The world's biggest cruise ship is about to get a near-identical twin sister!
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas is due to sail next year and will be five times the size of the Titanic, boasting heaps of amazing features including a huge waterpark with SIX record-breaking water slides, infinity pools, a spa, restaurants and EIGHT neighbourhoods for passengers to explore across the 20 decks. (That includes a 'stay-all-day' neighbourhood for families which boasts an aquapark, adults pools and snack bars).
The enormous ship is a huge 365 metres long (1,200 ft) and will measure 250,800 tonnes – five times more than the 46,329 tonne Titanic. Lengthways, the ship is longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower.
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It's actually the first in Royal Caribbean's new 'Icon' class of vessels, but now a second is coming to join; Star of the Seas. Star of the Seas is set to be just as huge as Icon, although the cruise line is remaining tight-lipped about exactly what will be on board.
It has hinted that there will be some fun features such as beach retreats and 'theme park adventure', similar to what's available with Icon. Usually for sister ships you can expect some of the same features such as waterparks, entertainment and restaurants, often with a couple of extra surprises.
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There's no exact launch date yet, but the cruise line has teased that it will be taking to the seas for summer 2025, and that the ship is currently being built in Finland.
Icon of the Seas has already been a huge success for the brand. In fact, the company says it saw the single largest booking day and highest volume booking week in its history when Icon was first revealed in October 2022. It was so popular that they even opened up more bookings early for further sailings.
Speaking about Star of the Seas, Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International said: "The idea of combining the best of every type of vacation into one ultimate adventure has created more excitement than ever anticipated, and Star of the Seas will be the next bold answer to the record-breaking consumer demand we’ve seen for nearly a year and counting with Icon of the Seas."
When Icon of the Seas officially sails and becomes the world's biggest cruise ship, she'll be taking the title from a fellow Royal Caribbean ship, Wonder of the Seas. This one also has heaps of seriously impressive features; we're talking the likes of a zip line, a water park with the tallest slide at sea, heaps of shops and attractions, FlowRider wave machine, rock climbing walls and a cantilevered bar for a cocktail with a view.
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