First steel cut for Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class cruise ship

Royal Caribbean has officially begun the third Icon Class ship’s construction process. The unnamed ship is set to be completed in 2026, one year after Star of the Seas. 

The steel-cutting ceremony was held on January 12 at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and representatives from both Royal Caribbean Group and Meyer Turku were present. 

“With Icon III, we are further strengthening our role as the builder of the world’s most advanced cruise ships,” said Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. 

“Meyer Turku’s and Royal Caribbean Group’s long-term goals are becoming concrete, and with that we are able to set new standards to strengthen our leadership in the green transition of the maritime industry.”

Royal Caribbean hasn’t revealed much about the third ship in the groundbreaking Icon Class

Despite not having too many details about the ship itself, we know that Star of the Seas will sail out of Port Canaveral to the Caribbean during its inaugural season. The same cannot be said for the third Icon Class ship. 

Additionally, we do not know how different the third ship will be from Icon of the Seas. It is not uncommon for cruise lines to make tweaks to the ship’s designs for later incarnations in any given class. 

Harmony of the Seas, for instance, was the first Oasis Class ship to feature the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. While it was later added to Oasis of the Seas, the first ship in the class, it was not a feature that was present onboard for roughly ten years. 

As Royal Caribbean hasn’t talked much about the design of Star of the Seas, we assume it will be a while before we get any specifics about the third Icon Class ship. Even when all of the excitement about Icon’s launch dies down, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the coming years! 

What is a steel-cutting ceremony?

The steel-cutting ceremony is a maritime tradition and a major milestone in a ship’s construction process, as it indicates that the groundwork has been set.

The next milestone is the keel-laying ceremony, which marks the official beginning of the ship’s construction.

During both events, it’s common for executives from the cruise line and shipyard personnel to be present.

Read more: How long does it take to build a cruise ship

Icon of the Seas, the first-ever Icon Class ship, is set to embark on its inaugural voyage on January 27, 2024

It’s been over seven years in the making; however, Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, is less than one month away from finally setting sail. 

As with all new ship classes, there are tons of experiences that you will only be able to enjoy onboard Icon of the Seas. 

Read more: Icon of the Seas Surfside neighborhood: What to expect

From the record-breaking Category 6 water park to the first-ever Izumi to-go window, family-friendly Surfside Neighborhood, Pearl superstructure, enclosed AquaTheater, and more, Icon of the Seas was designed to be the ultimate family vacation. 

Sailing onboard this new ship during its inaugural season will cost you a pretty penny, though, as the lowest rate at the time of writing was $2,440 per person for an interior room in March 2024. 

Star of the Seas’ pricing is not as outrageous, with numerous sailings during its first year at sea starting at around $1,800 per person. 

The third Icon Class ship is not open for booking yet, so it will be interesting to see how pricing compares when itineraries are eventually released. 

Read more: First look Inside the World’s Biggest Cruise Marvel, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas