Fifth Icon-Class Ship Under Construction

There is exciting news from Royal Caribbean for your future vacation planning: the cruise line is continuing to expand its fleet and has begun construction on another mega-ship. If you are a fan of the modern Icon class, you can look forward to a new member of this ship class, which is set to be completed in the coming years.

As the Royal Caribbean Group announced in a press release, the traditional keel-laying ceremony was celebrated on September 14, 2026, at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. With this step, the physical construction of the fifth ship in this series has officially begun.

Traditional Start of Construction in Finland

During the festive ceremony in the shipyard's dry dock, the first large steel block for the ship's hull was positioned. The keel forms the load-bearing backbone of the vessel. According to the cruise line, an ancient shipbuilding custom was observed during the keel laying: before lowering the steel block, newly minted coins were placed underneath the component, which is meant to bring good luck to the ship and its future journeys. The hull will be assembled at the shipyard over the next two years.

Outlook for the Coming Years

According to Royal Caribbean, the new ship is scheduled to debut in 2028. Details regarding its exact name, technical specifications, or the special onboard activities have not yet been released. However, the cruise line announced that it will share this information in the coming months.

What is already certain is that the expansion will not stop after the completion of this newbuild. According to the company, two more Icon-class ships are already firmly planned: the sixth ship is scheduled to follow in 2029, while the delivery of the seventh ship is slated for 2030.