Icon of the Seas cabins to avoid

If you’re planning to sail on Icon of the Seas, you might be wondering if there are certain cabins to avoid booking. After all, you’re spending hard-earned time and money to take a cruise vacation!

Icon of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s biggest ship, and the biggest in the world. Measuring 250,800 gross tons, Icon of the Seas can hold up to 7,600 guests at maximum capacity. The ship is nearly 1,200 feet long and towers 20 decks above the sea. This massive cruise ship is so big that Royal Caribbean split it into eight distinct neighborhoods for guests to explore, relax, dine, and more.

There are 2,805 staterooms onboard Icon of the Seas for guests to book, meaning you have many options for securing your cabin. This ship has 28 different types of cabins, including infinite balconies, which are new to Royal Caribbean International. 

Icon of the Seas has:

• 179 suites divided among 13 suite categories (eight are new to the cruise line)
• 1,815 balcony cabins divided among eight categories (four are new to the cruise line)
• 276 oceanview cabins divided into two categories
• 535 interior cabins divided among five categories (two are new to the cruise line)

While Icon of the Seas has the most modern cabins in all of Royal Caribbean’s fleet, there are definitely cabins onboard you’ll want to avoid booking. Not every cabin is the same, even within the same category!

Some of these cabins are in poor locations on the ship, making them prone to noise, while others are simply not worth your money. A little research can go a long way when it comes to booking your cabin on this new ship.

Here are the cabins we recommend you avoid booking on Icon of the Seas. 

1. Below Chill Island

Icon of the Seas has seven pools, nine whirlpools, and six waterslides spread out between multiple decks. Many of these pools, as well as tons of lounge chairs, are found on decks 15-17 in a neighborhood called Chill Island. 

Although having a cabin close to Chill Island might seem like a good idea, being directly below the pool deck can be noisy.

You will hear the crew members shuffling chairs around the pool deck very early in the morning. In addition, the crew stack the pool deck chairs at the end of each day. Therefore, this area can be very noisy in the early morning and late at night. The cabins directly under the pool deck can be found on deck 14.

Cabins to avoid:

• 14164 – 14286
• 14564 – 14686

2. Below The Hideaway and Windjammer

Since there is no adults-only Solarium onboard Icon of the Seas, The Hideaway has been designated as the new adult hangout spot. This neighborhood features plush daybeds, its own aft-facing bar, and an infinity pool overlooking the ship’s wake.

The location of The Hideaway is perfect for adults looking to enjoy their sea day. However, the adults-only pool is quite noisy. In my experience, I found that during sea days, a DJ would play upbeat music throughout most of the day. The Hideaway turned into a big party when the music was blasting!

I would avoid booking any cabins at the aft of the ship on deck 14 since these are located below The Hideaway. Additionally, these aft cabins are directly under the Windjammer. While this won’t keep you up late into the evening, you can expect heavy foot traffic and noise coming from the buffet in the early morning.

Cabins to avoid: 

• 14288 – 14350
• 14352 – 14362
• 14688 – 14750
• 14752 – 14762

Read more: I tried the $350 in-pool daybed rental on Icon of the Seas. It was pricey, but you get a prime spot

3. Near the AquaDome

One of the most exciting additions to Icon of the Seas is a new neighborhood called the AquaDome. This versatile space is home to dazzling entertainment and high-diving aqua shows. While the entertainment is fantastic, you will likely find noise from the productions that carry from the venue.

There are forward cabins on decks 12 and 14 that you might want to avoid if you don’t want to hear the thumping bass from the music playing in the AquaDome. Luckily, the shows are only performed a handful of times so you wouldn’t have noise for the entire duration of your cruise. But, you might find music playing here during rehearsals too.

Cabins to avoid: 

• Deck 12: 12134 – 12162 and 12530 – 12562
• Deck 14: 14538 – 14562 and 14138 – 14162

4. Surfside balconies

One of Royal Caribbean’s newest neighborhoods is Surfside, located on deck seven. This is designed to be the go-to spot for families with small children where kids can play all day and adults can relax with a drink in hand.

Surfside has Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay, which is essentially a small waterpark for children, and adults can swim in the nearby Water’s Edge Pool. This area is undoubtedly noisy during the day while families are having fun (aka squeals and laughter).

There are oceanview balconies on deck seven that face the ocean, although their proximity to Surfside is sure to be noisier than the sound of the sea. These cabins are also above Adventure Ocean and Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade – two noisy venues.

