A cool drink in your hand on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas can offer much more than a stereotypical cocktail.

Most people think of a pina colada, rum and coke, or margarita when you envision themselves on a cruise ship.  While Royal Caribbean still offers those staples, they wanted to give passengers more choices and opportunities to find a new favorite.

Icon of the Seas has 13 brand new bars and lounges that are new to the fleet, and they created over 100 new cocktails. Sixty-five of them have alcohol.  

Read more: Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

Alexandra Palmeri is Royal Caribbean's Corporate Manager of Beverage Operations, and she helped come up with 13 new bar menus just for Icon of the Seas.

To put that in perspective, when Wonder of the Seas launched, there was only one new bar menu.

The process is methodical, but also quite fun, "We go venue by venue to start, because you really have to hone in and think about what your experience wants to be on each menu."

As an example, the Rye and Bean is a coffee-based bar, so Alex and her team started off with 20-25 drinks that they tasted and whittled it down to the ten that made the final menu.

"And then what we did afterwards was took a step back and made everything together. So every single cocktail with every single menu, all the menus created, so you look at it visually and say, okay, we really have a full variety across the entire ship."

How do they come up with a new drink?

It's not easy to come up with a new cocktail that will be just as good as traditional favorites.  

Drink menus need to balance what's popular versus what the team thinks will bring something different to make it all stand out.

Alex thinks the theme of the bar plays a big role in choosing which drinks work for that venue, "For example, Hideaway Bar is an outside, adults-only venue. We wanted to lean more into champagne based cocktails."

"Every cocktail on that menu has some bubbles in it and something that's easy to drink. You're sitting by the pool, you want to lounge all day. So low ABV really played a huge part into it."

Essentially, the location of the guest factors into the drink menu that the Food & Beverage team concocts so that it fits the vibe.

In creating new drinks, the process is very much based on trial and error. There's a panel at Royal Caribbean headquarters that sample the new drinks, "for some of these drinks, the first time we've tried them, they were a home run."

Other drinks take longer to get just right. In the case of the "Oh Mai Gawd" cocktail from The Hideaway neighborhood, Alex recalls it took the team 20 times before it was good, "sometimes it really takes that much to really get a perfect cocktail, but that's what's needed. It really makes sure you have holistically what's going to work for everybody."

You might also be wondering how the team chooses one liquor over another, and Alex said it's based on balancing taste and cost, "If we like the way it tastes in both separate ones, we'll see what the cost looks like and then make a decision from there."

Bubbles

Speaking of champagne, Royal Caribbean added a new champagne window on Icon of the Seas that leans into the increased popularity of the bubbly stuff.

Bubbles is located in the Central Park neighborhood, and it only serves champagne. Alex calls it a fun concept, "You want to go grab a glass of champagne as you're walking through Central Park. It really creates kind of a whole experience."

In thinking about Bubbles, her team came up with a drink called, "Garden Breeze", and Alex compares it to a passion fruit mojito.

Beyond the pina colada

With 13 new bar menus, there's going to be lots of new drinks to try on Icon of the Seas, and I was curious which drinks Alex recommended to try for someone who wants to branch out.

One trend Royal Caribbean is leaning into is bitters, and as a result, you'll find more bitter than sweet drinks to try.

Ed Eiswirth, Royal Caribbean Director of Beverage Operations, recommends the Jazzy Sass cocktail from Lou's Jazz 'n Blues as something different.

Alex liked many of the coffee drinks from the Rye & Bean bar in the Aquadome.

Zero proof drinks

One other trend that Royal Caribbean has embraced is the zero proof menu, which features drinks without any alcohol in them.

There's an entire bar in Surfside that features drinks that kids can enjoy too, and it's not just deconstructed alcoholic beverages.

"When you start with alcohol and you start to deconstruct it, it becomes a lot more challenging to create a non-alcoholic mocktail. So we started from the mocktail perspective and then built it built it up that way," Alex explained.

If sharing Icon of the Seas with up to 7,600 other passengers sounds like it will be crowded, Royal Caribbean has planned around that issue.

Icon of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world, and there will be anywhere between 5,610 to 7,600 passengers depending on how many third, fourth, and fifth passengers are booked into each cabin.  Without a doubt, that's a lot of people on any ship.

Royal Caribbean knew it had to be able to accommodate that many people while still retaining a positive guest experience.  They had already successfully tackled the issue on the Oasis Class ships that preceded Icon, and the challenge was to keep crowds moving on Icon too.

Naturally, the public was curious how crowded a ship as big as Icon would be once it started to sail.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley joked about just how much time his company spent on the issue of crowds on Icon, "A lot of time. I mean, a gazillion billion, gazillion, trillion hours of time with a lot of people."

"We were obsessively focused, and we've got a lot of experience," he said alluding to the fact Royal Caribbean has been developing mega cruise ships for decades. 

"If you look at the classes of ships over time, how they've evolved, we do know a lot about the flow of people, and we do know how you need to create an experience that delights the customer, but also moves people around."

That isn't to say there wont be any lines or crowds. Any cruise ship have lines and crowds of people that occur throughout any sailing.  With Icon, the cruise line wanted to ensure the flow of passengers mitigated the problem.

