Royal Caribbean Orders Additional Icon Class Ships from Meyer Turku

RCL has confirmed orders for two additional Icon Class ships — Icon 6 and Icon 7 — to be built by Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku, with deliveries scheduled for summer 2029 and summer 2030 respectively. At approximately $2 billion per vessel, based on the construction cost of the Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, the order represents a roughly $4 billion capital commitment. The agreement extends Royal Caribbean's relationship with Meyer Turku through a long-term framework that secures shipbuilding capacity through 2036, providing visibility into the company's fleet growth trajectory.

The Icon Class is Royal Caribbean's largest and most technologically advanced ship class, with Icon of the Seas debuting to record-breaking advance bookings upon its January 2024 launch. The class's design — centered on multi-neighborhood "neighborhoods" featuring dedicated entertainment, dining, and leisure districts within a single vessel — has set a new standard for premium cruise capacity and per-passenger revenue. The additional orders signal that Royal Caribbean views the Icon Class demand model as repeatable, with Icon 5 (Champion of the Seas) and intermediate vessels already in the construction pipeline for 2027 and 2028 delivery.

The fleet expansion strategy positions RCL to capture a growing share of premium vacation spending at scale. Each Icon Class ship adds approximately 7,000 lower berths of capacity at occupancy economics that are materially better than Royal Caribbean's older fleet, improving yield per available lower berth (ALBD) as the new vessels absorb passenger demand. The order also underscores Royal Caribbean's confidence in long-duration cruise demand, with bookings typically made 12-18 months in advance providing early visibility into revenue for vessels still years from delivery.

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