World’s Largest Cruise Ship Features Over 55,000 Square Meters of Carpets

Constructing the world’s largest cruise ship, such as Icon of the Seas, involves numerous factors, including design, creation, and installation of various components.

An element often overlooked by guests as they navigate the ship is the carpeting. Despite its subtle presence, the choice of carpets plays a significant role in defining the ship’s appearance.

Creating The Look of Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas stretches an impressive 365 meters in length and weighs a staggering 250,800 gross tons, making it an extraordinary spectacle.

Its outdoor spaces have been acclaimed for being among the most exquisite deck areas ever constructed on a cruise ship, while its indoor spaces serve as a blueprint for future ship designs. 

The interior spaces of Icon of the Seas have been in the design phase for several years, with one company taking on the significant task of designing and installing over 55,000 square meters (592,015 square feet) of carpeting. This is equal to almost 10 standard-size football fields.

This carpeting endures the foot traffic of nearly 10,000 people daily throughout the year. Royal Caribbean commissioned Ulster Carpets to design, manufacture, and install the carpets covering the ship’s indoor areas, including guest and crew cabins, hallways, public spaces, restaurants, and bars.

Read Also: Icon of the Seas Cabins and Suites Guide

Rachel Guy, Contract Sales Director for Marine at Ulster Carpets: “Icon of the Seas has been making headlines all over the world and we are very proud to have played a part in this amazing cruise ship.”

“As a project, it challenged our design, planning and production teams like never before, but the final results demonstrate our ability to create unique designs and luxury carpets. This is why cruise ships, casinos and hotels around the world turn to us first for their bespoke carpets and rugs.”

75 Different Carpet Designs 

Ulster Carpets, with its head office in Portadown, Northern Ireland, and the design office located in London, created an incredible 75 different carpet designs that match the colors and designs dictated by the looks of the Icon of the Seas interior spaces. 

“Our average project would encompass around 20 different design schemes, so the Icon of the Seas profile was very different to complete at one time,” Rachel Guy said.

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“Our Planners also had to deal with an extra level of intricacy in some areas of the cruise ship and the entire project placed a lot of pressure on our production team. We are delighted with the final results as they demonstrate the unique qualities and skills that Ulster Carpets are renowned for globally.”

The Floor is Lava Onboard Icon

Ulster Carpets takes special pride in one of the most discussed cruise ship accommodations ever devised, the Ultimate Family Townhouse on Icon of the Seas.

The design team drew inspiration from the popular game ‘The Floor Is Lava,’ crafting carpets that transform the floor into an interactive play area. 

Here, children can leap from ‘stone’ to ‘stone,’ imaginatively avoiding ‘lava,’ adding a unique and creative touch to the ship’s family-friendly offerings.

Other carpets around the ship that deserved some special attention include the Aquadome Market and AquaTheater:

“The AquaTheater added an extra level of intricacy for our planners, who had to ensure the design seamlessly moved through the AquaTheater and into the seating areas. The exacting design includes a series of curved lines that twist through the venue which added extra emphasis on our Planning Team’s skills,” Ulster Carpets said.

Unlike the majority of modern carpets, which are predominantly made from synthetic materials, the carpets onboard Icon of the Seas consist of at least 80% wool.

These carpets are produced using energy-efficient manufacturing processes, contributing to the sustainable features that establish Icon of the Seas as a model for future cruise ship design.

Icon of the Seas concluded her maiden voyage on February 3, which started in Port Miami on January 27 and sailed to St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Her next cruise will be the first western Caribbean cruise sailing from Miami to Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Perfect Day.