Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has launched the second liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled Icon-class ship built for US-based cruise company Royal Caribbean International.
As disclosed, the float out began with traditional festivities, including the firing of a ceremonial cannon. After this, the dry dock gates were opened, and the massive dry dock—measuring 16 meters deep, 80 meters wide, and 365 meters long—was filled with water.
Once the dry dock was fully flooded, the ship was carefully floated out and moved to the outfitting pier, where the final outfitting stages are now underway, Meyer Turku revealed in a social media post.
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On December 15, 2023, the keel laying ceremony was held for Star of the Seas, the cruise company’s third LNG-powered ship. The Star of the Seas is planned for delivery in the summer of 2025 and is set to debut in Port Canaveral, Florida in August 2025.
The Star of the Seas will be combining the use of “the cleanest-burning marine fuel available to date” with a lineup of environmental programs on board. With applications ranging from waste heat recovery systems to shore power connections, The vessel is expected to advance parent company Royal Caribbean Group’s journey to introducing a net-zero cruise ship by 2035 .
Recently, Meyer Turku signed a brand-new agreement with the US-based cruise company to build the fourth Icon class vessel. Under the contract, Meyer Turku is also set to build the fifth and sixth vessels of the series.