America: The world's largest cruise ship has embarked on its maiden voyage

Icon of the Sea has 20 floors and is 365 meters long. The ship can accommodate 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew at full capacity. The first cruise is sailing to the Caribbean islands from the American cruise line Royal Caribbean International. Icon of the Seas was built by the Mayor Turku Shipyard in Turku and runs on liquefied natural gas.

World soccer legend Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates officially named the ship on Tuesday. The shipping company advertises it as the “largest water park at sea,” with “seven pools for every mood” and a special area for families called the Neighborhood. Environmental organizations criticize the megaship. “If you were really thinking about sustainability, not profit, you wouldn't build a cruise ship with nearly 10,000 people,” Marcy Keever of Friends of the Earth told the New York Times.