drink during or just before the show!