Production of the fifth Icon-class vessel commenced at the Meyer Turku shipyard on Monday, 19 January 2026. Representatives from the vessel’s owner, Royal Caribbean Group, as well as from Meyer Turku and the classification society, attended the ceremonial event held in the steel production hall.
“Icon 5 is once again proof of Meyer Turku’s
unique capability to design and build
the cruise ships of the future.
The traditional steel-cutting ceremony marked the start of more than two years of construction and outfitting work, involving thousands of professionals across various disciplines. Upon delivery, the vessel—whose name will be announced at a later date—will assume a key role in Royal Caribbean Group’s fleet as part of the Icon class, designed to enable a completely new type of holiday experience.
“Icon 5 is once again proof of Meyer Turku’s unique capability to design and build the cruise ships of the future. In cooperation with our partner Royal Caribbean and the entire maritime industry network, we learn more from each Icon vessel and, as the series progresses, are able to build ships with increasing efficiency and quality. The EUR 150 million investment programme launched by our company further strengthens the yard’s capabilities to develop its operations. Each Icon vessel is valued at approximately EUR 2 billion, of which 70 per cent remains in Finland due to the high level of domestic content. In addition, each vessel of this size generates 13,000 person-years of employment in Finland,” says Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku.
“Meyer Turku holds options
for the sixth and seventh
Icon-class vessels.
Delivery Scheduled for Summer 2028
The planned delivery of Icon 5 is scheduled for summer 2028.
Meyer Turku is currently also constructing the third and fourth vessels in the Icon series. The third vessel, Legend of the Seas, to be delivered next summer, will begin cruises in the Mediterranean in July—unlike its earlier sister ships. The vessel will operate in the Caribbean during the winter season and return to Europe for the 2027 summer season. An earlier vessel in the series, Star of the Seas, is also under construction at the Turku yard.
Meyer Turku holds options for the sixth and seventh Icon-class vessels. Last autumn, Meyer Turku and Royal Caribbean signed a cooperation agreement covering the construction of vessels at the Turku shipyard through 2036.
In addition to the Icon vessels, Meyer Turku, together with its partner yards, is building two multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels to be delivered to the Finnish Border Guard during 2026.
Translated by The Editorial Team.
Photos: Meyer Turku
Source: Meyer Turku
