Royal Caribbean is a popular cruise line known for its big and fancy ships. Royal Caribbean has two new ships called Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. People are curious about how a huge ship Icon of the seas compared to Wonder of the Seas a second largest ship in the fleet.
Wonder of the Seas was the largest cruise ship when it first came in 2022. But now, Icon of the Seas (launched in 2024) setting sail for the first time this year. It’s the biggest cruise ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet and in the world.
If you’re wondering which one to book, here’s everything you need to know about Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas.
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas Class Difference
The main difference between Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas is their class. Royal Caribbean has 8 classes of ships, each with different layouts and things to do onboard. Icon of the Seas is the first ship in the Icon Class, while Wonder of the Seas is the fifth ship in the Oasis Class.
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas Size Comparison
The Icon of the Seas is slightly bigger than the Wonder of the Seas, with a 5% difference in gross tonnage, 2 more decks, and 10 feet longer than Wonder of the Seas. The Icon of the Seas can hold about 8% more people.
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas Size Comparison Chart
Stats | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
---|---|---|
Gross tonnage (GT) | 250,800 | 235,600 |
Length | 1,198 ft | 1,188 ft |
Width | 213 ft | 210 ft |
Total decks | 20 | 18 |
Passenger decks | 18 | 16 |
Maximum guest capacity | 7,600 | 6,988 |
Guest Capacity at Double Occupancy | 5,610 | 5,734 |
Crew capacity | 2,350 | 2,300 |
Cabins | 2,805 | 2,867 |
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Construction Cost
Icon of the Seas cost $2 billion to build, making it one of the most expensive ships ever. The ship is powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). Icon of the Seas was built in Turku, Finland at Meyer Turku.
Wonder of the Seas compared to Icon of the Seas, cost around $1.35 billion to build. It is not the most expensive cruise ship in the world. Its elder sisters, Oasis and Allure of the Seas, cost around $1.4 billion each. It was built at Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France. Utopia of the Seas is also an Oasis Class Ship, started sailing in July 2024. Here you can read about Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas.
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Passenger Capacity
Icon of the Seas is bigger than Wonder of the Seas in terms of size but can’t accommodate more passengers at double occupancy.
The number of passengers in double occupancy is reduced by 100 on Icon of the Seas. The maximum occupancy of Icon of the Seas is greater than Wonder of the Seas and can accomodate 600 more people.
This means Royal Caribbean expects more people to stay in suites on the Icon of the Seas with more than two passengers in one room.
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Staterooms and Suites
Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas have very cool rooms, including amazing suites! Icon of the Seas has 2,805 cabins, while Wonder of the Seas has 2,867. Even though Icon has fewer rooms, it can hold 600 more guests than Wonder of the Seas. This means there are more family suites on Icon that can accommodate families of four, five, or six people.
Icon of the Seas Staterooms
Icon of the Seas has some new room options for Royal Caribbean guests.
- Panoramic Ocean View staterooms: situated in the AquaDome neighborhood.
- Family Infinity Balcony staterooms: These rooms have infinity balconies that blend indoor and outdoor space. These rooms can accommodate families of three, four, five or more.
- Inside Plus staterooms: Newly designed interior stateroom now has a full wall separating the bedroom and bathroom for more privacy.
- Infinite Ocean View balcony cabins: The Infinite Ocean View balcony cabins has a glass wall that can be raised or lowered to create a bigger and airier indoor-outdoor space with great ocean views.
- Surfside Family View interior cabins:
- Infinite Central Park View balcony cabins
Other cabins on Icon of the Seas include:
- Standard interior cabins
- Ocean view cabins
- Ocean view balcony cabins
- Ocean view large balcony cabins
- Spacious interior cabins
- Central Park View interior cabins
- Central Park balcony cabins
Wonder of the Seas Staterooms
Wonder of the Seas Staterooms include:
- Studio single cabins: (solo travelers)
- Virtual balcony interior cabins
- Family ocean view cabins
- Spacious balcony cabins
- Ultra-spacious family balcony cabins
- Spacious interior family cabins
- Ocean view cabins
- Promenade view interior cabins
- Boardwalk and Central Park interior cabins
- Boardwalk and Central Park balcony cabins
Note: The Promenade, Boardwalk, and Central Park cabins are in neighborhoods on the ship. Their balconies face the space inside the ship, not the ocean.
Wonder of the Seas Suites
Wonder of the Seas has great suite choices.
- The Ultimate Family Suite
- Grand suites
- Junior suites
- The Royal Loft
- AquaTheater suites
- Crown Loft suites
- Owners suites
Icon of the Seas Suites
Icon of the Seas ship also have an amazing suite options.
- The Ultimate Family Townhouse
- Icon Loft Suites
- Surfside Family suites
- Infinite Grand suites
- Panoramic suites
- The Royal Loft
- Junior suites
- Grand suites
- Sunset Junior suites
- Sky Junior suites
- Sunset suites
- Owner’s suites
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Neighborhoods
Royal Caribbean divides its ships into neighborhoods, which are themed areas with specific activities. The Oasis class ships, such as Wonder of the Seas, introduced the concept of neighborhoods to the fleet.