Changing the formula

One way Royal Caribbean has focused on crowds has been to re-think its crowd management strategy.

"A lot of work, a lot of study, a lot of analytics, and we've got a lot of information from our existing fleet, and we utilize it a lot to try to to operate this efficiently as possible, but also make sure people have a great time," Mr. Bayley explained.

"Our classic formula is in the evening is a dinner and a show," alluding to how things have typically worked. "When you think about dinner and a show, that really allows you to understand how people do move. And then, of course, during the day, we've created neighborhoods."

Neighborhoods have served two purposes for Royal Caribbean's mega ships.  First, it provides easy navigation aids.  Second, it helps spread passengers out.

Surfside is focused on young families with kids six and under and there's so much to do for kids and their parents that it keeps those families in one section of the ship without much need to leave. Meanwhile, older kids are busy with Thrill Island's water park.  Adults can hang out at The Hideaway, and then there's likely trivia, production shows, meals, and a host of other things to do happening at the same time.

Believe it or not, there's actually less cabins on Icon of the Seas than an Oasis Class ship.  According to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty, that means the actual square footage per passenger is higher.

"I think the construction of the different neighborhoods and being able to segregate different multi generations through the course of the ship was really the focus of it."

Spinning up higher capacity

Mr. Bayley indicated prepping Icon for the crowds that would come onboard has been an ongoing effort.

Icon departed Europe with extra crew members and a lot of contractors who were onboard to continue finalizations. 

Once the ship got to Miami, they started doing shakedown cruises with employees.  That amounted to around 4,000 passengers. For the preview sailings with media and travel agents, the number went up to 4,500.

For the maiden voyage, they're expecting, "80% of the double occupancy, it's probably would probably be around 5500, which is easy," Mr. Bayley said.

"And then week by week, we increase the capacity until we're confident that we've got everything working the way it should. And so the full capacity of this ship, which typically will happen in peak summer during the school holidays, will be 7600."

For those keeping score at home, Oasis Class ships max out around a similar number, "Our Oasis class peak summer have operated at around 7500 today. So we're very confident on our ability to manage all of our guests."

By methodically increasing capacity, Royal Caribbean feels good about handling crowds, "So far we feel really good about everything that we do."

New elevators

There are no traditional elevators on Icon of the Seas.  Instead, the ship has destination elevators.

Destination elevators aren't just a fad, they're a way to more efficiently tackle the issue of getting passengers between decks and that's been a traditional pain point on big ships.

With the destination elevators, you select which floor you want to go to on a panel and are told which elevator to take.

Once in the elevator, there's no buttons to push.  This means less people coming in and stopping the elevator on every floor.  Or someone leaning against the panel and accidentally pushing all the buttons.

Royal Caribbean did a lot of proactive work to ensure destination elevators would be a good idea. 

"We even constructed the elevator lobbies in a warehouse in Miami full scale so we could visually understand how those elevator lobbies would look. "

"And then we sent teams all over the world to look at similar technologies to make sure that it really was something that we thought would work."

The result early on has been a successful and efficient system.

"We've been delighted with the elevator lobbies, and in fact, we thought because people would be confused." 

"In the beginning of our cruises, we put staff on every lobby with ask me on it to help people, and we found it's really not an issue. People kind of figure it out quite quickly. And I got to say, I think the elevators are great."

Easier ways to get between decks

As a passenger, you'll find more ways to move from one deck to another beyond elevators and the traditional stairwells.

There are multiple stairways in the Royal Promenade to go down and up, and most importantly, in the middle of the deck.

There are a few dry slides for kids and adults to go between decks that is meant to be fun, but it's functional. There's one between the two levels of Chill Island and a slide in Surfside that acts as an express way down.

While the slides aren't going to make much of an impact to lessen crowds, the escalators and stairs are easy ways to reduce the need of an elevator, and keep people moving quicker.  Moving between decks 4 through 7 is very easy on Icon of the Seas.

Keeping everyone busy

When it comes to crowds on Icon, you can expect a lot of different things happening that should draw passengers in many directions.

Royal Caribbean is leveraging entertainment, smart design, and more things to do than on any other ship to keep people busy.

Keeping in mind that Icon of the Seas is about 7% larger than Wonder of the Seas, so it's not doubling or significantly increasing the overall size of a known entity.

If you're having second thoughts about going on a ship as big as Icon of the Seas because of how many people will be onboard, it's likely not going to be nearly as bad as you think it will be.

Icon of the Seas is about to set sail on her maiden voyage later this week, and Royal Caribbean is already working on ways to improve on a ship that has barely sailed.

Star of the Seas will be the second Icon Class cruise ship and will debut in 2025 to sail from Port Canaveral.  Not only is the ship well into construction, but improvements and updates from Icon are in the works.

Icon of the Seas will have her first voyage with paying passengers on Saturday, but the ship has had employees, media, and travel agents onboard for short preview sailings to fine tune everything in the lead-up to the maiden sailing.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider is leading the charge to innovate with Star.

While the cruise line is not ready to reveal everything that will be different on Star, we have a few ideas what they have in mind.

Star of the Seas will not be the biggest ship in the world

With the Oasis Class ships, Royal Caribbean made each subsequent ship just a little bit bigger so that it could take the title of biggest in the world.  The Icon class will not follow that trend.

