Icon of the Seas vs Harmony of the Seas: Size Compared

Icon of the Seas is the bigger, newer ship: a bigger waterpark, more pools, more restaurants than Harmony of the Seas. The catch is it only sails from Miami. Harmony of the Seas is smaller and older, but it’s the only one of the two that calls at a European port, splitting its year between Barcelona and Port Canaveral.

Size, tonnage and capacity compared

Icon of the Seas beats Harmony of the Seas on every headline measure: gross tonnage, length, passenger capacity, the lot. The gap isn’t massive in percentage terms, but it’s enough that Icon feels like the bigger ship, not just looks like one on a spec sheet.

Size on paper doesn’t tell you how crowded the ship feels once you’re on it. Harmony of the Seas has 2,850 cabins and typically carries between 5,700 and 6,555 passengers, which works out to a space ratio of around 34.6 on a full sailing, climbing to nearly 39.8 when it’s quieter, according to CruiseDeckplans.

Anything above 39 counts as roomy, so Harmony sits right on that line depending on how full your sailing happens to be.

Icon’s title of world’s biggest cruise ship only makes sense next to the ship it knocked off the top spot. Icon of the Seas has a maximum capacity of 7,600 against Wonder of the Seas’ 6,988, and a gross tonnage Royal Caribbean puts at 250,800 against Wonder’s 236,857, according to Royal Caribbean Blog.

For a closer look at that rivalry, see our comparison of Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. Our complete Icon of the Seas guide goes into the full specifications in more depth.

Icon-class vs Oasis-class explained

Harmony of the Seas is an Oasis-class ship, part of the generation of Royal Caribbean megaships that came before the newer Icon class. Icon of the Seas is the first ship in that new class, built from the start to outsize the Oasis-class ships that came before it.

Harmony isn’t just a copy-paste of the Oasis-class blueprint either. It’s around 20% more fuel efficient than the earlier Oasis-class ships, thanks to improvements in hydrodynamics and equipment, according to CruiseDeckplans.

Even ships in the same class don’t match up exactly: Symphony of the Seas, also Oasis-class, measures 361 metres with a gross tonnage of 228,081 across 18 decks and 2,759 cabins, all slightly different from Harmony’s 362.12 metres, 226,963 GT and 2,850 cabins. If you’re weighing up Harmony against its closest sister, our Icon of the Seas vs Symphony of the Seas comparison breaks that down further.

Waterpark and slides compared

Icon of the Seas has the bigger waterpark of the two, with six record-breaking slides spread across seven pools on its 20 decks. Harmony of the Seas sticks with Royal Caribbean’s old favourites, the Ultimate Abyss and Perfect Storm slides. Royal Caribbean says Icon has the tallest waterfall, the tallest water slide and the largest waterpark of any cruise ship afloat.

• Icon of the Seas: six waterslides, seven pools including Royal Bay, the largest pool at sea, plus separate splash areas for kids and babies.
• Harmony of the Seas: the 10-storey Ultimate Abyss slide, the Perfect Storm slide pair, two FlowRider surf simulators and rock-climbing walls across its seven neighbourhoods, including Central Park and the Boardwalk.

For the full rundown of Icon’s dry rides, our guide to Icon of the Seas’ dry slides has the details, and our separate look at the Harmony of the Seas water slide lineup covers what’s on offer there.

Pools, hot tubs and bars compared

Pools, hot tubs and bars tip in Icon of the Seas’ favour, partly because Royal Caribbean publishes exact figures for Icon that it doesn’t for Harmony. Icon has seven pools and nine whirlpools, including the first suspended pool at sea and the largest swim-up bar at sea, plus more than 40 bars and restaurants, 23 of them entirely new to the line.

Royal Caribbean hasn’t put out a current whirlpool or bar count for Harmony of the Seas, so a pool-for-pool comparison isn’t really possible from what’s available. What is clear is that Harmony spreads its pools and bars through its established neighbourhood layout, rather than piling them into one record-chasing waterpark zone.

Dining and restaurant line-up compared

Icon of the Seas has more restaurants than Harmony of the Seas: 26 free and speciality dining venues against Harmony’s 20. Icon’s speciality list runs to Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, Hooked Seafood, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Empire Supper Club and Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade, plus a Starbucks for your coffee fix.

Harmony of the Seas has three main dining rooms, American Icon, The Grande and Silk, with American Icon running set-time dining and the other two on flexible dining. Its speciality venues usually include Chops Grille, Izumi and 150 Central Park, though a recent refurbishment shuffled things around and added El Loco Fresh Mexican, Samba Brazilian and extra Giovanni’s venues.

Older write-ups still list Sabor, Wonderland and Jamie’s Italian as current, so check the ship’s own restaurant list once you’re onboard rather than trusting an old review.

