Icon of the Seas Connecting Balcony Cabin Rooms for Large Families

Embarking on a cruise with a big family can be a daunting yet exciting experience, especially when it involves navigating the needs and comforts of everyone involved. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, having set its inaugural sail late January 2024, presents a world of luxury and adventure for families. The challenge often lies in ensuring that the accommodation onboard caters beds for larger families (generally 3 or more kids). In this post, I’ll share my personal experience from sailing Icon of the Seas and offer essential tips for big families planning their cruise adventure.

Our Personal Experience on Icon of the Seas

My family had the opportunity to explore the Icon of the Seas on its 7th voyage. We've done a total of five cruises in the last 6 years with all of our four kids in tow (Disney Dream, Symphony of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Disney Wish, and Icon of the Seas), so you can be sure that I' sharing tried and true tips! Embarking on a cruise with a large family requires planning and strategy. Here are my top tips before you confirm your booking to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience during your reservations for Icon of the Seas.

Things to Know for Before Booking Your Cruise Room on Icon of the Seas

One of the primary concerns for any family, especially those with three or more kids, is finding suitable accommodation that serves the needs of both parents and children. With the average cost of booking well in advance soaring over $10,000 for Icon of the Seas (until their newest ship sets sail), it may be difficult securing the perfect rooms. I know how hard it can be if you have three or more kids where they won't all fit into a single room, thereby increasing the cost of your vacation. I want to share with you an overview of these room options for five or more.

For Icon of the Seas, we had room connecting rooms of 10744 (4 max 4 sleepers) and 10746 (max 3 sleepers) which we paid $14,000 across both state rooms (see breakdown below along with extra costs we accounted for).

Icon of the Seas Rooms That Fit 5 or More People

• Ultimate Family Townhouse - Sleeps 8. I would not recommend because it goes for more than $30K a week.
• Royal Loft Suite - Sleeps 6. Still more expensive than connecting/adjoining rooms, but has 2 separate bedrooms, a living space, and more.
• Infinite Balcony Family Cabin - Sleeps 6. These generally face the Surfside area, not the sea, but would be less expensive than a connecting room.
• Connecting Cabins - Sleeps up to 7. These are generally 3 bedroom cabins that are right next 5o 4 bedroom cabins.

Book Connecting Rooms Early

Securing connecting rooms early is crucial. It offers the convenience of being close to your loved ones and provides extra space to move around, ensuring privacy and togetherness. However, if you don't book early, chances of having a connecting room will be slim to none.

Unless you are willing to shell out a bunch of money for the suites, having connecting rooms is a better experience. Royal Caribbean made some changes to be aware of from previous cruise ships. Some of the connecting rooms have an exterior door that can be secured while keeping both cabinets open with a heavy duty magnet. It also provides a small foyer space that allows families to roam back and forth from the room.

Larger Balcony Considerations

If you're booking rooms with a balcony, consider opting for a larger balcony. It not only enhances your view but also gives your family more room to breathe and enjoy the ocean breeze together. There are balconies that face Central Park, Surfside Village, and all side of the ship that face the ocean. For a connecting room, we often have our balcony door open so kids could traverse back and forth from our rooms.

Ensure No Obstructions to Your View

I would recommend ensuring that there is no obstruction as I've seen others that have had their views blocked from ladders, safety boats, and more. There are numerous places online that you can see uploaded userp photos of the rooms and whether they were obstructed.

Explore the Surfside or Central Park Rooms

The Central Park and Surfside Family suite is an excellent option for families with kids, as it features bunk beds that the little ones will love. It’s a fun and practical solution for sleeping arrangements. However, if you like to venture out in pajamas for a morning coffee for fresh air, everyone can see you on your balcony that is walking through Surfside or Central Park.

Deciding on a Port or Starboard Room

Choosing the port side (left side of the ship) or starboard side (right side of the ship) for a cruise cabin can significantly enhance your cruising experience for several reasons. First, the choice may afford you better views depending on the cruise's itinerary; for example, the port side might offer sunset views or scenic landscapes when docked. Second, one side of the ship may be less exposed to wind or more sheltered from the elements during certain parts of the voyage, making your balcony more enjoyable. Lastly, depending on the ship's docking patterns at ports of call, one side might offer clearer views of the port and its surroundings, providing a picturesque backdrop right from your cabin. The optimal side can vary by route and personal preferences, highlighting the importance of considering your itinerary and what you value most in your cruise experience when selecting a cabin.