"That isn't the case on Icon. Star will not be a foot bigger. It will be 1198ft long. The third ship in the icon class, yet to be named publicly, will also be 1198ft long."

According to Mr. Schneider, there's no point in continuing that pattern, "We don't feel a need to do that right now. Maybe we'll change our mind. Never say never. But that isn't the design intent."

Update to the supper club

Royal Caribbean opened its first ever supper club experience on Icon of the Seas with Empire Supper Club, but expect a new motif on Star.

On Star of the Seas, the venue will be Chicago themed (Icon has a New York theme to it). And there's more ideas after that.

"It'll actually become Chicago themed, but same DNA," said Mr. Schneider. " "On Icon three, it becomes Hollywood themed."

"Great music choreographed to the delivery of the food and the service, with cocktails paired but all wired for the theme that goes with it. So Chicago will be more Midwestern themed, Hollywood will be Hollywood themed, and the decor and the venue will match, and the food and music will twist to again match that theme."

"If we build future versions of icon, we'll just keep going around the world assuming that concept remains successful."

Star and Icon 3 are being built at the same time

With Star of the Seas coming in 2025 and Icon 3 in 2026, work is happening concurrently. 

"The ships are essentially being built in parallel," which is a necessity in order to keep the ship on schedule for delivery.

While work is underway, that doesn't mean tweaks can't be made in the process.

"As we operate this with real guests over the next three, four months, that will also really help inform what we want to adjust on Star and what we want to adjust on Icon three."

A hot tub will be added

Mr. Schneider alluded to a hot tub idea that was cut from Icon due to weight concerns, but will be on Star.

"When we initially were pulling out in sea trials, we thought we were at maximum weight."

"We are not as it turned out so, we did have some room. And so the hot tub that I that painfully cut is now coming back on Star of the Seas."

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship has more for families than ever, including a new kind of stateroom.

The Surfside Family Suite is one of 14 brand-new stateroom categories on Icon of the Seas.

With Icon, Royal Caribbean wants to offer the kind of family vacation that can compete with land resorts, such as the popular theme park resorts in Orlando, Florida. In order to do that, not only does the cruise ship need to have lots of fun things to do, but it needs rooms that are a better fit.

The Surfside Family Suite overlooks the Surfside neighborhood. Like its namesake, this suite is meant to be a great choice for those with young kids.

Disclosure: We toured the room while on a preview sailing of Icon of the Seas that we were invited to sail as guests.

It's clear that Royal Caribbean wanted a cabin that allowed the parents to sleep in the same room as their kids, without feeling like everyone is on top of each other. The result are smaller nooks for the kids to have their own space.

Photos of this cabin come from room 10293 on deck 10.

Walking into the room, you'll notice the set-up has areas for everyone, and the space is maximized to take advantage of it all.

The 1.5 bedroom suite sleeps up to 4, complete with a bedroom and special kids’ nook space with a pullout couch.

In this suite, you’ll also find a split bathroom and a private balcony accessible via a convertible partition in the bedroom. 

Given that it's a suite, it comes with Sky Class benefits in Royal Caribbean's suite program. This is the mid-tier suite benefits and includes suite lounge access, priority boarding, the services of the concierge, complimentary internet access, and more. It's likely going to be the least-expensive Sky Class suite on the ship.

Walking into the room, there are two bathrooms on either side of the entrance.

One bathroom is the full bath, which comes with a sink, toilet and full shower. Like all cabins on Icon of the Seas, the shower has a seat and isn't a typical cruise ship tube shower.

The other bathroom is a half bath, with toilet and sink. 

There is a king size bed that can be split in two if requested. The idea is for this bed to be for the parents.

There is a large television near the bed, along with nightstands and USB outlets on either side. Offering more power outlets is a common thread among all cabins on Icon of the Seas.

In the living space, you'll find metal hooks on one wall that are perfect for hanging up swimsuits, hats, and more.

There's a vanity sitting area with mirror and more outlets. Most of the closet space is located here as well.

Near the vanity is the kids nook, which has a fold out bed that is ideal for younger children.

This area has a see-through window to the balcony, and a floor-to-ceiling window so kids can see what's happening around Surfside.

The kids have their own television too.

The nook has a sliding door that can be used to essentially corral the kids in. The door isn't sound or view proof, but there are curtains you can draw as well to make it dark in there.

The suite has a balcony that comes with chairs and a table, and it overlooks the Surfside neighborhood.

The Surfside Family Suite is perfect for a family that has kids no older than 6 years old (or very short slightly older kids). 

Having separate sleeping areas without having a second room makes keeping tabs on your kids when they're at an age that they need to still be close by to mom and dad substantially more useful. On older cruise ships, it's difficult to find rooms like this that provide some degree of separation and amenities.

Plus, the extra half bathroom means more flexibility when someone is using the shower.

It's also located within the Surfside neighborhood, so it's just a few decks down to Surfside, and a few decks up to Thrill Island.

This is a suite, and not a standard room, so the price will not be as cheap as simply booking a standard balcony room that can accommodate up to four guests.  But it is usually priced cheaper than other suites, and it has much more living space.

For a family with elementary school aged kids, the Surfside Family Suite might be the perfect solution for booking one room while not being on top of each other.

