Anticipation is building for Royal Caribbean International’s new class of ships, the mysterious and sure-to-be-spectacular Icon class.
To continue building on the excitement, the cruise line has debuted the first episode in its new “Making an Icon” video series, giving prospective guests and cruise fans new insights into the new ship.
First Episode Debuts
Following a teaser trailer released earlier this month, Royal Caribbean International has now released the first full episode of the “Making an Icon” video series. At just under eight minutes long, the short video is still packed with behind-the-scenes views and tantalizing insights about the upcoming vessel.
The first episode, titled “Envisioning an Iconic Vacation” explores the very early days of the new ship’s conception, the brainstorm and ideation that is now being brought to life at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
Brief quotes and descriptive phrases from naval architects and interior designers to industrial engineers, food and beverage directors, artists, executives, and more add to the well-deserved hype surrounding the new ship.
“Icon really is truly the best of everything that Royal Caribbean has built up over the past 50 years,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
“Jaw-dropping” “amazing” “mind-blowing awesomeness” “unrivaled entertainment” “transformational vacation experience” and “magical” are just a few of the superlatives applied to the ship from the people on the design team best positioned to know what the vessel will bring to cruise vacations.
“Simply put, Icon will be the best family vacation in the world,” said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean International’s Chief Product Innovation Officer.
Video clips show different steps in the ship’s initial construction, including the steel cutting ceremony on June 16, 2021 as well as previous design brainstorming sessions and team meetings as the ship was being conceptualized and glimpses throughout the construction process, such as bringing the mysterious sphere aboard the ship.
The video emphasizes that Icon of the Seas‘ design is guest-oriented, taking into account decades of feedback, customer preferences, and guest surveys to create the vacation every cruise traveler dreams about.
At the same time, however, the ship has been called a “white paper ship” in reference to starting with a blank sheet of paper to truly create a new, fresh experience.
“We really looked at how can we bring the best of all experiences and vacation types into one place,” said Yael Stewart, Director, Product Innovation for the cruise line. “You have to dream as big as you can but at the same time, in order to really deliver to a promise like that, you must have a very defined approach.”
Five Pillars of Icon of the Seas
During the design phase of the ship’s creation, different teams came together and determined five core pillars that define the best of Royal Caribbean’s cruise vacations.
“Unrivaled water experiences” is the first, combining not only the watery fun onboard a ship with pools, whirlpools, water slides, and splash pads, but also the ocean water all around the vessel that makes a cruise vacation unique.
“Adrenaline pumping thrills” is the second core pillar, something found on every Royal Caribbean ship with the amazing activity options onboard. From classic climbing walls to skydiving simulators, FlowRider surfing, North Star observation pods, zip lines, and more, the cruise line is well known for pushing the thrill boundaries on its ships.
The third pillar is “the ultimate family vacation” and entails bringing families and generations together for memorable moments and building bonds.
“Sensational entertainment” and “celebration of food and beverage” are the remaining core pillars, both of which emphasize diversity and the opportunity to explore new things in an enjoyable and fun-filled atmosphere.
Up Next
This first episode ends with a teaser that the next episode will feature insider looks at design and construction, with tight timelines to stay on track for the planned fall 2023 debut of Icon of the Seas. No release date has been announced for the next video installment, but stay tuned to Cruise Hive to be among the first to see it!
