In just nine months, Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas will officially debut, and we’ve already learned about the ship’s amazing new features, outstanding neighborhoods, and top-rated thrills. But what about where guests will spend most of their time onboard, from unpacking to cleaning up to dressing for all the fun to resting before the next adventure?
The latest episode of “Making an Icon” goes behind-the-scenes to reveal new staterooms and cabin design features that will make every room on the ship truly iconic.
Staterooms on Icon of the Seas
The seventh episode of the behind-the-scenes “Making an Icon” series has been released, titled “Creating Next Level Accommodations” and features not only looks at the different stateroom categories aboard the upcoming Icon of the Seas, but also offers glimpses and insight into the design process and how the ships staterooms have been constructed.
A total of 28 stateroom categories are available on the ship, with 14 completely new categories, including layouts deliberately designed for families.
“Accommodations on Icon really are so well thought through,” said Jennifer Goswami, Director, product development, Royal Caribbean International. “Every detail of the room was carefully scrutinized.”
For example, engineers and designers noted the distance between charging ports and desks or tables where devices would be placed, where soap dispensers are located in comparison to sinks and showers, and other intricate details to ensure each stateroom meets all of guests’ needs. “Every part of every stateroom on Icon really was intentionally built,” Goswami said.
The first step in designing Icon’s staterooms was extensive guest research, including asking crew members what guests liked and did not like about their staterooms, or what items guests packed along to enhance their staterooms.
Storage was a key concern, and new storage spaces such as a small shelves, wall hooks, under sofa drawers, and more have all been been highlighted in new staterooms.
Read Also: Icon of the Seas Voted Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship
Overall, the design process for the ship’s staterooms took more than five years, and included mockups that could be tested before full production began.
“It’s actually be the longest design period we’ve ever undertaken,” said Kelly Gonzalez, senior vice president of architectural design and newbuilding for Royal Caribbean Group.
Building Staterooms
Guests may be surprised to learn that staterooms are not built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Turku, Finland where Icon of the Seas is under construction, but are actually built at a factory facility about 30 minutes away before being transported for installation on the ship.
Approximately 25 rooms are built per day, depending on which rooms are being constructed at the time. For Icon of the Seas‘ 2,805 staterooms, that means more than 110 days of ongoing construction just to build all the guest cabins.
Layouts have been thoughtfully designed to provide more overall space, giving guests a relaxing, at-home feel while in their staterooms, but still being connected to the ocean through great views and barrier-free infinite balcony designs that also have amazing interior square footage.
Stateroom automation has also been enhanced with the ability to control balconies, blinds, lights, temperature, and more at the touch of a button.
The Suite Life
A variety of suites are also newly designed for Icon of the Seas, including the Sunset Suites in the ship’s aft with wraparound balconies as well as the AquaDome Suites, where the panoramic views look right through the AquaDome itself.
Larger suites can also accommodate families of five or more guests, or guests can choose from many options for adjoining cabins. On Icon of the Seas, 80% of the staterooms are able to be connected or to accommodate larger families, compared to just 25% of larger family staterooms on the Oasis-class vessels.
The Surfside Suites, adjacent to the family-oriented Surfside neighborhood, are a completely new wide design. Innovative features include a “kids nook” that can be closed off with screens for privacy, but still keeping family members connected to one another.
Overall, many of Icon of the Seas‘ cabins are designed to be flexible for different guests’ needs, to accommodate different age groups, and to welcome multi-generational families with restful, rejuvenating space.
Have you booked your stateroom yet?
