Royal Caribbean commits to two further Icon Class ships

Orders have been confirmed by Royal Caribbean Group for sixth and seventh Icon Class ships to be delivered in 2029 and 2030.

The agreement follows a previously announced deal for a fifth in the 7,600-passenger mega cruise ship class for delivery in 2028.

Each vessel, estimated to cost $2 billion each, is to be built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland as part of a long-term agreement that secures the group’s access to shipbuilding capacity until 2036.

The latest order is subject to customary conditions, including financing, Royal Caribean noted.

Renowned as the largest cruise ships in the world, the first, Icon of the Seas, entered service in 2024, followed by Star of the Seas in August 2025.

Legend of the Seas, the third ship in the class, is due to debut in July in the western Mediterranean, featuring eight ‘neighbourhoods’ and 28 dining options.

The fourth Icon Class ship, Hero of the Seas, follows in 2027.

The Icon Class is described as being central to Royal Caribbean Group’s strategy to “continually disrupt the travel sector through purposeful design, world class technologies, and immersive vacation experiences”. 

The group added: “Through ongoing investments in next-generation ships and an expanding portfolio of land-based destinations from three to eight by 2028, the company continues to broaden the way guests experience vacations across oceans, rivers and land.”

Chairman and chief executive Jason Liberty said: "The Icon Class reflects our bold creativity and engineering excellence that continues to define what a vacation can be. 

"Through our long-standing partnership with Meyer Turku, the Finnish government, and the strong Finnish maritime cluster, we are reimagining the industry for decades to come while also delivering meaningful economic impact for Finland."

The ship builder’s chief executive Casimir Lindholm added: "The order of sixth and seventh Icon Class vessels is a significant recognition of Meyer Turku and the Finnish maritime industry’s talent and expertise. 

“This milestone represents an important step forward in our partnership with Royal Caribbean Group to develop the shipbuilding sector over the next decade and beyond.”

Meyer Turku has built 25 ships for the company as part of a collaboration stretching back three decades.

To date, Meyer Turku has built two Icon Class ships for Royal Caribbean Group including Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.