Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas: A Giant Comparison

In 2024, Royal Caribbean introduced two big ships that have garnered a lot of media buzz — and as they should. Utopia of the Seas and Icon of the Seas are some of the largest ships in the world, with some of the most impressive and ground-breaking features in the cruise industry. 

So, how do you pick which one to sail on for your upcoming cruise? Here’s everything you need to know when deciding between Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas.

Construction

While both ships debuted in 2024, Icon of the Seas welcomed guests first, setting sail on its inaugural voyage on January 27, 2024. 

Icon of the Seas was originally ordered in 2016, as the first ship of the Icon class, and construction began in 2021. Built at Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland, Icon of the Seas gained status as one of the most expensive ships to be built, ever. Just how expensive was it? Royal Caribbean paid about $2 billion!

Utopia of the Seas, meanwhile, was announced in 2019, and construction began at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, in 2022.

Originally, Royal Caribbean intended to debut the ship in late 2023. However, the ship was not delivered until 2024, resulting in its maiden voyage taking place on July 19, 2024. This ship cost quite a bit less to build, at around $1.35 billion.  

Both ships can be powered via LNG (liquified natural gas), and Icon of the Seas was the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature this capability. Utopia of the Seas is currently the only Oasis-class ship to feature this capability.

Ship Sizes and Capacity

So how do Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas measure up, in terms of size? Here’s how the two compare.

As you can see, Icon of the Seas is quite a bit larger than Utopia of the Seas (about 6% larger), with two more passenger decks.

However, if you’re looking at passenger capacity at double occupancy, you’ll notice that, despite its smaller size, Utopia of the Seas can actually hold more cruisers. This is because the vessel has more overall staterooms and suites than Icon of the Seas. 

Ship Classes

Icon of the Seas kicked off Royal Caribbean’s new Icon class. The class includes the largest cruise ships ever constructed, and Icon of the Seas has been no disappointment as far as size is concerned.

Three total Icon-class ships are planned, with Star of the Seas scheduled to launch in 2025 and an unnamed ship scheduled to launch in 2026. Steel cutting began for Star of the Seas in February 2023, while steel cutting began for the unnamed ship in January 2024.

In contrast, Utopia of the Seas is part of a long-standing class in the Royal Caribbean family: the Oasis class. Utopia of the Seas is the sixth Oasis-class vessel, and a final, seventh Oasis-class vessel is expected to debut in 2028. 

The Oasis class originally launched in 2009, with the namesake Oasis of the Seas. Other ships in the class include Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. Utopia of the Seas stands out from the pack as the largest Oasis-class ship to date. 

Up until Icon of the Seas debuted, the Oasis class featured the largest cruise ships in the industry and brought numerous changes to the industry, including the neighborhood concept that’s become expected on Royal Caribbean ships overall.

Neighborhoods

Speaking of neighborhoods, which of these themed areas of the ship can you expect aboard Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas? 

Icon of the Seas features eight neighborhoods, including: 

• AquaDome  
• Central Park
• Chill Island
• Royal Promenade
• Surfside
• Suite Neighborhood
• Thrill Island
• The Hideaway 

Utopia of the Seas also features eight neighborhoods, but they differ slightly. They include:

• Royal Promenade 
• Central Park
• Boardwalk
• Entertainment Zone
• Pool & Sports Zone
• Youth Zone
• Vitality Spa & Fitness
• Suite Neighborhood 

The two share Royal Caribbean’s classic Central Park and Royal Promenade neighborhoods. If you’ve never sailed with Royal Caribbean before, the former is truly a park-like atmosphere, with plant walls and access to lots of entertainment and dining venues.

The Royal Promenade is also a center spot for lots of action, with venues, restaurants, and retail areas along a central walkway. Likewise, both ships have a Suite Neighborhood. However, things differ from here.

Utopia of the Seas’ other neighborhoods are pretty in line with what you can expect to see on other Oasis-class ships and all neighborhoods are named in such a way that they’re pretty self-explanatory.

Read Also: Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: A Giant Comparison

For example, the boardwalk offers a family-friendly boardwalk-like atmosphere. The pool and sports zone houses the pool and sports zones. The youth zone is where you’ll find kids clubs. The entertainment zone is home to theaters, and the Vitality Spa area is where you’ll find wellness amenities, including the spa.

Icon of the Seas’ five distinct neighborhoods, in contrast, are a little more uniquely named and a little more interesting. AquaDome is home to the AquaTheater and nightlife.

Chill Island offers four pools and a handful of bars. Thrill Island offers waterslides and Surfside likewise has a kiddy pool, as well as other kid-focused amenities, like the kids’ clubs. The Hideaway is a quiet spot with its own pool and a bar.

