Icon-class cruise ship explained

The Icon class (formally Project Icon) is a class of cruise ships ordered by Royal Caribbean International to be built by Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland. As of 2024 this class is the largest cruise ship class ever constructed. Royal Caribbean plans to have three Icon-class ships by 2026, which will include Icon of the Seas (launched in 2024), Star of the Seas (planned to launch in 2025), and an unnamed third ship (planned to launch in 2026).

History

On 10 October 2016, Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku announced an order to build two ships under the project name "Icon".^[1] Icon of the Seas was delivered on 27 November 2023, and the second ship, Star of the Seas, is expected to be delivered in 2025.^[2] The ships will be classified by DNV.^[3]

Royal Caribbean applied to register a trademark for "Icon of the Seas" in 2016, which was at the time suggested as an indication of the name of the first ship.^[4]

On 2 July 2019, Royal Caribbean announced an order for a third ship in the "Icon" class. The third ship is planned to be delivered in 2026, one year after Star of the Seas.^{[5] [6]}

Steel-cutting for Icon of the Seas began on 14 June 2021,^[7] and the keel was laid on 5 April 2022.^[8]

Steel-cutting for the second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas began on 15 February 2023.^[9] Parts of the ship are built at Meyer Werft, Papenburg.^[10]

Icon of the Seas arrived in her home port of PortMiami on 10 January 2024 for the first time after leaving Europe in December, with the inaugural passenger sailing occurring on 27 January 2024.^[11]

Steel-cutting for the third Icon-class ship began in January 2024.^[12]

Design

The ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas, with a gross tonnage of about 200,000 GT. Ships will contain other alternative energy features, like the use of fuel cells to produce electricity and fresh water. They will have a capacity of 5,600 berths.^[13]

The Icon class is the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature a parabolic bow design, which is intended to aid stability and provide smoother motion.^[14]

In 2020, the director of projects and facilities at Nassau Cruise Port said that the specifications for the Icon class indicate it would be larger than the .^[15] Later, in May 2022, Royal Caribbean confirmed that Icon of the Seas would be bigger than the Oasis class.^[16]

Ships

Name	Status	Entering service		Length	Notes	Image
Icon of the Seas	In service	27 January 2024^[17]	248,663	364.75m (1,196.69feet)	Shipyard number NB-1400^[18]
Star of the Seas^[19]	Under construction	31 August 2025^[20]	250,800^[21]		Shipyard number NB-1401	^[22]
	Under construction	Q2 2026	250,800^[23]		Shipyard number NB-1402^[24]

Notes and References

1. Powered By LNG and Fuel Cells, Royal Caribbean International's New Ships Will Ride the Wave of the Future . 10 October 2016. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 3 February 2017. Royal Caribbean Press Center.
2. Meyer Turku wins two new large cruise ship orders from Royal Caribbean. 11 October 2016. 3 February 2017. Meyer Turku Oy. 14 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161014174152/http://www.meyerturku.fi/en/meyerturku_com/media/presseticker/pressemitteilung_detailansicht_12672.jsp. dead.
3. Web site: 8 May 2018. DNV GL sorgt bei Turku-Schiffen für Klasse. DNV GL provides class on Turku ships. 9 May 2018. de.
4. Web site: Matt Hochberg. Royal Caribbean files trademark for Icon of the Seas ship name. 4 January 2017. Royal Caribbean Blog.
5. Web site: 2 July 2019. Royal Caribbean Inks Deal for Third Icon Class Ship for 2025 Delivery. 2 July 2019. Cruise Industry News. en-gb.
6. Royal Caribbean Fleet Expansion Cruises to Clean-energy Future. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Press Center. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. 21 October 2019.
7. Web site: 16 June 2021 . Meyer Turku cuts steel for Royal Caribbean's newly named Icon of the Seas . 19 April 2022 . seatrade-cruise.com . en.
8. Web site: 5 April 2022 . Meyer Turku lays the keel for Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas . 19 April 2022 . seatrade-cruise.com . en.
9. Web site: The Next Iconic Adventure Begins With Royal Caribbean's Second Icon Class Ship . 24 February 2023 . royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com . en.
10. Web site: Wie das Schwesterschiff der "Icon of the Seas" durch den Kanal kommt. 2024-02-10. 2024-02-12. german.
11. Web site: Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrives at PortMiami . nbcmiami.com . en.
12. Web site: 12 January 2024 . First steel cut for Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class cruise ship Royal Caribbean Blog . 13 January 2024 . royalcaribbeanblog.com . en.
13. Web site: 5 August 2021. Form 10-Q Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 20 October 2021. sec.report. 5 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210805131046/https://sec.report/Document/0000884887-21-000018/. dead.
14. Web site: 6 September 2022 . Icon of the Seas looks like it will have a new bow design for Royal Caribbean . 28 June 2023 . Royal Caribbean Blog . en.
15. Web site: 20 November 2020. Nassau port advances as Bahamas expects an edge in cruise recovery. 17 December 2020. seatrade-cruise.com. en.
16. Web site: Huxley . Lucy . Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas to be 'bigger than Oasis-class' . 10 May 2022 . Travel Weekly . en.
17. Web site: Royal Caribbean Report fiscal year 2020. 31 December 2020. 28 February 2021.
18. Web site: First Cruise Ship in the Icon Class. 24 September 2021. Meyer Werft. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20230119143743/https://www.meyerwerft.de/en/ships/n.n._2022.jsp. 19 January 2023.
19. Web site: 5 October 2023. Royal Caribbean announces new Icon Class ship will be called Star of the Seas.
20. Web site: Royal Caribbean Pushes Back Star of the Seas Maiden Cruise. 29 February 2024 . Cruise Industry News . en-US.
21. Web site: Second Cruise Ship in the Icon Class. 30 March 2024. Meyer Werft. en.
22. Web site: 2024-06-11 . pictures from June 2024 . 2024-06-12.
23. Web site: Third Cruise Ship in the Icon Class. 30 March 2024.
24. Web site: Icon 3 Hull No. 1402 Credit Agreement. 20 January 2024.