Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean marked a major milestone by officially welcoming 100 million cruise guests.
- The occasion was marked with a surprise celebration onboard Icon of the Seas, in which a family was honored with special upgrades and a free cruise.
- Royal Caribbean’s history of growth and breaking records will only continue with Star of the Seas and the brand’s upcoming shoreside destinations.
When we talk about the cruise guests in terms of numbers, we’re often thinking about how many passengers visited a specific port of call.Â
But this time, Royal Caribbean is stealing the spotlight to celebrate that the popular cruise line has now welcomed 100 million guests after over 50 years in the cruise industry.
The celebration kicked off with a big surprise for the Duquette family, who became the 100 millionth guests when they stepped onboard Icon of the Seas for a 7-night Caribbean vacation.
The Parkland, Florida, residents were stunned to find themselves at the center of a celebration in the Royal Promenade in which they were given special upgrades, a $1,000 onboard credit, and a free cruise onboard Utopia of the Seas.
For context, Utopia of the Seas is the most recent addition to the Oasis-class ships, launching in 2024 like Icon of the Seas. She currently operates 3-4 night sailings to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral.
As the family was honored, excited crew members came running with balloons spelling out 100M and threw colorful confetti.
However, the celebration isn’t just about honoring one lucky family. The winners are a symbol of all the fun-filled memories the cruise line wants to make with the next 100 million guests.
With this in mind, Royal Caribbean is also running a special promotion where guests can save up to $100 on all Royal Caribbean vacations embarking in the US on bookings made through August 5, 2025.
Onwards and Upwards
Today, Royal Caribbean is one of the major leaders in the cruise world. But to put things into perspective, it’s important to look back at how far the brand has come since it was founded in 1968.
Now 57 years ago, the cruise line was born in Norway thanks to the efforts of three Norwegian shipping companies: Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, I.M. Skaugen & Company, and Gotaas Larsen.
Just about two years later in 1970, the company launched the now-retired Song of Norway, and the growth only continued from there.
Today, the RCL fleet consists of 29 cruise ships that sail to over 300 bucket-list destinations around the world.
Read Also: Royal Caribbean Ships By Age: Newest to Oldest (1996-2025)
Along the way, Royal Caribbean has broken all kinds of records on its ships and at its private islands to become one of the most innovative brands on the high seas.
To state the obvious, Icon of the Seas has made waves as the largest cruise ship in the world at 248,663 gross tons and a maximum occupancy of 7,600 passengers.
This giant of the ocean broke several other records, including being home to the largest waterpark at sea with the tallest water slide at sea.
The famed AquaDome, meanwhile, is covered by the largest glass dome ever added to a cruise ship and also houses the world’s largest AquaTheater.
Of course, these are only a few examples of the many records the cruise line has broken.
More innovations are on the horizon with the next Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, set to debut at the end of this month.
Perfect Day Mexico is also coming in fall 2027, and just as the original Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas broke records with its waterslides, so will the new waterslides and long lazy river at the new addition on Costa Maya.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will also open in Nassau by the end of this year, with Royal Beach Club Cozumel launching in Mexico and Lelepa in the South Pacific by the end of 2027.
