Royal Caribbean Begins Work on Next Icon-Class Ship

Royal Caribbean International has officially begun work on its second eagerly-awaited Icon-class cruise ship.

The cruise line announced today that a steel-cutting ceremony was held at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. The new ship, which has not yet been named, is slated to set sail in 2025.

Royal Caribbean has said it will debut its first Icon-class ship, the Icon of the Seas, in January 2024. A third ship in the Icon class is expected in 2026.

The just-announced milestone for Royal Caribbean’s second Icon ship represents the official start of production, beginning a series of key moments in the design and construction that will span months and involve thousands of workers across design, naval engineering, architecture, and more.

Each Icon ship is being designed to offer a combination of the best of every type of vacation onboard—from the resort getaway to the beach-style escape and even theme park adventure activities, according to Royal Caribbean.

The first peek at Royal Caribbean’s new Icon-class of ships was provided in October 2022 with the Icon of the Seas. As part of that sneak peek, TravelPulse was invited to Royal Caribbean’s Innovation Lab in Miami, where the cruise giant combines its special blend of creativity and aspiration with actual requests from guests.

Icon ships will include eight neighborhoods, among them five brand-new adventures and three returning favorites. Each of the eight neighborhoods on Icon ships will be a destination in and of itself, filled with an array of experiences, live entertainment and ways to grab a bite and a drink.

“With each new ship, we raise the bar in the travel industry while enhancing what our guests know and love,” Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, said as part of the reveal for the Icon of the Seas. “From the moment they step on board, every experience is specifically designed to give them the best vacation anywhere on land and at sea. With Icon of the Seas, we’ve taken this to a new level and made the ultimate family vacation.”

Once it debuts in 2024, the first Icon ship will sail seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami, each visiting Royal Caribbean’s private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas as well as coveted ports such as Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten and Roatan, Honduras, among others.

When bookings opened in October 2022 for that ship, it resulted in Royal Caribbean’s single-largest booking day in its 53-year history.