Royal Caribbean International has marked the start of construction on its first Icon class ship with a steel-cutting ceremony at Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku.
The line’s first vessel to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) is to be named Icon of the Seas.
The ship is due to enter servivce in autumn 2023 as the first of three to use LNG as part of a range green initatives, such as shore power connection, to boost energy efficiencies and reduce the carbon footprint.
More details about the advanced environmental technologies will be revealed at a future date, according to the company.
More: Royal Caribbean confirms six ship summer US restart
Covid among crew postpones Odyssey of the Seas US debut
However, Royal Caribbean hailed the development as “the next chapter in building a clean-energy future”.
The line’s president and chief executive Michel Bayley said: “We made our commitment to making clean power at sea a reality – and soon the norm – when Icon class was first announced in 2016, and we’re excited to see construction underway on what will truly be a ship unlike any other.
“Our decades of work in ocean conservation, energy efficiency and continuous improvement will be evident all throughout Icon.
“We look forward to revealing more of the game-changing features our guests and crew have in store as she begins to take shape.”