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My 10 Favorites from The Icon of the Seas
My family just returned from an amazing week aboard Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas! This was our first cruise on an Icon Class ship, so we were especially excited to experience a new class of ship, explore its unique venues, and try out some attractions we had never encountered on our previous cruises.
We had an incredible time, and by the end of the week, the Icon had officially become my favorite Royal Caribbean ship!
Now that we're home, I've been trying to put my finger on exactly what made this ship stand out from the others we've sailed on. Was it the spectacular entertainment? The exciting new attractions? The beautiful design? Or maybe the surprisingly delicious ice cream?
The answer is really a combination of all those things and more! So, I decided to put together a list of our ten favorite things about our week aboard the Icon of the Seas.
#1: The Wizard of Oz
I cannot say enough about how absolutely amazing The Wizard of Oz was aboard the Icon of the Seas!
I had heard incredibly high praise for this production before our cruise, so my expectations were already sky-high. Somehow, the show still managed to exceed them!
This was an action-packed, one-hour-and-forty-minute performance with no intermission, and I was captivated from beginning to end. The production quality was truly on another level, and I still find it amazing that Royal Caribbean managed to stage a show of this caliber on a cruise ship.
The scenery, special effects, and stunts were all spectacular. I don't want to give away too many of the surprises, but there were moments when I could hardly believe what I was watching. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this production surpassed many Broadway shows I have seen!
The talent of the cast was equally outstanding. I have always been impressed by the performers in Royal Caribbean's productions, but this particular cast really blew me away. We also had the opportunity to see them perform in the ship's other theater production, The Effectors: Origin Story, and they were fantastic in that show as well.
We enjoyed The Wizard of Oz so much that we actually went back to see it a second time on our final night of the cruise!
Before sailing, I never would have imagined that we would want to devote another hour and forty minutes of our precious cruise time to a show we had already seen. There are so many things to do on a ship like the Icon, and time always seems to fly by. But this production was so exceptional that we simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to experience it again.
And you know what? We loved it just as much the second time!
If you're sailing on the Icon of the Seas, do yourself a favor and make sure you see The Wizard of Oz. It was easily one of the biggest highlights of our entire cruise.
#2: Aqua Action!
My family was incredibly impressed by Aqua Action!, the spectacular aqua show aboard the Icon of the Seas. But what made this experience particularly special was not just the show itself. It was also the incredible new AquaDome theater!
The AquaDome features some really impressive high-tech elements that take the performance to an entirely new level.
During the day, the theater is surrounded by enormous glass panels that allow guests to enjoy beautiful ocean views. At night, however, some of those panels transform into digital screens and lighting elements, creating an immersive environment that surrounds the audience with special effects.
There are also some fascinating robotic arms that are incorporated into the production. These aren't just used to move stage pieces and props around. They actually interact with the performers and help transform the stage throughout the show!
Another wonderful feature of the AquaDome is its dramatic waterfall, which adds yet another dimension to the performance.
As with every Royal Caribbean aqua show we have seen, we were absolutely blown away by the talent of the performers. Some of the diving and stunts were truly jaw-dropping!
The show features an incredible combination of aerialists, slackliners, stunt performers, skateboarders, divers, artistic swimmers, and dancers. There is so much happening throughout the performance that you almost don't know where to look!
One of our family traditions on Royal Caribbean cruises is to try to see the aqua shows twice. They are such unique performances, unlike anything we can see at home, and we always find ourselves wanting to experience them again.
Aqua Action! was certainly no exception.
We were all excited to return for a second performance, and even though we knew what was coming, we were just as captivated the second time around.
I think that says a great deal about the quality of the show. When a performance can leave you equally amazed the second time you see it, you know it is something special!
#3: The Dueling Piano Bar
My family used to live in San Diego, California, and my husband and I always enjoyed visiting a local dueling piano bar called the Shout House in the Gaslamp District.
It had been years since we had been to a dueling piano bar, so when I learned that the new Icon Class ships featured one, I was really excited to check it out!
However, as our cruise approached, my kids made it very clear that they had no interest in going to the kids' club.
Now, this is certainly nothing against Royal Caribbean's kids' clubs. They are amazing, and most kids absolutely love them! My kids, however, have a bit of an aversion to spending time apart when we're on a cruise. They want to enjoy the experience together as a family.
That left me wondering whether my husband and I would ever get the opportunity to visit the new dueling piano bar.
Then, while browsing the Royal Caribbean app, I discovered something wonderful: there was going to be a family-friendly dueling piano show on the afternoon of our final sea day!
