What is an “icon”?  The best definition I can find is that an icon is a person or thing widely admired for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.   The world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s “Icon of the Seas” will be making its inaugural voyage later this month. This new ship has a capacity of almost 8,000 people, over 5,600 guests and more than 2,300 crew members, with 20 decks, eight “neighborhoods”, 40 or so different bars and dining options, the world’s largest waterpark at sea, seven pools including the first suspended infinity pool at sea, and more.   I’ve cruised several times but never on anything nearly as massive as the Icon of the Seas.   Our annual winter Coffeetalk Vacation was once the Coffeetalk Cruise.  We sailed on ships from Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean, most of which carried less than 2,500 people, guests and crew members, and they were plenty big enough for me.  If I went on another Caribbean cruise, I don’t want to sail on a ship carrying nearly 8,000 people.  For me that’s just too big a crowd.   These ships stop at ports of call like St Thomas, St Marten, Barbados and others and visiting them is part of the cruise experience.   Just imagine the logistics of getting 5,000 or more people off and then back on again as the ships only stop at a Caribbean port for maybe 10-12 hours.  Trivial note….you notice I say Care-uh-BEE-an as against Cuh-RIB-ean because experience has convinced me that Care-uh-BEE-an is the right way to say it. 

That’s Coffeetalk.  I’m Vic Dubois.