This photo of the world's largest cruise ship has gone viral—and people are divided
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The sense of exploration and adventure that comes with travelling remains unparalleled.
Having said that, it's fair to say that air travel has become less attractive these days due to cramped planes, long queues, and, of course, the high cost of tickets.
That's why cruises remain a popular option; they provide the perfect opportunity to relax and see numerous locations without worrying about the hassle of a flight.
But as with planes, signing up for a cruise isn't for everyone.
Most people tend to have mixed feelings towards spending months at sea with thousands of other people, so you can imagine the kind of reactions that a photo of the world's largest cruise ship would elicit.
The Icon of the Seas, which is set to sail in January 2024 after successful trials, is nothing short of incredible. The vessel is 365 metres long (about 95 metres longer than the Titanic), 48 metres wide, and boasts a dizzying 20 decks with a maximum capacity of nearly 10,000 people—both passengers and crew.
Therefore, it makes sense that when an artist's impression of its stern section was shared around mid-July, it sparked passionate reactions online.
Interestingly, despite the photo depicting the ship in a dazzling combination of vibrant colours, comments on social media ranged from calling it a 'pile of decadence', a 'monstrosity', to 'intricately tacky and vulgar'.
But why did the photo evoke such a wide range of strong opinions?
Tom Davis, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Alabama, suggests the reaction is down to a combination of the artist's perspective and the post-pandemic awareness of social distancing.
‘I found the rendering oddly unusual as well,’ he said.
‘After looking a bit more closely, I think I find the unsettling nature an interesting combination of the artistic perspective chosen and post-pandemic personal space/social distance training that’s been drilled into all of us.’
He said that the rendering of the ship, as seen in the photo, can give the impression of it being much 'shorter' and 'over-tall' than it would be in reality, leading one to question its stability.
‘For some, a vessel this size with so much packed on it likely represents a lot of fun with ongoing activities and freedom from boredom. For others, they may have never been on a cruise and think this is too much to take in all at once.’
As for Psychotherapist Adam Cox, the contrast between multiple recreational activities and the ship's incredible size may suggest the idea of a potentially large disaster.
As he puts it, the common description of the Icon Of The Seas as 'five times larger' than the Titanic may manifest as a protective fear to prevent a calamity equally larger in magnitude.
‘The levels on the ship also create a feeling of claustrophobia in some people, he continues, as they will perceive the ship to be a place where thousands are trapped, rather than enjoying a cruise holiday,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Abramowitz, a Psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, believes the sheer chaos in the image could create anxiety in some people.
He pointed out: ‘Maybe it’s the idea of so much going on at once and the fact that it’s all taking place at sea, with nowhere to go if there was any sort of emergency.’
Ross Klein, a Sociologist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and a cruise expert, differs in opinion, however—he believes the ship's design to be a natural progression for Royal Caribbean and that the responses are mostly based on one's cruise experiences.
‘I think the Royal Caribbean enthusiasts are going to look at this and go, “Wow, something new! This is pretty exciting, I can’t wait to get out and see what’s going on there!”’ he said.
‘But the people who don’t cruise, or people who perhaps like a different style of cruising, such as smaller ships, ultra-luxury ships or even something in between, they will see this as just a monstrosity and go, “Why would you ever do that?”’
There's more to this debate than simply the huge price tag and the limited number of cabins available. Maybe it's to do with feeling overwhelmed by the vast possibilities or being wary of safety measures while on a cruise in the middle of an unforgiving sea.
Whatever the case may be, the Icon of the Seas generated enough buzz to make it one of the most highly anticipated vessels of all time—a fact that was proven by the record-breaking bookings it got in the first week of sales in October 2022.
No matter which side of the debate you find yourself on, one thing is certain: the Icon of the Seas has made waves before even setting sail!
So what do you think, folks? Is this ship something you can envision yourself cruising on? Or are you giving it a pass? Let us know in the comments below!
