Royal Caribbean Takes Ownership of Icon of the Seas
by Dori Saltzman /
Present at the delivery ceremony were more than 1,200 crew members and workers. Photo: Royal Caribbean International
Nearly two months ahead of its January 2024 debut, Royal Caribbean took ownership of its first-in-class Icon of the Seas cruise ship at a handover ceremony at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
“Today, we are celebrating more than a new ship,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group who attended the handover. “It’s also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation and dreaming at Royal Caribbean to create the ultimate vacation experience.”
“It’s official! Today we welcomed Icon of the Seas t the Royal Caribbean family, reaching an incredible milestone in Royal Caribbean’s history,” added Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales, trade support, and service. “With more than six years in the making, Icon is a vacation experience unlike any other.”
Icon of the Seas features several firsts for Royal Caribbean:
- The first AquaDome
- The largest waterpark at sea
- The first family-specific neighborhood
- The first Crown’s Edge hybrid ropes course and thrill ride
- The first swim-up pool bar
- The first Royal Caribbean ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG)
