Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Ships: Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas (image:instagram.com/royalcaribbean)

Tony Merevick, the Managing Editor at Thrillist, compares his travel experience on Royal Caribbean’s two biggest and newest cruise ships,  Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas. Both possess their share of similarities as well as differences. In order to determine the best family vacation adventure option, Merevick breaks down the features of both ships.

Size and Class 

The size of both ships can be evaluated on the basis of gross tonnage, length, number of staterooms (passenger cabins), and passenger capacity. As Icon gets a slight edge by 12 feet longer than Utopia, the former measuring 1,196.7 feet and the latter coming in at 1,184.8, and in size by matter of gross tonnage (Icon with 248,663, compared to Utopia’s 236,473), “Utopia boasts slightly more staterooms than Icon (2,834 versus 2,805) and a slightly greater passenger capacity at double occupancy, or when two people stay in the same room—5,668 versus 5,610, respectively,” Merevick points out. However, Icon of the Seas gives a “more spacious and airy” vibe than at Utopia. As navigating through multiple “neighbourhoods” (Royal Promenade or a themed area) seemed seamless in the Icon, in Utopia it felt “a bit cramped,” he opines. Both ships also represent remarkably different classes; as Utopia of the Seas is the sixth ship in Royal Caribbean’s popular Oasis class, Icon of the Seas is the first of Royal’s new Icon class.

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Sailing 

Utopia has been marketed as the “world’s biggest weekend.” Hence, as a weekender cruise, the ship offers three- or four-night weekend itineraries to the cruisers. On the other hand, Icon provides week-long journeys with seven-night western or eastern Caribbean itineraries. Utopia sails from Port Canaveral in Florida, whereas Icon sails from PortMiami in Miami, Florida. Since sailings aboard Utopia are set to last just a few days, destinations are limited; meanwhile, the list of destinations included in the Icon of the Seas is long, including both the eastern and western Caribbean.

Food and Drink

Both ships offer umpteen restaurants and other places for food options, and each ship gives a “unique dining experience,” Merevick observes. There are 10 places for all-inclusive eating on Utopia and 13 on Icon. Aside from complimentary dining, specialty dining categories are also being offered on these ships. He gives special mention to “Royal Railway: Utopia Station,” on the Utopia, “an immersive food and entertainment experience that basically puts you on a train ride through the American West of the 1800s… while aboard the cruise ship.” Though not immersive, Icon’s “Empire Supper Club,” a glamorous, upscale restaurant based on a ’20s theme, offers an exclusive dining experience. Merevick details the variety of drinking options on these two cruise ships as well.

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Pools and Waterpark

Merevick suggests Icon of the Seas for waterslide enthusiasts. At the same time, he gives special mention to the “Ultimate Abyss,” the world’s longest dry slide at sea, as Utopia’s “secret weapon.” Regarding the number of pools, Icon also enjoys an edge over Utopia with an extensive seven pools, whereas the latter holds five.

Price

As per Merevick’s update, “Cruises aboard Icon of the Seas start at roughly $3,000 for two adults in an interior stateroom, while sailings aboard Utopia—which, again, are shorter—start at roughly $1,200 for two adults in an interior room.” These charges were before the inclusion of upcharges on different facilities, including drink packages and specialty dining.