2025 Royal Caribbean ICON OF THE SEAS Miami Cruise • Requirements, Check In Process & More!

We’ve recently sailed aboard another cruise ship. But this time, it’s not just any other cruise ship. This is the Icon of the Seas. It’s the biggest, boldest, and possibly most extra ship Royal Caribbean has ever built. In this article, we’ll share with you the entire experience, including the travel requirements, check in process, boarding procedure, shore excursions, and how much this costs.

Welcome to the largest cruise ship in the world!

This is Royal Caribbean’s most ambitious creation yet. It’s not just a floating hotel — it’s a floating city! It’s a resort, amusement park, waterpark, and shopping mall, all rolled into one massive, jaw-dropping buoyant tropical paradise!

Understanding the Icon of the Seas

When Royal Caribbean says Icon, they mean it. Officially debuting in early 2024, this mega-ship didn’t just break records — it smashed them with a piña colada in hand.

This is the world’s largest cruise ship, measuring a jaw-dropping 365 meters long and weighing over 250,000 gross tons. It has seven pools, including the largest one at sea and this suspended infinity pool. It also hosts the largest waterpark at sea, with six record-breaking waterslides. We’ll discuss these features deeper later.

But this isn’t just about size. The ship introduces Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Icon Class, which took over seven years of planning and building. Construction began in 2021 at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and the hype machine never stopped rolling. In fact, when bookings opened, Icon of the Seas reportedly had the single biggest booking day in Royal Caribbean’s history. People were that ready.

Currently, this iconic ship sails mostly in the Caribbean, usually for seven (7) nights. In our case, our stops or ports of call were Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, Roatan in Honduras, and Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. All sailings depart from Miami. And yes, we had to fly to Miami to experience it. So that means, if you want to experience it, you’re going to need a US visa, among others. The next section provides a list of some of the things you need to prepare.

Visa & Other Requirements

As of writing and during our trip, the Icon of the Seas’ homeport is Miami, the busiest cruise port in the world. So, for most nationalities like us Filipinos, the first thing you should work on is a US visa. There’s just no other way around it. We have a separate step-by-step guide on how to get a US visa here in the Philippines, which you can read here: US Visa Application for Filipinos. But spoiler alert, you’re gonna need to schedule two appointments, one for biometrics collection and the other for the actual interview.

Your US visa must be multiple-entry or good for at least two entries because you’ll be entering the United States twice. First, when you fly in to make it to Miami, and the other when the ship returns.

It’s highly likely that a US visa is the only visa you’re gonna need. In our case, we will be visiting three other countries: Mexico, Honduras, and the Bahamas.

Both Mexico and Honduras do not require a visa if you’re holding a valid US visa. The Bahamas is quite confusing because I couldn’t get information about whether or not an e-Visa is required for cruise-ship passengers. Online sources say it is required for Philippine-passport holders, but according to Royal Caribbean Philippines, there is no need for it.

In reality, in our experience, we weren’t asked for it at any point of our trip. At the Port of Miami, they only checked our US visa and made sure it was valid. And in other ports of call, there were no Immigration or visa checks AT ALL. You just get off the ship and off you go.

Things to Prepare Before the Cruise

Here are the other things you might need to prepare prior to your sailing:

• US visa
• Royal Caribbean app, which will be very useful for online check-in and on board the ship
• Credit card, which is required when using the app
• USD cash, for tipping porters and tour guides, and as backup just in case you run into problems with your credit card (which happens more often than you think)
• Luggage tags, which should be sent to you by email after booking. It’s usually in the last pages of the e-docs. Print them out, fill them out with your details, and attach them to the handle of your check-in bag.

Prohibited Items

Now, let’s talk about prohibited items.

• Of course, firearms, explosives, flammable items, sharp items or tools, illegal drugs, and other dangerous substances are NOT allowed on board.
• Adapters for plugs and USB chargers are okay, but multi-plug outlets, extension cords, and power strips are not. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is not allowed either.
• And for alcohol, each guest of legal drinking age may bring one (1) sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne, but beer, spirits, and other hard liquor are not allowed.
• There are also certain restrictions per country that you should be aware of. For example, if you’re sailing to Barbados, camouflage clothing and other military apparel are not allowed.

