Third Icon cruiser already in the Mediterranean

On June 10, Meyer Turku shipyard handed the Royal Caribbean cruiser to the shipowner Legend of the Seas. It is the third Icon class ship and the next stage of the program, which provides the Finnish shipyard with orders at least until the end of the decade.

Third Icon Cruiser

The ship's transfer ceremony took place in Turku with over 1,200 crew members and representatives of companies involved in its construction. Property Legend of the Seas was formally transferred from Meyer Turku to Royal Caribbean. Construction lasted nearly two years.

Legend of the Seas It is 365 metres long and its gross capacity is about 250 800 GT. There may be up to 7,600 passengers aboard. In terms of size, it is one of the world’s largest cruisers.

The ship was divided into eight zones, covering, among others, the part intended for families with children, places accessible only to adults and the separate space for passengers using apartments. On board there are 28 catering facilities, over 20 bars and lounges, seven swimming pools and a water park with six slides.

For Meyer Turku, the transfer of a third vessel of the same class means the possibility to use the experience gained during the execution of two previous orders. The yard emphasizes that the serial construction of cruisers has improved production and cooperation with shipowners and suppliers. 

The importance of the scheme for the Finnish shipbuilding industry goes beyond the Turkish plant. According to Meyer Turku, the value of one Icon-class vessel is around 2 billion euros, of which nearly 70% of domestic suppliers remain in Finland. The construction of a cruiser of this size generates a total of approximately 13,000 people in the country.

Cruises from Barcelona and Civitavecchia

After handing the shipowner a new Legend of the Seas began the season in the Mediterranean. First voyage held July 4. It currently sails on weekly routes from Barcelona and Civitavecchia, a port located near Rome.

In the autumn, the cruiser will finish its flights in Europe. In November, it will be directed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, it will swim on Caribbean routes lasting six or eight days.

LNG does not mean a non-emission vessel

Legend of the Seas is the shipowner's fourth cruiser Royal Caribbean propelled by liquefied natural gas. It was also equipped with a waste heat recovery installation and the possibility to extract electricity from land during a stop in a properly prepared port.

These solutions reduce fuel consumption and pollution. However, they do not make the cruiser an emission-free ship. LNG remains a fossil fuel and both carbon dioxide and methane released during production, transport and gas combustion must be taken into account when assessing its environmental impact. This approach is also taken by the International Maritime Organisation in its principles of assessing fuel emissions throughout their cycle of use.

Meyer Turku will build more ships

Transfer of the cruiser Legend of the Seas does not finish the program. In 2027 it is to be completed Hero of the Seas, and a year later the fifth Icon class vessel. The sixth and seventh units are planned for 2029 and 2030 respectively.

It is also worth recalling that Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku concluded an agreement on the utilisation of the yard's production capacity by 2036. For the Turku plant, this means the prospect of further orders and further development of the mass construction of the largest passenger ships.

Meaning Legend of the Seas So it doesn't come down to its size. Meyer Turku shows that it can turn a single megaproject into a repetitive shipbuilding program. However, the real test for the entire Icon class will be to reconcile the growing scale of cruisers with increasingly stringent energy and emissions requirements.