Is Icon of the seas more catered for children

[Rooty]

Is Icon of the seas more catered for children , My wife and i have raised our children and there adults now,  and was wondering if the icon is more children oriented then adults,  as for us when we go on vacation  we do not mind children for say, But do not want go on a cruise catered for children, can we get some opinions on this ship ????

[MarcBerger]

Yes and No...look at it this way.

On current ships, Splash away Bay is on the main pool deck.

With Icon, it's ALL THE WAY DOWN on the new boardwalk!

Thus, the pool deck SHOULD have less to no kids at all!!!!

But according to the deck plans I saw, OCEANS ADVENTURE is directly across from PLAYMAKERS....how and why?!?!  that makes NO SENSE.

Time will tell, but I think it will be a great mix for ALL.

 

 

[USFFrank]

If anything, it's more catered to families. Just one example of that is there are no studio cabins for solo cruisers on this ship. 

[Coda_Sarah]

It sure seems that way.  Even Royal Caribbean Blogs video felt like it is catered to families.  So far, I’m not feeling it.  I don’t have children and it seems like a lot of what is there is catered to children and/or families.

[Censored]

6 hours ago, daha699 said:

Is Icon of the seas more catered for children , My wife and i have raised our children and there adults now,  and was wondering if the icon is more children oriented then adults,  as for us when we go on vacation  we do not mind children for say, But do not want go on a cruise catered for children, can we get some opinions on this ship ????

You know as much as anybody else at this point. Its not going to sail until Jan 2024.  Looking at all the water park features, you can bet your life there will be TONS of kids.  Sure there will be adult only spots....but my guess is that those areas will be crammed int too.  7,600 guests!  

[Mike6453]

6 hours ago, daha699 said:

Is Icon of the seas more catered for children , My wife and i have raised our children and there adults now,  and was wondering if the icon is more children oriented then adults,  as for us when we go on vacation  we do not mind children for say, But do not want go on a cruise catered for children, can we get some opinions on this ship ????

I agree it is yes and no. Yes there is more for kids...larger water park, the "boardwalk" now becoming a giant pool/play area for younger kids, adventure ocean...however they are also all in the back of the ship. There are numerous pool areas and unlike oasis class they are not small pools all in the same vicinity but distinct styles both for everyone and audits only saying nothing of the elevated pool facing the wake of the ship.  There is also the area in the aqua dome that appears to have a pool but seems to have a very chill feel in the renderings

Being a family of six it has been difficult to find good rooms without taking multiple rooms. and on the newer ships they seem to have eliminated the grand suite 2 bedrooms which worked well. the infinite balconies look exciting especially for families of four if you want more space but still want fresh air. while there are no solo rooms how many ships in the fleet actually have those??

time will tell, but the ship will have all the usual places and some new ones. 

[Ampurp85]

It is a full yes that it is catered to children and families.......hence more rooms to accommodate larger families. Royal is a more family line but there are ships that are more grown-up friendly. Icon is not really focused on grown-ups, its more for families. Thats my opinion and the main reason as a solo adult it doesn't appeal to me.

[karl_nj]

2 hours ago, Censored said:

You know as much as anybody else at this point. Its not going to sail until Jan 2024.  Looking at all the water park features, you can bet your life there will be TONS of kids.  Sure there will be adult only spots....but my guess is that those areas will be crammed int too.  7,600 guests!  

Icon has 9% more guests then Wonder at max capacity, but is also 6% larger then Wonder.  So I wouldn't expect the ship to be much more crowded than Oasis class ships.

But yes if you can't deal with Oasis class crowds, Icon probably isn't your ship.

[Mike n Ky]

It might be more family friendly but we usually try to avoid cruising during times when the kids are out of school. 

[GatorCruiser]

Plenty of vision and radiance class ships available.

[Ray]

5 hours ago, GatorCruiser said:

Plenty of vision and radiance class ships available.

Even Freedom class

[Xaa]

I seems to cater more to families, but in a way that can leave large portions of the ship with very few families with small kids.  You can bet they will be down on Surfside playing together which means they aren't as prevalent everywhere else.  It seems like they will be easier to avoid on Icon than on Oasis class ships where they are sprinkled around.  We will see.

[Rooty]

What month is the Best time to go with the least amount of Kids under 16 ?

[JohnK6404]

Yes, they are targeting families (and they always have), but what I like from what we've seen so far is that they are consolidating the families w/ small children areas to the back of the ship in the Surfside neighborhood. Hoping that all the other neighborhoods/areas across the ship both on the pool decks and right above have fewer little ones. They have the adults-only Cloud 17 area instead of the solarium. These ships are so huge you will find the quiet areas... they do exist! LOL! The suite neighborhood looks amazing... multi-level with two dedicated restaurants.

