Incredible Icon Experience
Icon of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 23
7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: May 04, 2024
Ship: Icon of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9590
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 months ago
Review summary
This was our most enjoyable cruise to date. From the arrival, parking and boarding experiences through the entire cruise and disembarkation process, everything went relatively smooth. This was our first post-pandemic cruise, so our expectations were high and we were not disappointed. From the technical aspects to the improvements on food preparation and service, we were astonished. The new ship exceeded our imagination on its 14th official passenger cruise, but we were pleasantly surprised that it still had that 'new car' smell when we boarded. The technology improvements are second to none with the very useful smartphone app. It was an extra touch of ease to be able to operate our stateroom amenities from the bed, such as our TV, cabin thermostat controls, lighting and opening and closing or our infinite window blinds. We even used it to contact our stateroom attendant, Paragas, who was outstanding and very attentive. Through the smartphone app we were able to request additional amenities from ice to laundry services. This extra attention to detail by design staff made us feel as though Royal Caribbean really wants their passengers to have an 'above and beyond' experience, and not just a 'getting your money's worth' experience. Since we had not been to Royal's private island (Coco Cay) since 2005, we were ecstatic to see the improvements in all its splendor. Even though there was another ship docked there that same day, there was plenty of space for all passengers from both ships on the island and we never felt crowded. There was no shortage of lounge chairs and umbrellas or beach sand. It was truly a 'Perfect Day at Coco Cay.' The onboard entertainment was above par and our experiences were delightful in all venues that we attended, especially the Showbands and Aqua Action-Cirque du Soleil type entertainment. We look forward to sailing bigger and better Royal ships into the future which can only get better from here. The best part of our experience was that most additional cost usually incurred on cruises, were actually afforded to us through a $300 onboard credit. In the past, I have usually booked my cruise directly with Royal Caribbean, but in recent years, we have been utilizing a third party online company called . By doing so, we were awarded $250 onboard credit and Royal awarded us an additional $50 onboard credit. This meant there was absolutely no pressure on spending while onboard for souvenirs and such. In fact, we ended up splurging just to use up all the onboard credit. Booking this cruise while this ship was still just scrap metal in Finland 14 months ago, allowed us the privilege of paying for this vacation over an 11 month period with no financial pressure whatsoever. After pre-purchasing our Port of Miami parking voucher and arriving at the terminal, boarding the ship was a breeze and from the car to the gangway, took less than 15 minutes. Since we checked in online in the days immediately leading up to our departure, we were 'Expressed' through the check-in process, even through the security lines and allowed to board expeditiously. I truly pray that the cruise industry continues this trend, especially for those of us who are seasoned cruisers. Disembarkation was even easier. We carried all our luggage off the ship ourselves, so we were assigned a time to disembark and simply waited in the common areas until we received our text via the Royal App to proceed to the gangway for our departure. Customs has revamped their procedures which now makes getting off the ship just as fun as boarding, as long as you have a passport. For those of you who love to cruise and will see the value and advantage of cruising on the largest cruise ship in the world, Icon Of The Seas is a must do, in my opinion. Disclaimer-This review was given free of any compensation from Royal Caribbean International or travel services.Embarkation
Smooth like butter
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We noticed right away, the improvements made in the Windjammer Restaurant. The Specialty restaurants are what they are, they are inherently better than buffets and the service is what it should be, personal and intimate.
Onboard Activities
The pools were crowded as usual, even with all the extra little kiddy pools, but at least the Hideaway for adults only was wide open. My only concern with Hideaway was that there seemed to be much less shaded area than the main pools which was run over with kids.
Entertainment
The onboard live entertainment was spectacular.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
Paragas did an excellent job as our stateroom attendant. He was very attentive, polite and eager to assist in making our cabin stay comfortable.
Ship Quality
The automated elevators are awesome. All Royal ships going forward should have this system. All restrooms were clean each time visited. However, my mother, who is mobility challenged stated that the public restrooms needed more than one handicap stall. I don't think she understood, she could have used the family stalls, but not sure if they had them in the women's restroom or not.
Cabin / Stateroom
The cabin was wonderful. The layout could have been slightly better however. We didn't need the extra wide desk with drawers, perhaps this space could be better utilized somehow. Although this was the Icon's 14th passenger cruise, there were a few blemishes already to the walls, probably by suitcases scraping. Perhaps, the stateroom attendant can be issued a Mister Clean Magic Eraser for those pesty little anomalies.
Ship tip
Be prepared to be wowed! The ship is enormous and incredible. The design is phenomenal and the wow factor is over the top.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
St. Maarten is St. Maarten. This was are second time there on Royal. We enjoyed the Ultimate Island Tour: Explorer Cruise and Island Tour.
We actually docked at a different port than previously (Havensight). This particular port (Charlotte Amalie) had all the shopping and amenities similar to Cozumel and not the overly aggressive straw market type of our previous Havensight Port. It was quite nice and relaxing to shop there.
Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas
Our first time visiting this island since 2005. Obviously, we were astonished at the improvements, but we also knew for years this had been the case. It was great to finally get to experience the new and improved Coco Cay. The first time we were there we had to tender over to the island and there was only one beach and we had to pay extra for lounge chairs and umbrellas. We thoroughly enjoyed our Perfect Day this time, so much better.
Disembarkation
Piece of cake
Traveler Photos