Online Check In

Before your cruise date, you must check in online either via the Royal Caribbean website or the official mobile app. Either way, there will be three main steps:

1. Complete your travel information. For this first step, you’ll scan or upload the following: copy of your passport and your recent photo. You’ll also need to provide your personal info including your address in the Philippines, the address of your host or hotel in the US after the cruise, your emergency contact details, and credit card details.
2. Select an arrival time. In our case, there were only two choices: 1:30 PM and 2:00 PM. We chose the latter option to be safe. After this second step, you will be presented with an online SetSail Pass, which contains a barcode and all the most important information about your sailing, including your reservation number, deck number, stateroom number, and your assigned muster number, which I will explain in a bit.
3. Submit health declaration form. For the final step, you’re gonna have to wait until the day before the sailing date to complete it. We tried doing it much earlier, but it only became available the day before.

Getting to Miami Cruise Port

At the Port of Miami, the Icon of the Seas usually, if not always, uses Cruise Terminal A.

Because there are no direct flights from Manila to Miami, we had to connect in another US City. The Miami Airport is located roughly 10 miles from the cruise port. And it is entirely possible to take public transportation if you’re watching your spending.

But it will always involve a transfer and most likely a 17- to 20-minute walk from the last bus stop to the terminal building, which can be quite challenging if you have a lot of luggage in tow. I’m assuming you will because we’re talking about a 7-night cruise here.

So really, the most convenient way is by taxi, Lyft, or Uber, especially if you’re a group. We opted with Uber, and it cost us USD 29 (roughly PHP 1660). But a regular UberX can go as low as USD 23 to as high as USD 35.

Check-in & Boarding Process

Here’s the embarkation process on the day of the cruise:

Upon arrival at Cruise Terminal A, you will be dropped off at a designated area at the actual terminal building.

1. Look for the bag drop area. You’ll be greeted by porters who will take care of your check-in luggage for you. Ideally, you should already have the luggage tags attached to your bags. But if you failed to do so, don’t worry, the porters usually have extra copies with them. Note that porters usually ask for tips, so make sure you have cash in small denominations. The usual tip is USD 1-5 per bag. You can leave the bags with the porters, who will then load them later.
2. Then, enter the building, follow the signs, and prepare for the boarding process. The queues can get long, but they move fast.
3. There will be a security check and then a visa check. Once clear, you’ll be asked to put your passport away for now because you won’t be needing it on board. They won’t be keeping your passport.
4. Then, make your way to board the world’s largest cruise ship. Welcome aboard Icon of the Seas!

After Boarding Must-Dos

• Look for your Muster number. Remember the muster number I mentioned earlier, the one indicated on your SetSail Pass? Just look for that inside the ship, most probably on Deck 5 or 6. That area is where you’ll need to go in case of an emergency, so familiarize yourself with it.
• If your room is not yet ready, use this idle time to explore the ship! It’s so massive that seven days won’t be enough to experience everything it has to offer, so use every moment you have to maximize your stay.
• But if it is ready, you’ll find your SeaPass Card attached to your door. This card will serve as your identity card and credit card on board. You can use it to pay for things because it will be connected to the credit card you entered using the app. It also serves as your room key, so don’t lose it!

Anyway, now that we’re on the topic of rooms…

Accommodations On Board

The Icon of the Seas has a staggering 2,805 staterooms — yes, almost 3000 rooms — spread across 28 different cabin types!

I won’t be discussing each of the 28 room types, but they can be classified into four main categories:

• Interior Cabins. They have 535 inside rooms with no natural light. I didn’t get to see one, but I’ve stayed in enough interior rooms in other cruise ships to know that having no windows does not bother me because I was always out and about anyway. If you’re on a budget, this is a great choice!
• Ocean-View Cabins. Approximately 276 with window views but no balcony. This is a good middle ground between an interior room and a balcony room.
• Balcony Cabins. The ship has about 1,405 featuring either traditional balconies or the innovative Infinite Balcony. Traditional balconies have a sliding door that you can step out of, and then you can lounge outside. Infinite balcony is basically a giant window — like half of the glass wall — that you can close and open at the press of a button.
• Suites. 179 upscale staterooms across 13 categories — including two-level lofts, panorama suites, and the ultra-luxe Ultimate Family Townhouse designed for up to eight guests. It spans three decks and even includes a slide, a personal patio, and in-cabin entertainment.

