Royal Caribbean's nowhere near done with building Icon Class ships.
The cruise giant announced plans to build a fourth Icon Class ship to be delivered in 2027, with options for a fifth and sixth Icon Class ship at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
What does that mean? Royal Caribbean has a confirmed order for a fourth ship, and space at the shipyard has been allocated for two more Icon Class ships should they place an order in the future. The news comes after Royal Caribbean ordered a seventh Oasis Class ship in February.
They haven't announced the ship's name or any specific details regarding new features that will be onboard. However, in anticipation of Star of the Seas' launch in 2025, Royal Caribbean revealed that the onboard supper club will have a Hollywood theme.
Icon of the Seas made its grand debut in January 2024. The 248,663 gross registered ton vessel is the largest in the world and features over 20 new dining venues, bars, and lounges. Additionally, the ship is home to the largest waterpark and ice skating rink at sea, as well as the first-ever enclosed AquaTheater, three-story Ultimate Family Townhouse, and suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship.
Sailing exclusively from Miami, Florida, Icon takes guests on epic weeklong voyages to the Eastern or Western Caribbean, calling at Perfect Day at CocoCay on every sailing.
Icon will be joined by Star of the Seas in August 2025. Though similar to the OG Icon Class ship, Star will feature a few upgrades and changes, including an extra hot tub on the pool deck, a redesigned supper club, an enhanced youth club, and changes to the cuisine served in the AquaDome Market. Rather than sail from Miami, it will depart from Port Canaveral, Florida.
“Building on the incredible momentum and market response to the launch of Icon of the Seas and the excitement for its sister ship, Star of the Seas, coming in 2025, we’re thrilled to join with Meyer Turku once again to expand our roster of Icon Class ships and continue our future growth plans,” said Liberty.
“Since its debut, Icon has changed the game in vacation experiences and exceeded our expectations in both guest satisfaction and financial performance.”
“Icon of the Seas is unlike anything the world has seen before, and we’re just getting started,” added Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International's President and CEO.
“We are leading the vacation industry in developing new experiences for our guests to create lifelong memories, and we continue dreaming and evolving to deliver more ways to chill and thrill.”
Read more: New Cruise Ships On Order
Royal Caribbean isn't the only cruise line placing orders for new ships
Following the debt accrued due to the cruise industry showdown in 2020 and 2021, new ship orders were halted. Now, with the cruise industry seeing a resurgence in demand, cruise lines have begun placing orders for future orders to expand their fleets.
Carnival Cruise Line was one of the first mainstream lines to kickstart this trend, ordering a fourth Excel Class ship to be delivered in 2027. A few months later, they announced another order for three ships part of a brand-new ship class, scheduled to be delivered in 2029, 2031, and 2033.
Norwegian Cruise Line also announced plans for a new ship class in April. Planned to be larger than the Prima Class, the new ships are expected to be around 200,000 gross registered tons with a passenger capacity of 5,000. If all goes accordingly, they will be delivered in 2030, 2032, 2034, and 2036.
Most recently, Disney Cruise Line announced they will be expanding their fleet to 13 ships by 2031, with the addition of 4 new ships between 2027 and 2031. However, the ship names, designs, and itineraries are still under development.
“Our Disney cruise ships are the true ambassadors for our brands and beloved by families the world over,” said Thomas Mazloum, President of New Experiences Portfolio and Disney Signature Experiences. “As we embark on this ambitious and unprecedented expansion for Disney Cruise Line, we are delighted to work with Meyer Werft once again.”
Still, there's a lot to look forward to in the coming years with Disney. Their newest ship, Disney Treasure, will set sail in December, and Disney Destiny's inaugural voyage is slated to depart on November 20, 2025. Finally, Disney's largest ship, Disney Adventure, will sail from Singapore in 2025, traveling through Southeast Asia year-round.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
