World’s Biggest Cruise Ship Was a Fan Favorite – Now Passengers Are Turning Away. What Happened?

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has just hit its one-year anniversary, but instead of celebrating smooth sailing, she’s seeing a dip in popularity.

New data shows that after six months of sailing, Icon of the Seas was the highest-rated ship in the fleet. Fast forward another six months, and she’s now sitting in 14th place. So, what’s going on?

From the Top of the Fleet to Middle of the Pack

Every year, I analyse review scores from major cruise websites—Cruise Critic, Cruiseline.com, and TripAdvisor—to see which ships are wowing passengers and which ones are, well, not. By averaging the scores across these platforms, I get a balanced view of what cruisers really think.

This year’s results were surprising. Icon of the Seas, once the golden child of Royal Caribbean, has seen a noticeable decline, dropping from an impressive 4.2-star rating to 3.9. It’s still a solid score, but for a ship that launched to massive fanfare, it’s clear some passengers aren’t as thrilled as they expected to be.

You can read the article here: Best & Worst Carnival Cruise Ships (Ranked By Reviews)

What Are Passengers Complaining About?

As more people have sailed on Icon of the Seas, certain issues have become impossible to ignore. The biggest gripes include:

• Noise levels – With so much going on, quiet spaces are hard to find.
• Extra charges – Guests feel like they’re being “nickel-and-dimed” for everything.
• Overcrowding – The ship is packed with incredible attractions, but actually getting access to them can be a challenge. Many reviews mention struggling to book dining reservations because venues fill up so quickly.

Despite these complaints, Icon of the Seas is still a major draw, boasting a record-breaking number of pools and the largest water park at sea. But clearly, bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Incidents That May Have Hurt Its Reputation

It hasn’t been the smoothest debut year for Icon of the Seas. While Royal Caribbean has positioned her as the ultimate family-friendly resort at sea, there have been a few bumps along the way.

One of the biggest mishaps happened in May when the ship suffered a power outage during a Caribbean sailing. Although backup systems kicked in, guests were left stranded in common areas and restaurants for hours. Frustrated passengers didn’t hold back in their reviews, and the incident likely played a role in the ship’s slipping ratings.

What’s Next for the Icon Class?

Royal Caribbean isn’t slowing down. The second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, is set to launch later in 2025. Will she avoid the same pitfalls, or will she face the same growing pains as her sister ship?

Time will tell whether Icon of the Seas can bounce back in the rankings. But for now, it seems like some cruisers are rethinking whether bigger really is better.

What do you think? Have you sailed on Icon of the Seas? Let me know your thoughts!

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