If you thought the Oasis-class ships were a little crazy, just wait to see what Royal Caribbean has in store. The cruise line is not unveiling the new Icon of the Seas cruise ship until Thursday morning, but new images lift the veil on what is the most exciting waterpark at sea we’ve ever seen.Â
Icon of the Seas features seven different pools, nine whirlpools, and six slides, including the first raft slides at sea.
And that’s not all; in the images, we see a central park-type area such as featured onboard the Oasis-class ships, but on Icon of the Seas, the area stretches out some three-quarters of the vessel’s length.
The Biggest Waterpark at Sea – Category 6
Royal Caribbean International has been teasing details of its newest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, for many months.
With the official unveiling scheduled for October 20. This time we get a look at the ship’s waterpark, which seems to eclipse anything we’ve ever seen onboard a cruise ship.
Let’s start with the most exciting part. The waterpark is called Category 6, and Royal Caribbean says it’s the largest at sea. There will be six waterslides onboard. Yes, you read that right. Six waterslides.
Frightening Bolt will be a drop/body slide, where a hatch opens beneath you, and you plummet 46 feet down and into a 360-degree looping. The slide totals 282 feet in length, with space for one solo rider.
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The second slide is the Hurricane Hunter. Measuring 425 feet in length, the raft-type slide has space for four riders per raft, which are guaranteed to get drenched in the water curtains. The second raft-type slide is Storm Surge, a zero-gravity drop with space for four riders per raft.
Those looking for the ultimate thrill will be looking at Pressure Drop. This body-slide type waterslide is the first open freefall slide at sea. At 108 feet, it’s not the longest, but with a 66° incline, it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.
The final slide is a duo-mat racing slide. Guests are invited to challenge their friends in a race to the fastest time in these side-by-side slides. The slides measure a massive 431 feet in length and are the longest slides onboard.
With all that, you would think that Royal Caribbean would take it easy on the other water features onboard. But that seems to be far from the truth. The entire outside space focuses on creating as much vacation fun as possible.
The Biggest Pool At Sea
Pools onboard cruise ships have always been slightly smaller due to the weight issues that come into play, especially when the pools are higher up. However, it seems Royal Caribbean has found a way around this on Deck 15 and what it calls Chill Island.
Icon of the Seas will have the most giant swimming pool at sea, measuring over a massive 40,000 gallons. Royal Bay will be located on Deck 15, surrounded by deck chairs, whirlpools, and palm trees.
For the younger ones, the family-friendly Surfside Water’s Edge is where kids get to play in Splashaway Bay while parents kick back and relax. Suffice will be located on Deck 7.
Suspended over 65 feet high, eight decks up, Hideaway Pool on Deck 15 is the first suspended Infinity Pool at Sea. The pool will have a resident DJ playing relaxing beach tunes, ensuring you get the beach club vibe all day long.
Another infinity pool located on the side of the ship on deck 15 is the Cove Pool. Not far from the water-packed fun of Chill Island, the pool offers a more laid-back vibe, away from the hustle and bustle of the main pool areas.
On deck 16, we find the largest swim-up bar at sea. At the Swim & Tonic Swim Up Bar & Pool, guests can chill out while listening to some chill beats from the resident DJ.
On Deck 17, we find Cloud 17, an adults-only pool area with a secluded pool and cantilevered whirlpool. Finally, on Deck 18, we see the Grove in the Suite Neighbourhood, a pool designed for guests booked in one of the suites onboard.
All in all, we cannot wait for more details on Icon of the Seas; Royal Caribbean is expected to release everything there is to know about the ship tomorrow morning, October 20.
What we do know is that Icon of the Seas is currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in southern Finland, is set to debut in late 2023, and will be the first new class of vessel for Royal Caribbean International since the Quantum-class of ships in 2014.
What we don’t know is how big Icon of the Seas will be. Royal Caribbean has hinted that the vessel will be bigger than anything we’ve ever seen before, including the world-record-breaking Oasis-class ships.
