LNG-fueled Icon of the Seas aces first round of sea trials

June 22, 2023, by Ajsa Habibic

Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International’s first LNG-powered cruise ship being built at Meyer Turku shipyard situated in Turku, Finland, has completed the first round of sea trials.

Icon of the Seas. Courtesy of Meyer Turku

Meyer Turku revealed in a brief social media update that the Icon of the Seas returned to the shipyard on 22 June after completing sea trials, which included crucial, preliminary tests with its main engines, hull, lifeboats, thrusters, etc.

Before heading off to sea trials the cruise vessel completed its propulsion start on 8 May 2023.

The next major event ahead of the ship’s delivery at the end of 2023 is the second round of sea trials scheduled for later this year.

The ship’s maiden voyage is planned for January 2024 when it will set sail from Miami for a week-long cruise in the Caribbean.

The 365-metre-long and almost 50-metre-wide Icon of the Seas will run on six Wärtsilä main engines that can use both diesel and natural gas fuel. The first of them was started using diesel on 15 March at the shipyard.

The vessel will also feature fuel cell technology, shore power connections, and waste heat recovery systems with the aim of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions as well as air lubrication of underwater hull.

It is the first ship in the Icon series out of three on order at Meyer Turku.

The Finnish shipbuilder started the construction of the second LNG-fueled Icon-class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean on 15 February with a steel-cutting ceremony. The construction of the ship is expected to take two years, ending in 2025. Its name will be revealed at a later date.

The third Icon-class ship is expected to be completed in 2026.

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