Icon of the Seas: More Space, Innovative Design for Royal Caribbean

“We’ve over-scaled the amount of lounge space for guests on the icon of the Seas versus any other ship. That is purposeful to give more space,” said Jay Schneider, senior vice president and chief product innovation officer for Royal Caribbean international.

“You’ll find more share and more deck chairs,” he added.

The 250,800-ton ship will have a capacity for over 5,600 guests at double occupancy, becoming the largest cruise ship in the world when it debuts in Miami in January 2024, sailing week-long cruises.

Guests will first be “wowed” by a massive multi-deck pearl structure when boarding the ship, which Schneider said would provide a jaw-dropping moment.

Royal Caribbean’s neighbourhood concept will also be back, with new five areas and returning favourites, plus some tweaks.

The popular Central Park will be lusher, said Schneider, with 20 per cent more greenery.

“Guests will also be able to see the ocean for the first time,” he said. Currently, on Oasis-class ships, Central Park sits in the middle of the superstructure, without ocean views.

Central Park will also feature a dedicated entertainment venue and Izumi, the company’s sushi and hibachi restaurant will be in its biggest-ever form in Izumi on the Park. Guests can dine in and there will also be a takeout window for a bento-box-style experience.

In addition, the cruise line has worked hard on passenger flow, Schneider said, really trying to eliminate dead ends.

“There are dead ends on every cruise ship,” he continued. “We’ve tried to solve that here. The upper deck six mezzanine of the promenade is a complete 360.”

Carnival Cruise Line’s new Excel-class ship, Carnival Celebration, has arrived in Southampton

The arrival marks the first new Carnival ship in the UK for 20 years

To welcome the ship, Carnival hosted local officials, travel partners and members of the media for a day of guided tours and lunch.

Earlier this week, the line took delivery of Celebration at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

“I can’t tell you how exciting this day has been, finally giving our UK travel partners the opportunity to see our new Excel-class ship,” said Carnival president Christine Duffy.

“Carnival Celebration is the ultimate 50th birthday gift and is a key part of a very unique and exciting period of growth for us.”


The celebration has since departed on a 14-day transatlantic sailing to Miami where the line will host its naming ceremony with godmother, US model and actress Cassidy Gifford.

Including Celebration, Carnival is adding five new ships to its fleet over the next two years in a period of growth “unlike any other” in the line’s 50-year history.

Today, the second ship in Australia will be added as Carnival Luminosa begins guest operations in Brisbane, and next year, the third Excel-class ship Carnival Jubilee will debut from Galveston.

Carnival Cruise Line is set to embark on its “largest-ever” period of growth in its 50-year history.

Following the launch of Carnival Luminosa earlier this year, the brand will add five more ships to its fleet over the next two years, the next being the delivery of two Excel-class vessels, Carnival Celebration to Miami and Carnival Jubilee to Texas.


As part of the expansion plan, Carnival will also introduce a new concept – “Carnival Fun Italian Style” – with two additional ships from sister brand Costa Cruises, starting with Carnival Venezia next spring, sailing year-round from New York, and Carnival Firenze in 2024 out of from Long Beach.

“Carnival Luminosa is a testament to our ongoing commitment to Australia, and the start of a period of growth unlike any other in Carnival’s 50-year history,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Having a Brisbane-based ship has been a goal of ours for quite some time, so we are so happy that they are the first market globally to experience the big, bright, fun that this ship has to offer and so excited to give our guests more Carnival ships and itinerary options to sail over the next two years.”

Luminosa – which arrived at its homeport of Brisbane on Monday (31 October) – will sail on its first cruise on 6 November and operate 28 sailings through 13 April 2023, visiting 60 ports across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

The sailings will support Carnival Australia’s anticipated $165 million contribution to the Queensland economy this year.