More than 80% of the staterooms can host three or more people — perfect for families and barkadas. Especially the balcony rooms, which can usually accommodate up to four (4) guests.

We stayed at an ocean-view balcony room!

You might be wondering, why does it have a lot of balcony rooms? 1405 rooms, that’s over 70% of all cabins. How is that possible?

That’s because on top of the traditional ocean view balcony rooms and the infinite balcony rooms, some of these rooms are facing not the ocean but the common zones or neighborhoods like the kiddie-themed Surfside and the relaxing Central Park, which has more than 20,000 real plants!

Dining Options

Icon of the Seas isn’t just a cruise ship — it’s a floating food festival with over 20 dining venues, and yes, your stretchy pants will be tested. From fancy fine dining to casual grab-and-go bites, there’s something for every kind of foodie, picky eater, or midnight snacker.

Here’s a breakdown of the dining experience on board:

Included Dining

These complimentary spots are part of your cruise fare. Meaning, you won’t need to pay anything if you choose to eat at any of these.

• Main Dining Room. Classic, multi-course meals with rotating menus. Fancy-ish but totally complimentary.

  

• Windjammer Café. Royal Caribbean’s iconic international buffet. You’ll probably end up here a lot.

  

• AquaDome Market. RCI’s first food hall. It’s a new concept with five different stalls, including crepes, Mediterranean eats, and Asian-inspired bowls. There’s also a stall serving only different types of macaroni and cheese.

  

• Surfside Eatery. A kid-friendly buffet in the Surfside family neighborhood (think mac & cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, and stress-free meals).

  

• Sorrento’s Pizza. Open late, perfect for post-activity snack attacks. The pizza selection includes Margherita, pepperoni, cheese, and my favorite, chicken BBQ.

  

• Park Café. Light bites like sandwiches and salads in Central Park. They also have chips and ice cream!

  

• El Loco Fresh. Tacos, quesadillas, and a salsa station — ¡muy bien! This was our go-to after a shore excursion because it’s not as crowded as the Windjammer Café. And tacos are just so satisfying after a day of exploring!

  

• Basecamp. A new casual eatery near the thrill zone (and it’s FREE for some snacks, but charges for specialty bites too). But crowd favorites like most burgers and hotdogs are complimentary.

  

• Pearl Café. Located just above the grand staircase. They serve snacks like sandwiches and desserts like cookies, tarts, and cakes.
• Vitality Café. Smoothies and healthy options near the spa.

Specialty Dining

Aside from the complimentary food spots, there are also the so-called specialty restaurants. Dining here entails an additional fee. Think of them as your treat yo’self spots.

For most of these, you’ll be paying a fixed price per person. Dinner is usually more expensive than lunch. But you can score a discount if you book before your sailing date or just approach a staff member if they know where they can get specialty dining discounts. Head waiters can usually offer that. In our case, the head waiter at the Main Dining, who was also Filipino gave us 50% OFF, if I remember correctly.

Anyway, here are the specialty dining options:

Chef’s Table. the ship’s most upscale dining experience — a multi-course, wine-paired gourmet dinner hosted by the chef in an intimate, elegant setting. With just around 12 guests per night, it’s like a private foodie show at sea. It’s a splurge, but ideal for special occasions or if you just want to eat like royalty.
• Chops Grille. A Royal Caribbean staple for steak and carnivorous cravings. We’ve tried this on Spectrum of the Seas, so we skipped it this time.

  

• Empire Supper Club. A swanky, 8-course fine dining experience with live jazz. Think Gatsby at sea.
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Pizza, pasta, and wine-fueled bliss in a new open-air setting.
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi. Located at Central Park. You can do the à la carte sushi bar or order a full hibachi. We’ve enjoyed this on another ship, too.
• Pier 7. Casual all-day dining in Surfside, serving breakfast burritos, coconut shrimp, and more.

