class="article-title" id="articleTitle"> British opposition parties discuss PM Johnson's Brexit election gamble

how does the planet Mercury's spins?

And with CEO Michael Bayley telling investors this year that Icon of the Seas - which has a capacity for 7,600 guests - is the 'best-selling product in the history of the business', the mood at Royal Caribbean is undoubtedly buoyant.

The latest construction update for the ship is that the 'crew neighbourhood' is being built. A space spread over four decks, it's designed to be a 'home away from home' for the 2,350 crew members on board.

Icon of the Seas is taking the title of the world's biggest cruise ship from another Royal Caribbean vessel, Wonder of the Seas, which is slightly smaller at 1,187ft (362m) long and a weight of 236,857 gross tonnes.

Share this article in your social network

The ship's three-storey family suite comes complete with its own white picket fence and mailbox. Other room options for guests include the 'Surfside Family Suite', with alcoves for Top 10 casino kids 'tucked away from the adults', 'Sunset Corner Suites' and 'Panoramic Ocean View' quarters.

For starters, Icon of the Seas will feature the largest waterpark at sea - called 'Category 6' - containing six 'record-breaking' slides: 'Pressure Drop' and its 66-degree incline - 'the industry's first open free-fall slide'; the 46ft- (14m) tall 'Frightening Bolt', the tallest drop slide at sea; 'Storm Surge' and 'Hurricane Hunter', the first family raft slides at sea - and 'Storm Chasers', which Royal Caribbean claims is 'cruising's first mat-racing duo'.

Royal Caribbean said: 'Since we revealed Icon of the Seas in October 2022, we have seen an incredible reaction. This interest contributed to the single largest bookings day and highest volume booking week in Royal Caribbean's 54-year history when we opened Icon for sale. The ship has continued to be one of the strongest preforming in our fleet with sailings across its maiden season sold out. In fact, we have seen the one-of-a-kind Ultimate Family Townhouse sold across all of 2023.

Royal Caribbean has revealed that Icon of the Seas has been the fastest-selling ship in a maiden season in the cruise line's history, with only limited spaces available for its debut Caribbean voyage in January 2024, which will depart from Miami.

The camera also spins around the multi-coloured slides on the upper deck of the vessel. They are among some of the standout features on board, which will also include the first suspended infinity pool at sea and a three-storey family suite.