--- title: "We’re in Awe of This Comically Gigantic Luxury Cruise Ship" description: "Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas is here to break all records — and all we can do is be in awe of this absolute unit." date: "2023-07-11" modified: "2023-07-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/gigantic-luxury-cruise-ship" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "cruise ship" - "the digest" --- # We’re in Awe of This Comically Gigantic Luxury Cruise Ship ![Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas is here to break all records — and all we can do is be in awe of this absolute unit.]() *\Image: Royal Caribbean\* ## Absolute Unit As if hulking luxury cruise ships weren't big enough already, Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas is here to break all records — and all we can summon is awe of this absolute unit. The vessel, which is set to become the [world's largest cruise vessel](), recently finished construction at a Finnish shipyard and is set to make its maiden voyage early next year. Its scale is truly staggering. It's almost 1,200 feet long, weighs a quarter million tons — that's five times as heavy as the Titanic — and can carry 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members across 20 decks. It'll also feature six water slides, seven pools — one of which will be the "largest pool at sea" — and nine whirlpools. A "Central Park" will also feature "thousands of real plants," according to the [company's website](). In short, it's an entire opulent municipality that can journey across the ocean — like a polluting, capitalistic wet dream. ![]() ## Cruise Colossus Even computer renders of the behemoth didn't sit well with social media pundits. One [graphic]() shows the vessel in dizzying detail, with oversaturated colors giving it a hyperrealistic and almost nauseating feel. "This feels like the setting Pixar would use for a movie anthropomorphizing all the nasty stuff that lives in your gut," [quipped]() one Twitter user. Others called it a "[monstrosity]()," while some pointed out that trapping thousands of people on a single vessel could easily spread disease, a hallmark feature of an industry that led to [plenty of COVID-19 outbreaks]() during the pandemic. Just today, [*CNN* reported]() that norovirus outbreaks are again surging on cruise ships, despite years of decline in interest. And it's not just its propensity to spread disease. The cruise ship industry is still a heavy polluter and a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to a [recent study](), a large cruise ship has more of a CO2 emissions footprint than 12,000 cars. Hopefully, the Icon of the Seas will fare better than the previous record holder for the largest cruise ship — which [headed straight from shipyard to junkyard]() last year. **More on cruise ships:** *[World's Largest Cruise Ship Headed Straight From Shipyard to Junkyard]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()