Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) has announced a long term agreement with Meyer Turku that secures the cruise company’s rights to build ships at the yard through the next decade.
As part of this agreement, RCL confirmed an order for ‘Icon 5’ to be delivered in 2028, subject to financing, and added an option to build ‘Icon 7’, in addition to the option to build ‘Icon 6’.
This multi-year agreement strengthens RCL’s relationship with Meyer Turku, one of the world’s largest and most modern shipyards specialising in cruise ships, and readies the group for a new class of ship beyond ‘Icon’, the group said.
“As we continue to re-imagine the future of vacations, we are excited to continue collaborating with Meyer Turku to grow the ‘Icon’ class – a first-of-its-kind series that delivers exceptional vacation experiences – and position us to usher in a new era of innovation that will disrupt the vacation sector through 2036,” said Jason Liberty, RCL President and CEO.
“This is an exciting time for our company, and we are proud to launch this new stage in our history with our esteemed partners, Meyer Turku, the Finnish government, and the Finnish maritime cluster.”
To date, Meyer Turku has built two ‘Icon’ class ships – ’Icon of the Seas’ (January, 2024) and ’Star of the Seas’ (August’ 2025), with the third – ’Legend of the Seas’ – scheduled to sail in the Summer of 2026, while ‘Icon 4’ is due to be delivered in 2027.
Meyer Turku CEO, Casimir Lindholm, added: “With the framework agreement now signed, we announce our common plan for the next decade in co-operation with Royal Caribbean Group and other key partners to build more ‘Icon’ class ships and drive the future of shipbuilding over the next decade.
“I am extremely proud of the recognition that these orders bring to the skilled personnel at Meyer Turku and to the Finnish maritime industry expertise,” he said.
Any orders beyond ‘Icon 5’ are subject to RCL’s exercising of the options and execution of firm construction agreements, which are expected to be subject to customary conditions, including financing.
Turku has built 25 ships for RCL since the mid-1990s. The construction of each cruise ship of this scale is the largest single industrial project in the country, employing around 13,000 people at Meyer Turku and at the shipyard’s supply network, which brings Finland more than €1 bill in added value per year, the shipbuilder added.
With Meyer Turku and the Finnish maritime industry at the forefront of developing energy and environmental technologies to accelerate green transition, their efforts are strengthening Finland’s international competitiveness and reputation as a country with a large network of specialist companies for cruise shipbuilding, extraordinary design capability, cutting edge technology, and demanding project management, the company said.
“This new framework agreement is excellent news for Finland. The longstanding collaboration between Royal Caribbean Group and Meyer Turku will continue to have a significant positive impact on Finland’s economy, creating jobs across the country and energising our unique maritime ecosystem,” said Finland’s Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo.
“Our strong shipyards, industrial networks and leading research institutions around them, deliver innovative and sustainable world-class ships, making Finland an attractive destination for future investment,” added Sakari Puisto, Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs.
With a portfolio that currently includes nine new ships, seven total land-based destinations, by 2028, plus a new digital ecosystem, RCL is in the midst of unveiling its multi-year pipeline of new vacation offerings that span ocean, river and land-based vacations, solidifying its position as a vacation innovator, the group claimed.
