More Icon Class Ships On The Way and Potential Discovery Class

September 23, 2025 Randy Young

Royal Caribbean announced future ship plans in a recent press release with the shipyard Meyer Turku. Do you like Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class of ships? I hope so, because there are potentially five more on the way. We also got some news on what might be the upcoming Discovery Class.

Fifth Icon Class Ship Ordered, Options for Six and Seven

Royal Caribbean has entered into an agreement to order the fifth Icon Class ship (Icon 5), scheduled for delivery in 2028.

Previously, they had an option to build the fifth and sixth ships. With Icon 5 now confirmed, they’ve added another option for a seventh.

Icon 4 being built at Meyer Turku

An option means the cruise line pays to hold a slot in the shipyard. It’s not a firm commitment, but since shipyard space is limited, it’s essentially a reservation. Think of it as a deposit on a cruise ship. In recent years, Royal Caribbean has exercised every option they’ve secured.

If all options are used, over 53,200 guests could sail on an Icon Class ship every day. That’s the equivalent of a small town, like Burleson, Texas, home to the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, sailing every day.

In one year, that would be 2.7 million passengers sailing on Icon Class ships alone!

For other Icon Class ships, Legend of the Seas (Icon 3) has recently had its float out, the first time on water, and Icon 4 started construction earlier this month.

Next Class Coming (Discovery Class)

Reading the press release closely, there was also the first official mention of Royal Caribbean’s next class of ships:

“This multi-year agreement strengthens Royal Caribbean Group’s relationship with Meyer Turku, one of the world’s largest and most modern shipyards specializing in cruise ships, and readies Royal Caribbean Group for a new, game-changing class of ship beyond Icon.”

Widely referred to as Project Discovery or the Discovery Class, this new type of ship was initially reported to be smaller than the Oasis and Icon ships. However, reports on size have shifted. The idea is for these ships to replace older vessels in the fleet and reach smaller ports that megaships can’t visit, but executives seem reluctant to promise smaller ships.

As for timing, details are scarce. Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, noted that their signed agreements extend through 2036. That means Discovery Class would fall sometime after 2028 but before 2036. While two more Icon Class ships are still to come, it wouldn’t be unusual for Royal Caribbean to introduce two classes at once. Unlike other cruise lines that stick with one class at a time, Royal often overlaps new designs.

My Take: Royal Is Doubling Down on a Winning Formula

It’s no surprise to see Royal Caribbean continuing with the Icon Class. The ships have been extremely popular, booking at record rates in both revenue and capacity. Expanding the class makes sense. Personally, I was hesitant at first, but after sailing on Star of the Seas, I was impressed with how well Royal delivered the experience.

That said, megaships aren’t for everyone. Hopefully, the Discovery Class will provide more variety for guests. While Royal executives once suggested it would be a smaller class, they’ve been walking back those comments in recent years. It will be interesting to see whether they deliver a new ship style that appeals to different cruisers, or if Discovery ends up feeling like an Icon Class Lite, pushing guests who prefer smaller ships toward sister cruise line Celebrity instead.