At the Meyer Turku yard in Turku, Finland, construction has entered its formal phase for the fifth cruise ship in the Icon class for RCI-Royal Caribbean International, a new unit scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2028. This milestone was marked by the traditional cutting of the first steel on January 19th, 2026, bringing together representatives of the cruise company, the shipyard and the classification society to commence the multiyear build programme that will assemble the vessel’s structure and outfitting.
The vessel, provisionally referred to as Icon 5, continues the lineage of the Icon class — a series noted for their vast scale in the global passenger fleet — and follows the earlier deliveries and ongoing builds at the same yard. Meyer Turku’s facilities are concurrently progressing other units in the class, with a third ship expected to enter service this summer and a fourth under construction for a 2027 handover. Royal Caribbean and the shipbuilder have maintained arrangements extending into the next decade, preserving the option to erect further hulls in this series beyond the fifth.
The initiation of steel work denotes the beginning of more than two years in which thousands of shipwrights, naval architects and artisans will shape the vessel, whose official name and detailed specifications are to be announced in due course. Upon completion, this ship will assume its place within one of the most substantial classes of passenger vessels afloat, reflecting the sustained collaboration between Royal Caribbean and the Finnish shipbuilding industry.