Royal Caribbean signs deal with shipbuilder to build fourth Icon vessel
Harry KembleRoyal Caribbean has signed an agreement with Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku to construct a fourth Icon-class ship and has placed options for two more afterwards.
Icon class launched in January when Icon of the Seas entered service, while Star of the Seas is slated to start operating next year and the yet-to-be named third Icon-class vessel is due to launch in 2026.
The fourth Icon-class ship is scheduled for delivery to Royal Caribbean International in 2027. The agreement is dependent upon conditions, including financing.
Royal Caribbean Group, which also Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, said the announcement will “continue to drive its moderate capacity growth to help guests turn a vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations”.
Royal Caribbean Group president and chief executive Jason Liberty said: “Building on the incredible momentum and market response to the launch of Icon of the Seas and the excitement for its sister ship, Star of the Seas, coming in 2025, we’re thrilled to join with Meyer Turku once again to expand our roster of Icon class ships and continue our future growth plans.
"Since its debut, Icon has changed the game in vacation experiences and exceeded our expectations in both guest satisfaction and financial performance."
With this order, Meyer Turku will have built 21 ships for Royal Caribbean over 28 years. In 2024, the company has welcomed Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and Silversea’s Silver Ray.
"Icon of the Seas is unlike anything the world has seen before, and we’re just getting started," added Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International president.
"We are leading the vacation industry in developing new experiences for our guests to create lifelong memories, and we continue dreaming and evolving to deliver more ways to chill and thrill."
Bayley earlier this year told TTG that an Icon ship would "inevitably" come to Europe. "It’s not going to be a gazillion years away," he said. "Keep your eyes and ears open – it’s coming."
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