Royal Caribbean still holds the crown for the world’s biggest cruise ships. As soon as one launches, another record-breaker is waiting in the wings.
Wonder of the Seas was a headline-grabber when she arrived, but she was soon joined by Icon of the Seas and then followed by Utopia of the Seas. Now, even Star of the Seas has entered service, bringing her own tweaks and upgrades to the Icon Class design. And with more ships on order, the race for “world’s biggest” shows no signs of slowing down.
All of these ships are incredible feats of engineering, but the real showdown is between Wonder and Icon. So how do they compare – and which one comes out on top?
Size
Icon of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world – bigger than Wonder of the Seas. It has a higher guest and crew capacity, more passenger decks, a higher gross tonnage, and it is 10 feet longer, too.
With the Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas size comparison, we’re only talking marginal differences from a percentage perspective – overall, Icon of the Seas is around 5% bigger than Wonder of the Seas in terms of gross tonnage. In terms of the Icon of the Seas capacity, that’s around 8% more.
But it is larger in every area overall. Harmony of the Seas was actually a couple of inches longer than Wonder of the Seas, but Wonder was bigger overall – Icon beats both in every measurement.
| Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross tonnage (GT) | 248,663 | 236,857 |
| Length (feet) | 1,198 | 1,188 |
| Width (feet) | 225 | 210 |
| Total decks | 20 | 18 |
| Passenger decks | 18 | 16 |
| Maximum guest capacity | 7,600 | 6,988 |
| Crew capacity | 2,350 | 2,300 |
Read more: Royal Caribbean Ships By Size
Neighborhoods
The Oasis-class ships, including Wonder of the Seas, first introduced the concepts of neighborhoods to the fleet. Each neighborhood is a themed area of the ship where different features are grouped together.
Icon of the Seas has taken that concept and pushed it even further. While both ships have 8 neighborhoods, Icon of the Seas has improved old favourites and added some thrilling new ones.
The neighborhoods shared by the ships are:
1. Central Park
Central Park is an indoor neighborhood with live trees and greenery, as well as relaxing dining venues and entertainment. Icon of the Seas has an enhanced version of Central Park, which is described as “lusher and livelier”.
2. Royal Promenade
The Royal Promenade is one of the main hubs of the ship, home to speciality dining restaurants, bars and shops galore. The Royal Promenade on Icon of the Seas brings a little more of the outside in – it’s the first in the fleet to have floor-to-ceiling ocean views.
3. Suite Neighborhood
The Suite Neighborhood is a relaxed area of the ship that is available exclusively to suite guests, including private pool, dining and sun terrace areas. Icon of the Seas has the largest and most luxurious Suite Neighborhood of any ship in the fleet.
The other neighborhoods on Wonder of the Seas (but not on Icon of the Seas) are:
1. Boardwalk
Designed to be similar to classic boardwalks on the oceanfront, this is where you’ll find Johnny Rockets, the arcade, the sports bar and the candy store.
2. Pool and Sports Zone
A straightforward name for a straightforward neighborhood where you’ll find the pools, hot tubs and sports court.
3. Entertainment Place
Home of live entertainment, including the theatre, comedy club and ice skating rink, as well as the casino.
4. Youth Zone
Another arcade can be found here, as well as the Adventure Ocean kids club and the teen club.
5. Vitality Spa and Fitness
With a fitness centre open to all guests, and a spa and salon with various treatments available, this is a place where guests can unwind and burn off some steam.
And the neighborhoods that debuted on Icon of the Seas are:
1. AquaDome
Situated at the top of the ship, AquaDome offers a peaceful oasis during the day (with its own tranquil waterfall), and at night it comes to life with vibrant bars and restaurants.
An enhanced version of the AquaTheater, it incorporates more technology than ever before, including state-of-the-art projection and robotic arms.
2. Chill Island
Chill Island is the main pool area – home to four of the seven pools on the ship. As well as the Swim & Tonic pool with swim-up bar, the Royal Bay Pool (the largest pool in the fleet) and Cloud 17, an adults-only pool, it also has four Lime & Coconut bars.
3. Surfside
Surfside is a fun-packed family area of the ship, replacing elements of the Pool and Sports Zone, Youth Zone and Entertainment Place on Wonder of the Seas. It’s here you’ll find Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay, as well as the Adventure Ocean kids club, Social020 for teens, the arcade, carousel and more dining venues.
4. The Hideaway
This peaceful neighborhood is situated higher up the ship in a quiet corner, ideal as a space for the adults to escape and unwind. It has the first suspended infinity pool at sea, as well as a multilevel sun terrace with whirlpools and a bar.
5. Thrill Island
Few ships can introduce 6 new water slides at once, but Icon of the Seas doesn’t just do that – it introduces 6 slides that all break records, including the tallest drop slide at sea, the first mat-racing duo slides, and the first open free-fall slide.
Here, you’ll also find the unique Crown’s Edge – part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride.
Staterooms and suites
Both Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas have some of the most innovative accommodations you’ll find on a cruise ship, including some incredible suites!
