Royal Caribbean’s next gigantic ship will cruise to new destinations with a retro name

Get ready Royal Caribbean fans: The next Icon Class cruise ship will sail the Mediterranean under a familiar name. The third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class — comprising the largest cruise ships in the world — is set to debut in July 2026 with a season of weeklong Western Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona. …

Feb 18, 2025 - 17:09

Royal Caribbean’s next gigantic ship will cruise to new destinations with a retro name

Get ready Royal Caribbean fans: The next Icon Class cruise ship will sail the Mediterranean under a familiar name.

The third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class — comprising the largest cruise ships in the world — is set to debut in July 2026 with a season of weeklong Western Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona. It marks the first time a ship that big has offered voyages in Europe.

During an announcement Feb. 18, the line also revealed that the 250,800-ton, 7,600-passenger vessel, formerly known as “Icon 3,” will be called “Legend of the Seas” after a ship that was previously in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.

“We’ve never reused a name for a new ship [before], so it was very intentional,” Kara Wallace, chief marketing officer of Royal Caribbean International, said during an exclusive interview with TPG. “It fits perfectly with Icon [and] Star. … It also speaks to the fact that Icon Class was built on the 50 years of innovation that preceded it.”

Giving the new ship the name of an old one is “an homage to all of the ships that came before it,” she said.

Wallace said the key differences between Legend of the Seas and its two older sisters — Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, which debuts later this year — lie in the ships’ itineraries.

“Legend of the Seas delivers all of the iconic features of Icon Class, but what’s new and special about Legend is it’s going to go to destinations that Icon Class has never been to before.”

The ship will be based in Barcelona for its inaugural summer season, taking passengers to ports in France, Italy and Spain.

In November 2026, following its Mediterranean season, Legend of the Seas will reposition to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, from which it will offer six-night Western Caribbean cruises and eight-night Southern Caribbean voyages. The ship will sail to Royal Caribbean’s private island Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as the new-to-Icon-Class destinations of Aruba, Curacao and Falmouth, Jamaica.

The vessel’s residence in Port Everglades means that cruisers will have an opportunity to travel on an Icon Class ship out of all three of Florida’s major cruise hubs. Icon of the Seas currently sails seven-night Caribbean itineraries from Miami. When it debuts this summer, Star of the Seas will be based in Port Canaveral, about an hour from Orlando, and sail three- to seven-night Western Caribbean voyages.

Royal Caribbean hasn’t yet revealed many of the details for the ship, but we do know that since Icon of the Seas has been performing so well in terms of guest satisfaction, Legend of the Seas will be nearly identical to it and to Star of the Seas.

“Icon is delivering at a level of satisfaction that we’ve actually never seen before,” Wallace said. “We’re maniacal about our guests’ feedback and what can be improved and how can we make it the best vacation possible. So, we will continue to do that as we iterate on all of the Icon Class ships. We’ll reveal more details on that in the coming months.”

In addition to eight neighborhoods that house entertainment and watery fun areas and more than 40 places to eat and drink, Wallace confirmed that Legend of the Seas will also have a resident dog, whose name has not yet been shared.

“Legend of the Seas is the next bold step in this exciting era of vacations and the continuation of the Icon Class legacy, and we look forward to bringing the revolutionary lineup of experiences to more families and adventurers across Europe, the Caribbean and beyond,” Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said in a statement.

Up next for Royal Caribbean is the debut of Star of the Seas, the second Icon Class vessel, in August. Like Icon of the Seas, the ship will house six waterslides, seven pools, a glass dome with an AquaTheater for high-diving performances and an adults-only, Chicago-themed supper club.

Legend of the Seas sailings open for booking Feb. 20, with the line’s Crown & Anchor loyalty members receiving early access.

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