I was thrilled!
My kids were willing to give it a try, but they were rather skeptical that they would actually enjoy it.
I assured them that I knew what fun was, and that this was definitely going to be fun.
Thankfully, I was right!
The two performers were absolutely fantastic. They did a wonderful job of combining the traditional dueling piano bar experience with a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that kept both the adults and kids entertained.
Throughout the show, they invited children up to participate in little challenges and trivia questions, handing out ducks as prizes.
If you've ever been on a cruise, you probably know that finding hidden ducks around the ship is a huge highlight for many kids. My children are no exception!
The moment they realized ducks were being handed out as prizes, their hands shot up in the air, and they were eager to volunteer for just about anything!
The performers also played a really fun audience participation game in which they played the piano portions of various songs and challenged everyone to guess the titles.
The entire audience got involved, and before long, everyone was singing along and having a wonderful time.
We will definitely be returning to the dueling piano bar the next time we sail on an Icon Class ship.
I especially appreciate that Royal Caribbean offers a family-friendly version of this entertainment. It gives kids the chance to experience something they might otherwise miss, while also allowing parents who can't arrange a night out to enjoy the fun.
For our family, it turned out to be one of the most unexpectedly delightful experiences of the cruise!
#4: The Crepes at the AquaDome Marketplace
One of the wonderful new additions to the Icon Class ships is the AquaDome Marketplace.
This food hall features five different quick-service counters offering a variety of tasty options. Since the AquaDome and its marketplace are located high on the ship, near the pool deck and waterpark on Decks 15 and 16, these venues also provide some great alternatives to the traditional poolside food options, such as Royal Caribbean's popular Mexican restaurant, El Loco Fresh.
The five food counters in the AquaDome Marketplace include Toast and Garden, which serves sandwiches; Mac's, featuring macaroni and cheese; an Asian food counter; Feta Mediterranean, offering Mediterranean-inspired dishes; and, finally, our family's absolute favorite, Crème de la Crêpe!
We didn't manage to try every food option in the marketplace during our week aboard.
My family tried the Mediterranean food and really enjoyed it. I sampled a dish from the Asian counter and thought it was just all right.
But in our opinion, the real star of the marketplace was unquestionably the crepe station!
We are a family of crepe lovers, and we ended up enjoying crepes almost every single day of our cruise.
There were so many delicious toppings to choose from, including chocolate, Nutella, caramel, fresh bananas, fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, banana cream, and other yummy options.
It was such a treat to be able to stop by for a freshly warmed crepe whenever we wanted one!
Before our cruise, I had wondered whether the crepe station would be extremely popular and whether we would end up waiting in long lines.
Fortunately, Royal Caribbean had come up with a very efficient system.
Rather than making each crepe completely from scratch as guests ordered, they had the crepes prepared in advance. When you placed your order, they warmed the crepe on the crepe pan and added your selected toppings.
This kept the line moving quickly without sacrificing the delicious taste.
The crepes were wonderful, and we rarely had to wait long to get one.
Having this little crepe station conveniently located near the pool deck and AquaDome was such a great addition to the cruise experience.
I honestly think we would have been happy to visit every day, and on most days, we did!
If you're sailing on an Icon Class ship, don't miss the crepes. They are absolutely worth trying!
#5: The Ice Cream Was Creamier!
Okay, I realize that highlighting the consistency of soft-serve ice cream might seem like a rather small thing when talking about one of the largest and most impressive cruise ships in the world.
But ice cream is a pretty big deal in my family!
We love desserts, and enjoying all the delicious treats available on a cruise is something we look forward to every time we sail.
In fact, we often consider it our mission to consume at least a couple of ice cream cones each day. We even keep a running tally of our family's total ice cream cone count for each cruise!
So, naturally, we take our cruise ship ice cream very seriously.
Imagine our delight when we discovered that the soft-serve ice cream aboard the Icon of the Seas was noticeably better than what we had enjoyed on our previous Royal Caribbean cruises!
Every member of my family agreed that this was the best soft-serve ice cream we had experienced on any Royal Caribbean ship.
I'm not sure exactly why it was so much better.
Perhaps the Icon has newer machines, or maybe Royal Caribbean is using a different ice cream base. It could even be a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, there was a noticeable difference.
You could actually see it just by looking at the color and consistency of the ice cream. It appeared richer and creamier, and the taste confirmed it.
The ice cream had a smoother texture and a more indulgent flavor that made every cone even more enjoyable.
