Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, will be the permanent residence of Rover, the Chief Dog Officer.
After a few posts made by crew members, Royal Caribbean took to social media to welcome Rover onboard the ship. In the 44-second clip, Rover is seen in the backseat of a large SUV before making her way onboard with Allison, "her best friend and Chief of Staff."
Allison, a crew member who has been working with Royal Caribbean for five years, is originally from Australia and will ensure that Rover is taken care of and receives plenty of treats.
"As a crew member on Icon, Rover's job is to bring joy to her fellow crew and guests onboard. All the while, she gets to explore the Caribbean shores and beautiful ports," the video says.
Read more: Royal Caribbean ships by size
While docked in Ponce, Puerto Rico for some finishing touches and regulatory inspections, Rover boarded Icon of the Seas
Ponce was the first stop Icon made in North America before heading to Perfect Day at CocoCay for a crew member party. She'll arrive in Miami, Florida on Wednesday, January 10 after a slight delay due to unfavorable weather conditions.
During her short time onboard, Rover has already enjoyed walks on the lido deck and even hung out with the Captain in The Bridge! She's received a lot of belly rubs from other crew members, too.
Both Rover and Allison are excited to welcome guests onboard the largest cruise ship in the world this month!
Royal Caribbean's post wasn't the first time that Rover was welcomed onboard Icon via social media
Before Royal Caribbean's official accounts posted about Rover, other crew members were welcoming the cutie onboard.
"We are absolutely thrilled to introduce our newest team member, Rover, who has joined us as a permanent resident aboard [the] magnificent Icon of the Seas," said @godwin_fernandes2000.
@roseveltrodrigues introduced Rover and the resident Mascot of Icon on his Instagram.
If you're interested in following along with Rover's adventures, you can follow @chiefdogrover on Instagram. It's the official account of the Chief Dog Officer that's run by Allison!
Icon of the Seas will be the first ship in the fleet to not feature a classic car in the Royal Promenade
When Voyager of the Seas launched in 1999, she was the first ship in the world to feature a Royal Promenade, a main thoroughfare lined with shops, bars, and more. It was a stark departure from the Centrum found on older Royal Caribbean ships.
While creating a model of the Royal Promenade, Njal Eide, the lead architect, included a model of a Morgan Sportster.
Upon seeing the model, Richard Fain, then-chairman and former CEO of Royal Caribbean, was such a fan of the idea that he ended up donating his personal Morgan car he received for his 40th birthday.
Since Voyager's debut, every Royal Promenade has been home to a different classic car. Icon, however, will be the first brand-new ship that doesn't include one. Instead, there will be a large statue of a dog present.
Icon of the Seas will have the most innovative Royal Promenade in the fleet
The dog statue is not the only new feature that will be present in the Royal Promenade onboard Icon. Guests can look forward to experiencing the first-ever Pearl, which is more than an immersive experiential installation.
To successfully complete their goal of connecting guests to the light and water through large windows, Royal Caribbean had to design a super-structure that would allow them to safely replace all of the steel with glass.
Moreover, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, a fan-favorite specialty restaurant that guests can dine at for an additional charge, will be located on Deck 6. This will be the first time that Royal Caribbean has intentionally placed a specialty venue in the Royal Promenade.
Passengers will also be able to enjoy new-to-brand venues that cannot be found on any other ship in the fleet, including the Dueling Pianos bar, which is where two performers will take requests from guests during two 90-minute shows each night of the cruise.
Of course, upgraded fan favorites, such as Sorrento's, will be located in this central hub. Kids can access Adventure Ocean from the Royal Promenade, too!
After arriving in Miami on January 10, Icon of the Seas will perform two shakedown and media cruises before formally welcoming paying guests onboard on January 27
The final countdown is here. The world is less than one month away from welcoming the new largest cruise ship to Royal Caribbean's fleet. She's 6% larger than Wonder of the Seas, the current record holder, measuring 20 decks high, 1,198 feet long, and an astonishing 250,800 gross registered tons.
Icon has to be in tip-top shape for guests, which is why she'll sail two short shakedown cruises, which are essentially dress rehearsals, on January 20 and 23.
Each of these 3-night voyages will allow crew members to test and adjust their procedures before the inaugural cruise.
Read more: How are cruise ships built?
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
