Inter Miami soccer player Lionel Messi walks through the crowd as he arrives for a naming ceremony for Royal Caribbean International’s new cruise ship Icon of the Seas, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Miami. The cruise line has named Messi as the official icon of the Icon of the Seas ship. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MIAMI (AP) — The world’s largest cruise ship is set to begin its maiden voyage Saturday as it gets underway from the Port of Miami.
Inter Miami soccer player Lionel Messi, right, shakes hands with Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, during a naming ceremony for Royal Caribbean International’s new cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Miami. Inter Miami CF has formed a partnership with the cruise line Royal Caribbean International. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, which runs nearly 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern, is leaving South Florida for its first seven-day island-hopping voyage through the tropics. The ship was officially christened Tuesday with help from soccer legend Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates.
A performer hands a soccer ball to Icon of the Seas Captain Henrik Loy, right, as Inter Miami soccer player Lionel Messi, second from right, looks on during a naming ceremony for Royal Caribbean International’s new cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Miami. Inter Miami CF has formed a partnership with the cruise line Royal Caribbean International. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of dreaming, innovating and living our mission – to deliver the world’s best vacation experiences responsibly,” Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty said earlier this week. “She is the ultimate multigenerational family vacation, forever changing the status quo in family travel and fulfilling vacation dreams for all ages on board.”
Television host Mario Lopez speaks during an event on the world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Miami. The MLS soccer team Inter Miami CF has formed a partnership with the cruise line Royal Caribbean International. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
When the Icon of the Seas was first revealed in October 2022, the ship spurred the single largest booking day and the highest volume booking week in Royal Caribbean’s then 53-year history, according to the cruise line.
Inter Miami soccer player Lionel Messi, center, bumps fists with a member of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers bagpipe band, left, during a naming ceremony for Royal Caribbean International’s new cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Miami. Inter Miami CF has formed a partnership with the cruise line Royal Caribbean International. At right is Jason Liberty, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The Icon of the Seas is divided into eight neighborhoods across 20 decks. The ship includes six waterslides, seven swimming pools, an ice-skating rink, a theater and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges. The ship can carry up to 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity, along with 2,350 crew members.
A dancer performs in front of Inter Miami soccer player Lionel Messi, second from left, seated, during an event on the world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Miami. The MLS soccer team Inter Miami CF has formed a partnership with the cruise line Royal Caribbean International. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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