Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas Offers The Best Family Vacations

Families sailing on Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship Icon of the Seas will have a choice of visiting ports or all the amazing onboard attractions. This mega cruise ship hosts 5,610 guests in double occupancy and has seven pools, nine whirlpools and six waterslides for family fun. Meanwhile, it also offers 40 restaurants and bars spread over eight neighborhoods. While you probably can’t do it all in one cruise, there’s always a chance of the next epic family vacation. Read on to find out more about Icon of the Seas and everything it offers its guests.

Neighborhoods on Icon of the Seas from Royal Caribbean

Among the eight neighborhoods, families with young children will probably spend most of their time in the Surfside neighborhood. Surfside features a buffet restaurant, an upscale restaurant and a snack bar serving fruity drinks for the kids and something stronger for their parents. Moreover, the neighborhood features a splash water play area, a carousel, a candy shop, a dry play area, a games arcade and more.

For families with tweens and teens, the massive pool at Chill Island will be popular along with Category 6, said to be the largest water park at sea. Here, the kids can have fun with six slides, a test of bravery where guests can hang up high above the water and lots of fun on the rock-climbing wall. All this and a port stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay makes Icon of the Seas one of the top ships for families.

Accommodations, dining and entertainment

Guests have a choice of four main stateroom categories on the Icon of the Seas – Suite, Balcony, Ocean View and Inside. Besides this, there are 28 sub-categories and suite categories including 14 that are new to the cruise line.

Included in the fare are ten dinner options including the line’s usual El Loco Fresh, Sprinkles, Park Café, Windjammer and Sorrento’s. New restaurants include Pier 7 in the Surfside neighborhood serving lunch and dinner. A new food hall is available at AquaDome Market and the Surfside Eatery Buffet. For an additional fee, The Empire Supper Club serves American cuisine, while Celebration Table offers VIP treatment and four prix fixe meals.

Meanwhile, onboard entertainment includes The Wizard of Oz, which rivals Broadway performances. The show uses next-level technology with a live orchestra making it a great experience for the whole family. When the kids are asleep, parents will enjoy the late-night Dueling Pianos. Meanwhile, among the most popular onboard areas are the Royal Promenade, the adults-only Hideaway and Category 6.

Families who plan to book in the Surfside neighborhood should book a room on the aft end of the ship. This will save a lot of time walking across the ship to access the family-fun neighborhood.

Read more about the Icon of the Seas on Royal Caribbean’s website here.