The Meyer Turku Shipyard and Royal Caribbean International celebrated a significant milestone with the start of construction for Icon III, the third Icon-class cruise ship. The event, highlighted by the traditional steel-cutting ceremony, took place on January 12, 2024. 

Icon III is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. She is the sister ship to one of the most spectacular cruise ships in history, Icon of the Seas, and the second in class, Star of the Seas. 

Steel-Cutting Marks The Beginning of Icon III

Construction of the third Icon-Class cruise ship, aptly named Icon III by the Meyer Turku shipyard, is officially underway. The traditional steel-cutting ceremony took place at the Meyer Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland, on January 12, 2024. 

The ceremony, graced by representatives from Royal Caribbean Group and Meyer Turku, signals the start of an extensive two-year construction and outfitting period. As with her sisters, around 2,600 people will be working on the construction of the vessel daily.

Upon completion, Icon III, which is officially known only by her hull designation NB1402, is expected to redefine the cruise experience as a part of Royal Caribbean International’s already renowned Icon-Class fleet.

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, emphasized the significance of this project: “With Icon III, we are further strengthening our role as the builder of the world’s most advanced cruise ships. Meyer Turku’s and Royal Caribbean Group’s long-term goals are becoming concrete, and with that we are able to set new standards to strengthen our leadership in the green transition of the maritime industry.”

Where the third Icon-class cruise ship will be operating, how she will be called, and the exact sailing date is at this time unknown. However, Royal Caribbean will very likely be providing more information as construction progresses.

Stage One of Many for Icon III

The steel-cutting ceremony is a traditional event in shipbuilding. It involves cutting the first piece of steel, symbolizing the transition from design to physical creation. The ceremony holds historical importance in maritime traditions and serves as a milestone in the shipbuilding process.

The process of constructing the third Icon class cruise ship will involve several stages. The next stage will be laying down the keel of the ship, which nowadays means the placement of the first block in the dry dock. Next will be the assembly of the large blocks. Large prefabricated sections are assembled in the dry dock, including the hull, engine, and superstructure.

Once the basic structure is assembled, the ship undergoes outfitting. This involves installing all the internal systems, such as engines, electrical systems, plumbing, and navigational equipment. Additionally, cabins, public spaces, and other amenities are constructed and furnished.

A Continuation of Innovation

Following just 11 months after the steel-cutting ceremony of sister ship Star of the Seas on February 14, 2023, the second Icon-class vessel, Icon III‘s steel cutting, is a testament to how fast progression is in the shipbuilding industry. 

The first of its kind, Icon of the Seas, is set to begin operations on January 24, 2024, having arrived in Miami on January 10.

These ships represent the pinnacle of cruise ship innovation. Coming in each at around 250,800 gross tons and accommodating approximately 5,600 guests at double occupancy, the ships are packed with innovation and technological advancements never seen before onboard cruise ships. 

Icon III, scheduled for completion in 2026, is, like her sisters, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). She will likely feature neighborhoods and amenities similar to those of Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, with unique design elements tailored to the ship.

A recent guest onboard Wonder of the Seas described having difficulty with an adjacent stateroom and after feeling unsuccessful with assistance from the cruise ship’s security department and Guest Services, posted her concerns on TikTok as a way to get a resolution.

Was her tactic successful, and is it the proper way to address concerns from a situation onboard?

Woman Experiences Poor Conduct on Wonder of the Seas – But Was Hers Better?

A recent passenger onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Wonder of the Seas, Cayce Evans Newton, had hoped to enjoy a wonderful New Year’s cruise with 19 of her family members, but instead found herself at frequent odds with guests in the next door stateroom.

In a video posted to the social media video site TikTok where she goes by the username itsmecayce, Newton described the situation she and her family members encountered while trying to enjoy quiet nights in their staterooms during the ship’s December 30 sailing, an 8-night Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day itinerary.

“We are on day four of our cruise and we’ve had an ongoing problem with the people in the room next to us, playing loud music all night long, really loud,” Newton said. “Now they’re smoking on their balcony, which is an interior balcony, smoking in their room, and just making so much noise, really rude music.”

Newton mentions that she and her family members had called security eight times to report the poor behavior by day four, and had spoken with Guest Services but without results.

“We’re not getting any relief from the problem of the people next door,” she said.

Newton tags Royal Caribbean in the video’s description to attempt to catch the cruise line’s attention, and several times asks the cruise line directly for assistance, claiming that very little was done onboard at that point. To date, Newton’s video has had more than 423,000 views.

Is This a Karen Situation?

While social media users are generally on the side of those who may indeed be under stress from poor behavior, what Newton brings up next has rubbed many commenters the wrong way.

Newton mentions that her group of travelers had paid more than $40,000 for their getaway, and that a small child was part of the group and being subject to the “disturbing language” and poor behavior of the travelers next door.

Those details seem to indicate what could be considered a sense of entitlement, causing many commenters to label Newton as a Karen – a derogatory, slang term for someone who may be a busybody or exhibit excessive entitlement, often with an “I want to talk to a manager” perspective.

It should be noted, however, that at no point does Newton offer any personal attacks or unkind comments about the travelers she claims are causing the disturbances. She does point out that the ship has smoking areas, lounges and nightclubs that play music, and plenty of opportunities for everyone to enjoy themselves, without disrupting the peace of other passengers.

“We want them to have fun just like we want to have fun,” she said.

She does offer a potential solution, but the idea also has commenters seeing a sense of entitlement.

“I don’t know if you can move them, kick them off the boat, I don’t know what you can do for them,” she said after mentioning the ship’s code of conduct, which all passengers agree to before boarding.

Royal Caribbean’s Guest Health, Safety, and Conduct Policy does state that “It is a condition of boarding and remaining onboard any of our ships or in our private destinations, that all guests comply with this Policy and all of our health and safety policies and procedures.”

While much of the policy is concerned with interactions between guests, it does state that “boom boxes, loud radios, or other noise nuisance(s) are not permitted” and that “Smoking is not permitted inside any stateroom or on any stateroom balcony.”

If guests violate these policies, they could have certain onboard privileges removed, be confined to their staterooms or a holding cell, or even removed from the ship and denied future cruises with all of Royal Caribbean Group’s cruise lines.

What Was Done

In a follow-up video on the last night of the cruise, Newton updated her viewers on the situation.

“Guest Services was great keeping in touch with us, but they never really resolved the problem,” she said.

Newton was offered a free bottle of wine and a complimentary lunch at Johnny Rockets onboard the ship, plus her daughter was offered a 10% discount on a future sailing due to the inconvenience and disturbance of being right next to the offending stateroom.

“It was definitely a rough week with those people. We were trying to just get over it, trying not to be bothered by it. We had a great vacation,” she concluded. “It is what it is.”

On a ship the size of Wonder of the Seas – at 235,600 gross tons with more than 5,700 guests aboard – it is inevitable that not all passengers will agree on what constitutes acceptable behavior, good music, or other conditions that might make one’s cruise experience more or less enjoyable.

While reaching out on social media is not always the nicest way to seek a resolution, Newton and her family members did work through appropriate channels – calling ship’s security and Guest Services – to try to improve the situation, without escalating any problems with their neighboring passengers.