Sky-high demand for the world’s largest new cruise ship leads to record bookings at Royal Caribbean

It seems like Royal Caribbean there is a winner in its hand.

As we wrote earlier this week, the maiden voyage of the firm’s upcoming Icon of the Seas – the world’s largest cruise ship – Sold out within hours of opening for pre-order in Monday. And now, Royal Caribbean says the opening of reservations for the vessel has also boosted total bookings across its fleet; Earlier this week, pre-orders hit the highest level in the brand’s 53-year history.

The line told TPG on Thursday that the company set an all-time, single-day booking record for the following 24 hours Sea’s iconic cruise is now available for booking on the line’s site.

The much-awaited new ship, due out in January 2024, is already open to members of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society. Reservations can be made to the public starting Tuesday morning.

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“The enthusiasm and excitement for Icon is undeniable in many ways,” Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a statement to TPG. “We have received incredible feedback from loyal guests, new cruisers, crew members and travel partners who keep coming.”

Perhaps one would expect the Icon of the Seas booking frenzy, as the ship will be the first in a whole new series of ships at Royal Caribbean. This is the first new series of ships in the line since the launch of the smaller Quantum class ships a decade ago.

Icon of the Seas will also create new ground in flying on many levels.

Related: Icon of the Seas will set a new size record

At 250,600 tonnes, the Icon of the Seas will be 6% larger than the current leading size among cruise lines, the seven-month-old Royal Caribbean. Wonder of the Seas. It will also be able to hold up to 7,600 passengers – a new record for a passenger ship.

The larger passenger capacity is partly due to the train’s greater focus on family guests. Notably, Icon of the Seas will have more cabins with extra bunk beds to suit families with many children. It will also feature more family-oriented amenities, including a new outdoor “neighborhood” called Surfside specifically for families with young children.

Related: Icon of the Seas will serve families

As announced last week, Surfside will feature splash zones for babies and children, a swimming pool and lounge space for parents, family-friendly eateries and shops, and a counter. bar with matching “mom and me” drinks (mocktails for kids and cocktails for adults).

Icon of the Seas will also feature the largest water park ever built on a cruise ship, with a record six deck water slides.

In total, the ship will include eight neighborhoods – what Royal Caribbean calls separate areas of its larger ships themed around specific operations. Five will be new to Icon and three will return from the last giant series of ships in the series, the five-ship Oasis class. The current leader of scale in the yachting world, Wonder of the Seas, is part of the Oasis class.

As previously announced, Icon of the Seas’ first voyages will be a seven-night cruise to the Caribbean off Miami, commencing January 27, 2024. The ship will alternate between Eastern cruises. Caribbean and Western Caribbean.

Related: Explanation of the 6 types of Royal Caribbean ships

On Monday, Royal Caribbean opened all of its ship’s departures through April 2025 to orders.

It is currently under construction at the giant Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Icon of the Seas was ordered before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a decline in yacht bookings and it has been under construction since June 2021.

The ship is just the first of three sister ships that Royal Caribbean has ordered for delivery in 2026, making up its new Icon class.

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