Royal Caribbean orders 2 new ships and options for 2 more

Royal Caribbean has signed an agreement with Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku to build two additional Icon-class ships to be launched in 2026 and 2027, in addition to the recently announced Star of the Seas, which will operate beginning in the summer of 2025, and Icon of the Seas, which came into service this year.

The shipping company also added two options to build a fifth and sixth ship of the Icon class, but all of this will depend on the usual conditions, including financing.

Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, commented that they are building on the momentum and market response that Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas have had.

And he added that since the launch of the Icon-class ship, it has changed the game in terms of vacation experiences and exceeded the cruise line’s projections, both in guest satisfaction and financial performance, Liberty said, as reported by Travel Pulse.

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley said that they are leading the vacation industry with the new experiences they are developing with the goal of making guests create memories. “And we continue to dream and evolve to offer more ways to relax and get excited,” he said.

Additionally, Royal Caribbean has a total of seven new ships on order, with two options. In 2024, it will commission four new ships: the Icon of the Seas and the Utopia of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International, the Silver Ray from Silversea and the Mein Schiff from TUI Cruises.

As reported by REPORTUR.usRoyal Caribbean recently announced that its newest Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, would begin commercial operations in August 2025. The ship will offer cruises from Port Canaveral (Orlando). (Royal Caribbean opens reservations for Star of the Seas one year before sailing.)