Royal Caribbean's Fifth Icon-Class Ship Marks Keel-Laying at Meyer Turku
If you're tracking Royal Caribbean's Icon-class lineup, note that Hero of the Seas is set to welcome her first guests in August 2027, while the fifth ship (hull NB-1408) isn't expected until summer 2028 with no confirmed sailing date yet. Legend of the Seas is currently sailing the Mediterranean through October 25, 2026, before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale via a 13-night transatlantic crossing. Royal Caribbean says more details on Icon 5's name and features will come later, so check back before booking.
Five Icon-class ships built (or building) at Meyer Turku, with two more already ordered, tells me Royal Caribbean is betting heavily on this platform rather than diversifying its newbuild pipeline. The pace is notable: steel was cut for Icon 5 on January 19, 2026, and the keel was laid just eight months later on September 14, with delivery targeted for summer 2028 — that's a tight, repeatable build cycle Meyer Turku's CEO credits to lessons carried across the series. The overlap at the shipyard, with Hero of the Seas finishing interior work in the wet berth while Icon 5's hull grows next door, shows real production-line efficiency. Legend of the Seas's April 27, 2026 order for ships six and seven, placed mid-sea-trial, suggests confidence rather than caution. My read: Royal Caribbean is locking in capacity years ahead of demand data. In your shoes, I'd wait for Icon 5's name and homeport before booking anything speculative.