Royal Caribbean International marked a major milestone on Friday, August 29, as its latest cruise ship, Legend of the Seas, touched water for the first time at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The float-out ceremony heralds a new chapter in maritime innovation for the cruise line, known for its ambitious engineering and environmentally-conscious designs.
The world’s largest cruise ship just got a Godmother worthy of its name, and what better person to christen the Star of the Seas than an actual astronaut?
Royal Caribbean has named astronaut, author, and science communicator Kellie Gerardi as the new Godmother of Star of the Seas, replacing legendary singer Diana Ross, who stepped down from the role last week due to unforeseen circumstances.
Guests aboard Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Star of the Seas got an unexpected scare when the ship’s emergency “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar” alert rang out at the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The legendary singer Diana Ross has bowed out as the godmother of Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, just days before its much-anticipated naming ceremony.
Royal Caribbean has officially welcomed its newest giant, Star of the Seas, to U.S. waters. Weighing in at 248,663 gross tons and carrying up to 5,610 guests with 2,350 crew, she ranks among the largest cruise ships ever built. The ship is the second in the line’s groundbreaking Icon Class and is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) part of Royal Caribbean’s push toward cleaner and more efficient cruising.
A day of fun at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, took a violent turn on Sunday when a massive brawl involving more than 30 people broke out at the Oasis Lagoon pool.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as “chaotic” and “out of control.” According to passengers posting on CruiseCritic and Reddit, the fight escalated quickly, with multiple groups involved in physical altercations. One man was seen bleeding heavily from the head and was reportedly evacuated from the scene for medical treatment.
Yesterday, the crew of Icon of the Seas faced one of their hardest days at sea after a fellow crew member went overboard.
The Oscar alarm sounded just after 7 p.m., and everything stopped. The ship slowed, turned back, and a rescue boat was sent out right away. Everyone watched in silence as life rings were thrown into the water and the rescue team searched the sea to bring their colleague back.
Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Star of the Seas is already making waves literally and visually before its official launch. The second ship in the Icon Class was recently spotted at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland testing a never-before-seen dynamic light display on the Royal Caribbean crown and anchor logo.
It’s a proud day for Royal Caribbean and for the hardworking crew who helped bring Star of the Seas to life. Today, July 10, Star of the Seas officially joins the Royal Caribbean family in a moment of celebration, innovation, and next-level cruising. The grand handover ceremony took place at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, where Royal Caribbean International proudly took delivery of its newest Icon-class vessel.
Royal Caribbean has revised its plans to send the newest cruise ship, Star of the Seas, to the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz for final outfitting work, citing concerns over an escalating metalworkers’ strike that has already disrupted cruise operations in the region.
Instead of a two-week stay, Star of the Seas will now spend just three days in Cádiz, from July 24 to July 26, 2025.
