The highly anticipated day has arrived! At around 7 a.m. Wednesday, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was welcomed at its new home port in Miami for the first time. Crowds gathered to see the record-breaking vessel up close, and a welcome party was even held at the Pérez Art Museum for employees to get the chance to see the brand new ship.
The Icon of the Seas has been making its way to Miami from Europe since December. Clocking in at 1,198 feet — nearly a quarter of a mile — and 250,380 gross tons, it is considered the largest cruise liner in the world. It is also Royal Caribbean’s first ship powered by liquefied natural gas, a transitional fuel.
The 20-deck ship, which took 900 days of design and construction, features eight different neighborhoods to explore, seven pools, an entire waterpark with six slides, and more than 40 spots to wine and dine.
The “world’s largest cruise ship” will embark on its inaugural voyage from PortMiami on January 27. It will sail seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations all year-round, visiting Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
For more information on the Icon of the Seas, click here.