At the Turku shipyard in southwestern Finland, more than 3,000 workers come and go daily on what will be the world's new largest ship, Icon of the Seas. This is Royal Caribbean's new shipping project, the company's first mega-cruise powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a type of less polluting fuel that other shipping companies have already begun to use. In the midst of a debate over the sustainability of this tourism model, Royal breaks into the sector with another colossus of the seas, 365 meters long and with a capacity for 7,600 passengers, in addition to the 2,350 that make up the crew.
The Meyer shipbuilder has had to use all its engineering to meet the demands of the most difficult yet for which the American shipping company is committed. The new largest cruise ship in the world is currently at 80% of its construction and its figures are dizzying: an investment of 2,000 million dollars (1,839 million euros), 20 decks, more than 40 restaurants and bars... In summary , a small floating island of 250,800 tons that will begin its first season in the Caribbean next January, from its base in Miami.
Although other shipping companies have already begun to experiment with alternative energies, this is Royal Caribbean's first LNG-powered ship, which is why it is considered the company's most sustainable. Specifically, she is 15% more efficient than her predecessor, the Wonder of the Seas. She has six engines that will allow her to use diesel fuel and natural gas.
It also features fuel cell technology (emerging technology on cruise ships used to generate electricity on board using hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity). Another of the additions is that it will be able to connect to the electrical network on land, which allows it to turn off engines in the adapted ports and it has residual heat recovery systems and a desalinization plant, so it will produce 90% of the fresh water used. on board.
This is the real challenge with which this mega-cruise will be measured, beyond its hectic attractions, which it has, and many. The issue of emissions is decisive. The commitment with the Meyer shipyards, as well as with the 200 contractor companies that work on this and the following Royal ships, is to continue advancing in the technology that allows zero emissions to be achieved by 2030, even before the date set by the European Union with the commitments of the Green Pact. This has been announced by Tim Meyer, director of the German company that owns the Turku shipyards.
The Royal Caribbean-Meyer alliance has been operating for years and several ships have left its shipyards. They also have in their portfolio the second of the Icon class for 2025, which has already begun to be built, and the third, scheduled for 2026. With them, the shipping company gives another twist to the family cruise concept and incorporates for the first time once an entire water park on its roofs, with six slides that add up to half a kilometer of tubes, in addition to raising the number of pools to seven –some in the most unexpected places to enjoy the sea skyline–.
A theater with a 17-meter-high waterfall dedicated to water shows has also been installed inside its enormous glass dome at the bow, a space that on Oasis-class ships is uncovered and at the stern ship's.
Each new addition to the leisure offer of this type of cruise represents a new engineering challenge. For example: the Icon of the Seas will have a large glass door as a large window to the sea right in the center of the ship, occupying decks five and six (the equivalent of two stories high), which has forced the construction company to reformulate the interiors to be able to support such a structure.
And for the Icon to be truly an icon of the seas, the company has also invented an attraction that will suspend cruise passengers who want to try it almost 47 meters above sea level on a kind of walkway that will drop the adventurer when least expect it. “We invented madness,” said Claudia Díaz-González, Associate Vice President of Product Development for Royal Caribbean, during a recent construction visit to the Turku shipyards. Welcome aboard.
