By
Laura Hyde |
Royal Caribbean International has taken delivery of Icon of the Seas ahead of the ship’s debut in Miami, Florida in January 2024.
Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku handed over the Icon-class ship at a celebration ceremony in Turku, Finland after 900 days of design and construction. Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO, was joined at the ceremony by Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, and Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, as well as more than 1,200 crew members and workers.
“Today, we are celebrating more than a new ship; it’s also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation and dreaming at Royal Caribbean to create the ultimate vacation experience,” said Liberty. “Delivering Icon of the Seas represents all that can be accomplished with strong partnerships and a commitment to delivering memorable vacations responsibly, and we thank Meyer Turku and an incredible village of skilled partners for joining us on this journey. The memories millions of families and vacationers will make on Icon will be our greatest accomplishment yet.”
Icon of the Seas will sail from Finland to Cadiz in Spain, where the cruise line will complete finishing touches on the ship. Icon will then sail to Miami for its inaugural cruise, a seven-night roundtrip ‘Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day’ itinerary departing on 27 January.
The ship is the first of three planned vessels in the Icon-class and will overtake the Oasis-class Wonder of the Seas as the largest cruise ship in the world. It will showcase a number of firsts for Royal Caribbean Group, including the AquaDome, the single largest glass and steel structure to be lifted onto a cruise ship, and more water onboard than any previous Royal Caribbean Ship across its seven pools and six waterslides.
“Welcoming Icon of the Seas to the Royal Caribbean family is a remarkable accomplishment years in the making for thousands of innovators, engineers, architects and designers,” said Bayley. “Seven years ago, we had an ambitious idea to create the first vacation truly made for every type of family and adventurer; now, it’s in our hands, and in this final stretch, we’ll bring it all to life for the biggest debut in our history.”