Far from buried treasure at sea, Royal Caribbean has a souvenir that will cost six figures.

Royal Caribbean has a store on the brand new Icon of the Seas that sells just cruise line branded jewelry, and it incudes the most expensive cup I've ever seen.

The new cruise ship is selling a single cup that costs $100,000 that has Royal Caribbean logos on each side and is available in just one store.

Appropriately named Royal Bling, it's located in the Aquadome neighborhood and sells Royal Caribbean branded rings, necklaces, and other keepsakes adorned with the cruise line logo.

Clearly, it appeals to the Royal Caribbean super fan that loves not only to cruise, but cruise with Royal Caribbean and they want the world to see it.

Among the treasures in this store is a chalice that costs $100,000 and looks like something you might find guarded by the Grail Knight in an Indiana Jones movie.

The cup is only available on Icon of the Seas and that price gets you not only a gold chalice adorned with jeweled bling, but it comes with an added benefit.

If you buy it, it comes with an unlimited Royal Caribbean drink package for life.

That means you'll never have to pay for another beverage package for yourself ever again.

The Deluxe Beverage Package includes cocktails, spirits, liquors, beers, wine by the glass, sodas, water, mocktails, premium coffee and tea, and fresh-squeezed juice. Basically almost any drink on the ship up to $14 in value.

If you're doing the math in your head, the Deluxe Beverage Package on the inaugural sailing of Icon of the Seas for one person across seven nights is $559.93 before gratuities. You can add another $100.73 with gratuities, to bring the price to $660.66.

Assuming that drink package price never changes and you only ever cruise 7-night cruises, it would take you about 151 cruises to "break even" on the goblet purchase.

It's not clear exactly what the goblet is made of to account for the value of the materials used in the cup.

The novelty goblet is one of several jewelry choices cruises can purchase on the ship. Most of the other jewelry comes in at a much lower price point.

During the President's Cruise earlier this year, President and CEO Michael Bayley was spotted wearing an over-the-top diamond encrusted Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor logo on a silver chain, and it clearly resonated with someone.

The store could be a follow-up to that, and also addresses a possible need among Royal Caribbean's elite fans.

Cruise line loyalists are a passionate bunch, and representing their favorite cruise line in their everyday life is just as important to some as going on the ships.

The Royal Bling store has Crown and Anchor bracelets, rings, earrings and more.

Icon is the first cruise ship to have a Royal Caribbean themed jewelry store, and there plenty of other firsts on the ship too.

You can find Royal Bling near the Aquatheater entrance.

Icon is the first of the Icon Class, with at least two more ships under construction to follow.

Icon is now the world's largest cruise ship and has more waterslides than any other ship, seven pools (including the first suspended infinity pool at sea), an entire neighborhood for families with young children, 40 different restaurants, bars and lounges.

At 250,800 tons, Icon of the Seas will sail from Miami and offer cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean.

Everything is bigger on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, including a three-story suite that is bigger than many apartments.

On Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, the Ultimate Family Townhouse is the cruise line's most expensive and largest suite it has ever created. The ship has many new features that appeal directly to families, but this one cabin is aimed directly at a family willing to open their wallet for the very best room out there.

The 1,772-square-foot suite can cost over $80,000 on a seven-night cruise and it is already sold out for all of 2024.

With the new cruise ship ready to set sail with passengers, we have our first look inside the centerpiece elevated cabin.

Up to eight people can sleep in the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

The Ultimate Family Townhouse has an in-suite slide, movie-viewing room, karaoke machine and a "backyard" with a ping pong table, outdoor seating and a white picket fence leading directly to the Surfside area.

It spans three decks and includes one of the most jaw-dropping balcony views on the entire ship.

Around the suite

The Ultimate Family Townhouse is a follow-up to the The Ultimate Family Suites introduced on other Royal Caribbean ships. Those rooms were "only" two levels, so Royal Caribbean wanted to make it even bigger on Icon.

Located across decks 7, 8, and 9 of Icon of the Seas, the entrance is on deck 8.

The townhouse has two balconies and a backyard.  The master bedroom balcony measures 90 feet, the primary balcony measures 410 square feet, and the backyard offers an additional 251 square feet of space.

Given the name, this suite is meant to evoke the most family-friendly cabin ever. It's colorful, has lots for children to enjoy, and offers more space for kids (and their parents) to spread out than ever before.

The living area includes a spacious living room and a dining room, which has an interactive gaming table. 

There's a movie room that has a widescreen television, along with a popcorn machine and karaoke machine.

You can also slide into the monster-themed daybed in the cinema room.

The master bedroom has a king-size bed and its own master bathroom with twin vanity and double shower.

The kids room has bunk beds and its own TV and games, and its own bathroom.

One neat idea is there's a special entrance to the Surfside neighborhood from your suite. There's even a mailbox that you can use to pick up notes.

Ultimate Family Townhouse perks

The Ultimate Family Townhouse is a Star Class suite, which means it enjoys the very best benefits Royal Caribbean has to offer, including a Royal Genie, free drink package, free WiFi and more.

While the suite has lots of features to admire, the Royal Genie service is not to be overlooked. It provides a mix of butler and "magic maker" to guests staying in the room, and it makes a big difference onboard your ship.

