Icon of the Seas made waves when she entered service in January of this year as the world’s largest cruise ship – coming in at 248,663-gross tons and 1,196.7 feet long.
But now it’s clear that she also holds the biggest space in the hearts of Cruise Hive readers – as the first of the Icon-class ships has officially been voted the Best New Cruise Ship of 2024.
During the 2023 Cruise Hive Awards, the Royal Caribbean ship was also named as the Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2024 – and clearly she has lived up to the hype.
Out of a competitive group of nine new ships that launched throughout 2024, the 5,610-guest vessel (or up to 7,600 at maximum capacity) topped the list – earning 34.68% of the votes.
This is quite the accomplishment – with this one particular ship standing out to thousands of Cruise Hive readers, who placed their votes from mid-October through December 22, 2024.
Since her maiden voyage on January 27, 2024, thousands of cruisers have already gotten to explore the first-of-its-kind vessel as she alternates between 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean sailings out of Florida’s Port Miami.
The ship is particularly renowned for the new, innovative experiences she offers. One of which is Category 6, which is the largest waterpark at sea with six thrilling water slides for families to enjoy.
Chill Island on Deck 15 is also home to the biggest pool at sea, which contains over 40,000 gallons of water.
The ship also pioneered the use of the the Pearl, which doubles as a tool for structural support and the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture.
The unique orb is located midship on the port side of Icon of the Seas, stretching from Deck 5 to Deck 8, with a staircase through the interior for guests to move from the Royal Promenade on Deck 5 up to the Pearl Cafe on Deck 6.
Of course, these examples only scratch the surface of Royal Caribbean’s innovation that is found across the eight neighborhoods, or zones, onboard the massive ship – which helped make it the winner here at the Cruise Hive Awards.
Royal Caribbean Ships Snag First and Second Place
While Icon of the Seas was the clear winner, another Royal Caribbean ship is in second place for the title of Best New Cruise Ship of 2024.
Indeed, Utopia of the Seas earned the metaphorical silver medal by earning 21.38% of the vote. This speaks to the high quality of Royal Caribbean’s most recent additions – which is particularly significant with Star of the Seas on the way for 2025.
Utopia of the Seas, which is currently the second largest ship at sea, officially entered service on July 19, 2024, from Port Canaveral, Florida. Since her maiden voyage, the 5,668-guest ship has continued to operate 3 to 4-night voyages to the Bahamas from the Orlando-based port.
Like Icon of the Seas, this Oasis-class vessel has also improved the experience at sea – such as with the expansion of The Ultimate Abyss, which is the tallest dry slide at sea at 10-stories high and 259-feet in length. While this racing slide is found on other Royal Caribbean ships, this version is 43 feet longer.
Read Also: Royal Caribbean Amenities You Should Pre-Book
Moving down the list, the third-place spot for Best New Cruise Ship of 2024 belongs to Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess – which earned 17.81% of the vote.
After a delay that pushed back her original inaugural voyage, the largest ship in the Princess fleet officially set sail on February 28, 2024 – and is currently alternating between Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages based out of Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida.
The 4,300-guest ship launched with many new and improved features, such as the cruise line’s largest casino, the first ever family zone on a Princess Cruise ship, a two-story Lotus Spa, and original productions and performances in the round at the Princess Arena.
