Photos: World’s Largest Cruise Ship Leaves Assembly Dock for Outfitting

The Star of the Seas, the second ship in Royal Caribbean International’s Icon Class left the dry dock last week after 19 months of work. The assembly phase of the massive cruise ship, which will be one of the largest in the world, was completed and she moved to interior outfitting ahead of her scheduled August 2025 maiden voyage.

The shipyard highlighted some of the final stages of the assembly including fitting the Azipod propulsion system. Also, the ship was “crowned” with a massive 367-ton dome. The largest glass and steel structure to be lifted onto a cruise ship, it requires days.

The process of floating and moving the ship which is 1,196 feet (364 meters) in length and will be over 248,600 gross tons requires an intricate process. She is being built at Meyer Turku in Finland and in tradition, the effort begins with the firing of a colonial cannon and suitably outfitted participants.

The vessel is nearly the full length of the assembly dry dock. The sea valves opened and it takes nearly nine hours and 92 million gallons of water to float the vessel. The valves were opened on September 25 and she was afloat for the first time. The forward gate of the massive dock was opened on September 27 and four tugs pulled the ship forward more than 1,100 feet to position her alongside the fitting out berth.

 

Opening the gate on September 27

 

Star of the Seas is the second ship of Royal’s Icon class and she will rival her sister ship as the world’s largest cruise ship. She is slightly behind schedule with the company in February delaying her entry into service by a few weeks to the end of August 2025. When she enters service, she will be sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, Florida. 

The cruise line bills her as having eight “neighborhoods,” each focusing on elements such as outdoor entertainment or families. It is a ship of superlatives including six of the fastest and tallest watersides on a cruise ship. Atop the ship is the AquaDome, a multipurpose entertainment space.

There will be more than 40 ways to dine and drink. She will have 20 decks (18 for the passengers) with over 2,800 passenger cabins. Double occupancy for passengers (based on two per cabin) will be over 5,600 passengers and a total passenger capacity with all berths of approximately 7,600. She will have 2,350 crewmembers.

 

Before she was floated on September 25

 

Like the Icon of the Seas, this ship is dual fuel designed to operate on liquified natural gas. Each ship has three Azipods and six engines. They are also using waste to heat recovery and air lubrication of the hull. 

Star of the Seas will be sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, Florida alternating between itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. With the ship now out of the assembly dry dock the third ship of the Icon Class will start assembly due for delivery in 2026. Royal Caribbean Group in August 2024 also signed an order for a fourth ship of the class, due in 2027, and has options for two more sisters. The ships are reported to be costing as much as $2 billion a piece.
 

Fitting the massive 367-ton dome

 

Alongside the fitting out dock where she will remain till sea trials in the summer of 2025 and then delivery