The Meyer Turku shipyard has been entrusted with constructing yet another sister ship of the autumn 2023-launched Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise vessel.

The second in the series, Star of the Seas, is scheduled for handover in 2025, with the third joining one year later, and the latest order in 2027.

The newest contract also includes an option for two more Icon-class cruisers.

The 248,655-gross tonnage Icon of the Seas, plying in the Caribbean Sea, is 365 metres long and offers room for 7,600 passengers.

According to the Finnish Broadcasting Company, the recent newbuilds proved to be money-losing for Meyer Turku. In 2023, the shipyard was in the red in the excess of €106 million, while the loss for 2022 totted up to €19m. Last year, the company's cash flow decreased from €170m to €41m. Meyer Turku managed to only partly make up for the losses when renegotiating contracts that were signed when construction costs were noticeably lower than today.

Meanwhile, Meyer Turku's parent company from the German Papenburg is seeking state support to stay afloat, some €2.7 billion.

Photo: Royal Caribbean