We became completely convinced that the Icon had received some kind of ice cream upgrade when we stopped for soft serve during our Perfect Day at CocoCay.
As soon as we saw the ice cream coming out of the machine on the island, we could tell it had a different consistency. It wasn't nearly as creamy, and once we tasted it, we all agreed that it wasn't quite as good as the ice cream aboard the Icon.
Now, don't get me wrong. I will still very happily eat the soft serve at CocoCay and on Royal Caribbean's other ships!
But I really appreciated the extra creaminess of the ice cream on the Icon.
It's a small detail, but sometimes those little things make a vacation even more enjoyable.
And for an ice-cream-loving family like ours, this particular little detail made us very happy indeed!
#6: The Beautiful Decor and Fresh Design of the Ship
It's difficult to put a value on the impact of a ship's decor and overall design, but I have to say that the beautiful finishes and fresh atmosphere aboard the Icon of the Seas were a major highlight for our family.
Everything felt so new, bright, and inviting!
Of course, part of that comes from sailing on a relatively new ship. The staterooms have modern furnishings and finishes, and all the common areas still have that wonderful fresh feeling.
But I think Royal Caribbean went well beyond simply creating a new ship with updated furniture and decorations.
The entire design of the Icon feels different from the other Royal Caribbean ships we've experienced.
There are beautiful art pieces, bold colors, playful details, and interesting design features around almost every corner.
Every venue seemed to have its own personality, and the whole ship had a cheerful, welcoming atmosphere.
What stood out to me most was how much the Icon felt like a beautiful, modern resort rather than a traditional cruise ship.
We loved wandering around and discovering new seating areas, interesting artwork, and little design details that we might otherwise have overlooked.
There were so many fun spaces to sit and relax, and we really appreciated the thought that had gone into making the common areas both beautiful and comfortable.
One of our favorite areas was Surfside, which had such a bright and playful atmosphere.
And how could you not love the enormous flamingo? It was such a fun touch!
We also really enjoyed the brighter colors and fresh design of the pool deck. The entire outdoor area felt lively, inviting, and perfect for a family vacation.
Royal Caribbean ships have always featured lovely design elements and impressive artwork, but for me, the bold, colorful, resort-inspired style of the Icon is my favorite so far.
I know that decor might not be the first thing people think about when deciding which cruise ship to book, but I really believe it contributes a great deal to the overall vacation experience.
We enjoyed simply being aboard this beautiful ship.
Well done, Royal Caribbean! We noticed and appreciated all those little details.
#7: Crown's Edge
While I probably wouldn't rank Crown's Edge quite as highly as some of the other experiences on this list, I definitely wanted to include it because it is such a unique attraction on the Icon Class ships.
And my family really enjoyed it!
Crown's Edge is a combination obstacle course and zipline experience located high above the ocean, near the giant Royal Caribbean crown logo on the side of the ship.
It is definitely not an activity for the faint of heart, particularly if you're afraid of heights!
The course is located up on Deck 17, and at one point, participants actually make their way beyond the side of the ship, with the ocean far below.
My husband and kids love ropes courses and ziplines, so they were especially eager to give Crown's Edge a try.
One thing to be aware of is that this is not a complimentary activity. There is an additional charge to participate.
We booked our experience at a reduced sale price and paid just under $30 per person.
That might not sound too outrageous for a unique attraction like this, but I do think it's important to know that the experience is quite short.
The actual obstacle course only takes about one or two minutes to complete.
Once you've made your way across the obstacles, you find yourself standing on a plank extending beyond the side of the ship.
Then comes the really exciting part!
You wait for the floor beneath you to drop away, sending you onto a zipline that carries you back around to the beginning of the course.
It's a pretty thrilling experience, especially when you consider just how high above the ocean you are!
Participants get to go around the course twice, which is nice because the first time you're so busy taking everything in that it's over before you know it.
Another fun feature is that there is a camera positioned to capture a close-up video of you completing the course.
The video is included in the price, so you get a fun souvenir of your adventure to take home.
I really appreciated that little extra touch!
My only real criticism is that I wish Royal Caribbean had made the course longer.
For the price, it would have been nice to spend a bit more time navigating obstacles before reaching the drop and zipline.
However, despite the short duration, my entire family enjoyed the experience.
We love trying new and unusual activities on cruises, and Crown's Edge certainly fits that description.
It's a fun, unique attraction that you simply won't find on most other cruise ships, and we were glad we gave it a try!
#8: The Category 6 Waterpark
Now, this one might be a little controversial!
