Last week, Royal Caribbean announced details for its newest ship debuting in early 2024, Icon of the Seas. This ship has all the bells and whistles and then some: 6 water slides, thrill walk, indoor water theatre, largest ice skating rink, etc. See my post here.
Today is the day that Crown and Anchor members can start booking Icon of the Seas. I figured that sailing on this ship would have a premium price, but how much? (Yes, I love crunching numbers!)
Price Comparisons by Ship
Let’s take a look at a 7-night spring break cruise out of Florida on various ships leaving the same week. Prices are for a family of 4 (with 2 kids 12 and under) for one ocean balcony cabin.
Icon of the Seas March March 9, 2024: $6139.16
Wonder of the Seas March 10, 2024: $4311.12
Oasis of the Seas March 10, 2024: $3977.72
Disney Cruise Line has not yet released March 2024 cruises, and most of their March 2023 cruises are sold out for a family of four. The closest comparison cruise I could find is a later sailing on the Disney Fantasy:
Disney Fantasy March 25, 2024: $7858.80
So, families who want to experience the thrill of a brand-new ship (and the new world’s largest ship) will have to fork out almost $2000 more than for Royal Caribbean’s second newest ship (Wonder of the Seas). The price is still less than the cost of a Disney Cruise, although the DCL price is inflated since it’s a year earlier with limited inventory.
Is Icon of the Seas Worth the Extra Cost?
If you’ve never sailed on one of Royal Caribbean’s mega ships, I’d save your money and sail on Wonder of the Seas. After all, Wonder of the Seas just debuted a few months ago and is still very new! No, it doesn’t quite have all the features as the new Icon of the Seas. But, it still has a lot of bells and whistles. My family sailed on Harmony of the Seas earlier this year. That ship is 7 years old, but still in excellent shape with many cool features.
But, for hard core Royal Caribbean fans who have already been on the other ships, Icon of the Seas may be worth the splurge. I know many avid cruisers who are waiting in line to fork over their money to be on this ship.
Are you planning to book a cruise on Icon of the Seas? What do you think of the prices?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
You’re subscribe pop up is throwing me fits on Chrome. It locks up half the screen with no way to scroll enough to click out of it. PLEASE STOP IT, Please…There are other more minor issues on the page as well. Seems like a WordPress issue you might want to check.
Thank you, I’m looking into it.