Icon of the Seas Successfully Completes Second Sea Trials

​Royal Caribbean International's newest and largest ship ever Icon of the Seas has successfully completed its second series of sea trials, and returned to the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

​Icon of the Seas is the first in a series of three mega cruise ships, each carrying around 7,600 passengers and 2,805 crew. Icon of the Seas measures 365 metres in length and is 20 decks high.

Featured image: Janne-Petteri Kumpulainen

​The giant ship left the shipyard on 29 November 2023, to begin its testing. Icon of the Seas spent a total of eight days at sea, performing a series of tests. Hundreds of specialist personnel were on board, working to carry out crucial, preliminary tests with the ship’s engines, lifeboats and safety equipment and bow thrusters along with all the other mechanical features of the ship.

The images from its departure and return to the shipyard, also revealed that Icon of the Seas is nearing the end of its construction phase. The ship is expected to be delivered to Royal Caribbean International in a handover ceremony before the end of the year. 

The ground-breaking new ship features no less than eight different neighbourhood areas on board, including some from the cruise line’s Oasis-Class ships, such as Central Park and Royal Promenade, but also includes new neighbourhoods, such as Surfside, Thrill Island and the Aquadome.
 
The Aquadome neighbourhood is be positions on top of the ship at the forward end. The venue doubles as a lounge with impressive sea views during the day. A night the space transforms into the well-known AquaTheatre, but improved with a transforming pool, four robotic arms, state-of-the-art projection, and more.
 
Royal Caribbean International, recently announced the name of its second Icon-Class ship, Star of the Seas, which is scheduled to debut in summer 2025.

Featured image: Janne-Petteri Kumpulainen

​​The 250,800 gross tonne ship is expected to debut in January 2024. A delivery date to Royal Caribbean International is yet to be confirmed. Icon of the Seas will sail round-trip cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami, Florida.