Royal Caribbean has done it again. The Miami-based cruise line floated a new world’s largest cruise ship earlier this month, Legend of the Seas. The third vessel of the Icon-class is under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, like the two previous ships in 2022 and 2024. The Icon of the Seas, the class namesake, and the Star of the Seas shared the title of world’s largest cruise ship until Legend’s launch. The new 250,800-ton behemoth outweighs its sisters by just over 2,100 tons. And construction already started on a fourth Icon-class ship.
It’s difficult to fathom how massive the current generation of cruise ships is in the scope of maritime history. Legend of the Seas is nearly five and a half times larger than the Titanic. For a more modern comparison, Legend is two and a half times larger than the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. While the world’s largest title is undoubtedly a desirable accolade for marketing, it’s not simply size for size’s sake; it has to fit both the world’s largest water park as well as the Crown’s Edge tightrope attraction.
Royal Caribbean is building a flotilla of massive cruise ships
Royal Caribbean is done yet. A week after Legend of the Seas was floated, construction began on a fourth Icon-class cruise ship in Finland, with the yet-to-be-named vessel expected to enter service in 2027. Not to mention that the cruise line has already placed an order for a fifth Icon-class vessel. According to the New York Times, these ships cost $2 billion to build. However, Royal Caribbean has the financial resources and the profit motive to keep pumping these behemoths out of shipyards. The company generated $16.48 billion in revenue in 2024, a $2.58 billion increase from the previous year.
It’s clear that the demand for cruises hasn’t been fully satisfied, and Royal Caribbean is going to capitalize on it. Legend of the Seas is set to enter service next summer with a service of seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean. It will be the first Icon-class ship to visit Europe before returning to the line’s typical Caribbean itineraries. To reposition the ship, Royal Caribbean is offering a 13-night transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, a modern rarity. It will take Legend nine days to cross the Atlantic, five and a half days slower than the ocean liner record set by the SS United States.
