We Came Back for the Presidents Cruise Vibe. So Far, 2026 Isn’t Delivering | Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Presidents Cruise is the line’s annual celebration sailing, hosted by Royal Caribbean president and CEO Michael Bayley, with exclusive parties, special events, and a whole lot of hype. Last year we did it in four nights on Utopia of the Seas, and the energy was unreal: Rev Run of Run DMC brought the glow party to life. So naturally, we booked it again. This time it’s seven nights on Icon of the Seas out of Miami, and our travel agent moved us into a Surfside balcony, right in the middle of the kids’ neighborhood, the cabin a lot of people say to avoid. In this video we take you through the first two days: a rough embarkation (“express” boarding was anything but), muster at Absolute Zero, St-Germain’s Spritz in the Park drinks, a full room tour of our Surfside balcony, the sailaway party, the Presidents Cruise welcome party, the drone show as we left Miami, comedian juggler Adam Kario, the glow party, and the midnight balloon drop. Then on our first sea day, we sat in on Common Ground, Michael Bayley’s open Q&A with cruisers. We give you our honest takes along the way. The sailaway party felt like any other sailing. The drone show was well done. The glow party didn’t come close to last year, and we think Royal Caribbean needs to stop playing the same songs before every balloon drop. Common Ground leaned heavily toward Pinnacle-level concerns, though Bayley did share updates on the Cozumel beach club and Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya, which are held up by permitting and local politics. He also said Royal Caribbean is still supporting its crew in Labadee, Haiti, and he sounded hopeful about Royal Caribbean Group’s new partnership with Sandals Resorts. We also check in on the Surfside cabin throughout the video, so you can hear exactly how loud it really is. There were plenty of highlights, too. We ran into Rex, one of our favorite bartenders from the Mason Jar on Allure of the Seas, now at the 1400 Bar on Icon. We had a strong main dining room dinner on night one and lobster tails on formal night, plus carajillos at Rye & Bean, crêpes at Crème de la Crêpe, breakfast at the Pearl Cafe, Darla Fox at the pub, and great seats at dueling pianos with Justin Grolan and Sarah. Helpful Tips Covered in This Video: — Find the bartenders you like early in the sailing. It makes the week better for you and for them. — In a Surfside balcony, close your curtains when changing. Neighbors across the way can see in. — The same goes for your balcony. Early-morning pajama time comes with an audience. — Coffee at the Pearl Cafe is included, with no extra charge like the Starbucks stand. — Get to Common Ground in the Royal Theater early for good seats. — Solera Beauty restocks at set times of day. If they’re out of something, ask the staff when to come back. — On formal night, ask your server to add a lobster tail to your entrée for a surf and turf. — If you like escargot, Royal Caribbean’s main dining room version is a staple worth ordering. Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro & Presidents Cruise 2026 Preview 00:35 — Boarding & Muster at Absolute Zero 01:26 — Spritz in the Park With St-Germain 01:56 — First Look at Our Surfside Balcony 02:49 — Surfside Balcony Room Tour 04:39 — Hideaway & Our First Surfside Con 06:22 — Sailaway Party Verdict 06:57 — Reunited With Rex at the 1400 Bar 07:45 — Day 1 Main Dining Room Dinner 09:27 — Presidents Cruise Welcome Party 10:17 — Drone Show 10:30 — Glow Gear, Crème de la Crêpe & Carajillos 13:03 — Adam Kario, Glow Party & Balloon Drop 14:15 — Day 2 Surfside Morning Check 15:06 — Gym & Pearl Cafe Breakfast 16:52 — Solera Beauty Stop 17:32 — Common Ground With Michael Bayley 20:44 — Pool Deck on a Sea Day 22:26 — Surfside 4 PM Sound Check 23:04 — Formal Night Drinks & Lobster Dinner 24:30 — Darla Fox & Dueling Pianos 26:26 — Presidents Cruise 2026 So Far This is video 1 in our full Presidents Cruise 2026 series on Icon of the Seas out of Miami. New episodes are dropping weekly, so subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Sea Day & St. Maarten 🇸🇽 | St. Thomas 🇮 | Perfect Day at CocoCay ⚓, coming up next on Lit Life HQ.