Royal Caribbean Takes Delivery of Legend of the Seas in Finland
Before revenue service, the twenty-deck ship is due to sail from Turku to Cádiz for final outfitting, with a Málaga-to-Rome preview scheduled for June twenty-ninth.
Royal Caribbean International took delivery of Legend of the Seas on June 10 from Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland, adding the third Icon Class ship to its fleet ahead of a July European debut. The handover moves the roughly 250,000-gross-ton newbuild from shipyard construction into final preparation for its first Western Mediterranean cruises and a November deployment from Fort Lauderdale.
The transfer follows nearly two years of construction at the Finnish yard and sea trials that began in April. More than 1,200 crew members and partners attended the ceremony, led by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley and Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm.
“It is an achievement only possible through the extraordinary partnership and expertise of Meyer Turku,” Liberty said.
Meyer Turku agreement extends Icon Class pipeline
The delivery is part of Royal Caribbean Group’s long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku, which secures shipbuilding capacity through 2036. The current Icon Class pipeline includes Hero of the Seas, the fourth ship in the class, in 2027; Icon 5 in 2028; and the sixth and seventh Icon Class ships in 2029 and 2030.
Meyer Turku built the first two Icon Class vessels, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, before delivering Legend of the Seas. Royal Caribbean Group has said the Turku yard has built 25 ships for the company since the mid-1990s.
“Constructing the series has enabled us to develop our production processes in a systematic way,” Lindholm said. He also called Legend “an exceptional project in terms of both scale and technical complexity.”
Summer in the Mediterranean, winter from South Florida
Legend of the Seas will operate seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) this summer. In November, the ship is scheduled to reposition to Port Everglades for six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean itineraries. Each sailing will visit Perfect Day CocoCay.
Royal Caribbean has also added a three-night Bahamas sailing from Port Everglades on Nov. 8, before a previously scheduled Nov. 11 voyage from Fort Lauderdale. The line offered guests booked on the Nov. 11 sailing the option to keep their reservations or move to the earlier cruise, subject to prevailing rates and availability.
“We’re incredibly proud to introduce Legend of the Seas to vacationers,” Bayley said.
Passenger product and LNG propulsion
Legend of the Seas is listed at about 1,198 feet long, with 20 decks, 2,805 cabins, capacity for 5,610 guests at double occupancy and a crew of 2,350. The ship carries the Icon Class neighborhood layout, with eight areas across the vessel.
The onboard product includes 28 dining options, including Hollywoodland Supper Club, Royal Railway - Legend Station and AquaDome Market. The entertainment program includes Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “America’s Got Talent LIVE,” the AquaTheater production “Shockwave” and “Fusion” at Absolute Zero.
Legend will be Royal Caribbean’s fourth LNG-powered ship. Its diesel-electric plant includes six Wärtsilä 46TS-DF LNG dual-fuel engines and three 20-MW ABB Azipod units, while the ship’s environmental systems include shore-power capability and waste-heat recovery.
Before revenue service, Legend is due to sail from Turku to Cadiz, Spain, for final outfitting by Royal Caribbean. A trade-and-media preview from Málaga to Rome is scheduled for June 29.
See current Legend of the Seas fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.
