by Joseph Alonso
Royal Caribbean International is sailing into an exciting journey as it reveals new ships, plans, and goals for the future.
Since the revealing of the Wonder of the Seas in 2022, Royal Caribbean has become more ambitious in its future plans as it comes back from the pandemic which devastated the cruising industry.
Announced in 2023 and set to release in January of 2024, the Icon of the Seas is the first in a new class of ships by Royal Caribbean. Erica Silverstein and Kristy Tolley of The Points Guy explain,
"It will be the largest cruise ship in the world, at 250,800 gross tons, with the capacity to carry nearly 10,000 passengers and crew members." they write.
The ship will set sail from the Port of Miami on a weekly basis and will have itineraries in both the Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting ports from Cozumel, Mexico to Roatan, Honduras and Royal Caribbean private island Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The Icon of the Seas will be the first in a whole new class of ships consisting of three total cruiseliners set to be the largest and most advanced at sea.
While yet to be named, the two other Icon Class ships will include similar amenities as the Icon of the Seas with different themes and styles to complement the ship itself.
With all the excitement surrounding these ships, the prices for them have skyrocketed. Bookings for the new Icon of the Seas, on the lowest end, cost over $1500 per person where the sailings hail for a minimum of seven nights.
While the cost may be expensive, it could be well worth it for any cruisegoers looking to experience all the new ship has to offer, especially the high-end amenities included around the ship and every room on board.
Apart from the new Icon Class ships, the Oasis class is also getting a new vessel in the Utopia of the Seas. Under construction in France, the Utopia is planned to set sail sometime in 2024 and will look and have similar amenities as other Oasis-class ships such as the Wonder and Harmony of the Seas.
Sailing out of Port Canaveral, the Utopia of the Seas will have a variety of three to seven-night-long cruises sailing to both the Western and Eastern Caribbean where the ship will dock at many different ports and even the cruise line's private island.
In the broader scheme of things, the cruise line's goals expand to more than just introducing new ships and exciting opportunities for their customers.
In the past several years, the company has committed to lessening its impact on the environment and overall emitting fewer greenhouse gases.
To fit this goal, the company has employed many different strategies to complete such a goal such as bettering their waste management, using more sustainable materials on their ships, and employing Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG-powered ships.
This reflects the company's shift to a more sustainable future while also expanding its fleet to turn over new and growing profits.
Royal Caribbean has been working diligently in the past year to grow and expand as much as possible regardless of the circumstances of the post-pandemic world.
At a time when the company owes lots of debt and is still recovering financially, they are still growing and working to come back from the obstacles placed in front of them during the pandemic.
From new ships to sustainable goals, the company's vision is clear: success.
Comments