By Charlotte Atkins
Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas, came into St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Jan. 31 on its inaugural commercial sailing.
The world’s largest ship was met at the Crown Bay Center with great fanfare. On hand to celebrate the ship’s arrival were USVI leaders, including the Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Virgin Island Port Authority and private sector officials.
Bryan posted on X, “What a day to remember! We witnessed the largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, right here in St. Thomas at Austin Monsanto Marine Terminal.”
The megaship has a crew of 2,350, and a capacity of 5,610 passengers. The ship’s length is 1,198 feet with gross tonnage of 250,800.
On its first visit to St. Thomas, while cruise passengers disembarked to enjoy America’s Paradise, a local consortium of the governor and other Virgin Islands leaders took a tour of behemoth, innovative ship.
As they entered, they were greeted by the vision of the Pearl, a five-deck tall glass globe supported by steel and lined with more than 3,000 tiles. It allows the ship’s Royal Promenade to be open to the sun and the sea.
“One reason the Pearl exists is to get ocean views at the heart of the ship,” said Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer for Royal Caribbean, in an interview with the Miami Herald. “It feeds the energy of the Royal Promenade.”
In addition to that architectural marvel and experience, Icon boasts what Royal Caribbean calls “an all-encompassing lineup of experiences that combines the best of every vacation – from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure – making the first-of-its-kind adventure the way to get away for every type of family and vacationer.”
Those experiences include eight neighborhoods, six record-breaking waterslides, 28 restaurants and cafes, 19 bars and lounges, seven pools, “deck-defying entertainment across air, ice, water and theater” as well as all of the cruise ship amenities Royal Caribbean cruisers have come to expect.
The inaugural docking in St. Thomas was also marked by the official signing of three agreements between the Port Authority (VIPA), Royal Caribbean Group (and Cruise Terminals International that will enable the transformation of the territory’s cruise industry and secure the USVI’s position as a premier cruise destination in the Caribbean.
“It’s a bright day for the Virgin Islands,” said Carlton Dowe, VIPA Executive Director. “We are proud to welcome the newest and most innovative ships in the cruise industry to St. Thomas, while simultaneously securing the Virgin Islands’ future as a sought-after cruise destination through improvements that continue to bring the latest generation of ships to our shores.”
Icon the Seas will call regularly on St. Thomas on seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami.
“We will continue to welcome the Icon of the Seas, her guests and crew to St. Thomas as they experience the beauty and hospitality of the Virgin Islands,” said Dowe.
To learn more about Icon of the Seas, Click Here.
Gov Bryan on Icon