When Royal Caribbean announced their next ship would be the icon of vacations, they weren't kidding! Icon of the Seas is a perfect week-long voyage for every type of cruiser. While built with families in mind, Icon has a lot to offer for adults and solo travelers, too. With a ship so large, there is never a dull moment on board. Here are the top 5 destinations on board that our family and I loved so much, we would cruise on Icon again!
1: Thrill Island
Are you a fan of thrills, waterslides, and sports? Then Thrill Island is the perfect destination for you. With the largest waterpark at sea, there are enough waterslides to keep you occupied all day. Category 6 Waterpark offers 6 different waterslides—2 mat slides, 2 family slides, and 2 drop slides. They each differ in intensity, so you don't have to be the biggest thrill seeker to enjoy them. My family and I enjoyed the 2 mat slides, Storm Chasers, the most as they were fast but did not add the fear of a drop. The lines for all of the slides can get lengthy during the morning and afternoon, but we found that 5-6PM was the perfect time for us to enjoy a quick plunge before dinner as there were no lines at all.
Some other things to keep in mind at Category 6 Waterpark:
The 2 family slides have a maximum weight threshold. Be prepared to split up in groups if necessary.
The crew do not allow you to ride slides with a sunshirt or sunglasses on. These will need to be stored in the cubbies right outside of the line.
The slides are open at night until 9PM.
While primarily known for Category 6 Waterpark, we also enjoyed the mini golf and sports court on Thrill Island. They were great places to enjoy some fun dry activities together.
2: The Hideaway
The Hideaway is Icon's adult-only space, named after the adults-only beach at its island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Those who have cruised with Royal Caribbean will immediately notice differences between The Hideaway on Icon and the Solarium found on older ships.
While the Solarium on Oasis class ships is at the front of the ship with a glass dome covering, The Hideaway is at the back of the ship and does not have any kind of covering in the lounging areas. This means that The Hideaway will feel a lot louder than what you may expect from a quiet adults-only area, especially with music playing all day. However, we did not find The Hideaway too loud for us to enjoy. Since there are 3 distinct spots at The Hideaway—loungers, an infinity pool, and a bar—crowds are evenly spaced out throughout the area. The DJs on board also did a fantastic job of playing music that adults would enjoy for a fun poolside party, such as reggaeton and 80s music. We loved hanging out at The HIdeaway throughout our voyage, especially for the views from the infinity pool and the orange loungers.
On the first port day of our voyage, we enjoyed a day bed at The Hideaway which was right near the edge of the ship. It included drinks throughout the day and was a very comfortable spot for us to lounge and dry off.
3: Central Park
Returning from Royal Caribbean's Oasis class ships, Central Park is a beautiful outdoor area on board full of trees, live music, and a relaxing atmosphere. We loved walking around Central Park at day and night throughout our voyage. Most of the day, the area is tranquil with bird sounds and the feeling of fresh air. Sometimes, though, the horn section of the orchestra on board played at Central Park, which we loved. It really felt like being in Central Park at NYC.
Our favorite spot in Central Park was Lou's Jazz and Blues Club, featuring an incredible lineup of live musicians throughout the day playing jazz and pop music. Many of their performances had a packed crowd, and their Earth Wind & Fire concert featuring the orchestra's horn and rhythm section blew us away. The crowd loved it so much that they played an encore song.
4: Surfside
Our family was very surprised at how much we enjoyed Surfside! Even though our staterooms overlooked the area, we thought Surfside would be a loud area exclusively for children. We were very wrong! While the area has many kid-friendly activities, there are also several places to eat, which gave us a new place to eat our breakfast during our voyage. The carousel from the Oasis class ship's Boardwalk area also returned, which was fun for the whole family.
An area at Surfside you cannot miss is the infinity pool right behind Splashaway Bay, the large kid's waterpark at Surfside. The pool gives you a gorgeous view of the ocean and is the perfect place for parents to hang out while their kids play at Splashaway Bay. The orchestra—The High C's—also played some New Orleans music at Surfside for a few hours, which was amazing!
5: Chill Island
Chill Island made our poolside experience complete. While we loved the adrenaline-pumping slides at Thrill Island, we needed a place to relax, sunbathe, and read a book. Chill Island's several pools and talented Caribbean band provide a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy throughout the day. We especially loved the swim-up bar, Swim and Tonic. Sometimes, activities are hosted at the pools as well, such as a morning aqua aerobics session at the Royal Bay Pool. This activity was a really unique way to tie in fitness and the water, and it was a great way to kick off our day.
Chill Island takes up 2 decks, making it feel very large and welcoming. We never had any issues finding lounger chairs at Chill Island, even though most cruisers reserve them for an entire day. We enjoyed the food options at Chill Island as well, giving us the chance to get a quick bite without having to change into dry clothes at the WIndjammer Marketplace.
Honorable Mention: The Aquadome
The Aquadome is a new neighborhood on board exclusive to Icon of the Seas. We were mesmerized at how beautiful the space is! The area is so large that it has the Aqua Theater, a food area called the Aquadome Market, and a lounging area called The Overlook, all in one space. The Aquadome Market features a great variety of food, including Mediterranean food, Asian food, and even Mac n' Cheese.
The only reason The Aquadome did not make it on our top 5 is that the area was very loud throughout the day on our voyage. Since we sailed during the inagural season, the entertainment cast was still rehearsing the nightly Aqua Action show in the Aqua Theater during the entire day. As a result, we often heard loud show music during our time in the Aquadome, which can be an issue for those that are trying to work remotely at sea. On future sailings, however, the area will likely be quieter during the day with fountain shows at the Aqua Theater as Royal Caribbean originally intended.
Icon of the Seas truly has so much variety, whether for the young at heart, the relaxation-seeking cruiser, or someone who wants to try everything. Some may be intimidated by the ship's size, but don't let that stop you from enjoying an unforgettable cruise. We never encountered crowd issues on board, and the entertainment was very impressive. We loved all of the activities and spaces Icon had to offer and hope you will consider it for your next week-long getaway.
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