If you've been following news about the Icon Class ships, you've probably heard about the ongoing issues with some of the waterslides in the Category 6 waterpark.
Following an injury involving a broken panel on one of the waterslides more than a year before our sailing, several of the slides had remained closed.
I had done quite a bit of research before our cruise and discovered that, depending on the sailing, somewhere between two and four of the waterpark's six slides were typically operating.
Naturally, we were hoping that as many slides as possible would be open during our week aboard.
Interestingly, our sailing actually had an adjusted itinerary, and the ship remained in port in Miami for an extra day to allow for maintenance work.
When we first received the notification about this change, I wondered whether the maintenance might have something to do with the waterpark.
As it turned out, it did!
When we initially boarded the ship, only two waterslides were open: Hurricane Hunter, one of the family raft slides, and Frightening Bolt, the drop-hatch body slide.
We were still excited to try them, but with six waterslides advertised in the Category 6 waterpark, we were naturally a little disappointed that only two were available.
The situation was particularly frustrating because Frightening Bolt has a 52-inch height requirement, and our youngest child wasn't quite tall enough to ride it.
That meant there was initially only one waterslide that everyone in our family could enjoy.
Fortunately, Royal Caribbean was actively working on the two Storm Chasers slides, which are designed as mat racers.
The following day, those two slides opened!
There was one catch, though. Rather than operating as mat racers, they were being used as regular body slides.
It certainly would have been fun to race down them on mats, but we were just thrilled to have two more waterslides available!
With the addition of the Storm Chasers slides, we now had four operating waterslides, and everyone in the family had several options to enjoy.
Of course, we still would have loved to experience the two remaining slides: Pressure Drop, the free-fall body slide, and Storm Surge, the other family raft slide.
It was disappointing not to get the full Category 6 experience, especially since the waterpark is one of the Icon's major attractions.
But despite those limitations, the waterpark still earned a spot on our family's list of favorite things about the cruise!
The slides we were able to experience were a lot of fun, and it was exciting to have a variety of waterslides that were different from those we'd enjoyed on Royal Caribbean's other ships.
We spent plenty of time having fun in the waterpark, and the kids really enjoyed trying the different slides.
While it would certainly have been better to experience all six waterslides as originally designed, we still had a wonderful time.
I'm hopeful that Royal Caribbean will eventually have all the slides operating again, because I can only imagine how much fun the full Category 6 waterpark must be!
#9: Rover, the Chief Dog Officer
When my kids learned that each Icon Class ship has a Golden Retriever living aboard, they were beyond excited!
In fact, meeting the ship's dog quickly became one of their biggest goals for our cruise.
The Golden Retriever who calls the Icon of the Seas home is named Rover, and she has the wonderful official title of Chief Dog Officer.
Her job is to spread love, happiness, and joy to everyone aboard the ship, including both the crew and guests.
When I first heard about this, I couldn't help thinking that Rover might just have the best job in the world!
My kids were determined to meet her, but after our first couple of days aboard, we still hadn't had a single Rover sighting.
We were beginning to get a little worried that we might go through the entire cruise without seeing her.
So, I decided to ask a crew member whether there were any scheduled times when guests could meet Rover.
We were told that spotting Rover around the ship was really a matter of luck.
However, there was one place where we could definitely see her!
Rover was scheduled to appear at Starstruck: Icons of the Seas Meet and Greet, a special question-and-answer session featuring some of the stars of the ship's entertainment productions.
We made sure to attend!
The event was hosted by the cruise director and featured performers from several of the ship's major shows, including a star from the aqua show, a performer from the ice-skating show, and a cast member from The Wizard of Oz.
A couple of members of the technical crew also participated.
And, of course, there was the star my kids were most excited to see: Rover!
It turned out to be a really interesting show.
Audience members had the opportunity to ask questions of the performers, and we learned some fascinating things about their experiences and what life is like working as an entertainer aboard a cruise ship.
We really enjoyed hearing about the incredible talent and work that goes into producing these elaborate shows at sea.
But perhaps not surprisingly, Rover attracted some of the biggest interest from the audience!
The performers even mentioned that Rover is often the most asked-about guest at these events.
There were plenty of questions for Rover's full-time companion and trainer about what life is like for a dog living aboard a cruise ship.
My kids loved hearing more about Rover's daily life and finally getting the chance to see her in person.
The dog theme didn't stop there, either!
My children were thrilled to discover that each Icon Class ship also features a large dog statue in its Royal Promenade.
Naturally, we had to stop and take some adorable photos with the statue!
