Royal Caribbean marks float out of Star of the Seas, its second Icon class goliath

Royal Caribbean International has celebrated the float out of its new mega-ship Star of the Seas at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

The ship, the largest ever built for Royal Caribbean and a sistership to Icon of the Seas (delivered in December last year), is scheduled to enter service next summer, sailing from Port Canaveral in August 2025.

The float out is an important maritime tradition with its roots in historic shipbuilding when vessels were ‘launched’ from their construction ramp and slid into the water.

Nowadays, large vessels such as cruise ships are built as prefabricated blocks that are then welded together in dry dock. The float out therefore marks the moment the completed hull of the ship touches water for the first time.

A canon was fired to celebrate the 19 months of work put in by thousands of men and women working at the shipyard as the drydock was filled with 92 million gallons of water – an overnight process that took nearly nine hours.

Following the float out, Star of the Seas will undergo interior outfitting and sea trials before making her maiden voyage in August 2025.

This new vessel, with a capacity to accommodate more than 7,000 passengers, will bring new twists and acclaimed experiences introduced by Icon of the Seas to the greater Orlando area.

Across eight neighborhoods that are designed as destinations in themselves, there are ways for every type of passengers to enjoy their own kind of cruise, from thrills like six of the fastest and tallest waterslides to 40-plus ways to dine and drink and the Surfside neighbourhood designed for young families.

On each of her 7-night roundtrip cruises from Port Canaveral, Star of the Seas is expected to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, as well as other Caribbean destinations.

The Icon-class vessels are the largest ever built for Royal Caribbean and the largest in the world at almost 250,000 gross tons. The cruise line has ordered four sister ships in the class, with options for two more.

The class leader Icon of the Seas was delivered last year, while Star of the Seas will be delivered in 2025, with the third and fourth vessels due in 2026 and 2027 respectively.