  

• Hooked Seafood. This is the one spot that the crew members constantly recommended to us! New England-style seafood restaurant.

This one, we tried and we loved it! Safe to say, we were hooked! For appetizers, I had a bowl of creamy chowder while Vins had shrimp cocktails. For mains, Vins opted for surf and turf composed of tender steak and Maine lobster tail grilled to order and served with vegetables and melted butter.

I had their signature Captain’s Platter, with 4 oz. lobster tail, fresh fish filet, and four medium-sized shrimps, served with warm melted butter and a side of lobster mac and cheese. We also ordered Drunken mussels, steamed in garlic white wine. For dessert, the options were coconut cream pie, cherry pie, lemon tart, and decadent chocolate brownie.

Other Specialty Food Spots

• Celebration Table. A private dining room for special occasions — birthday? proposal? post-buffet nap celebration?
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade. Wings, sliders, beer, and game-day energy. This is located near Surfside.
• Starbucks. Yes, they have a Starbucks on board. They even sell its own souvenir collectible mugs.

Specialty dining is great if you’re celebrating a special occasion and you just want to get away from the crowd.

Bars & Lounges

Aside from proper restaurants, there are also bars and lounges on board, including:

• The Overlook. Futuristic cocktails with panoramic views in the AquaDome.
• Swim & Tonic. The cruise line’s first swim-up bar!
• The Lime & Coconut. Poolside tropical cocktails.
• Rye & Bean. A coffee shop that transforms into a cocktail bar.
• Bubbles. The new champagne bar in Central Park.
• Trellis Bar. Relax in the garden with a glass of wine or your favorite cocktail drink.

Drink Packages

Okay, since we’re already in the topic of drinks: let’s talk about drink package.

At many food spots, water, iced tea, hot tea, coffee, and some juices are free of charge. But sodas and other more premium drinks would require an extra fee, unless you availed of a drink package, which is available in three types:

• Soda Package. USD 18 per person per day, unlimited fountain soft drinks — dozens of types — and you also get a FREE Coca-Cola Souvenir cup.
• Refreshment Package. USD 42 per person per day. This will give you the same Coca-Cola souvenir cup, unlimited fountain sodas, plus premium coffee, tea, freshly squeezed orange juice, and non-alcoholic cocktails.
• Deluxe Package. USD 112 per person per day. This will give you everything included in the previous packages I mentioned, plus unlimited alcoholic cocktails, beers, spirits, wines by the glass, and other fresh juices.

To be honest, you can totally get by and still enjoy the cruise without availing of a drink package. But if you feel like you’ll prefer having a variety of options or you’ll be drinking alcohol a lot, this could be worth it.

Amenities & Activities

Icon of the Seas is not playing around when it comes to amenities. This ship is practically a floating resort on steroids. Whether you’re after thrills, chill time, or just want to pretend you’re in a luxury condo with ocean views, this ship’s got everything.

Here’s a breakdown of the top amenities you’ll find on board:

Thrills & Splash Zones

• Thrill Island & Category 6 Waterpark. The largest waterpark at sea with six record-breaking slides, including the first open free-fall slide on a cruise ship.
• Crown’s Edge. A hybrid ropes course, obstacle challenge, and skywalk that ends in a surprise drop (for the adrenaline junkies).
• FlowRider. Surf simulator for wiping out in style.
• Lost Dunes Mini Golf. A themed mini golf course with beachy vibes.
• Zip Line. Because of course. If they have it on other ships, Icon of the Seas definitely has it too.
• Sports Court & Pickleball. For cruisers who pack their competitive side.
• Rock Climbing Wall

Pools & Chill Spots

• Royal Bay Pool. The largest pool at sea, perfect for lazy lounging.
• Cove Pool. Infinity-edge pool with panoramic views.
• Cloud 17. An adults-only sun deck and pool area with a chill, upscale vibe.
• Vitality Spa. Full-service spa with massages, facials, thermal suite, and a beauty salon.
• Fitness Center. Loaded with machines, classes, and ocean views (to distract you from your cardio suffering).
• Central Park. With 20,000 real plants. When you’re here, you won’t even feel like you’re at sea. The park is also surrounded by restaurants, cafes, and shops including a watch shop selling luxury brands like Omega.

