Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean has celebrated the keel laying for the fifth Icon-class ship as its physical assembly begins.
- The milestone was on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, which has built all the Icon-class ships.
- No information on the ship’s name, homeport, or potential itineraries has yet been revealed.
Physical assembly has now begun on the fifth of Royal Caribbean’s massive Icon-class ships at the Meyer Turku shipyard in southwestern Finland, with the vessel’s official keel laying on Monday, September 14, 2026.
Meyer Turku confirmed the milestone with a Facebook post, noting that the first steel block is now in place for the ship as the hull assembly begins.
“The start of construction for the fifth Icon Class ship reflects the strength of the long-term partnership between Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku,” said Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku.
All five Icon-class ships have been (or are currently being) constructed by Meyer Turku: Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, Hero of the Seas, and now Icon 5. The fifth ship in the class has not yet had her name revealed but is referred to by her hull number, NB-1408.
“Building a series of ships allows us to continuously learn, improve and innovate, and each new vessel benefits from the expertise gained throughout the program. Together with our partner network, we are proud to demonstrate the world-class shipbuilding capabilities developed in Turku and to help shape the future of cruise shipbuilding,” said Lindholm.
The shipyard shared pictures of the keel laying that show the huge dry dock berth where the ship will take shape, with just a single block now in place. Also in the pictures in a forward wet berth is Hero of the Seas, which Cruise Hive reported was just floated out on Friday, September 4, 2026.
The two ships will remain next to each other at the shipyard while Hero of the Seas continues her interior construction work and Icon 5’s hull begins to grow.
Royal Caribbean also acknowledged the milestone and confirmed that the ceremonial coins were laid under the ship’s keel.
“Icon 5 just celebrated her keel-laying – the kickoff of the next two years of construction. Freshly minted coins were laid under the keel (the massive steel base of the ship) in the building dock, symbolizing well wishes and marking the official kickoff of physical construction,” the cruise line said on Facebook.
When Will the Fifth Icon Class Ship Set Sail?
Hero of the Seas is slated to welcome her first guests in August 2027, while Icon 5’s timeline for completion has not yet been fully specified. The fifth ship in the class is expected to be delivered in summer 2028, but an exact date for her first sailing is not confirmed.
It was less than eight months ago that steel was cut for Icon 5, marking the beginning of the ship’s construction on January 19, 2026.
Royal Caribbean has also already confirmed orders for two more Icon-class ships, which will be the sixth and seventh vessels in the class. That order was made on April 27, 2026, while Legend of the Seas was undergoing her sea trials.
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Legend of the Seas has since debuted in the Mediterranean, where she will remain until October 25, 2026. At that time she will depart Barcelona on a 13-night transatlantic cruise to her new homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The sixth and seventh Icon-class ships are slated to debut in 2029 and 2030, respectively, but nothing further has been announced about their names, potential homeports, or what special features they may offer.
Royal Caribbean has also said that those details about Icon 5 will be released at a later date as the ship’s construction continues.
