Tag Archives: Finland

Construction of New Royal Caribbean Ship Progressing in Finland

Posted on by
Reply

The construction of Royal Caribbean International’s new Star of the Seas is making progress at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Part of the company’s Icon Class, the 250,800-ton ship is scheduled to enter service in the Caribbean in mid-2025.

According to a recent update shared by Meyer Turku, a significant milestone was reached with the lifting of the ship’s AquaDome.

The feature, added to the top deck of the ship, is the single largest glass and steel structure lifted onto a ship in one piece, the shipyard said.

The lifting process took several hours to complete, Meyer Turku added, and required extreme precision, as the entire structure had to remain level.

After debuting onboard the Icon of the Seas earlier this year, the AquaDome became a hallmark feature of Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class, the shipyard said.

The space offers 220-degree ocean views and houses a selection of bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, including the company’s signature AquaTheater.

According to Royal Caribbean, the 363-ton dome is one of the most anticipated features of the Star of the Seas, standing at 82 feet tall and 164 feet wide.

Set to enter service in August 2025, the new ship will offer cruises departing from Port Canaveral as part of its maiden season.

Sailing to both the Western and the Eastern Caribbean, the seven-night itineraries feature visits to Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as other destinations, including Cozumel and Puerto Rico.

Following the Star of the Seas, a third yet-unnamed Icon-class ship is set to debut in the spring of 2026.

Royal Caribbean recently confirmed its plans to build a fourth ship in the series at the Meyer Turku in Finland.

As part of an agreement revealed in late August, the new 5,610-guest ship is set to be delivered in 2027. The contract also includes options for two additional Icon-class vessels.

TUI’s Mein Schiff 7 Delivered by Meyer Turku

Posted on by
Reply

The new Mein Schiff 7 was officially delivered to TUI Cruises today at the Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland, according to a press release.

The 2,894-guest vessel is the first built by the shipyard with methanol capability, Meyer Turku said in a prepared statement.

At the official signing ceremony, the shipyard was represented by CEO Tim Meyer and Head of Projects Tom Degerman, while TUI Cruises was represented by CEO Wybcke Meier and CFO Frank Kuhlmann.

The Mein Schiff 7 is the seventh ship of the Mein Schiff series built by the shipyard, Meyer Turku highlighted.

“Mein Schiff 7’s symbolic start of production, the steel cutting ceremony, took place at our shipyard on June 14, 2022,” said Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku.

“We are very proud to have delivered the Mein Schiff 7 to TUI Cruises today, less than two years later. This was made possible by our long-standing and close cooperation.”

The Mein Schiff 7 is also the first ship in the Mein Schiff fleet to run exclusively on low-emission marine diesel (with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1%).

The 111,500-ton ship has a shore power connection and is equipped with catalytic converters, the shipyard said.

In addition, the Mein Schiff 7 is built so that it can also run on methanol, which with the green methanol of the future, will make the ship’s propulsion power almost CO2-neutral.

“Receiving this ship is a special moment for us. Ten years ago, we acquired our first Blu Motion class ship here in Turku, and by 2019 we had built a total of six vessels,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

“We would like to thank the Meyer Turku shipyard for the excellent cooperation and the development of our well-being fleet. We are now sailing on the Mein Schiff 7 to Kiel, where we will welcome the first guests on board on June 12,” she added.

World’s Largest Cruise Ships Meet in CocoCay

Posted on by
Reply

Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas and the Wonder of the Seas met in the Bahamas earlier this week.

Currently serving as the world’s largest cruise ships, the vessels docked simultaneously at the company’s private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay.

After assuming the title in 2023, the Icon of the Seas is currently the largest cruise ship in the world at over 250,000 tons.

Part of a new ship class, the vessel was delivered to Royal Caribbean last November. Visiting CocoCay during one of its short preview cruises, the Icon is being prepared to kick off its maiden season later this month.

Starting on Jan. 27, the 365-meter-long ship is scheduled to offer a series of week-long sailings to the Caribbean departing from PortMiami.

In addition to weekly visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Icon’s schedule includes many popular ports in the region, including St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts.

At 250,800 tons, the Icon of the Seas was built by the Meyer Turku in Finland, and can accommodate over 5,610 guests at double occupancy, in addition to 2,350 crew members.

Previously serving as the largest cruise ship of the world until 2023, the Wonder of the Seas is offering week-long cruises departing from Port Canaveral.

Slightly bigger than its sister ships, the 227,627-ton vessel is part of the Oasis Class and entered service in early 2022.

Sailing from its Florida homeport every Sunday, the 5,448-guest vessel offers different itineraries to the Western and the Eastern Caribbean.

The recent arrival in CocoCay was part of a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean that also features visits to Cozumel and Costa Maya, in Mexico, as well as Isla de Roatán, in Honduras.

During its year-round program in the region, the Wonder of the Seas also sails to Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Labadee, and more.

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/