Your Genie gives you VIP treatment every step of the way.  There isn't a set list of Royal Genie benefits, but they will make any dining or entertainment reservations you need and you won't need to wait in line for any of them either.

The Genie can get you to the front of line of pretty much anything on the ship.  They will get you reserved seating in shows, have the ability to have specialty restaurant food delivered to your cabin, enjoy unlimited Starbucks beverages, and even organize a party in your suite.

Read more: A beginner's guide to sailing in Star Class

Other benefits of staying in the Ultimate Family Townhouse are gratuities included with the price, priority embarkation and disembarkation, and access to the Suite neighborhood.

How much does the Ultimate Family Townhouse cost?

It should come as no surprise that the Ultimate Family Townhouse is expensive. Very expensive.

The price of any cruise ship cabin varies from sailing to sailing, but the cruise line said the average price for the Ultimate Family Townhouse was around $78,000 - $80,000 per week.

Despite the massive price tag, demand has not been soft for this room. All of the 2024 sailings are sold out, according to Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley.

Bottom line

Is the Ultimate Family Townhouse worth it? Most people will scoff at the price tag because it is the very epitome of an over-the-top splurge.

However, there are families out there that want an epic family vacation. They do well for themselves and want to enjoy the fruit of their labors with an all-out cruise that they won't ever forget, and that's the purpose of a suite like this.

In general, suites are rarely a value, and the people that stay in them usually prioritize the extra space, enhanced service, and added benefits they provide.

With the Ultimate Family Townhouse, it's all about staying in an incredible room despite the price tag. 

Royal Caribbean has made a last-minute change to which part of Icon of the Seas will be exclusively for adults.

Ever since Royal Caribbean revealed details on its newest cruise ship, Cloud 17 was to be the adults-only area. Icon does not have a Solarium, which has traditionally been the adults-only area on its cruise ships.

As first reported by Cruise Critic, the plan has changed.

Instead of Cloud 17 (located in Chill Island), The Hideaway neighborhood will become the adults-only area for guests 18 years old or older.

In speaking with Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider, the change was made in just the last week.

When passengers board Icon of the Seas for the first revenue sailing on January 27, they can find a kid-free zone at The Hideaway. Cloud 17 will be open to guests of all ages.

Why the change was made

Making the swap of venue rules just weeks before the new cruise ship was to set sail had a few reasons for it.

First, Mr. Schneider indicated that since Hideaway Beach at Perfect Day at CocoCay was going to be an adults-only area, having a very similar named venue on Icon of the Seas made more logical sense to have the same policy.

In addition, Cruise Critic reported that Royal Caribbean felt Cloud 17 was in "prime real estate" and did not make sense to have the area closed off to families.

About The Hideaway

One of the new neighborhood ideas on Icon of the Seas is The Hideaway. 

It's at the very back of the ship on deck 15, and it's Royal Caribbean's first ever pool at the back of a ship.

The pool is perched 135 feet above the ocean, offering 180 degree views.

From its conceptualization, The Hideaway was meant to have a Las Vegas pool party vibe.  It has the first suspended infinity pool at sea, day beds, loungers, and an expansive bar area.

There's also a multilevel terrace, whirlpools, a variety of seating. The daybeds have an additional cost to them.

Fan reaction

News of the change seems to be have been so far with favorable reaction.

Comments on Reddit showed cruisers think there's more logic to having The Hideaway be for only adults.

"That is a huge improvement, Cloud 17 looked like it would suck whenever it’s windy," wrote Kvalri.

shanham wrote, "I was surprised that hideaway wasn’t the adult area because I saw they were selling the hideaway “pool beds” for $500 on my sailing. I told my husband I couldn’t imagine paying $500 to be on a bed in a pool full of kids."

illuminated0ne thinks making The Hideaway adults-only is sensible, but not changing Cloud 17 as well, "I always assumed they would turn The Hideaway into adults only eventually because of the expensive day beds in the area, but I didn't think they'd take away the other adults-only place they've been advertising for a year."

"The Hideaway looks so much smaller. It's even more puzzling they're doing it before trying it out once."

About Cloud 17

If making Cloud 17 suddenly changes your pool deck plans, here's what to know about the area.

You'll find an infinity-edge pool at Cloud 17 (the same is true at the Cove Pool) that overlooks the ocean. There's also a whirlpool.

It also has its own Lime & Coconut Bar.

Hideaway bar menu

As mentioned, there is a bar in The Hideaway and it has a special menu.

The menu is simply a starting point, and you can order other cocktails, beers, or mixed drinks.  

Here's a look at the drink menu.

We knew Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship was going to be impressive, but it's pretty darn incredible how they can push the boundaries of what we expect on a ship.

The words, "wow", "I can't believe it", and "amazing" were swirling through my head as I had a brief day visit tour of the biggest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas.

The 20-deck high ship comes in at 250,800 tons, winning the title of biggest cruise ship in the world from sister vessel, Wonder of the Seas.  In fact, it will be the first time in about 5 years that an Oasis Class ship hasn't been the biggest in the world.

