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ICON of the SEAS vs. GRANDEUR of the SEAS | Biggest Cruise Ship vs. Smallest
In this video, we pit Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship in the world, against the Grandeur of the Seas, its smallest and oldest fleet member. We compare everything—cabins, dining (including the ultimate steak test!), drinks, onboard activities, entertainment, and private island experiences (Perfect Day at CocoCay vs. Labadee). Find out which ship delivers the best vacation experience and whether bigger really is better! Watch until the end for the final scores and our verdict.
#RoyalCaribbean #IconOfTheSeas
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FINAL SCORES: Icon of the Seas vs. Grandeur of the Seas
The results are in, and Icon of the Seas is the clear winner! Here’s how the two ships compared across key categories:
Grandeur of the Seas
1. Embarkation: 3.0 (Average, nothing special)
2. Cabin: 0.0 (Tiny, unclean, smelled like cigarettes, and included a fly for a roommate)
3. Dining: 2.0 (Specialty dining was slow, and food quality was disappointing)
4. Steak Test: 2.0 (A rare fail—poorly cooked and underwhelming)
5. Drinks: 3.0 (Sweet but unremarkable)
6. Shows: 4.0 (Entertainment was a highlight, with fun performances like the Frankie Valli tribute)
7. Onboard Activities: 1.0 (Extremely limited options)
8. Private Island (Labadee): 4.0 (Peaceful and scenic, but lacking the variety of CocoCay)
9. Overall Ship Quality: 2.0 (Outdated, unclean, and far from luxurious)
Total Score: 21.0 / 45
Icon of the Seas
1. Embarkation: 4.5 (Smooth, quick, and efficient)
2. Cabin: 4.0 (Modern, spacious, with unique views of Surfside and the ocean)
3. Dining: 4.5 (A variety of excellent dining options, from specialty restaurants to casual bites)
4. Steak Test: 4.5 (Chops Grill delivered on quality and flavor)
5. Drinks: 4.5 (Creative and well-executed, with standout bars like Lime & Coconut and the swim-up bar)
6. Shows: 5.0 (World-class entertainment, including AquaTheater shows, Broadway productions, and high-tech performances)
7. Onboard Activities: 5.0 (Unparalleled variety, including water slides, rock climbing, a carousel, and more)
8. Private Island (CocoCay): 5.0 (Perfect Day at CocoCay delivered a top-notch island experience with endless options)
9. Overall Ship Quality: 4.5 (State-of-the-art design, luxurious spaces, and incredible attention to detail)
Total Score: 41.5 / 45
WINNER: ICON OF THE SEAS
With its superior food, activities, entertainment, and overall ship quality, Icon of the Seas wins decisively. If you’re looking for an unforgettable cruise experience, this ship sets a new standard for excellence.
Icon is bigger than Utopia? Cause I thought Utopia was the largest when it opened this year!
I think a cruise, no matter the ship, is what you make it. The difference here is a woman on a cruise vs. a male. I went on my first cruise without hubby in December (with a few girlfriends) and had a blast. Hubby would be just like Griff on any cruise. He's like that when we cruise together.
I would do either. Prices for icon are still crazy expensive. For points, Amex with signing bonus or chase sapphire reserve
Y’all missed your calling,lol. Enjoyed this. 👍🏼
Love the faces Alyssa makes🤣
This is one of your best blogs. not because of the comparison, but I like how you guys covered the content. go with the Chase sapphire reserve. I have had it for years, but love it for so many reasons with #1 being the travel insurance. I unfortunately had to test the insurance with one cruise the day before we were supposed to fly to florida and got reimbursed 100% of the fare! The annual fee is high, but easy to get the $300 travel credit, lounge access, global entry credit, and many other things like the monthly doordash and 10X points on lyft. I am a hyatt fan so I transfer a lot of chase points to hyatt for free nights before cruises.
Griff, why are you making Grandeur of the seas look like a Grandma Grandpop cruise! The corn hole feature was pitiful! 😂😂😂😂
Omg the pee in the toilet🤮🤮🤮 I think I would draw the line there as that would mean the toilet obviously wasn’t cleaned 🤢🤢🤢
Great video! ❤ Especially the star of the show making an appearance (Noah).
RIP Gilbert.
Not falling for it. I hear Noah in the background with Griff. Bartender made two drinks when Alyssa ordered .
Sorry Alyssa those glasses are too big for your face 😮
Grandeur still looks fun to this 56 y/o. I don’t want to deal with all the craziness on Icon
Not falling for it. I hear Noah in the background with Griff. Bartender made two drinks when Alyssa ordered .
Sorry Alyssa those glasses are too big for your face 😮
Grandeur still looks fun to this 56 y/o. I don’t want to deal with all the craziness on Icon
Colin they can’t control flies at sea 😂
Hahaha! Super great video. $1300? Is a little high for the old ship. And Gilbert!?!? Hahaha
Alyssa was on a beautiful ship, but Griffs sailing is more my level. I'm a peaceful slow vacationer. I love quiet spaces.
Cannot speak for the food experience on every Royal ships but don't choose to cruise for their food. It's not a high priority for them a foodie nighmare.
Grandeur's a third the size, and also a third of the price of Icon. Try Enchantment of the Seas – same Vision-class as Grandeur, but stretched.
Great video. Going on my first royal ship next year!
I love your content and creativity!! well done! 🎉
Pineapple🤣
Not really a fair comparison, it’s like reviewing and 30 year old car and a brand new one. Icon looks great, done a couple of Vision class ships, perfect if you want to just chill
These types of vieeos are not ealistic at all. These YouTubers always get upgraded everything which is something the average person cannot afford.
How about youtubes only be allowed to show what average people can afford.
POOOR GILBERT……. lol
As I always say, you get what you pay for.
I really enjoyed this video
Love this video! We’re headed on Icon in April with our 3 year old daughter and are very excited for all the kids activities. I personally love smaller ships like Jewel and Freedom when I’m cruising with just my wife, but oasis and icon class definitely have their place! Great video!
Y'all are funny trying to act like you're not on the ships together. 😂
It's too bad Royal doesn't keep up their old ships anymore. I think if I wanted to sail on an older ship, I would pick one of Celebrity's revolutionized ships.
Loved Icon!!
Your best video yet!!
We are going on a cruise in July for our 20th anniversary. I am trying to find the link for the sunglasses. Any help would be awesome
That was a great vlog ! We laughed alot 😂
We use the Royal Carribean credit card when we book our cruises. It's through bank of America. We figure we gotta pay for the cruise anyways, so let's get some perks from it. Typically, we exchange our points for on board credit (that benefits US the most since we don't buy drink packages), but they can also be exchanged for room upgrades and other benefits.
We have been on 2 of the older smaller ships, Grandeur and Enchantment. We have also been on two newer larger ships, Harmony and Mariner. We haven't checked out Icon yet. Both have pros and cons. If you're traveling with a family (kids and teens), you defiantly would have more fun on the newer larger ships. If it's just you and your partner, then you might prefer the older, smaller ship. Some overlooked pros of the older ships: because they are smaller, they are easier to get around if you're not very spry. The older ships are much quieter (because they do tend to have less kids and less people over all). The venues (although fewer options) are very spacious. The biggest example is Schooner Bar. The older ships it's very large with A LOT of windows. We noticed on the newer ships the Schooner Bar was a lot smaller and less views of the ocean. In fact, on Harmony, Schooner bar had no windows. Schooner is one of our favorites to sit and relax and play cards.
RIP Gilbert
This video was super distracting. I had work to do, but spent 45 minutes watching this instead, smh.
😂 poor Gilbert