Cabin categories and family suites compared

Cabin numbers are close between the two ships: Harmony of the Seas has 2,850 cabins, Icon of the Seas just over 2,800, spread across eight guest neighbourhoods. Icon still carries more passengers at both double occupancy and maximum capacity despite the slightly lower cabin count, which tells you it’s packing in more multi-berth, family-friendly layouts.

Both ships keep a restaurant called Coastal Kitchen for suite guests only. Icon goes further with The Grove, billed as Royal Caribbean’s largest suite neighbourhood yet, a private sundeck with its own pool and whirlpool, plus Mediterranean-style dining overlooking the Aquadome. Our Icon of the Seas guide has the full breakdown of cabin and suite categories.

Hidden costs and budget comparison

Hidden costs catch out anyone who compares just the headline cruise fare between these two ships. Speciality dining, Wi-Fi, drinks packages and gratuities all get charged separately on both Icon of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, and what’s bundled in shifts from sailing to sailing and season to season.

As the newer ship with more speciality venues, Icon of the Seas tends to carry a higher starting fare than an established sister ship for a comparable cabin and season, simply because everyone wants to try the new thing. Add up the extras you’d actually use, dining packages, drinks packages, Wi-Fi, rather than comparing the two ships on the advertised starting price alone.

Homeports and itineraries compared

Homeports are where the two ships really part ways for UK passengers. Icon of the Seas sails year-round from Miami on 7-night Caribbean itineraries calling at Costa Maya, Roatan, Cozumel and CocoCay, Bahamas, with no European homeport at all.

Harmony of the Seas splits its year instead, running 7-night Western Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona to ports including Palma de Mallorca, Provence, Florence and Rome, then switching to 2, 4, 5 and 7-night Caribbean sailings from Port Canaveral to spots like Charlotte Amalie, Falmouth, CocoCay and Nassau.

Icon of the Seas has no European season, so booking it means flying to Miami, or Galveston on some sailings, before you’ve even set foot on the ship. That’s the main headache for UK cruisers wanting this ship specifically.

Book Harmony of the Seas during its Barcelona season instead and you skip the transatlantic flight entirely, or treat the Miami flight as the price of sailing on the bigger ship. Both ships call at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, so that stop won’t help you choose between them.

Which ship suits which traveller

Which ship suits you comes down to what matters more: scale and novelty, or flight convenience and a choice of trip lengths. Icon of the Seas suits families and repeat Royal Caribbean cruisers chasing the biggest waterpark and the newest venues, given that 23 of its 40-plus bars and restaurants are new to the line.

Harmony of the Seas suits couples, first-timers and anyone who’d rather not cross the Atlantic to get there, thanks to its Barcelona season and its wider spread of cruise lengths from Port Canaveral.

• Choose Icon of the Seas if: the record-breaking waterpark, largest pool at sea and brand-new dining venues matter more than a short flight.
• Choose Harmony of the Seas if: a Mediterranean departure from Barcelona, or a shorter 2 to 5-night Caribbean sailing from Port Canaveral, fits your trip better.

Icon of the Seas vs Harmony of the Seas FAQs

Which ship is bigger, Icon of the Seas or Harmony of the Seas?

Icon of the Seas is bigger than Harmony of the Seas on every headline measure: higher gross tonnage, greater length and higher passenger capacity.

Does Icon of the Seas sail from the UK?

Icon of the Seas doesn’t sail from the UK or anywhere in Europe. Its itineraries depart from Miami, so UK passengers need to fly out to join the ship.

Can Harmony of the Seas be joined from a European port?

Harmony of the Seas can be joined in Europe for part of the year, when it sails 7-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona.

Which ship has more restaurants, Icon of the Seas or Harmony of the Seas?

Icon of the Seas has more restaurants than Harmony of the Seas, with 26 free and speciality dining venues against Harmony’s 20 onboard eateries.

Is Harmony of the Seas an Icon-class ship?

Harmony of the Seas is an Oasis-class ship, not Icon-class; it was built before Royal Caribbean introduced the newer Icon class with Icon of the Seas.

Which ship has the bigger waterpark?

Icon of the Seas has the bigger waterpark, with six record-breaking slides and seven pools including the largest pool at sea, while Harmony of the Seas relies on its Ultimate Abyss and Perfect Storm slides instead.

Do both ships have a suite-only restaurant?

Both ships have a suite-only restaurant called Coastal Kitchen, and Icon of the Seas also gives suite guests access to The Grove, a private sundeck and dining area.

How many cabins does each ship have?

Harmony of the Seas has 2,850 cabins, while Icon of the Seas has just over 2,800 staterooms spread across eight guest neighbourhoods.