Royal Caribbean has announced that its newest Icon Class vessel, Legend of the Seas, has entered its next phase of construction, officially touching water for the first time. The ship was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, where it will continue to take shape ahead of its August 2026 debut.
As part of the milestone, the ship’s dry dock was filled with water overnight in a process that took nearly 12 hours. Once the dock was filled, the ship then floated over to the outfitting dock, marking an engineering feat that brings the ship one step closer to welcoming its first vacationers. The milestone was marked by a maritime tradition, complete with a shot from a canon, to celebrate the hard work of thousands of shipbuilders, engineers and innovators behind the project.

The third vessel in the Icon Class lineup is set to make waves and deliver the boldest experiences yet across eight neighborhoods. Legend of the Seas will feature adrenaline-pumping thrills at Category 6 waterpark and Crown’s Edge—part skywalk, part ropes course and part thrill ride—as well as diverse entertainment options, F&B experiences, and more to be revealed soon. Legend of the Seas will deliver summer 2026 adventures in Europe on seven-night Western Mediterranean vacations before making its Caribbean debut in November 2026 with six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean vacations, including visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s exclusive destination in the Bahamas.
Legend of the Seas will also be the vacation company’s fourth ship fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and feature industry-leading environmental programs. With applications ranging from waste heat recovery systems to shore power connection, the ship will help advance Royal Caribbean Group’s journey toward introducing a net-zero cruise ship by 2035.
For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.
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