The ship appeals to a wide range of cruisers, with a growing focus on the family cruise market. Like a new bride, it borrow the traditions of the past, while forging its own destiny. All new cruise ships build on the progress made by ships of the past, but it is clear to me that Icon of the Seas takes a jump ahead. If there's one thing apparent about Royal Caribbean's new ship, it's that it's anything but ordinary.

With just weeks to go until the first paying passengers board the ship, I had a day to run around and explore as much of Icon of the Seas as I could squeeze in and share with you what this new ship is all about.

Icon is a brand new class of ship, so that means Royal Caribbean started from scratch. They incorporated ideas from existing ships while creating new ideas and reworking others. Don't be surprised when you see something that is similar to an existing ship. While they may have borrowed the concept, they've also built upon it and iterated it as well.

A great example is when you walk onboard the Royal Promenade.  Icon is not the first ship to have a Royal Promenade, but it is the first one to have a wide-open Royal Promenade that has windows, shops, and certain venues. 

There's sunlight, new restaurants and The Pearl. Much was made of The Pearl at a time when we knew next to nothing about Icon, and it might have been overinflated in terms of significance, but it delivers on making your jaw drop when you first walk onto the ship and that's the first thing you see.

It's three decks high, has a beautiful interior made up of kinetic tiles, and I'm told there will be certain events that occur in there related to sound and sight. You might not want to visit The Pearl every day, but I challenge you not to go there at least once and marvel at it.

Another step up for Royal Caribbean is behind The Pearl with Pearl Cafe.  The replacement to Cafe Promenade on other ships, Pearl Cafe has grab-and-go snacks for guests on the run, as well as specialty coffees.  Best of all, it has many tables and large windows.  It reminds me a lot of Cafe al bacio in some ways, and I would love to sit and people watch from there.

Throughout the Promenade you'll find familiar places with fresh looks. Giovanni's Table has a home here, while Schooner Bar has a beautiful nautical motif. 

The new Dueling Pianos bar has the potential to be one of the top nightlife locations, and I really like the seating arrangements in the Point & Feather pub.

The AquaDome

I wasn't sure where to go first once I boarded, but I really wanted to the AquaDome neighborhood. 

The AquaDome is one of those staggering places that you can't help but revel in the magnitude of the space. From the theater in the middle, to the Overlook seating in front, to the food hall, I never thought I would want to spend as much time here as I did once I walked it.

If you've been on the Oasis Class ships, then you know how cool the shows are and I didn't see any of them. Even without its signature attraction on the day I visited, I loved being in this space more than I thought I would.

The giant glass dome encompasses places to chill, eat, and be entertained. Plus, there are cabins within this neighborhood too.

When I get back onboard, I'll look forward to the shows that are performed in the AquaDome. "Aqua Nation!" and "Pirates vs Mermaids" are the two shows you can see.

The Overlook is a sleeper hit of the ship because it has fantastic seating, especially in the pods. It's first-come, first-seated, and I think a lot of people will love to hang out here on a sea day, especially with bar service.

My favorite spot for a bite to eat is easily the AquaDome Market. Royal Caribbean incorporated its first food hall concept, and I want to eat here every day.

Greek, Asian, French, and... whatever Mac and Cheese constitutes is found here. It's complimentary, freshly made, and I could eat it every day. I'm curious to see how it handles rush hour at lunch, but I love the concept.

Top deck looks really fun

There's still plenty of work to do on Icon of the Seas before the first revenue sailing, and that was the case with the pool deck.

Not to worry, Royal Caribbean says it will all be good to by the time paying guests get onboard. On the day I visited, there was work being done to set everything up. No construction, just finishing touches and deliveries and set up of furnishings.

Even with some areas inaccessible, I think this pool deck is going to be a real winner for the line. 

The Swim & Tonic pool is easily going to be the most popular pool on the ship with its swim-up bar and in-pool seating.

Royal Bay Pool is slated to be the largest pool at sea, and all the hot tubs strewn around the deck should find plenty of customers. Royal Bay is enormous and looks like it takes up half the length of the deck.

But the Category 6 looks like it will deliver a true waterpark experience on a cruise ship.  There's so many slides, and I know it's where my kids will want to go on a sea day.

It will have a drop slide, the tallest drop slide at sea, family raft slides and two mat-racing slides.

I used to think three slides was a big deal, but six seems to be what I always needed but never knew I did.

The weather was overcast and slightly drizzly and hardly worthy of a Miami television commercial, but the one place I really regretted not bringing my bathing suit was The Hideaway.

Located on the back of the ship, it's the first suspended infinity pool at sea and I wanted to go right in. I had a great plan to tell all of you my camera "died" and I had no other way to capture content as an excuse to go spend the afternoon in the infinity pool. Alas, my sense of responsibility (and the fact I didn't pack a bathing suit) won out.

I like variety in my cruise ships, because one day I might prefer one pool and another day a different one. There's plenty of choices with the pools on Icon.

Central Park

Central Park isn't a new concept at all, but it's amazing what a few tweaks, additions, and restructuring can do to dramatically improve an area.

I was ready to walk through Central Park and write off the place as a copy of the Oasis Class, but I found it beautiful and the changes the perfect blend of old and new.

