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Málaga has had quite a week for cruise arrivals, and this one might just take the crown. It follows two especially notable arrivals in the city last week, one of which ranked among the largest ships ever built, and now Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas has made her very first stop here, docking on Monday June 29.

 

She's the third ship in Royal Caribbean's Icon class, and she's nothing short of enormous. We're talking 248,663 gross tonnes and 365 metres in length, with room for over 5,610 passengers across 2,805 cabins, looked after by a crew of around 2,350.

 

What really sets her apart, though, is what's perched on top. Thrill Island is home to the largest water park ever built at sea, and it doesn't hold back. Six free-fall slides, 360 degree spins and zero gravity zones sit alongside Crown's Edge, an obstacle course and zip line suspended a dizzying 47 metres above the ocean. There's also a FlowRider surf simulator and a climbing wall for anyone after an extra adrenaline hit.

 

Families are well catered for too. The Surfside zone has pools and water parks for younger guests, plus a supervised kids' club split by age group. Foodies won't go hungry either, with 28 different dining options and more than 20 bars dotted across the ship's 20 decks, ranging from casual buffets to premium dining for a special night out.

 

Fancy somewhere calmer? Central Park brings a touch of nature indoors, with over 33,500 real plants creating a leafy escape next to the spa. Then there's The Hideaway, a suspended pool with sea views and a beach club feel, complete with resident DJs. Come evening, things get lively, with live music, acrobatics and ice skating, plus the stage debut at sea of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

There's a charitable side to this voyage too. Royal Caribbean has teamed up with Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, raising funds for the Roald Dahl Nurses, who support more than 50,000 seriously ill children across the UK alongside the NHS. The timing isn't accidental, with the partnership launching around National Paediatric Nurses Day on June 30.

 

From Málaga, the ship sails on to Rome via La Spezia, before settling into her summer season based in Barcelona. Come autumn, she'll cross the Atlantic to begin a new chapter in the Caribbean.