When you hear ‘world’s biggest cruise ship’ you might not be able to visualize the scale of Icon of the Seas.
But the Royal Caribbean International ship weighs in at 248,663GT – that’s the same as five Titanics.
It’s also longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower at 364 m (1,196 ft) compared to 330 m (1,082 ft).
That should give you some idea of the sheer size of this floating behemoth that cost $2 billion to build.
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And all that heft needs some power to keep it moving.
Icon of the Seas packs a 89,000 Kw punch and 12,000 HP – that’s the same as 120 Ferrari LaFerraris.
Then again you need that sort of power to move the world’s biggest cruise ship around.
The good news is it’s 24 percent more energy efficient than the standards required for ships being designed today.
It can even be plugged in and charged at port to reduce emissions.
With the ability to carry 7,960 guests and crew – more than the average population of a US town – it’s a veritable floating city.
And they all need something to do on board.
First up: if the water surrounding the ship isn’t enough, Icon of the Seas boasts the world’s biggest water park on a ship.
With six record-breaking waterslides, a grand total of seven pools and a 16.7 m (55 ft) waterfall – the tallest ever at sea – from wild to chilled, there’s something for everyone and every mood.
You can even take in the stunning views of the ocean vista from the ‘Water’s Edge’ infinity pool and the white-knuckle experience of the ‘Crown’s Edge’ that allows passengers to literally walk off the edge of the ship.
From a rope course, to FlowRider surf experience, a rock wall, and mini golf – it’ll keep you busy for days.
If you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite aboard Icon of the Seas after all that activity there are more than 40 restaurants, bars and entertainment spaces to choose from.
Some of these are located around ‘Central Park’, which is a promenade surrounded by luxury restaurants and brings the outside inside the ship.
It features over 30,000 plants and a tropical-bird soundscape to immerse passengers firmly in paradise while in the middle of the ocean.
Like this superyacht dubbed a ‘floating private island’ – it’s truly like being in another world.
But the pièce de résistance of the world’s biggest cruise has to be the AquaDome.
The stunning dome, made mostly of glass, weighs a massive 363 tons and stands 50m (164 ft) high.
The panoramic views from inside will take your breath away.
Much like the views from this stunning hybrid airship, which is proof that travel is all about the journey rather than the destination.
The AquaDome was built separately before being lifted up and lowered onto the ship, taking engineers a massive 80 hours to complete.
If that doesn’t stoke both wonder and wanderlust – nothing will.
