RCI-Royal Caribbean’s ship Icon of the Seas reached her next major construction milestone on Friday, December 9, at the Meyer Turku shipyard (Turku, Finland) when the first Icon Class cruise ship was floated out from the dry dock where she has been under construction for 8+ months.
As part of the float out, the dry dock was filled with water overnight. Once it was filled, Icon OTS was then moved to an outfitting dock, which is her home for the next year until the construction is complete.
ICON-class are LNG-powered ships, each having two LNG fuel tanks (for storing liquefied natural gas) each with capacity 307 tons and length 27,4 m (90 ft). Fuel tanks, like the engines and other large machinery, are installed into the hull blocks assembled at Meyer Turku.
Icon OTS' technologies also include shore power connectivity (using the port's/city's power grid electricity for onboard services while berthed) and an advanced WHRS (waste heat recovery system) that generates power using waste heat from the main engines and the output gases.
Another fleet-first facility is called AquaDome (deck 15). Positioned above the Wheelhouse, this is an AquaTheater (redesigned concept but) similar to Oasis- and Quantum ships' Solarium. The glass roof structure/dome weighs 363 tons.
Icon OTS also has a hull (painted in baby blue) with a parabolic bow and vertical stern (also the fleet's firsts) both creating a curved indentation in the hull's bottom. The parabolic bow design increases the vessel's overall stability (by shifting the gravity center forward) and also makes it less prone to heeling or capsizing. Like on all large newbuild cruisers, the hull is fitted with Wartsila's air lubrication system that reduces frictional resistance by creating a coating of microbubbles on the flat bottom.
Icon OTS will sail year-round, 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean roundtrips from PortMiami Florida USA. Every voyage will visit Royal Caribbean’s Bahamian private island CocoCay.