After over seven years of planning and 900 days of meticulous design and construction by numerous experts, Royal Caribbean International proudly received the Icon of the Seas during a momentous handover ceremony at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

The formalities, signifying the ship’s completion, took place merely two months before its highly anticipated debut in Miami scheduled for January 2024.

The celebration, attended by more than 1,200 crew members and workers, saw the presence of key figures including Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer.

Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group said: “Today, we are celebrating more than a new ship; it’s also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation and dreaming at Royal Caribbean to create the ultimate vacation experience. Delivering Icon of the Seas represents all that can be accomplished with strong partnerships and a commitment to delivering memorable vacations responsibly, and we thank Meyer Turku and an incredible village of skilled partners for joining us on this journey. The memories millions of families and vacationers will make on Icon will be our greatest accomplishment yet.”

Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International added further, “Welcoming Icon of the Seas to the Royal Caribbean family is a remarkable accomplishment in the making for thousands of innovators, engineers, architects and designers. Seven years ago, we had an ambitious idea to create the first vacation truly made for every type of family and adventurer; now, it’s in our hands, and in this final stretch, we’ll bring it all to life for the biggest debut in our history in January 2024.”

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, expressed his thoughts on the handover of the Icon of the Seas, highlighting it as a pivotal moment in the shipyard’s legacy: “Icon of the Seas is the world’s largest, but above all, the world’s most advanced cruise ship. Together with Royal Caribbean, we set the bar exceptionally high in terms of design, technology, safety and reducing energy consumption.”