Cruise ships aren't built overnight. The average time to build a cruise ship is 12 to 18 months, from when the keel is laid to the maiden voyage welcoming paying guests. However, the entire process, from its conceptualization to its official launch, can take over 5 years.
For example, Norwegian announced a brand-new class of ships expected to debut in 2030. The new ships will be the largest, most efficient, and innovative within NCL's fleet. As exciting as that news may be, it'll be another five years before the first one enters service.
There's a lot that goes into building cruise ships. I recently watched National Geographic's documentary about the construction of the Disney Wish and highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing the process behind building a cruise ship! It's fascinating to see a mega-ship come together like a LEGO set.
Interesting in learning more about cruise ship construction and how long it takes to build these engineering feats? You've come to the right place!
It starts with a cruise ship order
Cruise ships are expensive, especially brand-new concepts. For example, Icon of the Seas cost Royal Caribbean around $2 billion, while MSC World Europa cost about $1.25 billion. Because of their high cost, shipyards are careful in how they construct these vessels.
Once a cruise line has secured funding from a financial institution, they're able to proceed with finalizing the order and securing space at the shipyard.
Typically, cruise lines keep as many ship details as possible under wraps during the early stages of construction. If they were to reveal what's new and innovative, other lines would have time to copy those features. Plus, it helps build anticipation.
For example, Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku initially announced an order to build two ships under the project name "Icon" in 2016. It wasn't until October 2022 that Royal Caribbean finally divulged details about its brand-new class of ship.
The steel-cutting ceremony indicates that the groundwork has been set
Keeping with Icon of the Seas, steel-cutting for the world's largest cruise ship began on June 14, 2021, over a year before Royal Caribbean announced the ship's neighborhoods and features and about five years after the order was placed.
The steel-cutting ceremony marks a pivotal point in the cruise ship construction process, indicating that they're ready to turn the blueprint into an actual ship! Once the first piece of steel is cut, the shipyard will continue cutting and shaping steel to form the ship's framework. From this point on, the workload only intensifies.
Smaller pieces of the ship are assembled from the steel and are put together later once the keel is laid. There can be as many as 80 pre-assembled blocks per cruise ship that are joined, welded together, and wired at the dry docks later during the construction process.
Typically, the cruise line will have revealed the ship's name by the time the first steel is cut. However, that isn't always the case. For example, Royal Caribbean's steel-cutting ceremony for the third Icon Class ship took place in January 2024. The cruise line didn't reveal the ship's name until February 2025. Now, we know that Icon III will be Legend of the Seas!
The keel-laying ceremony is the next major milestone
Icon of the Seas' keel wasn't laid until April 2022, roughly 10 months after the steel-cutting ceremony was held.
The keel is essentially the "base" for the building blocks that have been assembled over the past several months. Now that the blocks have a place to go, the ship will quickly start to take shape as they're welded together.
Don't be fooled, though. While the exterior might start to look like construction is nearing completion, there's still a long way to go.
The ship enters the water for the first time during the float-out
Once the ship's exterior has been assembled and the internal structures are in place, it’s time for the float-out. This is when the dry dock is filled with water, and the ship is moved to a wet dock, freeing up the space to begin construction on another vessel.
Icon of the Seas' float out took place in December 2022. Let's recap:
- October 2016: Order placed for project "Icon"
- June 2021: Steel-cutting
- April 2022: Keel was laid
- December 2022: Float out
The float-out isn't necessarily a quick process. It requires careful coordination and attention to detail, as the ship dock is slowly flooded with water, and the ship backs out from the enclosed structure.
Sea trials test the ship's performance
Sea trials help ensure the ship is in working order before it's delivered to the cruise line. It's essentially a test drive that helps determine the ship's limits and overall performance.
Icon of the Seas had her first round of sea trials in June 2023, two years after the first steel for the mega-ship was cut. Over 2,000 specialists helped test the main engines, brake systems, vibration levels, and more.
The length of sea trials varies based on the ship. Plus, some will only have to undergo a single round. Others require two separate tests.
For example, Icon successfully completed another round of sea trials in November 2023 after ten days at sea. Still, she wasn't ready to welcome guests onboard. More work had to be completed before Meyer Turku could hand Icon over to Royal Caribbean.
The delivery is when the cruise line finally takes ownership of the new vessel
The handover ceremony is important because, at this point, the ship has successfully completed all tests and sea trials and is ready to be handed over from the shipyard to the cruise line.
In other words, this is when the cruise line is officially responsible for the cruise ship, and the countdown to the maiden voyage is in full swing.
Finishing touches still have to be made. For example, important supplies likely haven't been delivered yet, and lots of furnishings and artwork need to be brought on board. Additionally, most crew members must become familiar with the ship and their positions.
Icon of the Seas was finally delivered on November 6, 2023, 873 days after the steel-cutting ceremony in June 2021. In other words, it took 2 years, 4 months, and 23 days for the shipyard to complete its part of the construction process.
Another example is MSC World Europa, which was handed over to MSC Cruises on October 24, 2022, or 2 years, 11 months, and 22 days after the first piece of steel was cut on October 31, 2019.
Shakedown cruises help the cruise line make sure everything is in working order before welcoming guests
Did you think the ship was ready? Not quite! That's right, even after over two years, ships like Icon and MSC World Europa still weren't fully finished.
Shakedown voyages allow crew members to complete different necessary trainings and learn their way around the ship. If it is a brand-new class, it might not seem like second nature, even if they've been with the same cruise line for years. For example, could you imagine going from Carnival Vista to Mardi Gras with ease?
Sometimes, the media is also invited onboard to get a first look at the new ship. It's not uncommon for shipyard workers to be onboard, too. Everyone wants to be involved in making sure everything is in perfect condition before the official launch!
The second-to-last milestone is the christening ceremony
At this point, the ship's construction is complete, and the christening ceremony celebrates the new cruise ship entering service.
The traditional ceremony often involves several rituals and gestures to ensure good fortune, and it's not uncommon for the media and representatives from the cruise industry, line, and shipyard to attend.
As the name suggests, this is when the ship's Godmother or Godfather christens the ship by smashing a bottle of Champagne against the bow.
Icon of the Seas' Godfather is Lionel Messi, while MSC World Europa's Godmother is Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani.
Sometimes, the Godmother/Father is more untraditional. For example, Disney Cruise Line named Disney Employees around the world as the Godparents of the brand-new Disney Treasure. Additionally, Wonder of the Seas' Godmother was found after an extensive social media search in pursuit of the "Wonder Mom."
Finally, the new cruise ship is ready to enter service
The maiden voyage is a huge celebration because the cruise line's fleet has officially grown by one! It's also the culmination of years of planning, design, and hard work, especially if it's a brand-new ship class.
The length of the first sailing varies. It could be a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean or a lengthy transatlantic voyage. Regardless of the length, the maiden voyage signals that the cruise ship is ready for regular service.
Icon of the Seas embarked on her inaugural cruise on January 27, 2024, The voyage was nothing short of a spectacle considering Royal Caribbean first began teasing a new ship class in 2016.
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.
