Royal Caribbean has officially welcomed Legend of the Seas to the family, continuing the evolution of the Icon Class lineup designed to deliver the best family vacation experiences. After nearly two years of construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, the third Icon Class ship is now ready to make its July 2026 European debut.
To mark the milestone, more than 1,200 crew members and partners came together for a legendary ceremony led by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm. During the celebration, the team recognized the hard work of thousands of engineers, designers, architects and crew members who brought Legend to life and marked the transfer of ownership between Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku.
The delivery is part of the company’s long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku, securing the Group’s access to shipbuilding capacity through 2036, including the order of Icon 5 to be delivered in 2028, as well as the sixth and seventh Icon Class ships in 2029 and 2030, respectively.
The Icon-class cruise ship is approximately 365 meters long and 50 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of 250,000. It features 20 decks and 2,805 cabins, accommodating 5,610 passengers based on double occupancy. If all cabins are fully occupied, the ship can carry up to 7,600 passengers, along with a crew of 2,350.
This class of cruise ship will be equipped with an air lubrication system to reduce hull friction; robotic hull cleaners that remove debris and biofouling while the ship is docked to prevent increased drag; shore power connections; and a pioneering waste heat recovery system capable of converting waste heat into up to 3 megawatts of additional energy.
Soon, Legend will journey from Turku to Cadiz, Spain, where Royal Caribbean will add finishing touches before vacationers set sail on 7-night Western Mediterranean adventures from Barcelona, Spain, and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, this summer. In November, the ship will arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to deliver 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Southern Caribbean vacations with every adventure visiting Royal Caribbean’s top-rated Perfect Day CocoCay.
Vacationers of all ages on Legend can experience an all-encompassing lineup of standout dining, immersive entertainment, adrenaline-filled activities and accommodations across eight neighborhoods. Legend will introduce the most dining at sea with 28 options for every occasion.
Legend will be the vacation company’s fourth ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and feature a proven lineup of industry-leading environmental programs, including applications ranging from waste heat recovery systems to shore power connection. As Legend advances Royal Caribbean Group’s journey toward introducing a net-zero cruise ship by 2035, the vacation brand is also set to deliver their fifth ship powered by LNG with Hero of the Seas, the fourth Icon Class vacation set to debut in 2027.
“Legend of the Seas is the third Icon Class ship built at our shipyard, and constructing the series has enabled us to develop our production processes in a systematic way. We have built on the experience gained from the previous vessels and further improved efficiency with the customer and our extensive partner network,” said Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku. “The ship is an exceptional project in terms of both scale and technical complexity, requiring strong expertise and seamless collaboration across the entire maritime cluster. At the same time, Legend of the Seas moves shipbuilding towards more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions.”