Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world, but how does it compare to the Titanic?
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the two ships, in terms of not only size but also the facilities, technology and cost to build.
When the Titanic was built in 1912, it was the largest ship in the world. But, a lot has changed in the past 110 years, and today’s mega-ships like Icon of the Seas would actually make the Titanic look pretty small in comparison!
How Does Icon of the Seas Compare to Titanic in Size?
The Icon of the Seas size is five times that of the Titanic, with an internal volume of 250,800 GT compared to 46,328 GT. With a length of 1,198 feet, Icon of the Seas is around 35% longer than Titanic.
In terms of the Icon of the Seas capacity, she can accommodate 9,950 people (of which 7,600 are guests and 2,350 are crew). This is much more than the 2,435 guests and 892 crew members that could be accommodated on board the Titanic.
Of course, whenever you do an Icon of the Seas size comparison, the other ship is going to be smaller – it’s the biggest cruise ship ever built!
The following table shows some key stats to compare Titanic with Icon of the Seas…
| Titanic | Icon of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Tonnage | 46,328 GT | 240,800 GT |
| Length | 882 feet | 1,198 feet |
| Width | 92.5 feet | TBC |
| Guest Decks | 9 | 18 |
| Guests | 2,435 | 7,600 |
| Crew | 892 | 2,350 |
How Fast Is Icon of the Seas Compared to the Titanic?
Titanic and Icon of the Seas have similar cruising speeds, with both cruising at 21 to 22 knots and a maximum possible speed of around 23 knots. This equates to around 25 miles per hour.
Speed isn’t particularly important for cruise ships, as they’re designed to make leisurely journeys and have plenty of time to get from one port of call to the next. Both Icon of the Seas and Titanic are pretty average in terms of speed. But even the fastest cruise ship, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, can only reach top speeds of 30 knots.
Read more: How Fast Do Cruise Ships Go?
Facilities on Icon of the Seas Vs Titanic
Although it’s interesting to compare Icon of the Seas and Titanic in terms of size and speed, I think that the most interesting comparison comes when you look at things like accommodation, swimming pools and dining. This shows just how far cruise ships have come over the past century.
Take a look at this infographic that shows what you can expect from Icon of the Seas. Then, read on to learn more about the facilities offered on the Titanic…
Activities
On board Icon of the Seas, guests can enjoy a whole host of activities such as rock climbing, surfing, laser tag and mini-golf. The ship has an over-the-edge ropes course, a full-size carousel and an indoor AquaTheater.
Titanic had a squash court as well as deck games like quoits and shuffleboard. To pass the time, guests enjoyed playing cards, dominoes and chess.
Icon of the Seas has chess too, but it’s on a much larger scale!
Swimming Pools
Icon of the Seas has seven swimming pools, including the first with a swim-up bar, nine whirlpools and a waterpark featuring six high-speed slides.
By comparison, whilst Titanic did have a swimming pool, it was only accessible to first-class guests and had set times for men and women. This video shows what it looked like…
Dining
Icon of the Seas has 15 restaurants in the Royal Promenade area alone, as well as other options too. There are a great many bars and lounges where you can enjoy a drink, including four different locations just for one bar, the Lime & Coconut.
Read more: Icon of the Seas Restaurants Guide
Titanic had four restaurants. These were the A la Carte Restaurant, the Dining Saloon, the Verandah Cafe and Cafe Parisien.
Accommodation
Icon of the Seas has 2,805 staterooms. There are options to suit everyone, from the cheapest windowless rooms to luxury suites like the Ultimate Family Townhouse, which comes complete with a picturesque white picket fence and mailbox, and a slide to get from the bedroom to the living room.
The top suites on Titanic were the Deluxe Parlour Suites. These had two large bedrooms, two walk-in wardrobes, a private bathroom and a spacious sitting room with a faux fireplace and writing desks.
Safety
As we all know, the Titanic tragically sank after it struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912, despite being hailed as ‘unsinkable’.
So you may be interested to know how modern cruise ships like Icon of the Seas compare in terms of safety. Could Icon of the Seas sink?
While it’s technically possible that Icon of the Seas could sink if it hit an iceberg or encountered a hurricane or rogue wave, it would be highly unlikely to happen.
I consulted with my friend John who is a ship pilot, and he said that the greatest dangers to modern cruise ships are running aground (as happened with the Costa Concordia) or fire.
Titanic had 20 lifeboats onboard – enough to evacuate 1,178 people out of the 2,240 passengers and crew on board when the ship sank. Icon of the Seas has much larger lifeboats and can accommodate every person on the ship.
Cost
We’ve not had a confirmed figure for the Icon of the Seas cost to build yet – early speculation had it at around $2 billion, although it may cost much closer to $1.3 billion, whereas Titanic cost $7.5 million.
Even when you factor in inflation, the Titanic would have only cost around $200 million in today’s money, meaning that Icon of the seas cost at least six times as much in relative terms.
Read more: How Much Does A Cruise Ship Cost To Build & Operate?
Cruises on Icon of the Seas start at $731 per person for a 7-night Caribbean cruise. The cheapest tickets on Titanic cost £7. This is equivalent to around $900 today.
Staying in the Ultimate Family Townhouse for Christmas week on Icon of the Seas would set you back around $85,000. That’s still cheaper than the most expensive First Class suites on Titanic, which cost £870, or $104,000 in today’s money.
While a cruise on Icon of the Seas is cheaper than a cruise on Titanic in relative terms, most people did not have enough money to afford cruises a hundred years ago, whereas we generally enjoy more disposable income in modern society.
Read more: How Much Was A Ticket On The Titanic?
To Conclude
Icon of the Seas is a much larger ship than Titanic in every dimension. Cruise ship design and technology has come a very long way over the past century, with ships like Icon of the Seas featuring far more facilities and activities for guests to enjoy.
While the cost of building the largest cruise ships has increased, the relative ticket prices have come down. So, as well as being safer than ever before, modern cruise ships also offer much more value for money than those of the past.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
No way could 450 people fit into one of those lifeboats, the number supposedly required to fit everyone when the ship is at capacity. I won’t set foot on that ship – too many people crammed into too little space. This is a disaster waiting to happen.