World’s biggest cruise ship prepares for service: 1,198 foot-long, 20-DECK Icon Of The Seas with a 55ft waterfall and rooms for 7,600 guests arrives in Puerto Rico during trials

The world’s largest cruise ship has made its way to Puerto Rico as it prepares to accept its first paying passengers.

Locals and tourists in Ponce, Puerto Rico, were given a sneak peak at the 1,198 foot-long, 250,800-tonne pleasure cruiser, named the Icon Of The Seas, as it took a break in port as part of its trial voyage, necessary to gain its certification. 

The 20-deck vessel, five times larger than the ill-fated Titanic, towered above the town on the southern coast of the Caribbean island. 

The massive ship, which cost cruise-line company Royal Caribbean $2 billion (£1.58 billion), boasts a food hall, six swimming pools and the largest at-sea water-park of any cruise ship in the world. 

Its inaugural sailing for paying customers will be out of Miami, Florida, on January 27 for a seven-night dash around the Caribbean, including a stop at ‘Perfect Day at CocoCay’, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.

The 20-deck monstrosity, five times larger than the ill-fated Titanic, towered above Puerto Rico

Locals and tourists in Ponce, Puerto Rico, were given a sneak peak at the 1,198 foot-long, 250,800-tonne pleasure cruiser, named the Icon of The Seas (pictured) 

Its inaugural sailing for paying customers will be out of Miami, Florida, on January 27 for a seven-night dash around the Caribbean

Princes for this year’s schedule of a seven-night cruise across the Caribbean start at around £1,200, but so far almost all ‘staterooms’ have been reserved and paid for

The rooms left up for grabs cost between £4,000 and £6,000

The cruise took years to put together, with prototypes of ‘neighbourhoods’ – as the eight main areas of the ship are known – being built to scale in Miami

The most daring lift came when the Aquadome – the largest free-standing dome at sea, with nearly 700 glass panels and weighing 365 tonnes – was raised from the dock and plonked on the ship like a flying saucer

Princes for this year’s schedule of a seven-night cruise across the Caribbean start at around £1,200, but so far almost all ‘staterooms’ have been reserved and paid for, with those still up for grabs costing between £4,000 and £6,000. 

Some rooms are even more expensive. The Ultimate Family Townhouse suite spans three decks. While customers can choose to take the stairs to traverse the massive suite, when descending they also have the option of a slide, which spills out on to the living room floor.

The Ultimate Family Townhouse can sleep eight and has its own sundeck and various balconies. Seven nights will set families back an eyewatering $85,000 (£70,000).

The cruise took years to put together, with prototypes of ‘neighbourhoods’ – as the eight main areas of the ship are known – being built to scale in Miami before installing them on the actual ship in the Meyer Turku shipyard on Finland’s Baltic coast.

Most of the ‘staterooms’ are modular builds, constructed elsewhere in Finland then lifted into position. 

The most daring lift came when the Aquadome – the largest free-standing dome at sea, with nearly 700 glass panels and weighing 365 tonnes – was raised from the dock and plonked on the ship like a flying saucer, its weight evenly distributed with the help of computers connected to each cable.

This particular manoeuvre took 24 hours and the dome now features a 55ft waterfall and seating for 1,300 people.

Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer, previously told the Mail: ‘We didn’t set out to create the biggest ship in the world.’