Family & Kid Zones

• Surfside Neighborhood. A brand-new area just for families, with splash pads, a carousel, family dining, and kid-friendly activities.
• Adventure Ocean. Kids’ club divided by age groups (babies to teens), with supervised play and learning.
• Social020. A cool teen hangout with games, music, and zero parents allowed.
• The Hideaway. Adults-only infinity pool + DJ + cocktails = your child-free dream zone.

Entertainment & Shopping

• AquaDome. A futuristic dome with acrobatic diving shows, aerial performances, and a massive waterfall backdrop.
• Absolute Zero. Ice skating rink by day, ice show venue by night.
• Royal Theater. Full Broadway-style productions (expect singing, dancing, and all sorts of entertainment).
• Music Hall & Lounges. Live bands, karaoke, and DJs for night owls.
• Shopping Promenade. Designer brands, duty-free goods, and souvenirs are available. They even have a jewelry store and a watch store selling both brand new items from Omega, and pre-loved Rolex pieces. You’ll also find The Collection, a store selling pre-loved designer bags mostly from Louis Vuitton.

Aside from the amenities, there are also countless activities you can join. Various parties, get-togethers, raffles, and even sports competitions!

Onboard Internet Packages

Because you can’t ghost your group chat from the middle of the ocean. On board, you can stay connected with VOOM, the onboard Wi-Fi via Starlink. It costs USD 168 per person, good for one (1) device.

If you’re a party of two, instead of availing one device per person, which will cost you a total of USD 336 for the entire cruise, it will be much cheaper to book for one person, good for two devices. This will only cost USD 280, good for the entire seven-night sailing, or only USD 140 per person.

It’s cheaper if you book in advance. Pre-sailing price is usually much lower than if you avail when you’re already on the ship.

Ports of Call

Most of Icon of the Seas sailings are for seven (7) nights or eight (8) days, including disembarkation day. It usually follows this itinerary:

• Day 1: Boarding
• Day 2: Cruising
• Day 3: Port of Call 1
• Day 4: Port of Call 2
• Day 5: Port of Call 3
• Day 6: Cruising
• Day 7: Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
• Day 8: Disembarkation

The ports of call or stops vary, but a sailing usually has four (4) stops. In our case, they were:

• Day 1: Boarding
• Day 2: Cruising
• Day 3: Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico
• Day 4: Roatan, Honduras
• Day 5: Cozumel, Mexico
• Day 6: Cruising
• Day 7: Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas)
• Day 8: Disembarkation

DIY vs Shorex

You can explore a port of call in two ways. You can join a Shore Excursion (Shorex) or you can explore independently or DIY style.

Pulling a DIY-style is much cheaper. Some ports of call can be explored on your own without problem. This is what we did with Puerto Costa Maya, as we decided to just stay in the port area and reserve our energy for our two other stops. Just make sure you get back on the ship before the cutoff time so you won’t get left behind. Because YES, people do get left behind sometimes.

Shore Excursions (Shorex) is the more expensive but safer choice. These are guided tours organized by a Royal Caribbean partner operator, and they will make sure you return to the boat in time. This is what we did in Roatan, Honduras, where we joined the Ultimate Zipline Adventure tour, and in Cozumel, Mexico, from where we visited the Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Chichen Itza is far from Cozumel, roughly three (3) hours per way, so to be on the safe side, we opted to join a Shorex instead.

Remember! If you book a Shorex, your tickets will be waiting for you on the desk in your room on your first day. These tickets indicate the meeting spot and time. Don’t forget to bring this ticket and show up on time.

In our experience, none of these ports have immigration or visa checks. You just get off the ship and explore. And this is especially true for CocoCay in the Bahamas.

The Perfect Day at CocoCay is a resort and theme park, privately owned by Royal Caribbean. It has two main areas. If you go left, you’ll reach Chill Island, the complimentary side, with beaches, souvenir shops, and food spots. If you go right, you’ll be greeted by Thrill Waterpark, which will require a paid ticket. This is home to Daredevil’s Peak, which has extreme waterslides, including this, the tallest water slide in North America.

