Prepare Royal Caribbean followers: The subsequent Icon Class cruise ship will sail the Mediterranean below a well-known title.
The third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class — comprising the most important cruise ships on the earth — is ready to debut in July 2026 with a season of weeklong Western Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona. It marks the primary time a ship that large has supplied voyages in Europe.
Throughout an announcement Feb. 18, the road additionally revealed that the 250,800-ton, 7,600-passenger vessel, previously referred to as “Icon 3,” might be known as “Legend of the Seas” after a ship that was beforehand in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.
“We have by no means reused a reputation for a brand new ship [before], so it was very intentional,” Kara Wallace, chief advertising officer of Royal Caribbean Worldwide, mentioned throughout an unique interview with TPG. “It matches completely with Icon [and] Star. … It additionally speaks to the truth that Icon Class was constructed on the 50 years of innovation that preceded it.”
Giving the brand new ship the title of an previous one is “an homage to the entire ships that got here earlier than it,” she mentioned.
Wallace mentioned the important thing variations between Legend of the Seas and its two older sisters — Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, which debuts later this yr — lie within the ships’ itineraries.
“Legend of the Seas delivers the entire iconic options of Icon Class, however what’s new and particular about Legend is it should go to locations that Icon Class has by no means been to earlier than.”
The ship might be based mostly in Barcelona for its inaugural summer time 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’s going to supply six-night Western Caribbean cruises and eight-night Southern Caribbean voyages. The ship will sail to Royal Caribbean’s non-public island Excellent Day at CocoCay, in addition to the new-to-Icon-Class locations of Aruba, Curacao and Falmouth, Jamaica.
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The vessel’s residence in Port Everglades implies that cruisers may have a possibility to journey on an Icon Class ship out of all three of Florida’s main cruise hubs. Icon of the Seas presently sails seven-night Caribbean itineraries from Miami. When it debuts this summer time, Star of the Seas might be based mostly in Port Canaveral, about an hour from Orlando, and sail three- to seven-night Western Caribbean voyages.
Royal Caribbean hasn’t but revealed lots of the particulars for the ship, however we do know that since Icon of the Seas has been performing so nicely when it comes to visitor satisfaction, Legend of the Seas might be practically equivalent to it and to Star of the Seas.
“Icon is delivering at a stage of satisfaction that we have really by no means seen earlier than,” Wallace mentioned. “We’re maniacal about our company’ suggestions and what may be improved and the way can we make it one of the best trip doable. So, we are going to proceed to try this as we iterate on the entire Icon Class ships. We’ll reveal extra particulars on that within the coming months.”
Along with eight neighborhoods that home leisure and watery enjoyable areas and greater than 40 locations to eat and drink, Wallace confirmed that Legend of the Seas may even have a resident canine, whose title has not but been shared.
“Legend of the Seas is the subsequent daring step on this thrilling period of holidays and the continuation of the Icon Class legacy, and we stay up for bringing the revolutionary lineup of experiences to extra households and adventurers throughout Europe, the Caribbean and past,” Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Worldwide, mentioned in a press release.
Up subsequent 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 home six waterslides, seven swimming pools, a glass dome with an AquaTheater for high-diving performances and an adults-only, Chicago-themed supper membership.
Legend of the Seas sailings open for reserving Feb. 20, with the road’s Crown & Anchor loyalty members receiving early entry.
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