Surfside features inward-facing balconies that overlook the neighborhood. Unless you have kids, you might want to avoid booking a balcony in Surfside, especially on the lower decks between decks nine, ten, and eleven. You will likely hear noise from the pool area, even if you have an oceanview balcony facing the sea.

Cabins to avoid:

• Deck 7: 7280 – 7346 and 7680 – 7746
• Deck 9: 9293 – 9347 and 9693 – 9747 
• Deck 10: 10293 – 10347 and 10693 – 10747 
• Deck 11: 11293 – 11347 and 11693 – 11747

5. Obstructed Central Park balconies

Located on deck eight is Central Park on Icon of the Seas. This neighborhood is filled with real greenery with an open-air concept. There are bars and restaurants that line Central Park, including Park Café, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Lou’s Jazz N’ Blues, Chops Grille, retail stores, and more.

Balconies in Central Park are generally good choices for balconies because this area is busy without being too noisy. However, if there is a parade in the Royal Promenade or a pool party on the top deck, this area can get noisy.

During the inaugural sailing on Icon of the Seas, I actually stayed in cabin 10225 on deck 10. This stateroom was classified as a Spacious Infinite Central Park View Balcony. While I appreciated trying out an infinite balcony, I was disappointed to see how obstructed my cabin was.

Because my cabin was located right above The Pearl, my view was partially obstructed. My cabin was not labeled as obstructed online. I would argue that this should be considered an obstructed cabin, so I would encourage potential cruisers to avoid booking these cabins on deck 10.

Cabins to avoid:

Read more: I stayed in a 200-square-foot room on the world’s largest cruise ship, where there’s a new kind of balcony. Here’s what it’s like inside.

6. Surfside and Central Park interiors

Although Surfside and Central Park are lined with balconies facing inward, you can also book interior cabins that provide a view of the neighborhoods. These cabins are classified as Surfside Family Interiors on deck eight and Central Park Interiors on deck nine.

If you’re going to book an interior cabin, there are probably better locations onboard to consider. These interior view cabins are located in two busy areas onboard Icon of the Seas. While the natural light might be a positive, these cabins will likely be noisy. In addition, most of the cabins have blocked views, such as the ones located directly above Park Café in Central Park and the ones above Surfside Bites in Surfside.

Cabins to avoid:

• Deck 8: 8321 – 8347 and 8721 – 8747
• Deck 9: 9181 – 9201, 9241 – 9257, 9287 – 9599, and 9623 – 9657

7. Outside of Music Hall

Most guests prefer to avoid cabins on the lowest decks of a cruise ship because many activities and venues are located on the higher decks. Oftentimes, however, cabins on lower decks can be cheaper than ones on higher decks.

Icon of the Seas has some lower-deck areas you’ll definitely want to avoid if you’re a light sleeper. One of these venues is the Music Hall, which spans across decks three and four.

Music Hall is home to various late-night parties with live music playing throughout the evening. There are cabins located directly outside of Music Hall, which is sure to be noisy. If you plan to stay up late, this might not be an issue. However, light sleepers or those who want to head to bed early won’t appreciate the music blasting from here.

Cabins to avoid: 

• Deck 3: 3180 – 3200
• Deck 4: 4180 – 4200 and 4577 – 4591

8. Too far forward

If you’re someone who is prone to motion sickness, it’s important to choose a cabin centrally located where you won’t feel the ship moving too much. Although Icon of the Seas has the latest and greatest technology for stabilization, you can still encounter rough waves.

As a rule of thumb, the cabins located at the front of a cruise ship will have the most motion. You’ll be able to feel the ship sway up and down during rough weather if you’re at the front of the ship.

Because of this, it’s best to avoid cabins at the very front of the ship. This is not to say that everyone will feel sick in these forward cabins. However, those who are prone to seasickness should prioritize cabins located midship.

Many of the new infinite cabins onboard Icon of the Seas are located midship, so you could consider this type of cabin if you want to feel less motion. And a bonus: these cabins are 25% bigger than regular cabins!

Read more: Photo tour of a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. It has more power outlets than I’ve seen on any ship

9. Near the elevators

The elevators can often be a source of noise on a cruise ship, especially as people come and go. Cabins that are located near the elevator are generally busy spots with heavy foot traffic as well. Some cruisers have found that booking a cabin too close to the elevators cultivates a noisy environment.

One thing to note is that Icon of the Seas has destination elevators located in a rotunda-style design.

Those who are light sleepers will want to reconsider booking a cabin too close to the elevators on Icon of the Seas. Even if you can book a cabin that is located just a few doors down from the elevators will cut down on the noise you hear while cruising!