The third ship in Royal Caribbean’s behemothic Icon class, Legend of the Seas, has undergone a float-out ceremony at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, in advance of her Q2 2026 delivery.
The Icon class features a length of 365m, a breadth of nearly 50m and a gross tonnage exceeding 248,600, granting it the title of the world’s largest cruise ship series. Legend Of The Seas will follow in the wake of Icon Of The Seas, delivered to Royal Caribbean in November 2023, and Star Of The Seas, which was handed over in July this year and entered service in August. A fourth ship, as yet unnamed, is also under construction at Meyer Turku, with delivery scheduled for 2027, and options exist for a further two Icon-class newbuilds.
Legend Of The Seas was floated out on 29 August, accompanied by speeches by shipyard and Royal Caribbean representatives, a gun salute and a competition to open the water valves of the construction basin. Over the weekend following the ceremony, the ship was moved to the yard’s outfitting dock, where finishing work will continue for just under a year.
The Icon-class ships have dual-fuel capability, each being equipped with six multi-fuel Wärtsilä engines that can run on LNG as the primary fuel, but also on MDO as a back-up. In addition to LNG, the ships incorporate fuel cell technology, enabling them to convert chemical energy from the LNG into electricity with minimal emissions. Other ‘green’ design features include shore power connections and waste heat recovery systems.
Meyer Turku says: “In keeping with the hallmarks of the Icon class, a giant glass and steel dome, the AquaDome, has been lifted on the bow of the ship.” Like her sisters, Legend Of The Seas also features the ‘Pearl’: a large, sphere-shaped structure in the Royal Promenade, which serves as both a key part of the ship’s structure, supporting three decks, and an art installation, with more than 3,000 moving tiles that change colours and patterns to reflect the ocean’s movement. Meyer Turku adds: “The ship also offers passengers eight distinct neighbourhoods, numerous pools and a variety of restaurants and bars.”
