Six months before the highly anticipated debut of the second ship in the phenomenal Icon class, Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has now released the name of the third Icon ship – Legend of the Seas.
This is the first time in the cruise line’s nearly 60-year history that a new ship has resurrected the name of a previous vessel.
Legend of the Seas is already under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, following her steel cutting in January 2024, and she is slated to debut in July 2026.
“On the heels of celebrating one year of the record-breaking Icon Class and the memories made by vacationers of all ages on Icon, we are thrilled to announce the name of Royal Caribbean’s third Icon Class vacation,” said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president and CEO.
“Legend of the Seas is the next bold step in this exciting era of vacations and the continuation of the Icon Class legacy, and we look forward to bringing the revolutionary lineup of experiences to more families and adventurers across Europe, the Caribbean and beyond.”
The ship is scheduled to have a diverse schedule when she joins the fleet, spending her first summer in Europe offering 7-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona to top legendary destinations in France, Italy, and Spain.
In November 2026, the ship will arrive at her year-round homeport – Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, she will offer 6- and 8-night Caribbean itineraries, with both Western and Southern routes planned.
Every sailing will also visit Royal Caribbean’s award-winning private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The first bookings for Legend of the Seas will open to the public on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Cruisers who are “loyal to Royal” and part of the Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program will have special early booking opportunities.
How Legend of the Seas Will Be Different
While the first two ships in the Icon class, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, are markedly similar, Legend of the Seas will have further tweaks, updates, and changes. This will make the ship notably different from her sister ships.
While the exact details of those changes are yet to be revealed, it is not unusual for a cruise ship class to be updated after the first two ships are built.
Cruise lines will study guest feedback comments and surveys, the popularity of different features, and overall operational data to decide on such changes.
Legend of the Seas is sure to continue the most popular features of the Icon class, including the adrenaline-pumping Crown’s Edge skywalk as well as the Category 6 waterpark.
The cruise line’s signature show venues, the unique Pearl on the promenade, and various other venues, outstanding staterooms, dining options, and more are sure to be key features aboard Legend of the Seas.
The new ship’s name is not entirely a surprise, as a brief website leak occurred at the end of January 2025 hinting that Legend of the Seas was a strong possibility.
What is certain is that the new Legend of the Seas will be significantly different than the original Legend of the Seas, the Vision-class ship that sailed for Royal Caribbean from 1995-2017.
Read Also: Icon of the Seas Size Comparison – Facts and Stats
After being sold to Thomson Cruises, the ship was briefly renamed TUI Discovery 2 before rebranding to Marella Discovery 2, the name she has today.
Still in active service with Marella Cruises, the former Legend of the Seas sails in the Canary Islands, Greek Isles, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, depending on sailing date.
As excitement builds for Legend of the Seas, wouldn’t it be something if the former and the future ship had a meetup sailing planned in 2026? Legendary indeed!
