Royal Caribbean going even bigger on its biggest ships.

An announcement was made late on Monday night by Royal Caribbean Group that it has ordered two more Icon Class ships.

The unnamed newly ordered vessels, referred to for now as Icon 6 and Icon 7, will be constructed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

The two new ships will be delivered in 2029 and 2030.

Royal Caribbean Group had slots reserved for options to build Icon 6 and Icon 7, but now they've exercised those options and those plans are confirmed.

The Icon Class ships are the biggest in the world, measuring an 250,800 gross registered tons and can carry a maximum of 7,600 passengers. There are 28 different stateroom categories.

This is a clear indication Royal Caribbean believes its Icon Class formula is working, and it's betting heavily that demand for these mega-ships will continue well into the next decade.

A major expansion of ships

The addition of orders for Icon 6 and 7 come less than a year since they ordered Icon 5.  That's a significant jump in the orderbook.

Icon of the Seas made headlines for all the right reasons when she debuted in 2024, and it was clear that this class was a revolution.  Icon ships are now the new standard bearer that all new ships are judged against, regardless of line.

Legend of the Seas is set to debut this summer, which will be the third Icon Class ship. Hero of the Seas will join the fleet in 2027, followed by Icon 5 in 2028.

This means Royal Caribbean will build the most of any class of ships with the Icon Class (tied with Oasis Class). As a company as focused on profitability as Royal Caribbean Group, that's no coincidence that the experience is matching up to sales.

Why Royal Caribbean is doubling down

This isn’t just about building more ships. It’s about doubling down on a strategy that has clearly resonated with cruisers and the marketplace.

The Icon Class was designed as a "white paper" ship, which means they designed it from the ground up without a starting basis. Instead of simply adding more features, the company has focused on creating distinct "neighborhoods" onboard, each with its own identity, atmosphere, and purpose.

Part of the genius of these ships is that they work on so many levels, including families. It's a true multi-generational ship because families, couples, seniors, and kids can all find plenty to do. Often, together. That comes in the form of a massive water park, adults-only spaces, and high-end dining and entertainment.

That broad appeal has translated into strong demand.

Royal Caribbean executives have repeatedly pointed to the Icon Class as a key driver of bookings, pricing power, and overall guest satisfaction.

What we know about Icon 6 and 7

If you're looking for what will be different about Icon 6 or 7, you'll have to wait a bit longer for those answers.

Royal Caribbean has not yet announced names, where they will be based, or any features.  It's really just confirmation that they will build two more ships than they had previously disclosed.

Based on the pattern of Icon Class ships thus far, it's safe to assume Royal Caribbean will employ a strategy of maintaining much of the core Icon Class experience, but experiment with tweaks and changes to make it even better.

As an example, Hero of the Seas will see pools added and expanded, which reflect guest feedback from Icon and Star of the Seas.

Expect a similar evolution with future ships that take into account lessons learned from earlier vessels.

Three cruise ships are in various stages of construction at the same time for Royal Caribbean that will easily be among the biggest in the world when they debut.

The fact there are three different ships being worked on at the same time is quite an achievement, as usually there there is only one or two being worked on at a time.

Having this many new ships being worked on at one time is clearly a sign Royal Caribbean sees robust growth and opportunity in its future.

Here's a look at the new ships coming soon, and why 3 might just be the start.

Legend of the Seas

Coming in summer 2026, Legend of the Seas will be the third Icon Class ship.

Borrowing a name from a former Royal Caribbean ship that was sold off years ago, Legend is geared to continue the commercial success of the first two Icon Class ships.

Ever since Icon of the Seas debuted, it's gotten a lot of attention because of how different and fun the new ship is. 

Legend will rely heavily on what you find on Icon or Star, but there are a few key differences.

First, there are dining changes that will stand out on Legend. Royal Railway Legend Station is an immersive train car restaurant that makes you feel like you're actually on a train traveling the world.

Royal Railway will feature 5 courses as you "travel" along the Silk Routes, inspired by the travels of Marco Polo.

While Icon and Star of the Seas have supper clubs too, the one on Legend will be themed to the golden age of Hollywood.

The Hollywoodland Supper Club is a formal dinner where you must dress up, and it offers live jazz music, along with a multi-course meal paired with cocktails.

The ship's food hall, AquaDome Market, is getting overhauled.

There will be all new food stands, along with a brand-new juice and smoothie bar serving freshly squeezed refreshments.

Another difference for Legend will be its shows, as all of the shows will be new to the ship.

Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" will be performed onboard, and it's the Broadway musical version.  The best part is it's included in your cruise fare!

There will of course be new shows in the AquaTheater and Absolute Zero skating rink.

Royal Caribbean also shared Legend will have a two deck casino, which is a first for any ship within the brand.

Doubling the casino size is a reflection of how popular gambling has become onboard ships, and offering more space provides additional gaming space as well as (hopefully) more dedicated non-smoking areas.

One other big change for Legend will be it wont start cruising in the United States first.

Legend will spend her summer in Europe, with cruises sailing from July through November around the Mediterranean.

This is a notable change, as it's the first opportunity for Europeans to have a convenient way to try an Icon Class ship.

In November, Legend shifts to Fort Lauderdale to offer cruises around the Caribbean for the winter months.

Legend of the Seas will offer 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Southern Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades through at least April 2027.

Icon 4

In September 2025, construction began for its unnamed fourth Icon Class ship.

Royal Caribbean doesn't usually talk about new ships before they have a name. Even then, they wait for other ships coming out first to get all the attention before shifting focus and revealing information about other ships in the queue.

If we look back at the Oasis Class as guidance, I think it's fair to say we can expect Icon 4 to continue the tradition of introducing a couple of things only available on that ship, a few enhancements to other areas, and otherwise continuing to offer what works well from the ships that came before it.

The first thing we can expect to learn about Icon 4 would be its name.

Royal Caribbean has stuck to a theme among the Icon Class ship names that evoke and match a certain expectation.

"Icon class as a name really sets a really high bar," said Kara Wallace, Royal Caribbean's chief marketing officer, earlier this year when talking about ship names. "It's the pinnacle. It's the peak of vacations."

She said it's that rationale as to why they picked Legend of the Seas as its name.

Oasis 7

We've known about Royal Caribbean's plans to build a seventh Oasis Class ship since February 2024, but construction has finally begun on it earlier this week.

Similar to Icon 4, we know nothing about what the cruise line has planned for it.

Suffice to say, I think we can expect new shows and a dining change or two at the very least for Oasis 7.

It's easy to assume this ship will be a copy of Utopia of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas, but the Product Development team spends months looking at ways to differentiate its new ships.

More on the horizon?

Three ships being built at once is incredible, but more could be lined up.

Royal Caribbean has options in place to build a sixth and seventh Icon Class ship. 

This means if they decided to place an order for these ships, there will be a slot at the shipyard reserved.

Plus, they've hinted a new ship class is on the horizon to be built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

In September 2025, a press release said Royal Caribbean Group is working on, "a new, game-changing class of ship beyond Icon."

That could be the often hinted at Discovery Class ships, or something else entirely.