Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has received an order from cruise line Royal Caribbean Group to build a fourth “Icon Class” cruise ship, the companies announced on Tuesday.
The Turku shipyard on Finland’s southwestern coast already has orders to build three other Icon Class ships, the biggest cruise ships in the world.
The new vessel is set to be delivered to Royal Caribbean in 2027. The agreement also includes options to build a fifth and sixth Icon Class ship. Meyer Turku estimated the order will create up to 13,000 full-time equivalent jobs at the yard.
The first Icon Class cruiseliner, Icon of the Seas, set sail in January 2024. Built over 900 days, it is a monument to enormity, longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, with 20 decks and room for more than 5,600 passengers (7,600 at maximum capacity) and a crew of 2,350. Some have labelled it a monstrosity, citing its vast climate footprint.
Others have praised the sophisticated engineering integrated into the floating holiday destination. Building of the second and third Icon Class ships is currently underway at Meyer Turku.