There are actually fewer staterooms on Icon of the Seas than on Wonder of the Seas – Icon has 2,805 while Wonder has 2,874.
Despite that, Icon can carry 600 more guests than Wonder, which tells us there are even more family suites available that can host families of four, five and six.
Read more: Wonder of the Seas Suites
Read more: Icon of the Seas Suites
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Ultimate Family Accommodations
Both Wonder and Icon have a multi-storey suite that offers incredible accommodations for families. On Wonder of the Seas, that’s the Ultimate Family Suite, a two-storey room with a slide from the bedroom to the living area, and loads of fun features.
On Icon of the Seas, it’s the Ultimate Family Townhouse. A third storey has been added, the slide has been retained, while the balcony area has a cute white picket fence and its own mailbox. It’s also around 50% larger than the Ultimate Family Suite
Debuting staterooms on Icon of the Seas
There are some other suites and staterooms on Icon of the Seas that you won’t find on Wonder of the Seas. These include:
- Inside Plus – a redesigned Inside stateroom with a full dividing wall between the bedroom and bathroom for extra privacy
- Surfside Family Suites – new suites located near the pool areas, with alcoves just for the kids to enjoy
- Panoramic Ocean View rooms situated inside the AquaDome
- Family Infinity Balcony staterooms to sleep families of three, four, five and more
Restaurants
Icon of the Seas features a really exciting mix of dining venues. Included options include the obvious spots like the Windjammer Marketplace buffet, the main dining room, Sorrentos Pizzeria and the Park Cafe. However, there are some new options that you won’t find on Wonder of the Seas, like the AquaDome Market, the Surfside Bites snack bar and the Surfside Eatery buffet.
| Restaurant | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
|---|---|---|
| 150 Central Park | No | YES |
| AquaDome Market | YES | No |
| Boardwalk Dog House | No | YES |
| Cafe Promenade | No | YES |
| Celebration Table | YES | No |
| Chef’s Table | No | YES |
| Chops Grille | YES | YES |
| Coastal Kitchen | YES | YES |
| El Loco Fresh | YES | YES |
| Empire Supper Club | YES | No |
| Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar | YES | YES |
| Hooked Seafood | YES | YES |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | YES | YES |
| Johnny Rockets | No | YES |
| Main Dining Room | YES | YES |
| Park Cafe | YES | YES |
| Solarium Bistro | No | YES |
| Sorrento’s | YES | YES |
| Starbucks | YES | YES |
| Sugar Beach | YES | YES |
| Surfside Bites | YES | No |
| Surfside Eatery | YES | No |
| Vitality Cafe | YES | YES |
| Windjammer Cafe | YES | YES |
| Wonderland | No | YES |
When it comes to speciality dining on Icon of the Seas versus Wonder of the Seas, you can, again, expect a mix of classic speciality dining favourites like Chops Grille and Izumi Hibachi & Sushi as well as some new spots to try like Pier 7, which serves ‘beachside’ cuisine and the Empire Supper Club, a luxurious 1920s New York restaurant.
Just as on all Royal Caribbean cruise ships, there will be an extra charge to eat at the speciality restaurants, so you’ll want to know which ones are worth your money. Check out my guide to Icon of the Seas restaurants to learn more.
Bars & Lounges
Here’s how the ships compare from a bars and lounges perspective:
| Bar/Lounge | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
|---|---|---|
| Bionic Bar | No | YES |
| Boleros | YES | YES |
| Cantina Fresca | YES | YES |
| Cask & Clipper | No | YES |
| Diamond Club | YES | YES |
| English Club | No | YES |
| Playmakers Bar & Arcade | YES | YES |
| Pool Bar | YES | No |
| Rising Tide Bar | No | YES |
| Schooner Bar | No | YES |
| Solarium Bar | No | YES |
| Suite Lounge | No | YES |
| Swim & Tonic Pool Bar | YES | No |
| The Attic | No | YES |
| The Hideaway Bar | YES | No |
| The Lime & Coconut | YES – 4 | YES |
| Trellis Bar | YES | YES |
| Wipeout Bar | No | YES |
| Vue Bar | No | YES |
Lime & Coconut, the Caribbean bar that appeared on Wonder of the Seas, is returning for Icon of the Seas but with four locations on the ship instead of just one, one of which will be the first frozen cocktail bar for the fleet.
There’s also Swim & Tonic – one of the pools situated in the Chill Island neighborhood that has the first-ever swim-up bar at sea. Guests will be able to relax with a gentle swim and a tasty cocktail at the same time.
And there’s a bar in The Hideaway, where guests can enjoy a peaceful drink away from the louder areas of the ship whilst overlooking the suspended infinity pool.
