Oasis Class and Quantum Class may be going strong for Royal Caribbean, but the line has announced that from 2022, their fleet will be joined by a new roster of ships, Icon Class. The line has, this week, signed an agreement with shipbuilder Meyer Turk for two new ships to be delivered in 2022 and 2024, under the ‘Icon’ project name.
The ships will differ significantly from their predecessors, becoming the first members of the Royal Caribbean fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and use fuel cell technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd, explained: “With Icon class, we move further in the journey to take the smoke out of our smokestacks. We are dedicated to innovation, continuous improvement, and environmental responsibility, and Icon gives us the opportunity to deliver against all three of these pillars.”
“Increasing the commitment to LNG makes it easier for suppliers to make their own infrastructure commitments. As more ships are built for LNG, the number of ports that support it will grow.”
Royal Caribbean have invested significantly in their new ships to make them more environmentally friendly. Just a few of the innovations aboard Harmony of the Seas can be seen below.
Before the Icon Class ships take to the seas, Royal Caribbean will test out the fuel cell technology on Oasis Class and Quantum Class ships in the coming years. The technology will be retroactively added to existing Oasis Class ships, helping to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of these vessels, whilst the two Quantum Class ships currently in planning (slated for 2019 and 2020 launches) will also receive the fuel cell technology treatment.
Other details about the ships are likely to be revealed in the coming years, such as the names, capacities and on-board features. Thanks to the huge success of the line’s new, massive ships, there’s a good chance that the Icon Class ships will have large capacities. The line currently holds trademarks on a few ship names which have not be assigned yet to a specific ship, including:
- Spectrum of the Seas
- Joy of the Seas
- Emblem of the Seas
- Apex of the Seas
- Pulse of the Seas
- Passion of the Seas
So don’t be surprised if any of these names are plastered to the sides of the upcoming vessels. And if the Icon Class name does stick, there’s surely a good chance that the first member of the fleet will get the Icon of the Seas name, following Royal Caribbean’s trusty naming process.
If you can’t wait until 2022 (who could?), you can still book a cruise aboard one of Royal Caribbean’s 25 ships currently in service. For an unbeatable selection of amazing Royal Caribbean deals, visit Cruise1st UK’s dedicated page here, or call our friendly sales team on 0808 2746 777.
Images sourced via Royal Caribbean Press Center