Deciding on Whether to Book a Forward or Aft Cabin

We chose our space due to the limited areas for connecting rooms. The space resided in the Aft, which we found convenient because on that same side, Adventure Ocean, Thrill Water Park, and Windjammer were able to be accessed without having to traverse through the entire ship. Initially, we had concerns about whether we would smell any pollution or smoke from the ship, but we did not experience any at all and believe that these rumors are unfounded.

Sofa Beds for Older Teenagers

On Icon of the Seas, you should be mindful that the 4-room pull-out sofa might not be comfortable for older kids over 15. It’s best suited for younger children who require less space.

Other Non-Room Details Before Booking

To ensure a seamless experience, it's crucial to have all the necessary information upfront before booking, allowing you to streamline your planning process, helping you avoid any need for reconfirmation or adjustments later on. This includes the topics below.

Picking Dining Times

For the main dining options, they rotate between 5pm or 8pm, or you can choose MyTime dining. I've heard horror stories around MyTime dining and not being able to get in, which could be really bad, but the other buffet areas are ofte available. For families with kids, I recommend choosing from the very beginning the 5pm option - you can always choose to not show up and they'll give your table away to somone with MyTime dining.

Things to Do or Plan After Booking Your Cruise

After you booked your rooms, you should consider all of the things you'll want to buy extra which includes booking specialty restaurants, shows/entertainment, dining plans, and more. There's a timeline of things that you should check for including keeping track of the different things Royal will put from 5% to 50% off! Even if you book at a higher price, when they do the low price, you can get refunded at the higher price and book at the low price - which is what we did when they lowered the entry ticket for Thrill Island on Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

Join Facebook Groups for Your Sailing

Join Facebook Groups for the itinerary before and your planned itinerary to get up to speed to when you can. There is a ton of advice you can glean just by having other people talk about it in the group chats.

Plan Excursions

Plan the excursions you want to do and pay for them. Generally, it's safer to go through Royal Caribbean because if their tour is late, they will wait for you instead of becoming a pier runner.

Add Reminder for Booking Shows 3 Weeks Out

Generally, the show reservations open up for Icon of the Seas three weeks prior. In my own personal experience, we found that Royal had a glitch and didn't open it up when it was supposed to - and there were itineraries planned AFTER us that had a chance to reserve. If you find that you are on a similar boat (no pun intended), then I would recommend calling them as they will be able to also confirm when it can be reserved and also make the reservations for you.

Things to Know About Icon of the Seas

Enjoy the Thrill Park Waterslides

For families with children 48 inches and taller, the waterslides at Thrill Island (on the cruise ship) are a must-try. With five slides available, it’s a fun and safe activity for everyone, requiring no swimming skills.

Surfside Neighborhood Splash Pad and Pool

However, for kids shorter than 48", there is the Surfside Neighborhood on the 7th floor which has a carousel, large water play area with slides, and a 1 meter deep pool that is great for kids between 4-7 who don't know how to swim well. Floor 7 is a paradise for children, offering ice cream, churros, and mocktails. It’s a fantastic place for kids to enjoy some independence and treats.

Accounting for Costs for Extras

Here are the sample discounts and what I ultimately paid with the discount shown below. You can certainly forgo some of tese experiences, but these are the ones I recommend (except for the Arcade, so not worth the money). The Discounted price was the best price I could see after doing weekly checks of our sailing.

Cost of Each Room

This was the cost of each of our connecting Balcony rooms on Icon of the Seas. I plan on creating a side by side comparison to Symphony of the Seas that you can checkout later. These were booked 15 months in advance (December of the previous year and the itinerary was over March spring break. The Symphony of the Seas prices were from 2019 with a sailing in Feb 2020. The Icon of the Seas prices were from 2023 with a sailing in 2024.

Concluding Thoughts

Sailing on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas with a big family can be an unforgettable experience with the right preparation. By following these tips, families can navigate their cruise with ease, ensuring a comfortable, enjoyable, and memorable journey for all.

Curious about more insider tips and a detailed review of the Icon of the Seas? Don’t miss out on my full review for an in-depth look at cruising with a large family on one of the most magnificent ships at sea below.

More About Connecting Rooms on Cruise Ships

• Icon of the Seas Tips for Booking Rooms
• Symphony of the Seas Connecting Balcony Rooms
• Disney Dream Connecting Stateroom with Verandah