Icon of the Seas, handed over from the Meyer Turku shipyard at the end of November, is getting a sister ship. Star of the Seas, the second ship of the Icon series to be built for Royal Caribbean International, is at the beginning of its hull assembly phase. The lowering of the keel and the related coin ceremony were celebrated at the Meyer Turku shipyard on Friday, December 15.

The lowering of the keel and the related ceremony have long traditions. At the Meyer Turku shipyard, a crane lowered a massive steel block to the bottom of the construction pool on trestles to signal the start of assembling the ship's hull. Under the steel block, the coins placed there by the ship's customer and builder's representatives a moment before were left. Since ancient Roman times, such lucky coins have sailed with ships, bringing them protection.

"Star of the Seas is very important for both the shipyard and the partner network: the 13,000 man-years spent on building the ship create employment and business in Finland proper and, with the supply chains, significantly wider. After completion, Star of the Seas will strengthen a completely new kind of cruise experience with the standards set by its sister ship Icon," says CEO Tim Meyer.

Star of the Seas will begin operating in the Caribbean from its home port of Port Canaveral, Florida in August 2025.