Both ships have 8 neighborhoods, they are not similar. Icon of the Seas has improved upon this idea by enhancing existing neighborhoods and adding new ones.
Icon of the Seas Neighborhoods
Icon of the Seas has 8 eight neighborhoods:
- Royal Promenade
- Suite Neighborhood
- Central Park
- AquaDome
- Chill Island
- Surfside
- Thrill Island
- The Hideaway
Wonder of the Seas Neighborhoods
Wonder of the Seas has 8 eight neighborhoods:
- Royal Promenade
- Central Park
- Suite Neighborhood
- Boardwalk
- Vitality Spa and Fitness
- Pool and Sports Zone
- Entertainment Place
- Youth Zone
Common Neighborhoods between Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas
- Central Park
- Royal Promenade
- Suite Neighborhood
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Restaurants
Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas both ships have restaurants that Royal Caribbean always includes. Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas same restaurants include the main dining room, Windjammer Café, Sorrento’s Pizza, Starbucks, Wonderland, Coastal Kitchen, Giovanni’s, Chops Grill, and Izumi Hibachi & Sushi.
Here is the Wonder vs Icon of the Seas Dining option comparison table.
Resturants | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
---|---|---|
AquaDome Market | ✓ | ✗ |
Basecamp | ✓ | ✗ |
150 Central Park | ✗ | ✓ |
Café Promenade | ✗ | ✓ |
Empire Supper Club | ✓ | ✗ |
Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Celebration Table | ✓ | ✗ |
Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ |
Coastal Kitchen | ✓ | ✓ |
Dog House | ✗ | ✓ |
El Loco Fresh | ✓ | ✓ |
Hooked Seafood | ✓ | ✓ |
Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✓ | ✓ |
Izumi in the Park | ✓ | ✗ |
Johnny Rockets | ✗ | ✓ |
Main Dining Rooms | ✓ | ✓ |
Park Café | ✓ | ✓ |
Pearl Café | ✓ | ✗ |
Pier 7 | ✓ | ✗ |
Vitality Café | ✗ | ✓ |
Windjammer Café | ✓ | ✓ |
Wonderland | ✗ | ✓ |
Solarium Bistro | ✗ | ✓ |
Sorrento’s Pizza | ✓ | ✓ |
Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ |
Sugar Beach | ✓ | ✓ |
Surfside Bites | ✓ | ✗ |
Surfside Eatery | ✓ | ✗ |
The Grove | ✓ | ✗ |
The Mason Jar | ✗ | ✓ |
Both ships have familiar Royal Caribbean dishes, as well as new and exciting choices but the dining options are not the same.
Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas has Johnny Rockets, Vitality Café, The Mason Jar, and the Doghouse. Icon of the Seas offers AquaDome Market, Empire Supper Club, and Izumi in the Park.
New dining options on the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas include Pearl Caf for casual bites, Basecamp for theme park-style fun, Celebration Table for special events, Pier 7 for all-day brunch, and The Grove for Mediterranean cuisine.
Just like on all Royal Caribbean cruise ships, there is an additional cost to dine at these specialty restaurants, so it’s important to choose wisely.
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Bars & Lounges
Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas have many bars and lounges. Some are new and while other are common on Royal Caribbean ships, like English pubs, Lime & Coconut and Playmakers sports bar.
Icon of the Seas has a variety of bars and lounges that offer a wide selection of drinks. There is a swim & Tonic bar, pool bars, Casino Bar, bars at new restaurants, and lounges like Lou’s Jazz n Blues where you can enjoy drinks and live music.
Wonder of the Seas has several bars and lounges that are common on newer Royal Caribbean ships. It also has some unique ones that Icon of the Seas doesn’t, like the Solarium bar, Rising Tide Bar and the Bionic Bar with its robotic twist. Here you can Check Royal Caribbean Drink Menus.
Here is the comparison between Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas bars and lounges:
Bars & Lounges | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
---|---|---|
Pool Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
Boleros | ✓ | ✓ |
Cantina Fresca | ✓ | ✓ |
Swim & Tonic Pool Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Rising Tide Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
The Lime & Coconut | ✓ | ✓ |
Diamond Club | ✓ | ✓ |
Playmakers Bar & Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Solarium Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Suite Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
The Attic | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Dueling Pianos | ✓ | ✗ |
The Hideaway Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Trellis Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Wipeout Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Vue Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
1400 Lobby Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Giovanni’s Wine Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Basecamp Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Bubbles | ✓ | ✗ |
Lou’s Jazz n’ Blues | ✓ | ✗ |
Music Hall | ✓ | ✗ |
The Grove Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
The Lemon Post | ✓ | ✗ |
The Overlook | ✓ | ✗ |
Rye & Bean | ✓ | ✗ |
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Activities and Entertainment
Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas both ships offer many activities including pools, waterslides, and shows to keep you entertained during your cruise. They also have additional fun spaces and activities.