The bars and lounges available on Wonder of the Seas are:
- Schooners Bar
- Trellis Bar
- Playmakers Bar & Arcade
- The Attic
- The Lime & Coconut
- Boleros
- Cask & Clipper
- Diamond Club
- Rising Tide Bar
- Solarium Bar
- Suite Lounge
- Bionic Bar
- English Pub
- Vue Bar
- Wipe Out Bar
- Cantina Fresca
Activities and Entertainment
Wonder of the Seas has some of the best activities and entertainment at sea. While we don’t know the full extent of what Icon of the Seas offers yet, we do know that it includes many of the features that are present on Wonder of the Seas, and adds some exciting new ones.
| Activities/Entertainment | Icon of the Seas | Wonder of the Seas |
|---|---|---|
| AquaTheater | YES | YES |
| Arcade | YES | YES |
| Carousel | No | YES |
| Casino | YES | YES |
| Central Park | YES | YES |
| Comedy Club | YES | No |
| Fitness & Spa | YES | YES |
| FlowRider | YES | YES |
| Ice Skating | No | YES |
| Mini Golf | YES | YES |
| Music Hall | YES | YES |
| Rock Climbing Wall | No | YES |
| Royal Theater | YES | YES |
| Running Track | YES | No |
| Solarium | No | YES |
| Splashway Bay | YES | YES |
| Sports Court | YES | YES |
| Table Tennis | YES | No |
| The Perfect Storm | No | YES |
| Waterslides | YES | YES |
| Whirlpools | YES | YES |
Waterslides
Wonder of the Seas has four main waterslides:
- Typhoon
- Cyclone
- Supercell
It also has Ultimate Abyss which is a dry slide, so there’s no water, but it is the tallest slide at sea.
Icon of the Seas has six main waterslides, including:
- Pressure Drop – the first open free-fall slide at sea
- Frightening Bolt – the tallest drop slide at sea
- Storm Surge & Hurricane Hunter – the first family raft rides at sea
- Storm Chasers – two mat-racing slides (the first at sea)
AquaTheater
Both Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas have an AquaTheater. On Wonder of the Seas, it’s located at the rear of the ship, but on Icon, it’s moved inside the AquaDome, on top of the ship. Both offer incredible choreographed shows, although Icon’s AquaTheater has upgraded projection and robotics.
Live Shows
Both Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas feature epic live entertainment on board every night. While we don’t know what Icon will have to offer yet, Wonder of the Seas includes inTENse at the AquaTheater and 365 at the ice rink.
Ice Skating
Both ships have a large ice rink where guests can skate during the day and enjoy live shows at night. Of course, Icon of the Seas has one that’s larger – Absolute Zero, the biggest in the fleet.
Read more: The Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Kids
Itineraries
One of the biggest differences between Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas is destination – at least for part of the year.
Wonder of the Seas is based in Orlando, Florida, for half the year, offering 7-night Caribbean sailings. Guests will visit the private resorts of Labadee and CocoCay, as well as explore Basseterre and Nassau.
During the summer months, the ship crosses to the Mediterranean, with Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) becoming its base. From here, guests will be able to enjoy 7-night cruises to Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, Florence/Pisa, Barcelona and Naples/Capri.
Icon of the Seas isn’t offering any cruises in Europe. Instead, it will be based in Miami year-round. 7-night cruises to the Caribbean will include popular ports like Cozumel, Philipsburg and Roatan, as well as CocoCay, the private island.
It’s worth noting that the new adults-only beach at CocoCay is named The Hideaway, opening at the same time as Icon of the Seas launches with its own Hideaway neighborhood.
Cost to Build
Wonder of the Seas cost $1.35 billion to build, with the final figure being revealed close to her launch in 2022. This did not make her the most expensive cruise ship in the world, though – her elder sisters, Oasis and Allure of the Seas, actually cost more at around $1.4 billion.
The exact price tag for Icon of the Seas has never been officially confirmed, but industry estimates put her cost at around $2 billion, making her the most expensive cruise ship ever built. Some analysts suggest the figure could be slightly lower – closer to $1.3–1.5 billion – but either way, she almost certainly surpassed the cost of Wonder of the Seas, previously thought to be the priciest ship afloat.
There are some savings to be made, since many of Icon’s features were first developed for Wonder of the Seas. But as the first Royal Caribbean ship to be powered by LNG, and with brand-new spaces like the impressive AquaDome, she was always going to be an especially costly build.
Which Ship is Best
With all the excitement around the launch, people are saying that Icon of the Seas is better overall – it’s bigger and has some very exciting new neighbourhoods.
However, bigger isn’t always better, and some people prefer the (slightly) smaller crowds of Wonder of the Seas.
Destination plays a big part too. You won’t think Icon of the Seas is better if you want to book a cruise in the Mediterranean – the natural choice would be Wonder of the Seas. And if you wanted a post-Disneyworld cruise, Wonder of the Seas sails from the nearest port, too.
What isn’t up for debate is just how impressive both of these ships are. They might not be to everybody’s taste, but they are amazing for families or anyone who essentially wants a theme park/city by the sea.
With so many places to eat, bars to drink at, activities to try and more, you won’t even need to leave the ship during a port day.
Or more likely, when comparing Wonder of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas, you’ll need multiple cruises on each ship to enjoy them to their fullest.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…
Related posts:
- Icon of the Seas Size Comparison
- What is Icon Class on Royal Caribbean?
- Icon Class Vs Oasis Class
- Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas
