Meyer Turku Completes Hero of the Seas Hull Assembly
The fifty-meter-wide AquaDome was lifted in June after about twenty-four hours of work; Meyer Turku said no larger single glass-and-steel component had been lifted onto a ship.
Meyer Turku has completed hull assembly on Royal Caribbean’s Hero of the Seas, lifting the final block of the new Icon-class ship into place at Turku, Finland, on July 10. The 250,800-GT vessel is scheduled to enter service in August 2027 as the fourth ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class series.
The project now moves from block assembly into welding, cabin installation and float-out preparation, the next major construction phase before commissioning at the Finnish yard.
“Construction of the vessel is progressing rapidly,” said Kalle Hyytia, project manager at Meyer Turku. “Next, our focus will shift to the float-out and ensuring the vessel is ready for commissioning.”
Meyer Turku said welding is underway on the ship’s seams while cabins are being lifted into the vessel. The hull completion follows a September 2025 keel-laying, cabin loading that began by mid-January, installation of the Pearl structure and a June lift of the ship’s AquaDome.
The 50-meter-wide and 25-meter-high glass-and-steel dome will house an aquatic theater as well as restaurants, bars and lounges. Meyer Turku said no larger single glass-and-steel component had previously been lifted onto a ship.
Elvis Kulovac, foreman of Meyer Turku’s factory logistics division, said the AquaDome operation took about 24 hours, with the actual lift completed within a few hours. “There was virtually no wind, which is crucial for a lift of this scale,” Kulovac said.
Icon-class scale and onboard product
Hero of the Seas is expected to measure about 365 meters long with a beam of roughly 65 to 66 meters. The LNG-powered ship is planned for about 5,610 guests at double occupancy, up to 7,600 at full capacity, with about 2,350 crew.
Royal Caribbean has disclosed several product changes for Hero of the Seas, including nine pools, the Coconut Cove Pool, Orleans Parish Supper Club and the Ultimate Family Treehouse suite. The ship will also carry core Icon-class elements including eight neighborhoods, the Pearl, the AquaDome and more than 40 food-and-beverage locations.
The vessel follows Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas. Legend of the Seas, delivered by Meyer Turku earlier this year, is spending its maiden season in the Western Mediterranean.
PortMiami deployment and future builds
Hero of the Seas’ inaugural program will be based at PortMiami, with seven-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruises. Published itinerary examples include Cozumel, Philipsburg and Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Beyond Hero of the Seas, Meyer Turku’s Royal Caribbean program includes two additional Icon-class vessels scheduled between 2028 and 2030. A 2025 long-term framework agreement gives Royal Caribbean rights to build at the Turku yard through the next decade.
See current Hero of the Seas fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.
