Royal Caribbean Targets Turkiye Growth With Icon-Class Ships
Sunorama Cruises has overseen Royal Caribbean's Turkiye sales and travel agency relationships since starting operations in Istanbul in 2006.
Royal Caribbean plans to broaden cruising beyond its current niche in Turkiye as the company enters its 20th year in the market. The push will center on new Icon-class ships, expanded onboard attractions and a private-destination portfolio that Royal Caribbean Group plans to grow from two locations to eight by 2028.
The cruise line operates 30 ships serving more than 300 destinations. Sunorama Cruises has handled its sales, marketing, distribution and travel agency relationships in Turkiye since starting operations in Istanbul in 2006. Royal Caribbean is targeting families, couples, young professionals and corporate groups.
“Travelers are no longer looking only at which countries they will visit, but also at which ship they will travel on,” said Alper Taskiranlar, general manager of Royal Caribbean Turkiye. Dining, entertainment and family facilities have become important parts of the purchasing decision, he added.
Icon-class ships support the Turkish-market push
Royal Caribbean’s latest deployment in the region is Legend of the Seas, which began seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises on July 4, 2026. The roughly 250,000-gross-ton ship is designed for about 5,610 passengers at double occupancy and as many as 7,600 at full capacity.
As the third Icon-class vessel, Legend has eight neighborhoods and includes the Category 6 water park, Crown’s Edge attraction, AquaDome and the Surfside family area. Its entertainment program includes a Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The ship builds on attractions introduced across earlier Royal Caribbean vessels, including the FlowRider surf simulator, North Star observation capsule, RipCord by iFLY, AquaTheater, Central Park and Ultimate Abyss.
Royal Caribbean’s 2027 program will retain Legend in the Mediterranean and deploy Odyssey of the Seas in the Eastern Mediterranean. Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and the forthcoming Hero of the Seas are scheduled for Caribbean service, with additional ship and itinerary choices planned for the Asia-Pacific market.
Private destinations extend the cruise product ashore
Royal Caribbean Group is also expanding its destination portfolio following the development of Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. Projects named by the company include Royal Beach Club locations at Paradise Island, Cozumel and Santorini, along with Perfect Day Mexico and Lelepa.
“Our goal is to move cruising beyond being a niche product and turn it into a travel alternative considered by a broader audience,” Taskiranlar said.
Hero of the Seas moves into outfitting
Hero of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s fourth Icon-class ship, floated out at Meyer Turku in Finland. The building dock was filled with more than 90 million gallons of water before the vessel moved to the outfitting pier.
Hero will have eight neighborhoods, nine pools and 28 food and beverage venues, including the new Orleans Parrish Supper Club. Plans also call for Coconut Cove pool, the adults-only Hideaway and the three-deck Ultimate Family Treehouse. Crown’s Edge will return as a combined skywalk and zip-line attraction 154 feet above the ocean.
The ship is scheduled to operate seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami, with every sailing calling at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Other itinerary ports will include Cozumel, Roatan, Charlotte Amalie and Philipsburg. Bookings are open.
Hero will remain at Meyer Turku’s outfitting pier over the next year before its August 2027 debut from Miami.
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