The Star of the Seas, the second ship in the Icon-class series, has achieved a major milestone in its construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
The vessel has floated out on its own hull, marking an important phase in its development.
This process involved filling the dry dock with 92 million gallons of water over 35 hours, followed by moving the ship to the outfitting pier with the aid of four tugboats.
The float-out ceremony was attended by shipyard and cruise line executives and featured a ceremonial cannon blast to honour the workers.
The ship will now undergo interior work in preparation for its maiden voyage on 31 August 2025.
This milestone signifies a significant step towards the ship’s completion and entry into service. Construction of the Star of the Seas began in February 2023.
We know some of the changes we can expect from this second Icon-class ship already.
The Surfside area is going to be aimed at a wider demographic – unlike on Icon of the Seas, where it is primarily designed for 0-6 year olds, Star of the Seas will cater to children up to 10, to rival the theme parks in Florida where the ship will be sailing from.
The kids’ clubs will get more analog play experiences, while still retaining the digital experiences too.
Pier 7 will be overhauled from a dining perspective and the exclusive Empire Supper Club will instead become the Lincoln Park Supper Club, with Chicago theming.
And we now know that the ship will feature Back to the Future as its primary theatre show.
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