World's largest cruise ship prepares for maiden voyage

The world's largest cruise ship, "Icon of the Seas" of Royal Caribbean, is docking at Ponce port in Puerto Rico, USA to conduct final inspection before officially launching at the end of January.

The large cruise ship Icon of the Seas is anchored at the port of Ponce in Puerto Rico, USA. (Source: AP)

People living around the port of Ponce must have been curious and excited to see the super cruise ship "Icon of the Seas" when it docked early in the morning of January 2.

Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said the ship will undergo extensive testing in the coming days and preparations for its official launch are proceeding smoothly.

"Icon of the Seas" will welcome its first passengers on its maiden voyage on January 27 in Miami, Florida, USA.

This voyage will last for 7 days around the Caribbean. In late November 2023, Royal Caribbean International took delivery of "Icon of the Seas" at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

After its official debut, Icon of the Seas will operate year-round, offering seven-day cruises in the Eastern and Western Caribbean, where passengers can visit popular tropical destinations such as Mexico, St. Maarten and Honduras, as well as Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay, in the Bahamas.

With a length of 365m, a width of 65m and 20 floors, "Icon of the Seas" is said to be 5 times the size of the historic Titanic. The ship has a tonnage of 250,800 tons, and can accommodate nearly 8,000 passengers and crew members at the same time.

Considered a giant floating city on the sea, the "Icon of the Seas" ship has the world's largest ocean water park, 8 neighborhoods and about 40 different bars and dining areas, providing passengers with new moments of entertainment.

The ship has 7 swimming pools in different areas on the ship, offering new experiences, such as the infinity pool at the Hideaway area or the pool with thrilling games at the Thrill Island area.

Previously, the title of the world's largest cruise ship belonged to "Wonder of the Seas", also part of the Royal Caribbean fleet. "Wonder of the Seas" is 362m long with 18 floors.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/my-tau-du-lich-lon-nhat-the-gioi-chuan-bi-cho-chuyen-ra-khoi-dau-tien-256406.html