The development of Royal Caribbean’s third Icon Class cruise ship reached an necessary milestone this week when the keel was laid.
At a ceremony held on the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Monday, October 7, the official begin of building was celebrated.
Icon of the Seas was the primary Icon Class ship, and it launched to nice fanfare earlier this 12 months. It is daring new design caught the eye of the cruise trade, and now work is starting on its third ship.
Royal Caribbean has not even introduced the identify of the ship, not to mention what options or particulars we will count on from the ship.
Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, shared his ideas on the importance of this second, “Icon 3 is a vital vessel for each the shipyard and the companion community. Throughout its building course of, we get to see what a mix of high-level know-how and sister ship expertise can obtain as we speak. “
The ship’s keel is the primary block, and it’s maritime custom to commemorate this part of a brand new ship building.
One other maritime custom is to position the “fortunate cash”, which signify the shipyard and cruise line.
The cash are supposed to convey luck throughout building, and they are going to be retrieved and given to Icon’s captain and crew earlier than setting sail.
Icon 3’s keel laying comes only a few days after Icon 2 was floated out.
Often known as Star of the Seas, this ship was put into water for the primary time on the finish of September. Having two of the identical class of ship below building on the similar time shouldn’t be uncommon. The truth is, Star of the Seas’ building journey started when Icon of the Seas was nonetheless being constructed.
Cruise traces generally place orders for a number of ships at a time, they usually stagger building in order that they will launch every ship a 12 months aside or so.
What might be Icon 3’s identify?
Royal Caribbean hasn’t introduced the identify of the third Icon class ship but, however there’s at all times quite a lot of hypothesis as to what it may be.
The rumor mill believes Royal Caribbean will revive an outdated identify for this ship, however it’s nonetheless unconfirmed.
The alleged identify of Icon 3 might be Legend of the Seas, which was a reputation of a Imaginative and prescient Class cruise ship that was offered to a different cruise line in 2017. It is nonetheless in operation as Marella Discovery 2.
There’s a number of sources for the rumor that Legend might be the identify.
Throughout a High Tier occasion on Concord of the Seas in Could, the ship’s Resort Director instructed passengers the ship’s identify might be Legend of the Seas.
Previous to that, metadata inside Royal Caribbean’s web site appeared to point the corporate would re-use Legend.
In fact, cruise followers love a juicy rumor and the great ones are inclined to get shared lots.
Royal Caribbean emblems ship names with the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace, most of which by no means get used.
Examples of current emblems Royal Caribbean have made embrace:
- Completely satisfied of the Seas
- Enjoyable of the Seas
- Idol of the Seas
- Love of the Seas
- Nova of the Seas
- Titan of the Seas
- Solar of the Seas
- Marquee of the Seas
- Hero of the Seas
- Fantasia of the Seas
The corporate purposefully emblems ship names they by no means intend to make use of as a way to obfuscate those they actually wish to use.
What’s subsequent for Icon 3?
The third Icon class ship will not launch till 2026 and you may’t e book cruises but for it, partially as a result of there’s nonetheless quite a lot of work left on it.
Development of the ship will proceed for a lot of months, with the ship’s metal infrastructure being assembled to type the vessel.
The ship’s keel is the primary block, and different blocks might be joined collectively till the ship’s major construction is assembled. Then extra of the ship’s options are added in, reminiscent of cabins, inside buildings, and paneling.
Icon 3 has a tonnage of 250,800 GT and sufficient room for as much as 5,610 passengers.
Royal Caribbean will reveal the ship’s identify, house port, and sailings, and different necessary particulars within the months to return.
