Icon of the Seas is also the company's most sustainable ship and, among other things, will produce 90% of the fresh water used on board.
We visited the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland to see Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, an imposing vessel in its final stages of construction. The sight of the world's largest cruise ship wrapped in plastic, like a gift, to protect the exterior, is striking. We also toured various decks where hundreds of workers are putting the finishing touches on the interior spaces so that it can begin sailing in January 2024. We met with members of the different Royal Caribbean teams in Miami who have been visiting Turku since the beginning of construction, coordinating to ensure all work is carried out successfully or to make decisions and organize changes during the process.
In the bridge area, we learn that Royal Caribbean International's first Icon-class ship is the company's most sustainable vessel, featuring fuel cell technology and LNG propulsion. It has six engines that allow it to run on diesel and natural gas. It can also connect to the shore power grid and is equipped with waste heat recovery systems and a desalination plant, producing 90% of the fresh water used on board. All these advancements position the company towards a cleaner energy and zero-emissions future, reflecting its commitment to sustainability.
The cruise line's top executives, as well as those from the shipyard, expressed their pride at the presentation of the Icon of the Seas to the international press and other dignitaries, including Richard Fain, who was CEO of Royal Caribbean Group for 33 years. The new ship offers a full range of firsts and attractions, many of them the largest at sea, spread across eight neighborhoods, each offering distinct experiences, entertainment, and dining and drinking options. We were able to visit some of them, such as Central Park, with its natural plants and various dining and entertainment venues; and Suite Neighborhood, with luxurious amenities for suite guests, including private pools and jacuzzis, as well as two exclusive restaurants. We also visited some neighborhoods that are new to the Icon of the Seas, such as Thrill Island, a water park with six slides; Chill Island, with four pools and the company's first swim-up bar at sea and its first frozen cocktail bar; and Surfside, with pools, restaurants, a carousel, and more. Or the AquaDome, a place where you can enjoy the views and a waterfall during the day and which becomes the place to be at night, with restaurants, bars and the AquaTheater, with water shows combined with the technology of two large articulated arms, as explained by Nick Weir, senior vice president of entertainment at Royal Caribbean International.
In addition to seven swimming pools, it offers more than forty restaurants, bars, and clubs, live music, and more. This ship incorporates new crew accommodations, including a new cabin designed and patented by and for them, and their suggestions were taken into account in the design of the new family cabins.
As for its itineraries, it seems that Royal has not planned to place it in the Mediterranean, but, starting in January 2024, will offer 7-night itineraries in the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami, also visiting the private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas and sailing the Caribbean throughout the year.
In 2024, Royal Caribbean International will receive a second ship, the Utopia of the Seas, of the Oasis class, and two more ships of the Icon class will be launched in 2025 and 2026.