[JohnK6404]

3 hours ago, daha699 said:

What month is the Best time to go with the least amount of Kids under 16 ?

Generally, anytime school is in session. We try to book at those times because the cruise fare also tends to be the least expensive. We last cruised in FEB and next cruise in JAN, but we often go or target either SEPT/OCT or APR/MAY. Naturally, our friends with grade school age children can never coordinate with us unfortunately. Of course they want to go during school breaks and in the summer months. Temps in the Caribbean are still very warm/hot, but not surface of the sun hot/humid! 

 

[tonyfsu21]

I would say Icon very much caters to families. My kids are going to go absolutely nuts over the slides and pools and will never want to get off the ship. 

[JC Pats]

Yes and No - Yes - Because that's what pays the bills - Kids want all the things bought for them, so families, from a financial perspective, pay the bills more than "loyal" guests or solo guests. Also, new = flashy. Which gets eyeballs and sells cabins. 

No - there are neighborhoods to spread out the passengers. Adults can chill where they want, just have to be aware of where the kid areas are. 

I cruise solo, but also have a lot of friends who cruise with their kids, so I don't mind the kids so much. Do I care about solo cabins, nope. They're overrated IMO as they don't show any price value. Would I like more solo/single services, sure, but I don't need them. 

Cruise VACATIONS are what you make of them. Doesn't matter if it's Enchantment or Icon - I'm on a cruise - that is all that matters to me. YMM (and will) V

[Censored]

1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said:

Generally, anytime school is in session. We try to book at those times because the cruise fare also tends to be the least expensive. We last cruised in FEB and next cruise in JAN, but we often go either SEPT/OCT or APR/MAY. Naturally, our friends with grade school age children can never coordinate with us unfortunately. Of course they want to go during school breaks and in the summer months. Temps in the Caribbean are still very warm/hot, but not surface of the sun hot/humid! 

 

You will never avoid kids, and I would gather to say that many people think exactly like you do. I would like to see the stats on occupancy from one month to the next. 

[GatorCruiser]

I hear virgin cruises calling some of y’all. 

[Rooty]

25 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

I hear virgin cruises calling some of y’all. 

Yes Maybe !  If i had not been on 60+ RCCL cruises and was a Diamond+ member 

[JohnK6404]

1 hour ago, Censored said:

You will never avoid kids, and I would gather to say that many people think exactly like you do. I would like to see the stats on occupancy from one month to the next. 

True, you will never eliminate sailing with children/teens, but you can choose to sail when there are significantly fewer children/teens. Only toddlers and children/teens pulled out of school would be on a sailing during the school year. None of my friends would allow their children to skip school to go on a cruise (not a judgment, just their decision!) for fear of falling behind and/or needing to make up the coursework.

[Ray]

36 minutes ago, daha699 said:

Yes Maybe !  If i had not been on 60+ RCCL cruises and was a Diamond+ member 

Virgin are that desperate they will actually match your RC tier level in their new rewards being launched next year! 

 

Virgin Voyages, the adults only cruise line that offers cruises from Miami, is adding a new loyalty program. The new loyalty program will not only reward those who sailed during the cruise line’s first year of operation, but they will also match your loyalty status from other cruise lines.

Virgin Voyages plans on rolling out the most lucrative rewards program at sea in 2023.  However, the cruise line is offering VIP perks right now for those who sailed in 2021 and also those who have sailed twice in 2022.

Sea Blazers, those who sailed with Virgin during the cruise line’s first year of operation in 2021, will have access to Deep Blue Extras as well as Red Hot Booking Bonus months. (perks at listed farther down in this article)  In addition, they will receive additional perks including a $125 bar tab bonus for life.

Those who sailed with Virgin twice in 2022, will be coined Sea-Rovers and receive Deep Blue Extras and access to Red Hot Booking Bonus Months. On top of that, they’ll get a $100 Bar Tab Bonus through 2024.

With the cruise line’s Match and Sea More Program, they will match (and give you more) than your current loyalty status.

[JohnK6404]

1 hour ago, GatorCruiser said:

I hear virgin cruises calling some of y’all. 

