NEWS footballing legend Lionel Messi names the world’s largest cruise ship. Lucy Huxley reports from Miami


‘Lionel Messi’s family values resonate with our new ship’


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Agents explore Royal’s Perfect Day at CocoCay private island


ncept for Utopia of the Seas


said: “You’ll go to the train station where there will be loads of carriages, and these carriages will be restaurants. “You will feel like you are having dinner


in a train carriage and could be travelling through Europe, in a winter wonderland or in the dessert – and the menu will reflect the destination you’re in.” Bayley said “other experiences will


happen” as diners enjoy their meal, but he declined to reveal more details. He added: “The Royal Railway will be


absolutely fantastic. I think it’s one of the best concepts we’ve ever made.”


ootballing legend Lionel Messi said naming Icon of the Seas was “a big honour because I know what this ship means to Miami and the world”.


The Inter Miami captain used a football to press the


button that released the largest-ever bottle of champagne to smash into the ship’s hull. Royal Caribbean Group president and chief executive


Jason Liberty said the line had invited Messi to christen the ship first and foremost for his family values as they resonate with Icon of the Seas, which the line has dubbed “the ultimate family vacation”. Liberty said: “Lionel Messi has won the Fifa World


Cup, the Ballon d’Or eight times and was Timemagazine’s athlete of the year in 2023. He has ignited a new era for soccer in Miami and is a true icon of his sport. “But his top priority is his family. Watching his love for


his wife and three boys, it’s clear where his priorities lie. “As a father of four myself, I can see it’s true where his


passion lies: as a husband and father, who just happens to play football really, really well.” Commenting on the ship, Liberty said: “Every once in a


while, a truly revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. Today is that day as we launch the new era of multigenerational vacation experiences on Icon of the Seas.


“This new class of ship defines what vacations can be


for all members of the family – of all ages and interests. It’s pushed all the boundaries.” Royal Caribbean International president and chief


executive Michael Bayley said: “Only the Royal Caribbean family is capable of creating this. We had a shared vision – to create the world’s best family vacation – and it’s come to life through Icon of the Seas.” Royal Caribbean has also signed a deal to be Inter Miami’s shirt sponsor for the 2024 Major League Soccer season.


Lionel Messi with ship captain Henrik Loy


Eight out of 10 cabins on Icon can accommodate families


Eighty per cent of the staterooms on Icon of the Seas accommodate families, up from 25% on the line’s Oasis-class ships, according to Michael Bayley. The figure includes the Ultimate Royal Townhouse,


which sleeps up to eight people and is sold out for 2024 and almost sold out for 2025. Bayley said: “Icon is a mix of tradition, such as


the Schooner Bar; evolution, such as the new 360 AquaTheater; and revolution, such as the staterooms and new family-focused accommodation. It’s like nothing you’ve seen before at sea.” He said the ship’s designers had worked hard to


ensure there was “great flow” around the ship, dividing it into eight distinct neighbourhoods. Bayley said Icon boasted the largest water park at


travelweekly.co.uk


sea, which can welcome 1,500 children every hour with minimal queueing. He added that the budget for entertainment on Icon


was bigger than on any previous new-build ship, and declared the Wizard of Oz production to be “a gazillion times better than any Broadway show”.


1 FEBRUARY 2024 11 AquaTheater


PICTURES: Simon Brooke-Webb /sbw-photo


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