I've always been a big fan of Izumi, and what Royal Caribbean has done with this specialty restaurant on Icon is astonishing. It's been given the necessary space to house all of Royal Caribbean's best ideas in one. There are lots of hibachi tables, sushi tables, a VIP hibachi table, and even a walk-up window where you can get sushi as late as 10pm.

Walking around the park, the colors of the balcony shutters above you combined with the flora and color choices of the park really stood out as a lovely area to be in. 

The new champagne window, Bubbles, wasn't open on my visit, but I think it will be popular with the mimosa and Bellini crowd.

Yes, I met Rover

I couldn't believe how much attention the family dog Royal Caribbean is introducing on Icon of the Seas received when it was announced, but it makes total sense once you see Rover in action.

I was on Icon for about 7 hours, and I relegated myself to the fact I wouldn't see Rover until I saw her on the Royal Promenade playing fetch.

Alison is Rover's Chief of Staff and it's her job to take care of Rover while onboard.

If you're wondering if Rover can be as cute as the photos show, you'd be correct. She is adorable and you will wish there was a sign up program to have the dog sleep in your cabin for just one night.

Rover is a symbol for the fun and family-centric nature Icon of the Seas was designed to deliver. Obviously no one is booking a cruise just to see a dog, but it's a really nice touch.

In case you're wondering, no, Rover serves no other function.  She's not a drug sniffing dog and she's not a service animal either.  So Rover isn't allowed in the restaurants.

Family, family, family

I've always thought of Royal Caribbean as the best family cruise line already, but I wish we had Surfside when my kids were under the age of 10.

Imagine the Boardwalk neighborhood layout from the Oasis Class ships completely re-designed to provide family fun for the six and under crowd, along with their parents. Royal Caribbean says 6 and under is the ideal age, but I could see 8 and 9 year olds enjoying some of the spaces too.

Splashaway Bay, Baby Bay, and the adults pool look great and I think parents will appreciate having a place to bring the kids that's more contained than the pool deck without compromising on what there is for the parents.

I was blown away by how many dining venues there are: Lemon Post, Pier 7, Sugar Beach, and Surfside Eatery provide plenty of choices and they're all right there in one area. 

Good luck convincing those kids it's time to leave when there's pools, a carousel, mac and cheese, and Shirley Temples all around you.

The really smart choice here was putting Adventure Ocean just one staircase away. On every other Royal Caribbean ship, the kids club is on a top deck and feels like diametrically opposed from everything else going on onboard. Having Adventure Ocean adjacent to Surfside is brilliant.

As usual, I was envious of the teen club because of how chill this place looks. There's lots of space to spread out and enjoy TV, games, and more.

Familiar and new dining

Royal Caribbean has always said they wanted to embrace their past while forging ahead to the future, and that is definitely the case with its dining.

There's a good array of specialty and complimentary food on Icon, with new restaurants mixed in with returning favorites.  But don't overlook the restaurants you may have dined at on other ships, because many of them have new looks.

Starting with Izumi, Royal Caribbean has outdone itself with the revamp of this Japanese specialty restaurant. It's expansive and beautiful.

The new Empire Supper Club is a high-end dinner experience where the phrase, "going out" really has a new meaning.  It's not cheap ($200 per person), but Royal Caribbean wants to offer a truly elevated and distinguished meal for those seeking more than just another specialty restaurant.

I was equally impressed by how many dining venues there are in Surfside. Surfside Eatery, Pier 7, and Surfside Bites all look good and I think it's going to be a boon for families to have so many family-friendly (read: picky eater) choices in close proximity.

The restaurant I was most excited to try while on Icon was the AquaDome Market. When lunch came around, this was the restaurant I wanted to try first.  

The food hall delivered exactly what I hoped for: quick and casual food from a variety of cuisines. I'll be curious to see how it works with a full guest load onboard, but the food quality won't be a problem.

Speaking of grab and go, I managed to stop by Basecamp in Thrill Island for an early dinner before disembarking the ship.

Basecamp has a mix of complimentary and extra-cost food. I went with the grilled chicken sandwich ($9) and warm pretzel bites (complimentary). 

I think the idea here is to have something convenient when you're riding water slides and don't want to go all the way back to the Windjammer for something to eat.  Convenience is king on cruise ships.

Then there's Giovanni's, Chops, Hooked, and other grab-and-go restaurants. I'm excited to try these when I sail on Icon, but suffice to say, there's no shortage of dining.

The best ship casino yet?

Cruise ship casinos tend to be an afterthought in terms of design. Cram as many tables and slot machines into a space and you're done, right?

The casino on Icon really seems to more spread out and I like the flow a lot more than on other ships.

In speaking with the casino hosts onboard (Hi Chris), they indicated Icon's casino is about the same square footage as Wonder of the Seas, but the layout is more rectangular than square. 

It felt like a bigger space to me, and I just liked the flow a lot more.

Just a glimpse with more to come

I can't encapsulate everything Royal Caribbean has up its sleeve in just one post. Heck, I didn't have enough time to experience it all either. But I'm more excited than ever to get back onboard.

My father's favorite movie might be "Family Man" starring Nicholas Cage, where the central figure is magically transported to a new life that he falls in love with and pleads with the angel at the end of the film not to return him back to his regular life.  I kind of felt that way when my time on Icon came to a close, because I didn't want to get off the ship yet.

