20 floors, 7 pools, 1 ice area: The world’s largest cruise ship sailing to the Caribbean for the first time

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Miami to St. Kitts, via the eastern Caribbean via the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, returning to Miami in seven days. The Icon of the Seas went on its maiden voyage this weekend.

The 365-meter-long and 20-storey mega ferry is officially the largest cruise ship in the world. It has a capacity of approximately 8,000 guests. On board you’ll find seven pools, 20 restaurants, 15 bars, an escape room, a mini golf course, an artificial waterfall, an ice arena, a wind tunnel, a casino, a spa with a fitness center, and much, much more. .

The operator, US cruise company Royal Caribbean, does not lose sight of the advantages: its new infrastructure offers “the symbol of all holiday cruises”. “This is more than just a vacation upgrade,” Royal Caribbean writes. “The best family holiday in the world.”

Gigantism is also important in terms of climate damage.

Guests from 30 countries are on board for the record ship’s first Caribbean voyage. But they won’t be able to experience its official maiden voyage: The ship was built in Finland and therefore had to cross the Atlantic before being used for the first time with tourists.

A week’s stay on the ship starts from 1,700 francs in the cheapest interior cabin without windows. If you want a suite you’ll have to dig at least twice deeper into your pocket.

In addition to the current route, Icon of the Seas embarks on a second tour of the Western Caribbean with stops in Mexico, Honduras and the Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean boasts that its newest cruise ship is environmentally friendly because it runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG). This is better than the heavy oil that many other cruise ships use to cross the world’s oceans. But from CO₂-neutral is still miles away. Not to mention the direct impact on the underwater world around the visited islands.

A few hours for city, beach and rainforest

Mass tourism is also becoming a problem for destinations as 8,000 guests arrive in a town at once and disappear again hours later without creating much added value in the area. It’s no surprise that Icon of the Seas stops its tours on a Royal Caribbean private island in the Bahamas — where thousands of cruise guests aren’t bothering anyone.

But criticism or no criticism: Cruise enthusiasts are rushing through the doors of the new flagship of nautical tourism. With sailboats recently going on sale for the first time, Royal Caribbean had its strongest booking day in the company’s history. No wonder the first game sold out.

Guests are currently at sea between the United States and the Dominican Republic. Their first stop is St. Paul on Tuesday. It will be Kitts. Cruise passengers have a full 10 hours to explore the island’s capital, Basseterre, as well as the surrounding rainforest and beaches – unless they want to leave the ship, given the many attractions on board.

Source :Blick