I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better

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Review by Brittany Chang

2024-04-27T10:58:01Z

Brittany Chang

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (1)

Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas are Royal Caribbean's newest and largest cruise ships.
I stayed in both of their balcony staterooms — a$130-per-person-per-day difference.
Icon's pricier cabin looked more modern but lacked the functionality and comfort of Wonder's.

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Do you know what $900 could buy you? More than three years of Netflix's premium plan, a new Gucci purse, or 2,059 spicy chicken McNuggets.

Or, in the case of Royal Caribbean's two largest and newest cruise ships, the cash could mean the difference between a cheap but functional balcony cabin and, ironically, a more expensive but less comfortable one.

Staterooms with balconies are the most popular cruise cabin category. After all, if you're going on a vacation at sea, wouldn't you want to be able to feel its breeze from your room?

But not all cabins with private outdoor spaces are created equal, even on two new mega-ships owned by the same cruise line.

I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas in 2022 and its larger successor, Icon of the Seas, in January.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (5)

Royal Caribbean assigned me an ocean-view balcony cabin for both complimentary sailings, the longest of which was three nights on Icon.

Both ships are operating seven-night cruises around the Caribbean in 2024.

About 66% of Wonder's cabins fall under the 'balcony' category. On Icon, they make up half of the staterooms.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (6)

Wonder of the Seas' balcony cabins start shy of $1,110 per person in 2024.

Even with nearly identical itineraries, the ones on Icon are, at their cheapest, a little more than $2,000 per person this year — or double that for the a New Year's cruise.

Wonder and Icon are the most boisterous, flamboyant, and overwhelming vessels I've ever boarded.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (7)

The pool decks were intensely colorful, the crowds were inescapable, and the long lists of activities and dining options were paralyzing.

So imagine my surprise when I unlocked my doors to find surprisingly bland rooms.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (8)

The neutral tans, blues, and whites did not scream "we belong on the world's biggest and most colorful cruise ships."

The vessels have an almost two-year age difference, as evidenced by some of their decor (mainly Icon's recessed mood lights and the more chic, darker wood tones).

But besides the light fixtures, rugs, and — frankly negligible — wall art and pillows, both cabins were fairly underwhelming compared to everything outside their front doors.

Aesthetics aside, let’s talk functionality.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (9)

Both had furnished 50-square-foot balconies.

Regarding the interior space, my 204-square-foot cabin on Icon of the Seas was 22 square feet larger than mine on Wonder.

In retrospect, I would've thought Icon's was smaller. More on that in a bit.

Both king-sized beds faced a television and some wall storage.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (10)

And both were flanked by light fixtures with built-in USB outlets, as is expected on most modern cruise ships.

The cruise line says the ships' balcony cabins use two twin mattresses that have been "converted" to make a king bed. It's a common practice I've never had an issue with —until Icon.

On Wonder, the plush pillows enveloped me the moment I laid down. I slept great. No complaints.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (11)

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the new ship.

I (my back pain) could feel the hard ridge where the two mattresses met, making for a pretty miserable and uncomfortable sleep.

So much for starfishing — I kept to one side of the bed to avoid rolling over the bony bump.

For the most part, the living “rooms” were the same.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (12)

Both had the same furniture I see on almost every mass-market ship: a couch that could convert into a bed and a desk that extended into a dresser.

But storage, a high priority for cruisers, was organized differently.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (13)

Two thin wardrobes with drawers, hangars, and shelves surrounded either side of my bed on Wonder.

Icon, on the other hand, had one large wardrobe next to the living room.

Unfortunately, it had noticeably less shelving. And the metal bins let out ear-piercing screeches at every move — a lazy and annoying detail that the designers could've easily fixed with cheap felt pads.

So far, the differences have been small. But not for long.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (14)

I had two gripes with my Wonder bathroom: the lack of hair conditioner and the ill-positioned faucet that flooded the counter whenever I washed my hands.

I had the same issues on Icon. But that was the least of my concerns.

My bathroom on the older ship was well-sized for 1 person, but maybe too small for 2.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (15)

On Icon — the world's largest cruise ship —my bathroom was too compact for even one body.

Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, told reporters in January that 80% of Icon's 2,805 cabins were designed for families, a sharp increase from previous vessels like Wonder.

I'm not sure a family of four could coexist in Icon's balcony cabin — solely because of the bathroom size. There's no way two people could fit in there simultaneously. A fight over who gets priority access to the toilet could ruin a peaceful family vacation! (Which is to say, I'm glad I was traveling alone.)

With the bathroom door closed, I accidentally elbowed the walls more times than I could count.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (16)

The spare towels had to be stored on a shelf inside the shower. Because the counter was so small, I had to keep most of my toiletries and products on the shelves or in the drawer.

Surprisingly, that's where Icon excelled. Its bathroom had more storage options than its older counterpart, which didn't even have a drawer.

However, the older ship's shower had a clothesline perfect for drying swimwear. It's a small but crucial amenity, especially on a vessel with so many pools and waterslides.

Unfortunately, both were stocked with two-in-one body wash and shampoo — and no hair conditioner

Let’s go through our checklist.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (17)

My balcony cabin on Wonder looked less modern than its successor (the TV on Icon had Chromecast, after all).

But it was significantly more functional and comfortable. The bed was incomparably more pleasant, the closets had more defined storage components, and the bathroom was considerably larger, even if it lacked additional shelving and drawers.

The question is: Which one is more worth its price?

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (18)

Icon's cheapest balcony cabins are currently $900 more than the most affordable ones on Wonder — an almost $130 per person and day difference.

Based on the quality of the staterooms alone, if you prioritize functionality, comfort, and affordability over modern decor, consider saving money and going with the two-year-old ship.

But let’s not forget that cruise fares include unlimited food, on board activities, and nighttime entertainment.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (19)

Both ships have a fairly similar list of amenities. But only the newer one has a waterpark, an adult-only infinity pool club, and a swim-up bar, to name a few unique amenities.

So yes, Icon's balcony cabins are more costly. But the staggering price difference — and tiny bathroom — could be worth it if you think the its surplus of additional amenities is worth paying for.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's 2 newest and largest cruise ships. One was clearly better — and $900 cheaper. (2024)