Icon of the Seas touched the sea at the Meyer Turku shipyard with her record gross tonnage and dimensions. She will enter service in 2024

The Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku has launched the hull of what, once it enters service, will be the largest cruise ship in the world ordered by Royal Caribbean International.

Its name is Icon of the Seas and it is 365 meters long, almost 50 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of approximately 250,000 tons; she will have maximum capacity to accommodate 2,350 crew members and 7,600 passengers on board. She is the first vessel of the new Icon series commissioned from the Finnish shipyard part of the German group Meyer Werft.

After touching the water for the first time, the hull was then transferred to a mooring where all the long work of fitting out the interiors will continue.

Icon of the Seas will also be the first ship of the US cruise line to be propelled by liquefied natural gas thanks to the use of fuel cell technology.

Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean International, said: “The launch of a new ship is a defining moment and, in the case of Icon of the Seas, marks the next step in the beginning of a new era of vacations.

More than five years ago, we set out to create the best family vacation in the world, the culmination of 53 years of Royal Caribbean innovations and offerings that combine the best of every vacation. This will become reality with Icon of the seas”.

Icon of the Seas will be delivered to Royal Caribbean in late 2023 and will sail on her maiden voyage in January 2024. The ship will sail from Miami year-round in the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

To date, the flagship of the Royal Caribbean fleet is the Wonder of the Seas built in France by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. She has a total gross tonnage of 236,857 tons, can accommodate up to 6,900 guests on board plus 2,300 crew members, she is 362 meters long, 64 meters wide and has 2,867 cabins.