PortMiami just docked the largest cruise ship in history — after recording its biggest business year ever.
The "Cruise Capital of the World" on Wednesday morning welcomed Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, a 1,198-foot vessel capable of carrying 5,610 guests, into its harbor.
The massive, $2 billion ship features six waterslides, seven pools, eight "neighborhoods," 28 cabin types and 40 dining and drinking destinations.
It's the first ship in Royal Caribbean's Icon Class, powered with fuel cell technology and liquified natural gas, and it'll homeport in Miami year-round. At least two more Icon Class vessels are on the way: Star of the Seas in 2025 and another in 2026.
For now, the 250,800-ton, 20-deck, 2,850-stateroom cruise titan will travel to the Caribbean on trips of a week or less. Its inaugural voyage is on Jan. 27, with stops in St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Thomas, and the small island of CocoCay to which Royal Caribbean holds exclusive tourism rights.
"Welcoming Icon of the Seas to the Royal Caribbean family is a remarkable accomplishment years in the making for thousands of innovators, engineers, architects and designers," Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a statement. "Seven years ago, we had an ambitious idea to create the first vacation truly made for every type of family and adventurer; now, it's in our hands, and in this final stretch, we'll bring it all to life for the biggest debut in our history in January 2024."
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Miami-Dade County is "thrilled" to receive the Icon of the Seas, "which will attract cruise passengers from around the world and positively impact our economy."
"Not only are we celebrating the delivery of the largest cruise ship in the world," she said, "but the most sustainable ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet to date."
After a pandemic that plunged the cruise industry into peril and prompted Miami-Dade to offer its cruise partners an up to $285.5 million bailout to keep them afloat, business roared back in 2023 with record-breaking business.
PortMiami welcomed nearly 7.3 million passengers in fiscal 2023 — a new high and a 7% increase over the harbor's previous, pre-pandemic record in 2019.
"The port's success is a direct result of its strong partnerships," PortMiami Director and CEO Hydi Webb said. "I want to thank the entire Royal Caribbean team for their support and for choosing PortMiami as the Icon of the Seas' home."
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