Icon of the Seas stunner: You won't believe how full the world's largest cruise ship is sailing
Thinking of booking a cruise on Royal Caribbean's new Icon of the Seas? Get ready for monster crowds.
The world's largest cruise ship is sailing at a stunningly high level of occupancy, a top Royal Caribbean executive revealed Thursday.
Speaking to Wall Street analysts during a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley said the 6-month-old vessel is averaging a 132% load factor on sailings — that is, its cabins are 132% full.
That's a massively high number that essentially means that every cabin on the ship on every sailing is currently being occupied by at least two and sometimes three, four or even five people.
By comparison, the average load factor for ships operated by Royal Caribbean Group brands has been running at 108% in recent months, according to data released Thursday by the company.
Related: Yikes! Does Icon of the Seas really cost that much?
Cruise ships can have occupancy levels above 100% when cabins are filled with more than two people. Most cabins are built for two people, and that's the number of occupants that a cabin has to have to be considered fully occupied, according to the accounting standards used by cruise lines. But cabins on some ships also have pullout sofa beds and pull-down bunks that allow for extra passengers — usually children. When some of them are occupied, that can boost a ship's reported occupancy numbers above 100%.
"We're just delighted," Bayley said of the sky-high load factors on Icon of the Seas.
Bayley has called the ship the most successful vessel in the history of the company.
The unusually high load factor for Icon of the Seas likely means the ship is sailing with a huge number of children on board, who are packing into cabins with their parents instead of staying in separate rooms.
That would make sense, as Royal Caribbean has marketed the vessel as the ultimate family vacation destination. It was built with an unusual number of family-friendly attractions, including a new-for-the-line outdoor "neighborhood" called Surfside, dedicated to families with young children.
Icon of the Seas also features the largest water park ever built on a cruise ship, with a record six decktop waterslides. It has seven pools and all sorts of other family-friendly attractions, including a rock climbing wall, surfing pool, miniature golf course, sports court, escape room, ice skating rink and sprawling kiddie play areas.
In addition, Icon of the Seas has a lot more cabins that have extra bunks to accommodate families with children than earlier Royal Caribbean ships.
At 248,663 gross tons, Icon of the Seas is more than 5% bigger than the biggest cruise ships that were sailing before it debuted — all of which were Royal Caribbean ships, too.
Icon of the Seas is designed to hold 5,610 passengers at double occupancy — that is, with two people in every one of its 2,805 cabins. But a load factor of 132% means that its actually sailing with about 7,400 passengers on every voyage, on average. That is far higher than any other cruise ship that has ever sailed.
Royal Caribbean's next-biggest cruise ships, Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, can only hold about 7,000 passengers with every berth filled, including pull-down bunks and pullout sofa beds.
Could the massive number of people on Icon of the Seas affect the passenger experience? Bayley suggested that wasn't the case.
In his remarks to Wall Street analysts, he noted that the massive load factors were being accompanied by very high customer satisfaction scores for the ship.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.