Icon of the Seas, believed to be the world’s largest and most advanced cruise ship to date, has arrived in Miami for the first time.
As informed, the vessel arrived on January 10 ahead of its official debut on January 27. Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku delivered the ship to US-based cruise company Royal Caribbean International in November last year.
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The 365-meter-long Icon of the Seas has a gross tonnage of 248,655 tons. It can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members.
The vessel is Royal Caribbean’s first ship that runs on liquefied natural gas and uses fuel cell technology. LNG and the ship’s additional environmentally friendly applications, such as shore power connection, will boost energy efficiencies and reduce carbon footprint, according to the company. The vessel will also feature waste heat recovery systems and air lubrication of underwater hull, sending millions of microscopic bubbles along the hull of the ship to reduce friction.
The Finnish shipbuilder started construction on the Icon of the Seas in June 2021. The ship will cruise from Miami year-round in the Eastern and Western Caribbean.