Meyer Turku Lays Keel For Fourth Icon Cruise Ship, Delivery Set For 2027

The Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland has officially started assembling the hull of the fourth Icon-class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean.

On Monday, September 8, 2025, the ship entered a new stage of construction with the laying of its keel. The vessel, currently called Icon 4, is expected to be completed in 2027.

The keel-laying event was held at the bottom of the shipyard’s construction pool. As part of the tradition, representatives from Royal Caribbean, the classification society, and the shipyard placed coins under the first steel block. The ceremony is believed to bring good fortune and protection to the ship throughout its life.

During the event, project managers from both Meyer Turku and Royal Caribbean noted that cooperation between the two companies is working well. They also said that the experience gained from building earlier Icon-class ships has made the process smoother for the current project.

Meyer Turku’s CEO, Casimir Lindholm, described Icon 4 as a very important project not only for the shipyard but also for the wider partner network. He pointed out that every luxury cruise ship of this size generates around 13,000 person-years of employment. He added that the shipyard is continuously seeking new shipbuilders to take part in different stages of work, from design through to construction.

The Icon-class program has already produced two ships. Icon of the Seas, the first of the series, was delivered in November 2023, while its sister ship, Star of the Seas, joined Royal Caribbean’s fleet in July 2025. The third ship, Legend of the Seas, has recently been moved to the equipment dock and is expected to be finished in the summer of 2026.

Royal Caribbean has also revealed that it plans to build a fifth and sixth Icon-class cruise ship, showing its long-term commitment to expanding the series with Meyer Turku.

Reference: Meyer Turku

Source: Maritime Shipping News