There's plenty of takeaways from Icon, but one I really think is just how much there is to do to keep guests moving.  When you hear there as many as 7,000 guests onboard, it can sound like that's a lot, but when I think about all the activities on the pool deck, Surfside, Royal Promenade, and AquaDome, I think crowd management won't be a problem for this ship.

When you're onboard, the scale of Royal Caribbean's ambitions becomes apparent, and I think there's lots of space to handle all the people Royal Caribbean hopes will sail with them every week.

With every neighborhood I walked through, I thought "This is where I want to spend my day". Until I got to the next neighborhood, and then thought the same thing.  

I think part of the design process for Icon was to create compelling spaces that draw guests to them for different reasons. I'm certainly not suggesting there won't be lines or a crowd on Icon, but I do think there's enough happening around the ship to keep everyone from congregating in one area.

In my brief day visit to Icon, I saw as much as I could. I can summarize it best by paraphrasing Anthony Bourdain: I write, I walked all over Icon, and I'm hungry for more.

At the heart of Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas remains one of its signature neighborhoods.

The Royal Promenade is a hub of activity and a place you'll probably spend a lot of time onboard the ship.

On Icon, the Royal Promenade has evolved with more space, light, and options.

You will find a combination of more than 15 new and reimagined restaurants, bars and lounges, and floor-to-ceiling ocean views, a first for Royal Caribbean.

Here's a sneak peak at the Promenade on Icon of the Seas.

Read more: Icon of the Seas guide

Two levels and views too

You'll notice two distinguishing factors to the Royal Promenade on Icon of the Seas when comparing this neighborhood to other ships.

First are the ocean views, something other ships never had.

Royal Caribbean sought to make the Royal Promenade more connected to the ocean. On Icon, the Royal Promenade has full glass views of the ocean for the first time ever.

The two-deck Royal Promenade makes getting around easier too.

This version of the Promenade has what Royal Caribbean calls "seamless connectivity" to make it easier to get around. This means you can easily get between Deck 5 and Deck 6 or head upstairs to Central Park on Deck 8.

Plus, there's an escalator from the Promenade to get you down to the casino and gangway on port days.

The Pearl

As guests walk aboard Icon of the Seas, they'll first be drawn to The Pearl, which Royal Caribbean calls an "arrival moment."

The Pearl is an interactive, multi-sensory experience made with kinetic tiles.

The Pearl encompasses four things:

1. A gorgeous way to introduce the ship as you walk into it
2. An engineering marvel
3. It creates gorgeous views
4. It has an experiential moment inside of it that's different for everyone.

Read more: First look at The Pearl on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas

Walking around the Royal Promenade

In touring the Royal Promenade, you'll find shopping, dining, and bars to keep you busy every day.

When you walk onto Icon of the Seas, you'll pass through the 1400 Lobby Bar.

Royal Caribbean intends for the 1400 Bar to be a focal point. It sets the stage for The Pearl, is adjacent to the escalators going down to the casino, and is at the heart of the ship.

Walking past the Pearl is Pearl Cafe, which is the next generation of Cafe Promenade.

Below the beautiful whale art sculpture is a new grab-and-go venue for elevated bistro food. Most of it is complimentary, but there are some extra-cost options in addition to the food included. 

As an example, there will be Starbucks brewed beverages that you can order but are also covered by a Royal Caribbean drink package or Diamond drink voucher.

Something else that has evolved here are the drinks you can get on your own. The complimentary coffee and water station will look different from other ships.

Starbucks is located on one side of the 1400 bar. 

The Point & Feather pub is on the other side of 1400 as you walk onto the ship.

NextCruise is where you can go to book a new Royal Caribbean cruise.  It's also where the loyalty ambassador is located.

Something else new to any Royal Caribbean cruise ship is the destination elevators.

There are no classic elevators on Icon. Instead, it has destination elevators, where you go to a panel and pick which deck you want to go to. 

It tells you what elevator you should go to instead of waiting for a free-for-all elevator that's crammed with passengers going to different places. 

Near The Pearl is Royal Caribbean's well-known pizza shop, Sorrentos.

If you like singing along to your favorite songs, then Spotlight Karaoke is the spot for you.

Moving up to Deck 6 is the new Dueling Pianos bar.

This is Royal Caribbean's first double-pianist bar where the two performers take requests and involve guests in the musical fun.

Giovanni's Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar has been moved to the Royal Promenade on Icon. The menu will highlight Old World classics, such as veal meatballs.

Of course, no Royal Caribbean ship is complete without the Schooner Bar.

The nautical-themed bar is back on Icon, and it's on the upper level of the Royal Promenade.

There's also Boleros, which is the Latin music bar and another fan-favorite place for music and drinks.

The Attic is the comedy club venue onboard. 

The loyalty lounge for top-tier Crown and Anchor Society members is located at the forward end of the Royal Promenade on Deck 6.

This is where Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club guests can go to enjoy a private enclave just for them.

Leading away from the Royal Promenade is where kids and their parents can seek refuge in Adventure Ocean, the teen club, and Playmakers sports bar.

And of course, there are places to shop around the Royal Promenade.

There are various shops that sell Royal Caribbean souvenirs, along with designer and name-brand clothing, jewelry, and accessories.