Then, while exploring the gift shop on the Promenade, we spotted another fun surprise.
There was a huge stuffed Golden Retriever on display, which I assume was meant to represent Rover.
What made it especially cute was that the crew dressed the stuffed dog in a different outfit each day!
My kids loved stopping by the gift shop to see what Rover would be wearing that day.
It became another one of those fun little things we looked forward to during our week aboard.
And, of course, while we were visiting the gift shop, we discovered that Royal Caribbean sells adorable stuffed versions of Rover that guests can take home as souvenirs.
I have to admit, they were so cute that I didn't mind saying yes!
I really think Royal Caribbean has come up with a wonderful idea by having a Chief Dog Officer aboard its Icon Class ships.
Not only does it provide a little extra joy for guests, but I imagine having a dog aboard also helps make the ship feel more like home for the crew members who spend so much of their lives at sea.
There is just something about a friendly dog that makes people smile!
My only suggestion would be to create more opportunities for guests to see and interact with Rover.
Despite spending an entire week aboard, we never happened to see her wandering around the ship.
We would have absolutely loved to encounter her during our daily adventures and perhaps even sneak in a few pets!
I think Royal Caribbean has something really special with its Chief Dog Officer program, and I would love to see them expand it even more.
We want more Rover time!
My kids have already done their research on the Chief Dog Officers aboard the other Icon Class ships, and they have big plans to meet Skipper, Dolly, and Sailor on future cruises.
Apparently, meeting the dogs is now going to be an important part of our Icon Class cruise experiences!
#10: Family-Friendly Game Shows
What can I say? My family absolutely loves the family-friendly game shows offered on Royal Caribbean cruises!
These interactive activities have always been one of the things we look forward to when we sail.
We've enjoyed participating in game shows on all our previous Royal Caribbean cruises, but our sailing on the Icon of the Seas had a particularly good lineup of family-friendly offerings.
There were so many fun opportunities for us to get involved and enjoy a little friendly competition together.
One of the things we appreciated most was that Royal Caribbean used the new AquaDome as a venue for many of these game shows.
It turned out to be a fantastic location!
The AquaDome has plenty of seating, and the theater's design provides great views of the stage from throughout the venue.
Of course, there wasn't any water involved during the game shows, so the space was transformed into a comfortable setting for these interactive events.
Another major benefit was that the AquaDome is an indoor venue.
On a cruise, outdoor entertainment can sometimes be affected by the weather, but we didn't have to worry about that here.
We could simply show up, find a seat, and enjoy the fun!
The location was also incredibly convenient.
With the AquaDome Marketplace right next door, we could easily stop and pick up a snack before or during the game shows.
And, as you've probably guessed by now, our snack of choice was usually crepes!
I have to say, enjoying a fun family game show while eating a delicious crepe is a pretty wonderful way to spend part of a cruise vacation.
We also loved that the AquaDome is located up near the pool deck.
This made it easy to pop in for a game show and a quick snack, then head right back out to enjoy the pools and other outdoor activities.
Rather than feeling like we had to interrupt our day to attend an event somewhere else on the ship, the whole experience fit naturally into our day.
The combination of great family entertainment, a beautiful indoor venue, convenient location, and easy access to tasty snacks made these game shows an extra-special part of our Icon experience.
It's little conveniences like these that can make a big difference when you're cruising with kids, and we really appreciated how well everything worked together.
Final Thoughts: Why We Loved the Icon of the Seas So Much
Looking back on our week aboard the Icon of the Seas, there were so many wonderful experiences that made this cruise special for our family.
The entertainment was absolutely spectacular, with The Wizard of Oz and Aqua Action! delivering some of the most impressive performances we've ever seen at sea.
We loved discovering new venues like the dueling piano bar and AquaDome Marketplace, indulging in far too many delicious crepes and ice cream cones, and exploring the ship's beautiful new design.
The waterpark, Crown's Edge, and family game shows gave us plenty of opportunities to have fun together, while Rover and all the cute dog-themed touches added an extra layer of happiness to our week.
We've had wonderful experiences on every Royal Caribbean ship we've sailed on, and each one has offered something special.
But the Icon of the Seas really stood out.
I think a big part of what made this cruise so memorable was the combination of a fresh, modern ship design with so many different activities, entertainment options, and inviting spaces to explore.
There was something exciting around every corner, and even though we've been on many Royal Caribbean cruises, the Icon managed to make the entire experience feel new again.
That's not an easy thing to accomplish!
Happy Sailing!
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