Having said that, it's fair to say that air travel has become less attractive these days due to cramped planes, long queues, and, of course, the high cost of tickets.
That's why cruises remain a popular option; they provide the perfect opportunity to relax and see numerous locations without worrying about the hassle of a flight.
But as with planes, signing up for a cruise isn't for everyone.
Most people tend to have mixed feelings towards spending months at sea with thousands of other people, so you can imagine the kind of reactions that a photo of the world's largest cruise ship would elicit.
Royal Caribbean is months away from debuting the world's largest cruise ship: the Icon of the Seas. Credit: Royal Caribbean International.
The Icon of the Seas, which is set to sail in January 2024 after successful trials, is nothing short of incredible. The vessel is 365 metres long (about 95 metres longer than the Titanic), 48 metres wide, and boasts a dizzying 20 decks with a maximum capacity of nearly 10,000 people—both passengers and crew.
Therefore, it makes sense that when an artist's impression of its stern section was shared around mid-July, it sparked passionate reactions online.
Interestingly, despite the photo depicting the ship in a dazzling combination of vibrant colours, comments on social media ranged from calling it a 'pile of decadence', a 'monstrosity', to 'intricately tacky and vulgar'.
But why did the photo evoke such a wide range of strong opinions?
Tom Davis, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Alabama, suggests the reaction is down to a combination of the artist's perspective and the post-pandemic awareness of social distancing.
‘I found the rendering oddly unusual as well,’ he said.
‘After looking a bit more closely, I think I find the unsettling nature an interesting combination of the artistic perspective chosen and post-pandemic personal space/social distance training that’s been drilled into all of us.’
He said that the rendering of the ship, as seen in the photo, can give the impression of it being much 'shorter' and 'over-tall' than it would be in reality, leading one to question its stability.
‘For some, a vessel this size with so much packed on it likely represents a lot of fun with ongoing activities and freedom from boredom. For others, they may have never been on a cruise and think this is too much to take in all at once.’
As for Psychotherapist Adam Cox, the contrast between multiple recreational activities and the ship's incredible size may suggest the idea of a potentially large disaster.
As he puts it, the common description of the Icon Of The Seas as 'five times larger' than the Titanic may manifest as a protective fear to prevent a calamity equally larger in magnitude.
‘The levels on the ship also create a feeling of claustrophobia in some people, he continues, as they will perceive the ship to be a place where thousands are trapped, rather than enjoying a cruise holiday,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Abramowitz, a Psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, believes the sheer chaos in the image could create anxiety in some people.
He pointed out: ‘Maybe it’s the idea of so much going on at once and the fact that it’s all taking place at sea, with nowhere to go if there was any sort of emergency.’
Ross Klein, a Sociologist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and a cruise expert, differs in opinion, however—he believes the ship's design to be a natural progression for Royal Caribbean and that the responses are mostly based on one's cruise experiences.
‘I think the Royal Caribbean enthusiasts are going to look at this and go, “Wow, something new! This is pretty exciting, I can’t wait to get out and see what’s going on there!”’ he said.
‘But the people who don’t cruise, or people who perhaps like a different style of cruising, such as smaller ships, ultra-luxury ships or even something in between, they will see this as just a monstrosity and go, “Why would you ever do that?”’
There's more to this debate than simply the huge price tag and the limited number of cabins available. Maybe it's to do with feeling overwhelmed by the vast possibilities or being wary of safety measures while on a cruise in the middle of an unforgiving sea.
Whatever the case may be, the Icon of the Seas generated enough buzz to make it one of the most highly anticipated vessels of all time—a fact that was proven by the record-breaking bookings it got in the first week of sales in October 2022.
No matter which side of the debate you find yourself on, one thing is certain: the Icon of the Seas has made waves before even setting sail!
So what do you think, folks? Is this ship something you can envision yourself cruising on? Or are you giving it a pass? Let us know in the comments below!
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