Icon of the Seas: Everything you need to know about the largest cruise ship in the world
The world's largest cruise ship, complete with 20 decks and six waterslides, is getting ready to set sail for the first time.
Royal Caribbean's "Icon of the Seas" is in Port Miami getting ready for its maiden voyage into the Caribbean. NBC News correspondent Sam Brock got a firsthand look at the breathtaking ship on TODAY on before it heads out to sea.
Here's what to know about the record-setting cruise ship.
How big is the Icon of the Seas ship?
A seven-year building process in Finland resulted in a ship that's 1,198 feet long and features 20 decks. It can carry more than 7,000 passengers, and combined with the crew, will hold nearly 10,000 people — the size of a small city.
At 250,800 gross tons and nearly 1,200 feet long, it makes the Titanic look like a tugboat. For comparison, the Titanic was 882.9 feet long and 46,328 gross tons.
What are some of the amenities on the Icon of the Seas?
There are eight "neighborhoods" geared to all different experiences, from the shopping area of "Central Park" to the pools and cabanas of "Chill Island."
They also are in proximity to one another so parents can relax in the pool while the kids go flying down one of the six slides in the nearby water park area of "Thrill Island."
“You’re not competing with another cruise, you’re competing with any other vacation a family would want to do," Royal Caribbean senior vice president Jay Schneider told Brock on TODAY.
"So we purposely put a more adult-centric pool next to the slide structure so you know mom, dad can sit and immerse in the water while the kid goes on like 50 slides."
In keeping with the theme of the ship, a bar named "Swim & Tonic" is the largest swim-up bar ever put on a cruise ship, according to Schneider.
There also is a three-story glass structure known as "The Pearl," which Schneider said is the world's largest "kinetic" art sculpture.
The vessel also includes a theater that features performances of Broadway's "Wizard of Oz."
For the more adventurous, there's the "Crown's Edge" walk, which Brock tested out on TODAY. He strapped into a harness that took him along a zipline that allows passengers to dangle along the side of the ship, 150 feet above the water.
How much does a trip on the Icon of the Seas cost?
A seven-night round trip from Miami to the eastern Caribbean that includes a stop at Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas costs an average of $2,019 per person, according to the cruise line's website. It's an average of $1,809 for the package without the stop at the island.
That package also includes stops in St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The demand for that journey is so overwhelming that the earliest trip currently being booked is for Oct. 11, 2025.
There's also a trip to the western Caribbean for $1,759 per person with a stop at the island, which is called Perfect Day at Coco Cay.
When is the Icon of the Sea's release date?
The maiden voyage for the gargantuan vessel is coming up on Jan. 27, leaving out of Port Miami.
Royal Caribbean is taking bookings for the alternating trips to the eastern and western Caribbean, with the earliest available being a seven-night trip that departs on Feb. 24 and costs an average of $2,297 per person, according to its website.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com