Keel Laid for Royal Caribbean’s Next Icon-class LNG Cruise Ship at Meyer Turku

Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland has held the keel laying ceremony for the fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered Icon-class cruise ship under construction for U.S.-based Royal Caribbean. The vessel, currently referred to as Icon 4, has now entered the hull assembly stage.

The traditional ceremony, held at the bottom of the building dock, included the placement of coins beneath the first steel block by representatives of Royal Caribbean, the classification society, and the shipyard, a custom believed to bring good fortune and protection to the ship.

During the event, project managers from both Meyer Turku and Royal Caribbean highlighted that cooperation on the build is progressing well and that experience gained from earlier sister ships is contributing to a more streamlined process.

Casimir Lindholm, Chief Executive Officer of Meyer Turku, said, “Icon 4 is a very significant ship for both the shipyard and the entire partner network. With this ship, Meyer Turku is further strengthening its position as one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. Each luxury cruise ship of this size creates 13,000 person-years of employment, and we are constantly looking for new shipbuilders to join our team at various stages from design to implementation.”