The Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku, a subsidiary of the Papenburg-based Meyer Werft, lowered the first block for the fourth cruise ship of the “Icon” class of the US group Royal Caribbean in the dry dock on Monday. The keel-laying ceremony officially began with the traditional lowering of the starting block and the placing of coins under the steel.
Like the three sister ships “Icon of the Seas” (delivery at the end of 2023), “Star of the Seas” (delivery July 2025) and the third unit of the “Legend of the Seas” class, the approximately 365-metre-long newbuild will be equipped with fuel cells and prepared for operation with liquefied natural gas (LNG). The maximum capacity is up to 7,600 guests. Once in service, a maximum cruising speed of 24 knots is planned.
“‘Icon 4’ is a very important ship – both for the shipyard and for our partner network. With this ship, Meyer Turku further strengthens its position as one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. Each cruise ship of this size creates around 13,000 man-years of work, and we are continuously looking for new shipbuilders for all project phases from planning to implementation,” emphasized Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku.
The fourth unit of the “Icon” class is the sister ship planned for 2027. The Royal Caribbean International (RCI) brand also holds options for two further units that have not yet been converted into firm orders. Market observers estimate the construction costs per ship at around €1.1 billion.
| Technical data | |
| Crew members: | 2350 |
| Length: | 365 m |
| Width | 65 m |
| Shipyard: | Meyer Turku (Finland) |
| Guest cabins and suites: | 2805 |
| Passengers with double occupancy: | 5610 |
| Passengers at maximum occupancy: | 7.600 |
