Royal Caribbean Celebrates Keel Laying at Meyer Turku Shipyard
Keel laying for the fifth Icon-class ship at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
© Photo: Royal Caribbean
(eap) Cruise line Royal Caribbean has been celebrating another milestone for a new ship in its “Icon” class this week: The keel laying for the fifth vessel in the series took place at the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard, with the first large steel construction block, known as the keel, being placed in the dry dock. The ship is now physically taking shape and is set to be completed over the next two years ahead of its debut in 2028.
The as-yet-unnamed fifth Icon-class ship is expected to offer a similarly diverse range of leisure and entertainment facilities as its sister ships. These will include numerous water attractions such as large-scale waterslides, as well as swimming, sports and play facilities. The fifth vessel is set to be followed by two further Icon-class ships in 2029 and 2030, which the shipyard has already been commissioned to build.
Further vessels for the US-based group are currently under construction in Europe at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique (CdA) shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France (cf. EAP News of 30 Jan. 2026). In addition to its vacation offerings at sea, Royal Caribbean is increasingly focusing on the development of private vacation destinations such as Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in the Bahamas, which has been welcoming guests since the end of last year. The “Perfect Day Mexico” project is currently undergoing a conceptual revision after Mexico’s Ministry of Environment did not approve previous plans for the resort development (cf. EAP News of 21 May 2026). ■
