Royal Caribbean Unveils Legend of the Seas—Right here’s The place It’s Crusing First

Royal Caribbean is able to do one thing it is by no means carried out earlier than: convey again a retired cruise ship title to honor its subsequent new vessel.

The cruise line confirmed a not-so-well-kept secret that it’s going to title its third Icon Class cruise ship, Legend of the Seas.

The title was beforehand used for one of many cruise line’s Imaginative and prescient Class ships, launched in 1995. 

That ship would have been dwarfed by the brand new Legend of the Seas, as the unique was solely 70,000 gross tons and had a capability of about 2,000 passengers.  The brand new cruise ship will be capable to deal with about 7,000 passengers when at full capability and is 250,800 gross tons in dimension.

In 2017, Royal Caribbean bought Legend of the Seas to a cruise line now often called Marella Cruises, the place it was renamed Marella Discovery.

Being the third Icon Class ship, Legend of the Seas goes to follow-up on the super success of the world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas. The Icon Class has been nothing in need of unbelievable for Royal Caribbean.  

These ships have been successful with passengers and critics alike, because it’s set a brand new commonplace for what a megaship can provide.

Not solely did Royal Caribbean share the ship’s title, however we even have particulars on when she’ll start providing cruises.

Debuting in Europe first

Royal Caribbean will start sailings on Legend of the Seas within the Mediterranean first, after which transition to Florida.

Starting in August 2026, Legend of the Seas will provide 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Spain. (Initially the cruise line mentioned it will be July, however the the brand new first crusing is in August 2026).

Legend will go to ports of name in France, Italy and Spain, that embrace historic significance and delightful landscapes.

The inaugural Legend of the Seas cruise shall be on August 2, 2026, which is a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona. It should go to Palma De Mallorca, Spain, Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy, Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, and Naples, Italy.

This is a breakdown of the of inaugural European sailings:

After the summer time cruising season concludes, Legend will transfer to her new homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Starting in November 2026, Legend of the Seas will provide 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Southern Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.

The primary crusing of Legend in Fort Lauderdale shall be on November 11, and it is a 3-night voyage that visits simply Excellent Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas

As well as, Legend of the Seas will stay in Fort Lauderdale till not less than April 2027.

Bookings open tomorrow

You’ll begin reserving sailings this week.  Formally, it goes on sale Thursday, Feb. 20, however anticipate bookings to open up on Tuesday as an early begin.

“A jaw dropping, showstopping, gorgeous ship”

Naming this new cruise ship Legend of the Seas is important due to what the title means actually, in addition to to the corporate.

“The Icon Class as a reputation actually units a very excessive bar…so we would have liked a 3rd title that basically match with that,” Kara Wallace, Royal Caribbean’s chief advertising and marketing officer, instructed Royal Caribbean Weblog in an unique interview.

“Legend is, not solely becoming of the category, however an homage to every part that got here earlier than it.”

Introducing a 3rd Icon Class ship is one thing Royal Caribbean cannot wait to debut, due to all of the success Icon of the Seas has had to date.

“This ship actually has lived as much as the entire hype after which some.” Wallace mentioned.

Bringing Legend to Europe first is one thing Royal Caribbean is doing to match what its clients have been clamoring for, “our friends throughout Europe have been asking for for an Icon Class ship to to be primarily based there, and this was the best time to convey it,” Wallace defined.

“The ship will come straight from supply into Europe, and it is taking now what will be a legendary ship and bringing it to legendary locations.”

What shall be totally different on Legend of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean did not share many particulars about what shall be totally different about Legend, however Ms. Wallace advised it will not be a carbon copy of Icon or Star both.

“We’ll tweak issues as we be taught and as we go alongside to make them each contemporary, attention-grabbing, but in addition ship on the experiences that our friends are asking for and can proceed to do this on this ship alike,” Wallace mentioned. “Issues like leisure and reveals, theming on some venues will continuously be tailored for market, and we’ll reveal them within the coming months.”

