Lionel Messi named icon by Royal Caribbean International for 'Icon of the Seas'

Lionel Messi, the football player for Inter Miami CF and Argentina, is the official icon for Royal Caribbean International's newest ship, "Icon of the Seas". 

On January 23, 2024, at an official naming ceremony in Miami, Florida, the brand's first Icon-class ship will be christened by the most admired football player in history.

After Royal Caribbean and Major League Soccer team Inter Miami teamed together to become the club's primary partner and official travel partner, Messi assumed his iconic role.

“I’m thrilled and honoured to join the Royal Caribbean family to celebrate the arrival of the game-changing Icon of the Seas,” said Messi, who won a record eighth Men’s Ballon d’Or award in October 2023. “Icon is beyond anything else that’s out there for family vacations, with incredible never-before-seen features, all designed for making memories together.”

Messi signed a contract with Inter Miami as a player in July 2023 after having a record-breaking career playing for FC Barcelona in Spain and Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he won four Champions Leagues and ten La Liga titles.

When the ship's itineraries were announced in October 2022, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas broke even more records, giving the cruise line its greatest booking day and week overall. 

The ship features the largest pool at sea, Royal Bay, and six record-breaking waterslides. Additionally, it is the first Royal Caribbean ship to run on LNG and to feature Scanship's waste-to-energy facility, microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAPs), on board.