Central Park on Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas

While both ships are home to Central Park neighborhoods, there are slight differences when you look at these spaces on Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas — and the Central Park neighborhood on Icon of the Seas has been hailed as overall better in comparison.

On Utopia of the Seas, the Central Park neighborhood on Deck 8 is also home to retail shops, Izumi, Izumi in the Park, Park Café, the Trellis Bar, Rising Tide Bar, 150 Central Park and Chops Grille.

At each end of the neighborhood, there are elevator banks, and suites and staterooms along the perimeter of the ship, surrounding the neighborhood. 

On Icon of the Seas, the Central Park neighborhood on Deck 8 likewise features Chops Grille, Izumi, Izumi in the Par, the Trellis Bar, Park Café and retail space, but it also includes Lou’s Jazz ‘N Blues and The Pearl, a unique art feature. One end of this deck, beyond Central Park, also houses the Empire Supper Club.

The Royal Promenade

Similarly, there are slight differences between the Royal Promenade on Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas.

On the former, the Royal Promenade is on Deck 5, and you’ll find lots of retail here, as well as Boleros, Sorrentos, Café Promenade, Starbucks, a few bars, and guest services.

On the latter, the Royal Promenade stretches across Deck 5 and 6 and includes all of the above, plus Point & Feather, the Crown & Anchor Society, 1400 Lobby Bar, Pearl Café and Schooner Bar. You can also see The Pearl art installation throughout the Promenade (yes, it’s really that big!).

Do note that, on both of these ships, at the ends of the Royal Promenade, you’ll find further venues, such as the ships’ theaters and main dining rooms (even though these aren’t technically directly on the promenade itself. 

Staterooms and Suites

You’ll have no shortage of stateroom and suite options while you’re aboard either of these ships. However, there are a few differences in what they offer. As the lead ship in a new class, Icon of the Seas introduced a few new stateroom options.

Icon of the Seas

• Inside Plus staterooms
• Panoramic Ocean View staterooms
• Family Infinity Balcony staterooms
• Surfside Family View interior cabins
• Infinite Ocean View balcony cabins
• Infinite Central Park View balcony cabins

An Inside Plus stateroom is basically a better, more luxurious interior stateroom. Panoramic Ocean View staterooms offer panoramic ocean views, of course, but only within the AquaDome neighborhood.

Infinite Ocean View balcony cabins are the first of their kind for the cruise line. A glass wall separates the cabin’s balcony from the rest of the cabin, but then that glass wall can be moved out of the way entirely. 

Family Infinity balcony rooms are the family version of this, but you get more space and, if you’re in the Surfside neighborhood, you’ll be right in all of the family-friendly action, close to kid-favorite amenities. 

Beyond the new options aboard Icon of the Seas, other staterooms on this ship include:

• Standard interior cabins
• Spacious interior cabins
• Central Park View interior cabins
• Ocean view cabins
• Ocean view balcony cabins
• Ocean view large balcony cabins
• Central Park balcony cabins

Then, though, there are also the suites. Suite options aboard Icon of the Seas include:

• The Ultimate Family Townhouse 
• Surfside Family suites
• Junior suites
• Sunset Junior suites
• Sky Junior suites
• Sunset suites
• Panoramic suites
• Infinite Grand suites
• Owner’s suites
• Grand suites
• The Royal Loft
• Icon Loft Suites

Some of these are brand-new additions to the Royal Caribbean lineup. 

For example, the Surfside Family suites are located in the Surfside neighborhood and are outfitted with everything a traveling family could need. The Ultimate Family Townhouse is also new, and a new take on Royal Caribbean’s current Ultimate Family suite.

Icon Loft suites are two-floor suites with lots of luxury, and Infinite Grand suites feature the aforementioned infinite balcony. Panoramic suites are likewise new, and only available in the AquaDome.

Utopia of the Seas

When comparing staterooms and suites on Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas, you’ll find there’s quite a lot of overlap. However, do remember that, even though Utopia of the Seas is smaller than Icon of the Seas, it does have more staterooms. 

Here are the options for staterooms on Utopia of the Seas:

• Studio single cabins
• Virtual balcony interior cabins
• Spacious interior family cabins
• Promenade view interior cabins
• Boardwalk and Central Park-view interior cabins
• Boardwalk and Central Park balcony cabins
• Oceanview cabins
• Family oceanview cabins
• Spacious balcony cabins
• Ultra-spacious family balcony cabins 

And here are the options for suites on Utopia of the Seas:

• Junior suites
• Grand suites
• AquaTheater suites
• Owners suites
• Crown loft suites
• Royal loft suites
• Solarium suites
• The Ultimate Family suite 

As you can see, Utopia of the Seas really offers a lot of those same Oasis-class stateroom and suite options you can find on all of its sister ships.

