Wonder and Icon of the Seas, Compared

• Royal Caribbean operates many of the largest ships in the cruise industry.
• Icon of the Seas launched in January, dethroning its predecessor, Wonder of the Seas, as the largest in the world.
• Here’s how the two mega-ships compare in terms of size, neighborhoods, amenities, restaurants, cabins and costs.

Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s darling new mega-cruise ship, was considered a success even before it was built.

In January, the highly anticipated ship – with more than 40 bars and restaurants, a water park with six slides and a waterfall – set sail, dethroning its less than two-year-old precursor, the Wonder of the Seas, as the largest ship in the world. the largest cruise ship.

Before its debut, Michael Bayley, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, had already repeatedly called Icon “the best-selling product” to date. The company experienced its biggest booking day on record when reservations opened for Icon of the Seas more than a year before its launch, she said.

Despite all the fanfare, you might be surprised at how much it resembles its predecessor.

I have sailed on both ships. Let’s see how Icon and Wonder compare in six categories: size, neighborhoods, amenities, restaurants, cabins and costs.