By the way, the food here at CocoCay is also complimentary and included in your booking.

How to Disembark

1. On your last night, start packing up your luggage and leave them just outside your door. Crew members will be picking them up before 10 PM. You can get them after you disembark the next day. Just make sure to set aside some toiletries and what you will be wearing the next day.
2. Make sure to clear your balance. You don’t need to visit the Guest Services to settle your account, as the credit card you entered in the app will be automatically charged. Although Vins and I usually still check with Guest Services regardless, as our banks can sometimes block transactions abroad, and we always want to make sure we would be able to disembark without any incident.
3. On the day of disembarkation, collect your luggage on your way out of the terminal. Don’t forget to claim your luggage in the designated area. Bags are sorted by deck. You can also hail an Uber or Lyft or a cab to get out of the port.

How to Book

Royal Caribbean has an international website: royalcaribbean.com. But if you’re based in the Philippines, it’s best to book via www.cruising.com.ph, which is managed by Arpain Air, the official and authorized Royal Caribbean representatives here in the Philippines. They’re legit because we have cruised with them multiple times, and on some occasions, together with partners from Royal Caribbean International.

But why is it best to book via cruising.com.ph? Let me count the reasons.

Philippine-based customer support.

First, cruises are more complicated than the usual land travel because there are a lot of moving parts! It’s very confusing, especially for first timers. But here’s the thing. Royal Caribbean International doesn’t have dedicated customer support in the Philippines. If you book via the international website, after finalizing your booking, you’ll be on your own. If you make a mistake or you want to make amendments to your booking, your only option is to call their US hotline or email them. I’ve tried that before, and it took them a while to get back to me.

If you book with Cruising.com.ph, you can easily reach them, and you’ll be talking to Filipinos who have access to the same system. They can assist you and advise you every step of the way.

They will tell you exactly what visas are required and what other documents you need to prepare. More often than not, international staff members are not keen or familiar with the complexities of traveling using a Philippine passport. Cruising’s local team can help you with the updated information.

Ease of booking and competitive prices.

Second, the prices on the international website and Cruising are the same most of the time. I say most of the time because sometimes, Cruising has promos, and the international website does too. If you want to make sure you’re getting the best deal, it’s still best to compare. But before you do, keep this in mind. The prices displayed on Cruising.com.ph appear to be higher because if you break it down, you’ll find that they already added the automatic gratuities in the computation. In the international website, this may not be included in the published rates, and you will still be automatically charged on board regardless. I personally prefer settling this upon booking so I won’t need to worry about it later on.

These gratuities are shared among the members of the crew, including those who work behind the scenes. So we highly encourage you to always settle the gratuities.

You can book on the website: www.cruising.com.ph or call their landline number. If you call, you may tell them the promo code WORTHIT for 5% discount on the cruise fare. You can also try entering this code when booking online. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. So if you’re after the discount, just call them and have it applied.

Icon of the Seas Rates

As of September 2025, the cheapest Icon of The Seas sailing via cruising.com.ph costs USD 2682, good for 2 pax, sharing an interior room. That’s USD 1341 or roughly PHP 77,620 per person. Its itinerary includes three ports of call: St. Marteen, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at Coco Cay in the Bahamas.

But if you’re looking at the same itinerary as we did, with stops in Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, Roatan in Honduras, and CocoCay in the Bahamas, the cheapest I found was around USD 2755, again good for 2 pax sharing an interior room. That’s USD 1377.5 per person or roughly PHP 79,730.

Not bad considering that all meals onboard are included as well as access to most of the ship’s amenities, automatic gratuities or tips, and you also get to visit three more countries along the way. Internet connection is excluded.

Full Disclosure: Our cruise was made possible by Arpan Air, so we didn’t pay for our booking. But these rates are the most affordable I found for Icon when I did a mock booking. We also booked another cruise with them on our own, which we will be discussing in another post.

Updates Log

2025 10 21 – First uploaded