Royal Caribbean’s second Icon Class cruise ship is on its strategy to turning into a actuality.
A metal slicing ceremony was held yesterday for the second Icon Class cruise ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.
When the primary piece of metal is reduce, it marks a pivotal level within the ship constructing course of, setting off an array of essential landmarks to observe. This main milestone signifies that the groundwork has been set and the foundations have been laid for any additional changesÂ
The first piece of metal was reduce at a ceremony on the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, which is identical shipyard that’s constructing Icon of the Seas and the place Allure and Oasis of the Seas had been constructed as nicely.
The second Icon Class ship is unnamed as of but, however she’s going to start her first cruises in 2025.
Royal Caribbean has an order for a 3rd Icon Class ship as nicely, which has a supply date in 2026.
Both Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku celebrated this occasion on the shipyard.
Essentially, when the primary piece of metal is reduce, it is one of many main milestones for ship development. Other milestones embody keel laying, floating out, and supply.
Moreover, that is additionally a optimistic signal in regards to the well being of this challenge and Royal Caribbean’s intention to proceed ahead with the brand new cruise ship.
What’s totally different in regards to the Icon Class?
The Icon Class is Royal Caribbean’s latest class of cruise ship, and it is the primary new class of ships in a few years.
While we do not but know something about what Royal Caribbean has deliberate for the second Icon Class ship, there is no doubt it is going to inherit many elements of Icon of the Seas.
These vessels symbolize the perfect the cruise line has to supply going ahead, and as we have seen with Icon of the Seas (the primary ship within the class), there’s lots of improvements.
The Icon Class ships aren’t solely larger than the Oasis Class, coming in about 6% larger, however they will maintain extra passengers too. Icon of the Seas has a most capability of seven,600 passengers.
Royal Caribbean has already revealed quite a lot of new ideas for Icon of the Seas. Boasting a powerful 20 decks and seven,600 passenger capability, it is really two decks larger than the Wonder of the Seas.
With new leisure, 23 meals venues, 8 implausible neighborhoods, 7 swimming pools and a waterpark, the ship gives one thing for everybody, together with an enormous array of cabin choices not seen on different Royal Caribbean ships.
The Icon Class ships will likely be powered by LNG (liquefied pure fuel). LNG and the state-of-the-art ship’s extra environmentally pleasant purposes, reminiscent of shore energy connection, will enhance power efficiencies and cut back carbon footprint.Â
What would be the identify of Icon 2?
Royal Caribbean didn’t announce a reputation for the second Class ship, so it is anybody’s guess at this level what to anticipate.
In November 2022,  Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider talked about naming the following two Icon Class ships, “I’m nonetheless taking concepts on Icon two and Icon three. I really feel actually assured within the identify we have now for Icon three, it is really two that we’re nonetheless engaged on.”
Then in January 2023, Royal Caribbean launched a web-based ballot to let the general public vote on the identify of its second Icon Class ship.
Royal Caribbean posted on social media the alternatives of Star of the Seas, Idol of the Seas, Love of the Seas, or Queen of the Seas. There’s been no indication of which, if any, of those names received.
On Twitter, Star of the Seas received the ballot with 44% of the vote.