Being a bartender on land is already no easy feat. So when you’re manning a bar (or several of them) on the high seas, it can be a sink-or-swim scenario: Supplies are limited, quarters are tight, and many guests can begin imbibing from the moment they wake up, especially if they signed up for an unlimited, all-inclusive drinks package. Those factors hold extra weight on the world’s newest and largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s (RC) Icon of the Seas, whose inaugural sail took place in January 2024.
Credit: Royal Caribbean
Fortunately, the ship’s team threw bar staff a life raft through solid prep work before the ship left the harbor. Award-winning mixology leaders Tony Abou-Ganim and Kim Haasarud collaborated with RC beverage director Ed Eiswirth and RC beverage and training manager Alexandra Palmeri to envision the look and taste of over 100 new drink recipes for guests to enjoy on the mega ship, with additional bells and whistles that include eight elaborately themed “neighborhoods,” six record-breaking waterslides, the world’s largest ice rink on a floating vessel, a 55-foot waterfall complete with olympic diver shows, and 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges — all to entertain 5,610 cruisers.
“It was a three-year process to refine the vision of each of the new bars and restaurants on board, not including the existing 25 on site that needed finessing,” says Eiswirth. “We wanted to make sure that every spot had its own unique personality and respective drinks to align with the ambiance and entertainment
