Everyone’s talking about how the second Icon-class cruise ship, Star of the Seas, is about to enter service at the end of August.
But the third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, is well on her way to beginning her own career at sea and has just met a major construction milestone at the Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland.
When the flagship Icon of the Seas debuted in 2024, she entered service with a first-of-its-kind AquaDome, which is a gigantic and revolutionary glass dome that is located at the ship’s bow.
As of July 5, 2025, the 7,600-guest Legend of the Seas has her very own AquaDome after construction crews carefully (and successfully) lifted it into place.
“The AquaDome is a single-piece glass and steel structure located at the bow of the ship, offering wide panoramic views for guests onboard. It is the largest steel and glass structure ever lifted onto a ship in one piece,” The Meyer Turku Shipyard said in a statement.
The shipyard continued: “Lifting and installing a structure of this size and complexity required extensive planning, seamless collaboration, and precise execution from the Meyer Turku team and partners. A big thank you to everyone involved in making it happen!”
After celebrating this major construction accomplishment, the ship building team will be right back to work to make sure the 250,800-gross ton ship is ready to debut in summer of 2026.
Her inaugural voyage is supposed to be a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise that sails round-trip from Barcelona, Spain, and embarks on August 2, 2026.
But though she has come a long way since her steel cutting in January 2024, she still has to meet accomplishments like floating out of dry dock, which is when she floats on water for the first time, and eventually passing her sea trials.
Once she floats out, crews will likely turn to perfecting the interior of the cruise ship in a wet dock and completing important tasks like installing and decorating the 2,805 staterooms.
How Big is the AquaDome?
With Legend of the Seas expected to join her two older sisters as the largest cruise ships in the world, building the AquaDome is a triumph of engineering in its own right.
For the past eight months, the massive glass dome has been built alongside the cruise ship, which helps make the construction process more efficient.
Over those months, the 12 modules that make up the dome were carefully built out with 673 glass panels and 712 aluminum panels.
Now that the dome itself is completed, the final measurements come in at an awe-inspiring 82 feet tall and 164 feet tall. It weighs a staggering 367 tons.
Read Also: Icon of the Seas AquaDome: Design, Features and Facts
Now that the AquaDome is attached to the mega-ship, crews can start finishing the interior of the “neighborhood,” which will offer 220-degree ocean views, a 55-foot-tall waterfall, and be a hub for nightlife.
It will also be home to the AquaTheater, where guests can enjoy adrenalin-inducing stunt shows, and several bars, lounges, and restaurants.
While many details about the new-build haven’t been released yet, she is expected to continue to improve upon her older sisters with further tweaks and upgrades – which will likely apply to the AquaDome’s offerings as well.
After an initial season in Europe, Royal Caribbean’s next addition will be based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, offering 6-night Western Caribbean itineraries and 8-night Southern Caribbean itineraries year-round.
I, for one, will be very eager to pay her a visit and see everything she has to offer in person once she is closer to me in the US.