So, if you really want a stateroom or suite that offers something fresh, new and exciting, consider booking Icon of the Seas for your cruise, and book one of its brand-new options, like the Inside Plus staterooms or one of the several new family-focused staterooms or suites. 

Dining Venues

There are some cruise ship dining venues that are just classics, and that you’ll find on every single Royal Caribbean ship. However, many have unique-to-them restaurants, especially if you’re comparing two ships from different classes, as is the case when looking at Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas.

Here are the restaurants you can expect to find on each ship.

As you can see, you definitely won’t be left wanting for options on either ship. However, as you check out those Royal Caribbean classics like Windjammer Café and Sorrento’s, don’t forget to also be sure to try the newest offerings on either ship. 

The Spare Tire is a brand-new option on Utopia of the Seas, offering quick bites via a food truck by the pool. Another newcomer just on this ship is Royal Railway: Utopia Station. This specialty dining option brings luxury rail travel to the cruise industry, as diners take their seats in a train dining car and watch a digital landscape roll past the windows.

Read Also: Icon of the Seas Restaurants – Dining Venue Guide

One of Icon of the Seas’ standout new restaurants is the Empire Supper Club, for a high-end dining experience in an Art Deco-style setting. Icon of the Seas also boasts a secondary buffet, Surfside Eatery.  

Bars and Lounges

You’ll likewise have no shortage of places to grab a drink on either of these ships. Here’s how the options break down. 

Icon of the Seas’ standout new bar is Lou’s Jazz n’ Blues, a lounge where you can enjoy live jazz along with your libations. The Pesky Parrot, meanwhile, is the standout new watering hole on Utopia of the Seas, and is a tiki bar with modern flair. 

Pools and WaterSlides

If you’re all about the water fun during a cruise, you may want to set your sights on Icon of the Seas. Icon of the Seas has six waterslides, while Utopia of the Seas only has three (plus five pools).

In fact, Icon of the Seas can claim the largest waterpark at sea, with not just those six waterslides, but also seven pools and nine hot tubs. Plus, for the adults, there’s the world’s longest swim-up bar at sea, in the adults-only area.

The waterslides are record-breakers, too, and include Pressure Drop, the first open free-fall slide at sea; Frightening Bolt, the tallest drop waterslide at sea; Storm Chasers, the first mat-racing slide at sea; and Storm Surge & Hurricane Hunter, the first family-friendly raft ride at sea. However, despite having all these unique waterslides, there is something missing on Icon of the Seas. 

Entertainment and Activities

Beyond pools and waterslides, both Utopia of the Seas and Icon of the Seas offer amazing entertainment and activity options for every kind of cruiser. On both ships, you’ll find: 

• Casinos
• Carousels
• Miniature golf courses
• Sports courts
• Rock-climbing walls
• Comedy clubs
• Escape rooms
• Laser tag
• Ice skating

Icon of the Seas also has a ropes course. Meanwhile, Utopia of the Seas offers a zip line. Also found on Utopia of the Seas is the popular Ultimate Abyss dry slide feature, located on the ship aft and 10 stories high. This feature is well known across the Oasis-class, but it is not featured on Icon of the Seas.

Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas: Which is Best?

When comparing two huge, stellar ships like this, you have a lot to consider. As you compare and contrast staterooms and suites, restaurants and waterslides, though, don’t forget to also consider these ships’ itineraries.  

While both ships sail from Florida, Icon of the Seas is sailing its inaugural season out of Miami, while Utopia of the Seas’ inaugural season sails from Orlando. Royal Caribbean has branded Utopia of the Seas as a weekend getaway ship, with shorter sailings, while Icon of the Seas is offering longer sailings all across the Caribbean, from the Eastern Caribbean and on over to Mexico.

Icon of the Seas has also definitely been designed as a family-friendly ship, and it shows. Families will love the family-centric Surfside neighborhood, as well as the wealth of family-friendly fun, plus so many family-friendly stateroom and suite options. In contrast, Utopia of the Seas puts less of a focus on families and gives you more of a classic, Oasis-class experience. 

Worth Reading: Royal Caribbean Amenities You Should Pre-Book

All of the above considered, which ship is best for you will depend on what kind of traveler you are, who you’re traveling with and how long you want to travel. 

If you only have a few days to get away, Utopia of the Seas is a no-brainer. If you’re traveling with kiddos and want them to have a stellar time, Icon of the Seas is an easy choice. If you’re traveling as a couple and want fewer family crowds and a classic Royal Caribbean experience, Utopia of the Seas delivers.

At the end of the day, though, neither ship is a poor choice. Both are big, outfitted with all the latest and greatest amenities and ready to offer you a memorable vacation.