Not only did Royal Caribbean welcome Wonder of the Seas Friday at Port Canaveral, but Icon of the Seas was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard as well.
Icon of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship and the world’s largest cruise ship.
“The float out of a new ship is a defining moment, and in the case of Icon of the Seas, it marks the next step in the start of a new era of vacations. We set out to create the world’s best family vacation more than five years ago, the culmination of 53 years of Royal Caribbean firsts and favorites that combine the best of every vacation. That is now a reality more than ever as Icon touches water for the first time.” – Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.
Icon of the Seas is the first ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet that will run on liquefied natural gas and utilize fuel cell technology. Other features like shore power features and waste heat recovery systems will make her a pioneer in sustainable development.
Icon of the Seas is the first ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon series. She is 365 meters (1197 feet) long, almost 50 meters (164 feet) wide and approximately 250,000 gross tons.
“Icon of the Seas is a state-of-the-art ship that challenges the know-how of our shipyard and raises the entire Finnish shipbuilding industry to a new level. We are proud to be responsible for the design and construction of Icon of the Seas in cooperation with the customer and all our partner companies. This is also a significant step for the sustainable development of the shipbuilding industry.” – Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku.
Icon of the Seas is set to be handed over to Royal Caribbean by the end of 2023 and will sail her first voyage in January 2024.