On Monday, September 8, 2025, Meyer Turku shipyard celebrated the keel-laying of the fourth Icon-class cruise ship. The vessel, currently known as Icon 4, is being built for Royal Caribbean and has now entered the hull assembly phase.
The traditional ceremony took place at the bottom of the building dock, where representatives of the shipowner, the classification society, and the yard placed coins under the first steel block as a symbol of good fortune and protection for the ship. In their remarks, project managers from Meyer Turku and Royal Caribbean noted that cooperation is progressing smoothly, with lessons learned from earlier sister ships continuing to streamline the process.
“Icon 4 is a highly significant ship both for the yard and for our entire network of partners. With this vessel, Meyer Turku further strengthens its position as one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. Each luxury cruise ship of this size represents around 13,000 man-years of employment, and we are constantly seeking new shipbuilders to join us at all stages from design to delivery,” says Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku.
Icon 4 project managers Anastasios Vythoulkas Royal Caribbean and Kalle Hyytiä Meyer Turku 8.9.2025.
Meyer Turku delivered the first vessel in the series, Icon of the Seas, in November 2023, followed by her sister ship Star of the Seas in July 2025. The third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, was recently transferred to the outfitting pier and will be completed in summer 2026.
Royal Caribbean has also announced an option for the construction of a fifth and sixth Icon-class ship.
Photos: Meyer Turku / Mediascope Productions
Source: Meyer Turku
