by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 10:10 AM ET, Tue January 28, 2025
Royal Caribbean is celebrating one year of Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship.
The vessel officially set sail on January 27, 2024 as the company’s first Icon Class ship. With a “chief dog officer,” eight distinct neighborhoods and other unique features, Icon of the Seas has been making waves ever since.
In the year that Icon of the Seas has been sailing, the ship has welcomed 192,000 families and made 180 port calls, including 52 stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay. During the last year, some 7,900 birthdays have been celebrated on board.
The ship’s aqua performers have made 28,736 high-flying dives during 449 shows. Crew members have served up 55,350 milkshakes at Desserted, 44,070 cocktails at the Lime and Coconut poolside bar. Travelers have also eaten an impressive 1,594,567 ice cream cones at Sprinkles.
Icon may be just a year old. But Royal Caribbean is already preparing to welcome its next ship, Star of the Seas, in Port Canaveral, Florida, in August.
To celebrate, Royal Caribbean is also hosting a social media sweepstakes this week to give travelers a chance to win a free cruise on Star of the Seas or Icon of the Seas, as well as other prizes. To participate, guests need to follow Royal Caribbean on social media, like the sweepstakes post and tag a friend in the comments.
Also this week, Royal Caribbean Group reported fourth-quarter 2024 earnings and its projected expected adjusted earnings for 2025. Fourth-quarter revenue was $3.76 billion, up from $3.33 billion during the same period of 2023. The company is expecting full-year adjusted earnings per share of $14.35 to $14.65, which represents a 23 percent growth.
In an update to shareholders, the company’s leaders said wave season was off to a record start, with travelers booking at higher rates than in years past. The company also revealed that it will launch a new river cruise offering under the Celebrity Cruises brand, with 10 new river ships on order to debut in 2027.
“2024 was exceptional,” says Jason Liberty, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group. “2025 is shaping up to be another great year. We are never satisfied with the status quo, and we are obsessed with delivering the best vacation experiences in the world and driving exceptional shareholder returns.”
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