Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is nearly 1,200 feet long and weighs 250,000 tons. It can accommodate over 7,000 passengers and thousands of crew members.
When it sets sail from Miami in January 2024 for its maiden voyage, it will be the largest passenger ship in the world. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is already taking reservations.
Cruise ships were idle for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington Post travel writer Hannah Sampson told the WBBM Noon Business Hour that passengers flocked to boats as soon as they were clear to sail.
"They're not yet back to their pre-pandemic high — at least, Royal Caribbean isn't, based on their earnings report this year," Sampson said.
The massive Icon of the Seas also represents a bet by the cruise industry that pre-pandemic crowds will return.
"That probably will not be a challenge for them come 2024 and the years ahead,” Sampson said. “But, for now, as with the other lines, it's still a little bit of a challenge to get all the ships full.”
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