Hero of the Seas Floats Out at Meyer Turku Shipyard

Royal Caribbean International’s next Icon Class ship has reached a major milestone, with Hero of the Seas officially floated out for the first time at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

The 250,800-ton ship is now one step closer to entering service, with construction moving into the next phase ahead of its scheduled debut from Miami in August 2027.

​The float-out took place after the ship’s drydock was filled with more than 90 million gallons of water overnight. Once afloat, Hero of the Seas was moved into the outfitting pier, where work will continue as the ship’s interiors, public spaces and remaining features take shape over the coming year.

The milestone follows the installation of the ship’s distinctive glass dome earlier this summer, another key stage in the construction of Royal Caribbean’s latest Icon Class vessel.

Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm said the float-out represented another important milestone in the shipyard’s long-standing partnership with Royal Caribbean International.

“Building consecutive Icon Class ships has enabled continuous development of our expertise, production processes and energy-efficient shipbuilding solutions together with our partners and thousands of shipbuilding professionals involved in the project.”

The ship is scheduled to make its maiden voyage in August 2027, departing from Miami. Once in service, Hero of the Seas will operate a program of seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, with every sailing scheduled to include a visit to Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

The new ship will be the latest addition to Royal Caribbean’s rapidly expanding Icon Class, following the debut of the first ships in the series and continuing the line’s push toward larger resort-style cruise ships.