The billion-euro order book of the Meyer Turku shipyard continues to grow: As hoped, the Royal Caribbean shipping company has confirmed the construction of two more cruise ships in the “Icon” class.
The US group has now confirmed the order for a sixth and seventh ship of the Icon class. Delivery is planned for 2029 and 2030. The order for No. 5 of the series was only announced in January.
It is a prestigious success for the shipyard, which, unlike Meyer Werft in Papenburg, is not affected by the crisis-induced entry by the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony and is therefore separate from the German company in terms of ownership. Each ship in the Icon class is worth around 2 billion euros, of which 70% of the added value remains in Finland, according to the most recent order for “No. 5”. The order is part of the long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku, which secures the Group access to shipbuilding capacity until 2036. “Meyer Turku has been a key partner in the development of the award-winning Icon class and has helped to realize the most innovative ships ever and drive the next generation of vacation experiences,” the shipping company now writes. The order for Icon 7 is subject to “customary” conditions, including financing.
The Royal Caribbean Group currently operates 69 ships. The three wholly-owned subsidiaries Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea as well as a 50 percent stake in Tui Cruises, the operator of the Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd brands, also belong to the group.
Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty said: “Through our long-standing partnership with Meyer Turku, the Finnish government and the strong Finnish maritime cluster, we are reshaping the industry for the coming decades while making a significant contribution to the Finnish economy.”
The cooperation between Royal Caribbean Group and Meyer Turku goes back more than three decades. During this time, the shipyard has built 25 ships for the company. Meyer Turku and its supplier network employ around 13,000 people and contribute over one billion euros to the Finnish economy every year. Each ship in the Icon class is one of Finland’s largest industrial projects.
“The order for the sixth and seventh Icon-class vessels is a significant recognition of the talent and expertise of Meyer Turku and the Finnish shipping industry. This milestone is an important step in our partnership with Royal Caribbean Group to further develop the shipbuilding sector in the coming decade and beyond,” said Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku.
The shipyard has so far built two Icon class ships for Royal Caribbean Group: the “Icon of the Seas” and the “Star of the Seas”. The third ship in the class, the “Legend of the Seas”, is due to enter service in the western Mediterranean in July. The “Hero of the Seas” will follow in 2027 according to current plans.
