The world’s largest cruise ship is so big that it has a theme park on its roof. Earlier this week, the Icon of the Seas set off from Miami, Florida for the first time on a seven-day voyage.
Owned by the Royal Caribbean group, the ship is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall at 365m. It also has 20 decks, and can carry 7,600 passengers in complete luxury.
Royal Caribbean added the ship comes with the largest water park ever fitted to a ship along with seven different swimming pools, including the largest pool ever to go to sea.
In terms of size, the Icon of the Seas is five times larger than the most famous cruise liner in the world, the Titanic.
Ahead of its launch, the ship’s naming ceremony was attended by thousands of people including legendary footballer and current Inter Miami player Lionel Messi.
While Royal Caribbean has claimed it is one of the world’s most sustainable cruise ships in the world, concerns have been raised about the gargantuan ship’s emissions with environmental campaigners concerned its impact.
They are concerned the liquefied natural gas (LNG) powering the ship could leak large amounts of greenhouse gases into the air. The BBC reported that expert Bryan Comer told Reuters the ship was “a step in the wrong direction”.
Royal Caribbean has since claimed the Icon of the Seas is 24 percent more efficient than required by the International Maritime Organisation.
