All eyes in the cruising world are on Icon of the Seas with the new ship’s debut less than three weeks away. But more than just the ship itself, the crew is what makes cruising amazing, and Royal Caribbean International is treating Icon of the Seas‘ crew to some great celebrations ahead of the ship’s maiden voyage.
Icon of the Seas Celebrating Crew Members
Royal Caribbean International’s new and sensational ship – the most anticipated new ship debuting in 2024 – is less than three weeks away from welcoming her first guests, but great things are in store for the vessel in the days ahead of her maiden voyage.
Icon of the Seas just completed a visit to Ponce, Puerto Rico, where the ship took on additional supplies and underwent regulatory inspections prior to beginning passenger service. A variety of shipyard workers also left the vessel after completing onboard work, and the ship is one big step closer to her inaugural sailing.
The next stop for the massive 250,800-gross-ton vessel is not yet her homeport of Miami, Florida, however. Instead, Icon of the Seas will be visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay for a well-deserved party for her crew members.
“Our amazing Icon crew will be the first to experience the biggest and best private island party at the new Hideaway Beach,” announced Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
“This break is so well-deserved as they’ve been working hard to put the finishing details on Icon, making sure the ship is just right for our first guests. I am so grateful for this startup crew and the years of expertise and passion they bring to the World’s Best Family Vacation.”
The new Hideaway Beach is an exclusive, adults-only addition to CocoCay, featuring new bars and dining venues, private cabanas, an acre of white sand beach, in-water hammocks, and more. Hideaway Beach is slated to open in late January, coinciding with Icon of the Seas‘ first visit to Royal Caribbean’s private island destination.
It is wonderful that Royal Caribbean is celebrating the hard-working crew members aboard Icon of the Seas by arranging the massive crew party at Hideaway Beach on Monday, January 8.
Of course, the event will also be a trial of the new destination’s facilities to help work out any difficulties before guests arrive, and crew members may be asked to provide feedback to help tweak the space for more efficiency and enjoyment.
Icon of the Seas‘ Arrival Into Miami
While the new ship will be just 140 miles east of her new homeport on Monday, Tuesday will be spent at sea in anticipation of some stormy weather. Then, on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, Icon of the Seas will sail into PortMiami for the very first time. Her arrival time is expected at approximately 7 a.m., and a welcome party is planned as the ship cruises to the terminal.
“Wednesday morning we have a huge celebration planned for all of our shoreside teams and guests and loyalists are also welcome to see this historic occasion,” said Bayley. “Let’s wake up the whole city with our excitement for the Icon of Vacations’ arrival home.”
The official welcome event will be held at the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County (Perez Art Museum Miami) in downtown Miami with games, refreshments, live music, and giveaways. The museum is located at 1103 Biscayne Boulevard, just at the base of the MacArthur Causeway and with a spectacular view of Biscayne Bay for the ship’s arrival.
Icon of the Seas will welcome her first official guests aboard on Saturday, January 27, 2024 as she begins passenger operations. The inaugural sailing is a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, during which the ship will visit St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and CocoCay. Icon of the Seas will be homeported year-round from Miami, offering alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries at least through April 2026.
Deployment plans after April 2026 have not yet been finalized. At that time, the second Icon-class ship – Star of the Seas – will already be sailing from Port Canaveral, and it is possible Icon of the Seas may be moved to a different homeport to bring her iconic brand of vacations to a new sailing region.
