Royal Caribbean International has held a keel-laying ceremony for the highly anticipated cruise ship, Icon of the Seas at Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku. The traditional ceremony marks the start of construction of the Icon of the Seas, and involved a 3,000-ton crane lifting the first massive steel block that is placed into the new ship's building dock placing a newly minted coin under the keel for good luck. 

The ceremony was attended by working teams behind constructing Icon joined by Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO, Richard Fain, chairman, Royal Caribbean Group; Meyer Group Managing Partner Bernard Meyer; and Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer.

At the ceremony, Michael Bayley highlighted the importance of the next-in-line innovative ship saying: "Five years ago, we began dreaming of Icon of the Seas, and now the next phase of this iconic adventure is beginning. As this game-changing ship takes shape, the excitement from families and travelers alike, travel advisors and our partners continues to build. Later this year, we'll reveal the lineup of firsts and favorites that will set a new standard for vacations come fall 2023."

Icon of the Seas will set sail next year with the latest innovations and signature features Royal Caribbean's teams have imagined and reimagined in bold, new ways, including a shift toward cleaner energy. The first of three Royal Caribbean ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) – the cleanest fossil fuel available to cruise ships today. Combining LNG with a lineup of the cruise line's proven applications, such as shore power connection and waste heat recovery systems that repurpose excess energy to help power the ship's operations, Icon will be the next important step in Royal Caribbean's journey toward a clean-energy future.