 It's nice to have options, but we personally have zero interest in Virgin right now. It's like the anti-cruise cruise. I watched some video reviews over the past year on the Scarlett Lady (ugly thing in that battleship grey color... also saw her in Nassau when she was docked next to us)... one tiny pool onboard the size of a postage stamp, no real/traditional entertainment (unless you like break dancing to pop up on the pool deck at a moment's notice), neon stateroom lighting like a strip club, balcony hammocks that look like some sort of adult apparatus, etc. 

It obviously appeals to a certain audience, but if I want something more "mature" and not primarily family-oriented, I'll try Celebrity first. 

[GatorCruiser]

I wonder if they'll modify their concept onboard as it appears it may not be as appealing as they had hoped for. 

[Matt]

19 hours ago, USFFrank said:

If anything, it's more catered to families.

Bingo. There is a distinction between being for kids vs families. 

[GatorCruiser]

I may be biased as I have young children, but I can’t ever recall a time where I was put off or annoyed by children aboard. I can’t say the same thing about hammered adults at the pool who are louder than a lot of rock concerts. 

[Matt]

10 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

I may be biased as I have young children, but I can’t ever recall a time where I was put off or annoyed by children aboard. I can’t say the same thing about hammered adults at the pool who are louder than a lot of rock concerts. 

Couldn't agree more. I've been far more annoyed by adults than children on any cruise I've been on.

[Marlena]

[loki007]

looks like they've done a great job with the neighborhoods separating action from relaxing. I definitely think you would like celebrity which definitely more adult, service oriented. 

[karl_nj]

2 hours ago, daha699 said:

Yes Maybe !  If i had not been on 60+ RCCL cruises and was a Diamond+ member 

My in-laws used to love NCL.  That is until they changed to 'freestyle dining', among other changes they weren't that happy about.

Now they sail other lines.

 

[karl_nj]

2 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

True, you will never eliminate sailing with children/teens, but you can choose to sail when there are significantly fewer children/teens. Only toddlers and children/teens pulled out of school would be on a sailing during the school year. None of my friends would allow their children to skip school to go on a cruise (not a judgment, just their decision!) for fear of falling behind and/or needing to make up the coursework.

Still, you need to be careful, as there are times of the year when school is out and you may not expect it.  There are different school schedules in different states, regions and types of schools.  It doesn't come down to just not sailing in July.  Spring break schedules take up a lot of weeks March/April, summer break starts and ends at various times from May to September, some schools are year round and have longer breaks throughout the year, there are random weeks that some schools are off ("jersey week", "yeshiva week", all of presidents day week off, etc.)

 

[GatorCruiser]

@Matt just listened to  the podcast on icon. Good stuff in there. 

[melmar02]

6 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

True, you will never eliminate sailing with children/teens, but you can choose to sail when there are significantly fewer children/teens. Only toddlers and children/teens pulled out of school would be on a sailing during the school year. None of my friends would allow their children to skip school to go on a cruise (not a judgment, just their decision!) for fear of falling behind and/or needing to make up the coursework.

We homeschool, and I plan our schools' breaks around our booked cruises. It's not why we homeschool, but it certainly is a benefit. The kids don't miss a single class, and we get to take advantage of the lower prices. Best of both worlds.

[Susie]

Look like it is. However, I have a 10 years old and will be 11 then possible work for me. Celebrity Cruise is more for adult and you can use your perk there too. I love celebrity Cruise also, the food is better than Royal. 

[Mike n Ky]

10 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

 It's nice to have options, but we personally have zero interest in Virgin right now. It's like the anti-cruise cruise.  

My TA got the same impression.

[Mike n Ky]

4 hours ago, melmar02 said:

We homeschool, and I plan our schools' breaks around our booked cruises. It's not why we homeschool,.....

I never considered that the kids on cruises while school is in session are likely homeschooled. I will now.

[Mike n Ky]

So here is a question for those much more experienced....Icon goes on sale tomorrow only for C&A...can I see it online or can only TAs see it?

[smokeybandit]

To me it looks like Icon is catered for specific cruise demographics instead of a one size fits all

[twangster]

I'd be hesitant to classify and judge a ship before it's sailed.  

Marketing hype is great but it doesn't define the character of the ship.  I suspect there is more to Icon than just a waterpark centric ship.  

Only time will tell.  

[MattG]

On 10/22/2022 at 1:57 PM, MarcBerger said:

But according to the deck plans I saw, OCEANS ADVENTURE is directly across from PLAYMAKERS....how and why?!?!  that makes NO SENSE.

 

Uh, on the contrary, I see this as an absolute WIN. On Oasis, AO and Playmakers are on opposite sides of the ship, and it took FOREVER between dropping off kids and watching football. Now it's only a few steps!