Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s second Icon-class ship, had its keel laying ceremony held on December 15th, at the Meyer Turku shipyard.
Royal Caribbean had placed an order with Meyer Turku to construct a class of cruise ships known as the Icon class, formerly known as Project Icon. Recently, Royal Caribbean welcomed the first of three vessels, the Icon of the Seas, currently the world’s largest cruise ship. Meanwhile, Star of the Sea is expected to enter service in the summer of 2025.
Keel laying ceremony of Star of the Seas involved a crane lowering a substantial steel block into the construction pool on trestles, symbolizing the initiation of hull assembly. Coins, placed by the ship’s customer and builder’s representatives just before, lay beneath the steel block, following a tradition dating back to ancient Roman times. These symbolic coins are believed to bring protection to the ship throughout its journeys.
CEO Tim Meyer emphasized the importance of Star of the Seas for the shipyard and its partner network, noting that the extensive man-hours invested in the ship’s construction generate employment and business opportunities, both locally in Varsinais-Suomi and across wider supply chains.
