Royal Caribbean’s Making an Icon: Introducing the Icon of Vacations

September 2022 – Royal Caribbean International “broke ground” on Icon of the Seas in June 2021, when the first piece of steel was cut at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Yet, putting pen to paper to bring this bold vision to life started long before that. In “Making an Icon: Shaping the World’s Newest Icon,” watch key design and construction milestones of the iconic vacation unfold. Hear from the industrial and naval engineers, interior designers, architects and other innovators about what it takes to manage unique challenges that come along with the most ambitious construction timeline cruising’s ever seen.

August 2022 – Making an icon begins with a bold idea: to create the world’s greatest vacation. Come January 2024, Royal Caribbean International is bringing this game-changing vision to life with the introduction of Icon of the Seas. You could say Icon has been in the making for more than 50 years, combining the best of the cruise line’s past, present and future. In the first episode of “Making an Icon,” Envisioning an Iconic Vacation, meet many of the innovators behind it all. From naval architects to interior designers and industrial engineers, to futurists and more, they share details from the early days of imagining the soon-to-be-revealed cruise ship and a sense of the revolutionary, evolutionary and familiar experiences to come.

August 2022 – Introducing “Making an Icon,” the online, monthly video series – premiering this August – that’s an inside look at Royal Caribbean International’s journey to create the world’s greatest vacation, Icon of the Seas. Industrial engineers, interior designers, architects, artists, teams across entertainment and food and beverage, and more take you behind the scenes to see all that goes into envisioning, designing and constructing the soon-to-be-revealed ship. In each episode leading up to Icon's arrival in January 2024, watch Royal Caribbean’s drive and unparalleled innovation at work as experts from Miami; Turku, Finland; New York City; Toronto and beyond come together on this iconic ride to make a bold, game-changing vision a reality. The stakes are high and the aspirations are even greater when you’re creating the vacation to rival all vacations.

April 2024 – Royal Caribbean International and Make-A-Wish come together in a multiyear partnership to support the nonprofit’s mission of granting life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses around the world. The cruise line’s Wishes at Sea program involves fundraising efforts, Walk for Wishes 5Ks and walkathons, auctions for exclusive experiences and in-kind donations of Royal Caribbean’s most impactful asset – memorable family vacations.

POV B-roll footage on Icon of the Seas

B-roll footage of Entertainment on Icon of the Seas

A new era of vacations is here: Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas, the first-of-its-kind combination of the best of every vacation, debuts its all-encompassing lineup of firsts and next-level favorites for every kind of family and vacationer. On 7-night vacations from Miami to the Caribbean, adventurers can experience highlights like six record-breaking waterslides, an adults-only retreat, seven pools, the first neighborhood designed for young families, 40-plus ways to dine, drink and be entertained; and more.

B-roll footage of Accommodations on Icon of the Seas

Aerials B-roll footage of Icon of the Seas 

Overview B-roll footage of Icon of the Seas

January 2024 – Royal Caribbean International’s highly anticipated Icon of the Seas arrived in Miami for the first time ahead of its official debut on Jan. 27. Welcomed with fanfare by air, land and sea, the first-of-its-kind combination of every vacation features an all-encompassing lineup of firsts and next-level favorites for every kind of family and vacationer. On 7-night vacations to the Caribbean, adventurers can experience highlights like six record-breaking waterslides, an adults-only retreat, seven pools, the first neighborhood designed for young families, 40-plus ways to dine, drink and be entertained; and more.

December 2023 – *Icon Extra Teaser* For the first time since the introduction of the Royal Promenade in 1999, the vibrant, all-time favorite debuts floor-to-ceiling ocean views on Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas. Behind the architectural and engineering feat, and front and in center in the boldly reimagined neighborhood, is The Pearl. Get a look behind the scenes as the experts share what the journey was like to design and build a key structure that could support three decks and open up the neighborhood in a whole new way for vacationers, creating what is now the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture.

December 2023 – For the first time since the introduction of the Royal Promenade in 1999, the vibrant, all-time favorite debuts floor-to-ceiling ocean views on Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas. Behind the architectural and engineering feat, and front and in center in the boldly reimagined neighborhood, is The Pearl. Get a look behind the scenes as the experts share what the journey was like to design and build a key structure that could support three decks and open up the neighborhood in a whole new way for vacationers, creating what is now the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture.

November 2023 – *Episode 15 Teaser* One of eight neighborhoods on the record-breaking Icon of the Seas is Central Park, a real park and all that comes with it, including more than 33,500 plants. Go behind the scenes in “Making an Icon: Creating Central Park” as the experts share what it takes to bring to life a park in the middle of the ocean that’s lusher and livelier than ever before. With a new live music venue, windows with champagne and sushi, and even an all-new dining experience that pairs eight courses with music, wine and more, evolving what’s become an all-time favorite was anything but a walk in the park.

November 2023 – One of eight neighborhoods on the record-breaking Icon of the Seas is Central Park, a real park and all that comes with it, including more than 33,500 plants. Go behind the scenes in “Making an Icon: Creating Central Park” as the experts share what it takes to bring to life a park in the middle of the ocean that’s lusher and livelier than ever before. With a new live music venue, windows with champagne and sushi, and even an all-new dining experience that pairs eight courses with music, wine and more, evolving what’s become an all-time favorite was anything but a walk in the park.