Royal Caribbean Is the New Owner of the World's Largest Cruise Ship The 1,198-foot Icon of the Seas weighs 250,800 tons and has 20 decks.

Royal Caribbean has added the world's largest cruise ship to its fleet.

The cruise company has taken ownership of the Icon of the Sea, a 1,198-foot-long vessel that cost approximately $2 billion to build, according to the cruise website Go Port.

"Today, we are celebrating more than a new ship; it's also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation and dreaming at Royal Caribbean to create the ultimate vacation experience," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO, in a press release. The transfer of ownership took place on Monday, November 27, at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, with 1,200 crew members and workers in attendance.

^{Jouni Niskakoski/Shutterstock | Worlds largest cruise ship ICON OF THE SEAS departing for sea trials from Meyer Turku shipyard assisted by tug boats.}

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The Icon of the Sea took 900 days to build and weighs 250,800 tons, according to a press release from Royal Caribbean. It has 20 decks and can hold 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members.

Its maiden voyage is set to depart from Miami, Florida, on January 27, 2024, and will travel around the Caribbean for seven days.

^{Courtesy of Royal Caribbean | June 2023 – Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas is on the move to sail the open ocean for the first time and reach its next construction milestone.}

^{Courtesy of Royal Caribbean | November 2023 – Following eight days and hundreds of tests and inspections at sea, Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas successfully wrapped up its final sea trials.}

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The vessel features eight "neighborhoods" for passengers to explore and 40 dining and drink options, plus it has 28 different options for accommodations. The ship's AquaDome is the largest glass and steel structure to be lifted onto a cruise ship, it also has the most water ever on board with seven pools and six record-breaking waterslides.

The Icon of the Sea is powered with liquified natural gas, making it the first waste-to-energy plant at sea, per CNN.