Royal Caribbean’s Fourth Icon-Class Ship Reaches Major Construction Milestone

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Royal Caribbean’s fourth Icon-class cruise ship has moved into a significant new stage of construction, with the first passenger cabins now installed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Royal Caribbean Icon 4 Cabins Being Installed
Credit: Meyer Turku

The vessel, currently known as Icon 4, is under construction for a planned late 2027 entry into service. On 9th January 2026, the shipyard lifted the first modular cabins into place, marking a key transition from structural assembly to interior outfitting.

Meyer Turku confirmed the milestone in a social media update issued on 13th January 2026, noting that the delivery represented the first of 2,800 staterooms that will eventually be fitted on board.

“Icon 4’s assembly phase is progressing, and the vessel’s first cabins were lifted into the ship last Friday, January 9,” the shipbuilder said.

How Modular Cabins Speed Up Construction

The cabins being installed are fully prebuilt units, a method increasingly used in modern cruise ship construction to improve efficiency and quality control.

According to Meyer Turku, the staterooms are manufactured by its subsidiary Piikkio Works at a factory in Piikkio, Finland, before being transported to the shipyard for installation.

“The modular cabins are fully prebuilt by our daughter company Piikkio Works. They are then delivered to the shipyard, where they are lifted into the ship,” Meyer Turku explained.

Because the cabins are completed in advance, including bathroom units and fixtures, they can be installed rapidly once the ship’s structure is ready. This approach helps streamline the build schedule for vessels of this immense scale.

Icon 4 will eventually join three sister ships within Royal Caribbean’s Icon class.

Icon of the Seas entered service in January 2024, Star of the Seas followed in August 2025, and Legend of the Seas is scheduled to debut in July 2026. Legend of the Seas is also being built at Meyer Turku and is currently under construction alongside Icon 4.

Star Legend Icon of the Seas

The Icon-class ships are the largest cruise vessels ever built, each measuring approximately 248,663 gross tonnes. In double occupancy they accommodate 5,610 guests, with maximum capacity rising to around 7,600 passengers when all berths are in use.

Construction Timeline And What Comes Next

Construction of Icon 4 formally began in September 2025 with a keel-laying ceremony, a maritime tradition that involves placing commemorative coins beneath the first section of the ship’s hull for good fortune.

Like her sister ships, Icon 4 will be powered by liquefied natural gas and will incorporate alternative energy technologies, including fuel cells designed to generate electrical power while alongside in port.

The next major milestone in the build process will be the ship’s float-out, when the vessel leaves the construction dock and enters the water for the first time. This stage typically takes place around a year before delivery and launch.

Royal Caribbean placed the order for the fourth Icon-class ship in August 2024, with the contract also including options for a fifth and sixth vessel in the series.

While the future homeport for Icon 4 has not yet been announced, the ship is expected to play a prominent role in the cruise line’s deployment plans once she enters service in 2027, continuing Royal Caribbean’s focus on deploying its largest ships to high-demand itineraries.

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