Royal Caribbean Goes Big Ordering Up to Three More "Icons” from Meyer Turku
Royal Caribbean Group is yet again demonstrating its proclivity for mega cruise ships signing an order for the fourth ship of its Icon class as well as options for a possible fifth and sixth vessel of the class. Put in service in January, the 248,663 gross ton Icon of the Seas became the world’s largest cruise ship and maintained a position the company has held since the 2009 introduction of Oasis of the Seas (225,000 gross tons) and before that dating back to the 1999 introduction of Voyager of the Seas (138,000 gross tons).
The fourth Icon class ship is due for delivery in 2027 and will follow Star of the Seas scheduled to enter service in July 2025, and a third sister due in 2026. No details have been announced on the future ships, but Royal Caribbean has a long history of tweaking designs and making successive members of the class slightly larger meaning Icon number four might become the world’s largest cruise ship.
Icon of the Seas which has a maximum passenger capacity of approximately 7,600 plus 2,350 crew drew massive attention as well as criticism when it was introduced. Royal Caribbean likes to boast the ship which is rumored to have cost $1.8 billion to build is a game changer with eight neighborhoods for everything from thrills to relaxation and families. It has the fastest and tallest waterslides as well as 40-plus ways to dine and drink. The ship which is 1,196 feet (365 meters) in length and has 20 deck levels, also features seven swimming pools and six water slides.
The company told investors that it is experiencing unprecedented demand for Icon of the Seas and her sister Star of the Seas which is also accepting reservations. They command a strong pricing premium and reportedly are sold out for long periods. The company reported the highest demand when it opened bookings for the new ships.
"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," said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. "Since its debut, Icon has changed the game in vacation experiences and exceeded our expectations in both guest satisfaction and financial performance."
The newest ship will have six multi-fuel Wärtsilä engines that can be powered with both liquefied natural gas and distillate fuel, making it Royal Caribbean says 24 percent more energy efficient than required by the International Maritime Organization for modern ships. Icon of the Seas was the line’s first LNG-fueled cruise ship following a trend started by Carnival Corporation in 2018 and adopted by MSC Cruises and Disney Cruise Line, among others.
Royal Caribbean said that with the new order, the cruise operator continues to drive its “moderate capacity growth.” This year the line also took delivery of Utopia of the Seas (236,437 gross tons) and placed an order with Chantiers de l’Atlantique for the seventh ship of the Oasis class. Sister brand Silversea Cruises also took delivery of Silver Ray and the joint venture with TUI took delivery of Mein Schiff 7. While the orders have been focusing on mega-ships, Royal Caribbean International confirmed to the travel community it is working on a smaller design, called the Discovery class, which it anticipates will replace its aging, smallest cruise ships such as the Vision class (78,000 gross tons) and the Radiance class (90,000 gross tons).
“With Icon of the Seas, our team has built an extraordinary ship in respect of naval architecture, energy efficiency, and customer experience. This is yet another recognition of the professionalism of our personnel and of our leadership in the maritime industry's innovation and green transition,” said Tim Meyer, Meyer Turku CEO.
This latest order is critical for Meyer Turku, which in its prior incarnations has built 21 ships for Royal Caribbean Group over 28 years. The Finnish shipyard after delivery of Mein Schiff 7 in June had only the two Icon sisters as its main orders. The new order assures work for years to come, prompting Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to call the new order “great news” for the country.
The yard reportedly took a financial loss building Icon of the Seas citing it as both revolutionary and first of a class. Finnish media reports the yard reported losses of 106 million euros in 2023 while delivering Icon of the Seas. Meyer Turku hopes to recoup with the subsequent ships of the class.