Big news from Royal Caribbean today as another piece of the puzzle, that is Icon of the Seas, arrived at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
What some already suspected has now been confirmed by Royal Caribbean, Icon of the Seas will be the first ship in the fleet to feature a parabolicโ bow.
Today, the cruise line shared some pictures of the arrival by barge of the immense bow and the vessel under construction. Finally, we can start to see what the newest ship in the fleet will look like.
Icon of the Seas Bow
It is an understatement to say that Royal Caribbean International has been secretive about its newest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas. The latest class of ships for the cruise line, Royal Caribbean, has been very slowly showing small pieces, coming to a huge reveal today.
The cruise line finally lifted the veil on what the vessel will look like, with the ship getting a distinctive parabolic bow design.
The new nose is, at first glance, not as distinctive as those featured on the Celebrity-edge class cruise ships, which have a Parabolic ultra bow. While visually appealing, the choice for this kind of bow is not surprising. The design offers a far smoother ride, especially for heavily loaded ships, and is much more efficient.
Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Build a Cruise Ship?
The new bow parts arrived at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland today, where they will be fitted to the hull, which, as seen in the images, is already showing some final shapes. What the final product will look like will likely be revealed in the coming days and weeks.
According to Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley, the company has prepared a huge media campaign that will reveal everything there is to know about Icon of the Seas. The cruise line has also started the new “Making an Icon” series that goes behind the scenes in developing and constructing the new class vessel.
What Do We Know About Icon of the Seas?
Besides the parabolic bow design, there is, in fact, very little information available on the Icon of the Seas. The ship will be the first Royal Caribbean International cruise ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
As we reported earlier in August, some hints have been dropped by the designers and people in the know at Royal Caribbean.
Perhaps the most descriptive was Royal Caribbean Internationalโs Chief Product Innovation Officer, Jay Schneider, who said: โSimply put, Icon will be the best family vacation in the world.โ
Royal Caribbean is focusing all of its energy on providing the experiences it is known for onboard Icon of the Seas, with some extras added on.
Guests will experience unrivaled water experiences, which might mean a follow-up to the ever-popular flow rider. But also adrenaline-pumping thrills, sensational entertainment, and a celebration of food and beverage, which all combine into the ultimate family vacation.
Icon of the Seas was first announced as Project Icon in 2016. The first steel was cut on June 16, 2021. At the same time, Royal Caribbean announced the new vessel would be called Icon of the Seas.
In October 2021, workers installed the new vessel’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel tank. The keel was laid for the new ship in April 2022. Since then, rumors have been flying, with one in particular still prevailing; it could be that Icon of the Seas will surpass the Oasis-class ship as the biggest in the world:ย
Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Sean Treacy, confirmed: โIcon will be the biggest. It launches in the fall of next year and will be the first new ship class for Royal in a decade.โ
Whether or not she will be the biggest is one thing. Another is that Royal Caribbean is doing an excellent job at building excitement. With more updates coming in the coming weeks, stay tuned to see what Royal Caribbean has planned for us.