Wikipedia

Icon-class cruise ship

The Icon class (formally Project Icon) is a class of cruise ships ordered by Royal Caribbean International to be built by Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland. As of 2024 this class is the largest cruise ship class ever constructed. Royal Caribbean plans to have at least four Icon-class ships, which will include Icon of the Seas (launched in 2024), Star of the Seas (planned to launch in 2025), unnamed third and fourth ships (planned to launch in 2026 and 2027). It also has an option for two additional ships.

Icon of the Seas on her first sea trial outside Turku, Finland in 2023
Class overview
BuildersMeyer Turku, Turku, Finland
OperatorsRoyal Caribbean International
Preceded by
Planned6
Building2
Completed1
Active1
General characteristics
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage248,663–250,800 GT
Length364.75 metres (1,196.7 ft)[1]
Beam48.47 m (159.0 ft)[1]
Draught9.25 metres (30.3 ft)[1]
Decks20
Installed power
  • 3 × Wärtsilä 14V46DF, 16,030 kW (21,790 hp) each[1][2]
  • 3 × Wärtsilä 12V46DF, 13,740 kW (18,680 hp) each[1][2]
Propulsion
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity
  • 5,610 passengers (double occupancy)
  • 7,600 passengers (maximum capacity)[3]
Crew2,350[3]

History

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On 10 October 2016, Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku announced an order to build two ships under the project name "Icon".[4] Icon of the Seas was delivered on 27 November 2023, and the second ship, Star of the Seas, is expected to be delivered in 2025.[4][5] The ships will be classified by DNV.[6]

Royal Caribbean applied to register a trademark for "Icon of the Seas" in 2016, which was at the time suggested as an indication of the name of the first ship.[7]

On 2 July 2019, Royal Caribbean announced an order for a third ship in the "Icon" class. The third ship is planned to be delivered in 2026, one year after Star of the Seas.[8][9]

Steel-cutting for Icon of the Seas began on 14 June 2021,[10] and the keel was laid on 5 April 2022.[11]

Steel-cutting for the second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas began on 15 February 2023.[12] Parts of the ship are built at Meyer Werft, Papenburg.[13]

Icon of the Seas arrived in her home port of PortMiami on 10 January 2024 for the first time after leaving Europe in December, with the inaugural passenger sailing occurring on 27 January 2024.[14]

Steel-cutting for the third Icon-class ship began in January 2024.[15]

In August 2024 an order for a fourth ship to be delivered in 2027 was announced and options for two additional ships.[16]

Design

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The ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas, with a gross tonnage of about 200,000 GT.[5] Ships will contain other alternative energy features, like the use of fuel cells to produce electricity and fresh water.[4] They will have a capacity of 5,600 berths.[17]

The Icon class is the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature a parabolic bow design, which is intended to aid stability and provide smoother motion.[18]

In 2020, the director of projects and facilities at Nassau Cruise Port said that the specifications for the Icon class indicate it would be larger than the Oasis class.[19] Later, in May 2022, Royal Caribbean confirmed that Icon of the Seas would be bigger than the Oasis class.[20]

Ships

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Name Status Entering service Gross tonnage Length Notes Image
Icon of the Seas In service 27 January 2024[21] 248,663[1] 364.75 metres (1,196.7 ft)[1] Shipyard number NB-1400[22]
 
Star of the Seas[23] Floated out[24] 31 August 2025[25] 250,800[26] Shipyard number NB-1401[26]
TBA Under construction[27] Q2 2026[21] 250,800[28]

Shipyard number NB-1402[29]

TBA Ordered 2027[16] 250,800[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Icon of the Seas (38545)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Wärtsilä 46DF Product Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Icon of the Seas Fast Facts". Royal Caribbean International. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Powered By LNG and Fuel Cells, Royal Caribbean International's New Ships Will Ride the Wave of the Future". Royal Caribbean Press Center (Press release). Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Meyer Turku wins two new large cruise ship orders from Royal Caribbean". Meyer Turku Oy (Press release). 11 October 2016. Archived from the original on 14 October 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  6. ^ "DNV GL sorgt bei Turku-Schiffen für Klasse" [DNV GL provides class on Turku ships] (in German). 8 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  7. ^ Matt Hochberg. "Royal Caribbean files trademark for Icon of the Seas ship name". Royal Caribbean Blog. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Royal Caribbean Inks Deal for Third Icon Class Ship for 2025 Delivery". Cruise Industry News. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Royal Caribbean Fleet Expansion Cruises to Clean-energy Future". Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Press Center (Press release). Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Meyer Turku cuts steel for Royal Caribbean's newly named Icon of the Seas". seatrade-cruise.com. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Meyer Turku lays the keel for Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas". seatrade-cruise.com. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  12. ^ "The Next Iconic Adventure Begins With Royal Caribbean's Second Icon Class Ship". royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Wie das Schwesterschiff der "Icon of the Seas" durch den Kanal kommt" (in German). 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrives at PortMiami". nbcmiami.com.
  15. ^ Elizabeth Wright (12 January 2024). "First steel cut for Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class cruise ship | Royal Caribbean Blog". royalcaribbeanblog.com. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Royal Caribbean Group Signs Agreement with Meyer Turku for the Next Ship in its Revolutionary Icon Class; Adds Options for Additional Icon Class Ships". 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Form 10-Q Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd". sec.report. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Icon of the Seas looks like it will have a new bow design for Royal Caribbean". Royal Caribbean Blog. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Nassau port advances as Bahamas expects an edge in cruise recovery". seatrade-cruise.com. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  20. ^ Huxley, Lucy (10 May 2022). "Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas to be 'bigger than Oasis-class'". Travel Weekly.
  21. ^ a b "Royal Caribbean Report fiscal year 2020". 31 December 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  22. ^ "First Cruise Ship in the Icon Class". Meyer Werft. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Royal Caribbean announces new Icon Class ship will be called Star of the Seas". 5 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Royal Caribbean's New Ship Floats Out in Finland". Cruise Industry News. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Royal Caribbean Pushes Back Star of the Seas Maiden Cruise". Cruise Industry News. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Second Cruise Ship in the Icon Class". Meyer Werft. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  27. ^ Tunney, Donna (11 October 2024). "Construction Begins on Royal Caribbean's Third Icon-Class Ship". Cruise Hive. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Third Cruise Ship in the Icon Class". Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Icon 3 Hull No. 1402 Credit Agreement". Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Cruise Ship Orderbook". cruiseindustrynews.com. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.

Further reading

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