Icon of the Seas Resumes Service

Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas returned to revenue service on October 5, 2024, following unexpected repairs in the Bahamas. The vessel resumed operations from Port Miami, embarking on a seven-night Caribbean itinerary.

The Eastern Caribbean route includes stops at Basseterre in St. Kitts and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, before making its final call at Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, Perfect Day at Coco Cay in the Bahamas, and heading back to Miami.

The ship previously encountered technical issues during a seven-night cruise in late September, which affected its operating speed. This led to an announcement from Royal Caribbean, informing guests onboard that the LNG-powered ship would need maintenance. Consequently, the company cancelled the subsequent sailings scheduled for September 28, 2024, and the ship was redirected to the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport for repairs, where it remained for nearly a week.

Royal Caribbean later confirmed to the affected passengers that repairs were completed by Friday, stating: “The ship is ready, our crew missed our guests, and we are looking forward to resuming our normal itineraries.”

As the first of the Icon class, the 250,800-ton Icon of the Seas was built at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland and entered service earlier in 2024. Three additional Icon-class ships are currently on order, with the Star of the Seas set to debut at Port Canaveral in August 2025. Additionally, Royal Caribbean’s fleet expansion includes a fourth Oasis-class ship, further enhancing its presence in the cruise market.