Royal Caribbean Lays Keel for Fifth Icon-Class Ship in Finland
Project managers placed freshly minted coins beneath the first steel block, a maritime tradition, before construction continues in the dock for two years.
Royal Caribbean laid the keel for its fifth Icon-class ship at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Monday, Sept. 14, beginning physical assembly of a vessel scheduled to enter service in 2028. The first major steel block was lowered into a dry dock recently vacated by the fourth ship in the series, Hero of the Seas.
The newbuild, identified by the yard as NB-1408, will join a class built at close to 250,000 gross tons. The lead ship, Icon of the Seas, measures 1,196 feet 8 inches and accommodates 5,610 guests at double occupancy, with a maximum capacity of 7,600.
Steel block begins two-year assembly
Icon 5 project managers Saku Jaatinen of Meyer Turku and Janne Auvinen of Royal Caribbean Group placed freshly minted coins beneath the block before it was moved into position, following maritime tradition. Steel cutting for the ship began Jan. 19.
Construction will continue in the building dock over the next two years as additional hull sections are assembled. The shipyard floated out Hero of the Seas on Sept. 4, shifting that vessel to an outfitting berth ahead of its planned August 2027 debut from Miami.
“Building a series of ships allows us to continuously learn, improve and innovate, and each new vessel benefits from the expertise gained throughout the program,” Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm said.
Meyer Turku has handled construction of all five ships completed or underway in the class: Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, Hero of the Seas and NB-1408. Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, LNG dual-fuel diesel-electric propulsion and three ABB Azipod units.
The existing ships feature eight onboard neighborhoods and seven pools, along with six waterslides. Royal Caribbean has said the fifth vessel will continue the class’s combination of beach, resort and theme-park concepts, although it has not detailed the ship’s individual venues.
Icon-class pipeline extends through 2030
Royal Caribbean’s construction schedule calls for a sixth Icon-class ship in 2029 and a seventh in 2030. The company confirmed those two ships in April 2026 under a framework agreement with Meyer Turku that reserves shipbuilding capacity through 2036.
Legend of the Seas, the third vessel in the class, debuted in the Mediterranean in 2026 and is scheduled to reposition to Fort Lauderdale.
Royal Caribbean has not announced a homeport, itineraries or an exact maiden-voyage date for NB-1408. The company plans to disclose the ship’s name and additional features in the coming months.
Compare Royal Caribbean sailings by price on Cruise Lookup.
