Since June 2022, the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland has been building the 250,800 cruise ship, the first of Royal Caribbean’s new Icon-class. In December, the completely completed ship was floated out, and it is currently undergoing final assembly and testing.
The first set of trials for the Icon Of The Seas was testing the performance of her propulsion systems, navigation systems and all safety precaution such as life boats and her stability in open sea. The builder has said the test has “progressed excellently” and the ships sea trial will be completed in the given time frame, despite being slightly delayed from the windy conditions. Icon Of The Seas will return to Meyer Turku and work will resume as normal to be ready for another round of sea trials which is believed to be delivered ahead of schedule in October or November 2023.
Icon of the Seas will not only be the biggest cruise ship ever built, but also the most ecologically responsible. The ship will use fuel cell technology and run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Other noteworthy eco-friendly features include a sophisticated waste heat recovery system that can convert waste heat into up to 3 megawatts of additional energy, air lubrication to lessen hull friction, and shore power connection.
The ship will feature, the largest waterpark at sea, nine whirlpools, seven swimming pools, an ice rink, restaurants, bars and clubs which will all be located within the 20 decks on board. More than 40,000 gallons of water will be utilised to fill the enormous pool, which has six record-breaking water slides situated on the open deck. The ship also offers a “sky walk” for the more courageous passengers, where they can be strapped and walk along a small platform with nothing but the deep sea below them.
Icon Of The Seas is set to sail from Miami starting in January 2024.
Meyer Turku will also build Royal Caribbean’s next two Icon-Class cruise ships for 2025 and 2026 which are currently underway.
Article sourced: https://www.marinelink.com/news/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-starts-sea-505983