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas includes 80% activities in the cruise fare, while the Wonder of the Seas includes 79% activities, potentially leading to higher onboard expenses.
Icon of the Seas have some similar features to Wonder of the Seas, along with some new exciting ones. For example, Icon of the Seas has a ropes course called Crown’s Edge, which is not available on Wonder of the Seas. This feature combines a skywalk and ropes course, extending over the ocean. Wonder of the Seas has a Zip line instead.
Here is the Icon vs Wonder of the Seas activities comparison:
Activities & Entertainment | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
---|---|---|
AquaTheater | ✓ | ✓ |
Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
Mini-golf course | ✓ | ✓ |
Karaoke | ✓ | ✓ |
Carousel | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
Flow Rider | ✓ | ✓ |
Central Park | ✓ | ✓ |
Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
Fitness & Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
FlowRider | ✓ | ✓ |
Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
Mini Golf | ✓ | ✓ |
Music Hall | ✓ | ✓ |
Rock Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
Royal Theater | ✓ | ✓ |
Absolute Zero | ✓ | ✓ |
Running Track | ✓ | ✗ |
Solarium | ✗ | ✓ |
Splashway Bay | ✓ | ✓ |
Sports Court | ✓ | ✓ |
Table Tennis | ✓ | ✗ |
The Perfect Storm | ✗ | ✓ |
Waterslides | ✓ | ✓ |
Whirlpools | ✓ | ✓ |
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Pools and Waterslides
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas both ships have fun activities for enjoying the sun and playing in the water to keep you entertained during your cruise. They both have a FlowRider surf simulator, waterslides, and hot tubs. But there are some differences.
Wonder of the Seas has 4 waterslides: Typhoon, Cyclone, Supercell, and Ultimate Abyss. Ultimate Abyss is a dry slide, not a water slide, and it is the tallest slide on the ship. The ship has 5 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Icon of the Seas has 6 waterslides,
- Pressure Drop
- Storm Chasers
- Frightening Bolt
- Storm Surge & Hurricane Hunter
Icon of the Seas has 7 pools and 9 hot tubs.
- Infinity pool
- Royal Bay Pool
- Splashaway Bay aquapark
Wonder of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas Pools and Hot Tubs
Pools | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
---|---|---|
Total Pools | 7 | 4 |
General Access Pools | 5 | 2 |
Adults Only Pools | 1 | 1 |
Exclusive Pools | 1 | 1 |
Hot Tubs | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
---|---|---|
Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 10 |
General Access Hot Tubs | 7 | 6 |
Adults Only Hot Tubs | 1 | 2 |
Exclusive Hot Tubs | 1 | 2 |
Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas: Itineraries
The main difference between Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas is having different routes at least for part of the year.
Wonder of the Seas Itinerary
Wonder of the Seas is based in Florida for half the year and sails from Cape Canaveral, offering 7-night Caribbean cruises including visit to private island Labadee and CocoCay. In the summer, Wonder of the Seas ship goes to the Mediterranean.
Icon of the Seas Itinerary
Wonder of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas: The Best One
Which ship is better, Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas? Choosing between booking a cruise on Wonder of the Seas or Icon of the Seas is a personal decision based on your preferences. If you love cruising on big ships and being the first among your friends to do so, you’ll want to get on Icon of the Seas as soon as possible. This ship has been making headlines and avid travelers are excited to see what Royal Caribbean has to offer.
On the other hand, if you’ve traveled on Wonder of the Seas before or prefer to avoid large crowds, you may prefer Wonder of the Seas. This ship is still new and offers plenty of fun without the crowds.
The destination also matters. Whether you prefer the Mediterranean, Western Caribbean, or the Bahamas, both ships offer excellent options for solo travelers, couples, or families looking for luxury, entertainment, dining, and fun activities.
FAQs – Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas
What is the Difference Between Ultimate Family Suite and Ultimate Family Townhouse?
On Wonder of the Seas, there is the Ultimate Family Suite, a two–story room with a slide and fun features.
The Ultimate Family Townhouse is a fancy suite on the Icon of the Seas ship. It has three floors with balcony, slide and a mailbox. It is about 50% larger than the Ultimate Family Suite and can accommodate up to 8 guests.
How Much Does Icon of the Seas Cost?
Icon of the Seas Costs $3,933 per person, not including taxes, fees, and port charges for 7-night cruise to Caribbean from Miami on 1 June 2024.
How Much Does Wonder of the Seas Cost?
The cheapest sailing option on the Wonder of the Seas is a 7-night trip to the Caribbean from Florida on 7 July 2024. Wonder of the Seas cost per person is $2,592, excluding taxes, fees, and port charges.
How Much Bigger is the Icon of the Seas Compared to the Titanic?
Icon of the Seas is much bigger than the Titanic. It’s about 5 times bigger in volume, 35% longer and more than twice as wide than Titanic. Icon of the Seas can carry nearly 3 times more passengers than Titanic.
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