ICON CLASS UPDATE

[mattymay]

Looks like Bayley is getting his Icon info from the Blog

[smokeybandit]

He posts quite a few RCLBlog articles. Matt must have pictures of him doing something deviant like sailing Carnival.

[Cakemeister]

[twangster]

To me it just looks like it has viewing portals or windows based on other pics out there.

[PG Cruiser]

The first thing that entered my mind was "Abyss top (entrance)"

[Chili]

At this stage of construction it would have to be something to do with the mechanics .

 

[CrznTxn]

Typically a LNG tank.

[CruisingSteve]

5 hours ago, Chili said:

At this stage of construction it would have to be something to do with the mechanics .

 

Look at the size of the people in the picture. That ball is about 100 feet round

[Chili]

30 minutes ago, CruisingSteve said:

Look at the size of the people in the picture. That ball is about 100 feet round

It’s certainly big,they will probably build the ship around it.

[twangster]

I'm thinking a control room, given the holes on both sides.  The cutouts on the other side are too rectangular and precise.

Explosion proof control room for safety.

Spheres with massive cutouts on multiple sides make for lousy tanks.   

Spheres are pretty great at dealing with explosions.  Very strong.  

They wouldn't deliver it to the shipyard now if it were going top side.  It's got to be going low in the ship so it can be installed sooner rather than later.

[twangster]

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/01/05/closer-look-the-sphere-object-royal-caribbean-will-add-icon-of-the-seas

The upper half appears to be a mesh screen you can see through.

I now think it's an architectural feature in a lower deck.  

[SPS]

It's obviously the World Famous "Globe of Death" for the new motorcycle stunt show!

 

[PG Cruiser]

But wait... THERE'S MORE!!!

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/01/05/closer-look-the-sphere-object-royal-caribbean-will-add-icon-of-the-seas?fbclid=IwAR2PmKyPZDScVrYaPqvnL9_mONleELmsBGj4e2-Bfn7Ale6Nq8SogGe4cfE

 

With all the openings on the side, it doesn't look like it's for LNG storage

[Traveler]

I think you got it all wrong , yes its with strong walls (also perfect soundproof) and great shape against explosions but it going to serve one purpose only.  Please welcome the new pinnacle club .

[AlmondFarmer]

Bowling?

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, PG Cruiser said:

But wait... THERE'S MORE!!!

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/01/05/closer-look-the-sphere-object-royal-caribbean-will-add-icon-of-the-seas?fbclid=IwAR2PmKyPZDScVrYaPqvnL9_mONleELmsBGj4e2-Bfn7Ale6Nq8SogGe4cfE

 

With all the openings on the side, it doesn't look like it's for LNG storage

With the plumbing built in, is it some wacky new stateroom?

[Chili]

2 hours ago, Traveler said:

I think you got it all wrong , yes its with strong walls (also perfect soundproof) and great shape against explosions but it going to serve one purpose only.  Please welcome the new pinnacle club .

You are on the money,a pressure vessel to contain the pineapple’s.

But there’s no window seats to fight over.

[steverk]

Royal's new take on the human cannonball? 

[foxrunner]

1 hour ago, steverk said:

Royal's new take on the human cannonball? 

Nope...... ZZ Top's Master of Sparks!

RIP Dusty

[twangster]

It's the secret lab from deck 0 where experimental viruses are created.  All cruise ships have them. 

This is the first one caught on camera though.  

[Chili]

It’s a bar in the promenade!

The new robotic bar with LED screens on the inside and outside.

 

 

[smokeybandit]

I can't help but picture one of those dome cages that crazy people ride motorcycles in

[MuttMutt]

With the new pictures that show a lot more I see steps and what looks like an entranceway and exit.  Looks more like some stairs that will be used for a venue or possibly on a stage.

[Chili]

54 minutes ago, MuttMutt said:

With the new pictures that show a lot more I see steps and what looks like an entranceway and exit.  Looks more like some stairs that will be used for a venue or possibly on a stage.

It’s definitely a venue and not a pressure vessel for fuel.

Thinking of 270 and the robotic screens it’s something along those lines.

[mattymay]

MSG Sphere of the Seas

[PG Cruiser]

It's not the Death Star, it's the Galatic Senate!

 

If the Quantum ships have two70ºs, the Wonder will have a 360º.  It's too small to be the equivalent of a two70º, it may be more like a Spherical Music Hall or Dazzles. (I'm not a fan of the present layout/design of Dazzles on Oasis class ships)

[Cruise Pirate]

IMax Movie Theater!

[AspiringCruisePlanner]

19 minutes ago, Cruise Pirate said:

IMax Movie Theater!

I was thinking along the same lines.  Similar to the XD Cinema on some of MSC's ships.  Obviously scaled up based on the size of the structure.

[SPS]

Does anyone have any idea if most ports have LNG available?

I'm wondering if the availability of LNG may limit the number of ports where the Icon Class ships can originate or visit.

[Plumlee2028]

1 hour ago, SPS said:

Does anyone have any idea if most ports have LNG available?

I'm wondering if the availability of LNG may limit the number of ports where the Icon Class ships can originate or visit.

Availability is growing constantly.  Carnival Corp in particular has been very aggressive with LNG ships.  They have 6 service already (Carnival Mardi Gras, AidaNova, AidaCosma (delivered or shortly delivered), Costa Toscana, Costa Smeralda and P&O Iona).  Carnival has 5 more on order as well (2 for Princess, 2 for Carnival 1 for P&O).  MSC has 6 or so on order (4 world class and a Meraviglia class that will be LNG). 

Carnival Cruise lines uses theirs out of Port Canaveral currently and is adding Miami and Galveston as homeports in the next 2 years for LNG.  Aida/Costa sail from Italy, Barcelona, and Grand Canaria with these and Iona sails from Southampton.  

I have read about ports such as Amsterdam and others coming online.  Any port that is big in cargo and cruise will likely relatively easily be able to handle adding LNG operations as LNG has been part of the cargo industry for longer.  

For Icon, the size is limiting just as the LNG component.  

[Jill]

2 blocks of Icon! 

[CrimsonCruiser]

teehee. right now this new ship just looks like small apartment buildings >.<

[Jill]

So to add to the mystery……looks like a mini oasis class. From an Icon group on Facebook 

[JohnK6404]

1 hour ago, Jill said:

So to add to the mystery……looks like a mini oasis class. From an Icon group on Facebook 

It looks like the offspring of Odyssey and Wonder. 

[mattymay]

It's not real, it's just someone's concept drawing.

[Chili]

It’s got to be something like oasis,it’s the most efficient lay out.

[Jill]

4 hours ago, mattymay said:

It's not real, it's just someone's concept drawing.

That’s what I thought too but this is the place for rumors!  

[LovetoCruise87]

The ship I believe will be a cross between Oasis and Quantum classes...features of both with some new and exciting ones as well.  The sphere...my guess is an entertainment venue of some sort, possibly Planetarium or IMAX.

[LovetoCruise87]

Also, I think a hint was given by CEO Michael Bayley when he asked, "What could this iconic thing be?" And iconic means something that widely recognized and well-established. 

[JohnK6404]

I would think there would be some sort of interior balconies on Icon class since the ship is 200K tons... exactly sized between Quantum and Oasis classes. Also, the neighborhood design seems to be best for controlling flow and preventing too many bottlenecks.