Royal Caribbean Begins Construction on New Icon Class Ship

ROYAL CARIBBEAN is expanding its fleet with the construction of its third Royal Caribbean Icon class ship, which is currently underway.

This week, a keel-laying celebration took place at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, marking the placement of the first building block in the dry dock where the vessel will be constructed.

The keel, often referred to as the backbone of a ship, is situated at the bottom and centre of its hull, as stated by ROYAL CARIBBEAN in a press release. The new cruise ship is scheduled to make its debut in 2026.

Expansion of the Icon Class

The expansion of the Icon class commenced with this year’s launch of the Icon of the Seas – the largest cruise ship in the world, featuring the biggest water park at sea. Following this, the Star of the Seas is set to embark on its maiden voyage in summer 2025.

While the third vessel remains unnamed, ROYAL CARIBBEAN has indicated that it will “deliver more of the unmatched combination of experiences that defines the game-changing Royal Caribbean Icon class ship roster.”

Additionally, a fourth Icon class ship is expected to join the fleet in 2027, with possibilities for a fifth and sixth vessel in the future.

Earlier this month, the Star of the Seas floated out of the dock for the first time and has now moved to the outfitting pier, where work will continue both inside and outside the ship.

The Icon of the Seas was built at a cost of $2 billion (£1.6bn). It boasts the largest water park at sea, along with features such as the tallest drop slide at sea, ROYAL CARIBBEAN’s first swim-up bar at sea, the largest pool at sea, and the first suspended infinity pool at sea.

Meanwhile, Disney Cruise Line is also expanding its fleet, with its latest ship, the Disney Treasure, set to set sail in December.

At this year’s D23 fan event, four additional ships were announced, which will increase the Disney Cruise Line fleet to a total of 13.