It's possible to avoid paying for any of Icon of the Seas' upcharged amenities — but be prepared to stay sober and repeat meals.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas could be an expensive vacation compared to other cruise ships.
Sailing on the mega-ship without paying for any of its upcharged amenities is possible.
But it would mean spending at least $265 a day, staying sober, and repeating meals.
A budget vacation on Royal Caribbean's new wildly popular Icon of the Seas is possible. Just be prepared to stay sober, repeat meals, and pay at least $265 a day.
Right now, there's likely no better example of the mass-market cruise industry's shift toward the budget airline strategy — charge a cheap base fare and offer irresistible up-charged amenities — than Royal Caribbean's new world's largest cruise liner.
After all, what other ship comes with a $100,000-a-week cabin and a $200-per-person restaurant?
But it is possible to vacation on the mega-ship without giving into any of its upcharged restaurants and activities. If you're strong enough to do so, here's what your seven nights on Icon of the Seas could look like.
Be warned: It won't include lobsters or private lounges.
Less than half of Icon’s 28 eateries are complimentary, so you’ll likely repeat meals. Icon has two finger-food stands. The one near the mini-golf course has a half-complimentary, half-up-charged menu.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Picky eaters are sure to find at least one satisfactory option at the ship's three buffets, one of which is Mexican-themed.
If not, the complimentary pizza shop or sandwiches from the two on-board cafés might suffice.
In search of variety, grab a Mediterranean-style wrap or crepe at the five-stall food hall instead.
For a more formal dinner, budget cruisers can grub on a three-course meal at the complimentary dining room. The ship has 10 complimentary restaurants, not including the one exclusive to guests who've booked suites.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
The three-floor restaurant has a rotating menu with classics like crab cakes, New York strip steak, and cheesecake.
Just don't expect lobster or filet mignon. Both cost extra.
For better or worse, guests snubbing upcharged options would also be snubbing booze. Icon of the Seas' bars serve fun options like frozen tropical drinks and caffeine-infused cocktails.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Like most mass-market cruise ships, Icon of the Seas' 18 bars aren't free. If you want alcohol and sodas, be prepared to pay for a beverage package.
Thankfully, the ship’s complimentary amenities could distract you from your sobriety. The water park has six slides, including what Royal Caribbean is calling the tallest at sea.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Icon's surf simulator and impressive six-slide waterpark won't run you a tab.
The same goes for its seven pools and nine hot tubs — save for one of each exclusive to guests who've booked a suite.
For drier activities, families could spend their afternoons scaling the rock climbing wall or testing their putt at the nine-hole mini-golf course. The nine-hole course puts a nautical spin on mini-golf.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Or they could work off their lunch buffet by sweating it out at the sports court — basketball and ping pong included — for no extra charges.
Fortunately, Icon of the Seas' nighttime entertainment is also a great equalizer. Its ice skating performance, rendition of the Broadway hit "Wizard of Oz," and multi-disciplinary dance, swim, and dive show are complimentary to all guests.
But if you want to test your fear of heights at the part-walking, part-agility, part-ziplining Crown's Edge, you'll have to cough up $49.
The arcade games aren't free, either.
Guests staying in suites have access to a shared outdoor lounge. Icon of the Seas has seven pools.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
There's also the option to pay up to $700 for one day with a private cabana-like "casita."
But if you're on a budget, you'll have to fight "pool chair hogs" for the best poolside seating instead. (Consider bringing a sheet mask with you — a 25-minute facial at the ship's spa is almost $150.)
And hold off on your Instagram photo dumps until after your vacation. The new vessel has a neighborhood designed for families with young children. One of its restaurants allows kids to eat for free.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Otherwise, you'll have to cough up $31 per day and device for streaming-enabled WiFi, totaling $217 for the duration of the cruise. (Icon of the Seas is exclusively operating seven-night sailings.)
But let’s face it: The base fare alone isn’t ultra-affordable compared to other cruise ships. Icon of the Seas is spending its first year in service operating seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami. The cheapest fare is currently $1,856 per person per day.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Patrick Scholes, a lodging and leisure research analyst at Truist Securities, told Business Insider in late 2023, three months before Icon's launch, that the vessel was priced at a premium of "at least 50%, if not more."
Steep, compared to the typical 20% to 50% new-ship premiums.
The cheapest interior stateroom for 2024 currently costs $265 per person per day. A rendering shows Icon's "interior plus" stateroom, which, according to the cruise line, has a "deluxe closet and dressing area."
Royal Caribbean International
But even the windowless cabin comes with its own list of upgrades.
Travelers who want to pick their own stateroom must pay an additional $128 per person. If they opt for one of the larger (by at least one square foot) interior cabins, it'll be an extra $100.
Which is to say, good luck avoiding any of the upcharged amenities on your Icon of the Seas vacation.
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By: [email protected] (Brittany Chang) Title: Royal Caribbean's newest ship is also its priciest. Here's what it's like spending as little as possible, with no lobster or other upgrades. Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-icon-of-the-seas-cruise-budget-upgrades-lobster-2024-4 Published Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:18:31 +0000
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