Royal Caribbean‘s expansion of its Icon class fleet continues, with construction on its third vessel in the lineup now underway.
This week, Royal Caribbean held a keel-laying celebration at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. The first building block was placed in the dry dock where the ship will take shape.
The keel, known as the backbone of a ship, is what lies at the bottom and centre of its hull, Royal Caribbean said in a press release. The cruise ship is on track to debut in 2026.
Icon class expansion
The Icon class expansion started with this year’s debut of Icon of the Seas – the world’s largest cruise ship with the largest water park at sea. This will be followed by Star of the Seas, which is set to sail from summer 2025.
The third vessel is currently unnamed, but Royal Caribbean said it will “deliver more of the unmatched combination of experiences that defines the game-changing Icon class roster”.
It will also be joined by a fourth Icon class ship in 2027, with options for a fifth and sixth in the future.
Earlier this month, Star of the Seas floated out of the dock for the first time and into the outfitting pier, where work inside and outside of the ship will continue.
Icon of the Seas cost $2 billion (£1.6bn) to build. As well as the largest water park at sea, highlights include 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.
Disney Cruise Line is also expanding its fleet. Its latest ship, the Disney Treasure, is preparing to set sail in December.
Four additional ships were announced at this year’s D23 fan event, which will bring the Disney Cruise Line fleet to a total of 13.
Images courtesy of Royal Caribbean International