A change that has been leaked already is that the Supper Membership may have a Hollywood theme to it.  

Icon of the Seas had a New York theme, and Star of the Seas’ model may have a Chicagoland theme.

One factor you will not see is Legend being barely greater than Icon or Star of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider has beforehand mentioned every Icon Class ship won’t be just a little bit greater than the earlier one.

“Star won’t be a foot greater. It is going to be 1198ft lengthy. The third ship within the icon class may even be 1198ft lengthy,” he mentioned throughout an interview held on Icon of the Seas.

Legend of the Seas is being constructed now

Whereas the ship’s title and homeport are information, the ship has been below development for months.

The primary piece of metal was lower in January 2024 for Legend of the Seas. When the metal chopping ceremony is held, it marks the official begin of development.

Then in October 2024, the keel was laid and the ship is being assembled as we converse.

Different milestones embrace floating out, and supply.

Constructing on Icon’s record-breaking success for Royal Caribbean

Ever since Icon of the Seas began wowing passengers, the brand new ship has exceeded even the corporate’s highest expectations.

In accordance with Ms. Wallace, the ship has set a brand new benchmark for visitor satisfaction—not simply throughout the cruise business, however throughout all of hospitality.

“It’s delivering on the highest ranges of visitor satisfaction that we’ve ever seen throughout our manufacturers, throughout the business, and throughout all of hospitality,” Wallace mentioned. “And that’s actually by far and extensive margin.”

Royal Caribbean re-imagined what a cruise ship might be when it designed Icon of the Seas, calling the ship a “white paper” design as a result of every part was conceived with none pre-existing concepts. Wallace highlighted how the ship’s vibrant design and progressive options created pleasure from the second it launched.

“I believe it was extremely anticipated when it got here to market,” she mentioned. “Final yr, the demand for it was off the charts, creating pleasure by means of its colours, its vibrancy, its vitality.”

One of the vital talked-about options is Surfside, a neighborhood designed particularly for households, providing an area the place they’ll “keep and play all day.” The AquaDome, a shocking architectural area with breathtaking exterior views and immersive leisure, has additionally left an enduring impression.

In the meantime, the ship’s water park, Thrill Island, brings an unprecedented stage of pleasure to the cruise expertise.

“It wasn’t one slide, two slides—it’s a number of slides,” Wallace mentioned. “The slide experiences are nice, and that theming and expertise runs all through an entire neighborhood.”

Icon’s connection to the water was additionally considered one of its major objectives that the ship delivered on, providing expansive sea views all through the ship.

“I believe the stream of the ship, of Icon Class, when it comes to bringing the ocean to the ship and the expansive views edge to edge, is one thing that we haven’t skilled on a category of ships like this but,” she famous. “And positively what that did for the promenade expertise and the inclusion of The Pearl—considered one of my favourite issues to do is watch TikTok or Instagram movies when individuals first board Icon they usually simply see the magnitude of the ship. That first impression with The Pearl—there’s nothing prefer it.”

Wallace additionally emphasised that social media has performed a serious function in Icon of the Seas’ success, as friends eagerly share their experiences on-line.

“We’re seeing that within the recognition—not simply in how persons are experiencing the ship, however how they’re additionally reliving and posting their experiences throughout social media,” she mentioned. “It’s actually a jaw-dropping, showstopping, gorgeous ship whenever you see it in individual.”

A key think about Icon of the Seas’ success is its concentrate on households of every kind. From younger children to teenagers, multi-generational teams to prolonged households, the ship affords an unmatched number of lodging and leisure to go well with each sort of traveler.

“We’re a household model,” Wallace mentioned. “Once we take into consideration households, it’s each single sort of household. It’s households with younger children, it’s households with youngsters, it’s prolonged households, multi-generational households. And when you concentrate on Icon, it actually does have one thing for all of these several types of households.”