Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Legend of the Seas reveal

Royal Caribbean has opened up bookings for its newest cruise ship, Legend of the Seas.

While the cruise line advertised the official opening for bookings is on Thursday, Feb. 20, in practical terms, it's open for bookings now.

In case you missed it, Legend of the Seas will be the name of the third Icon Class ship, and Royal Caribbean revealed details about the ship yesterday.

This is going to be one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, coming in at 250,800 gross tons, and be able to accommodate up to 7,600 passengers.

Unlike the two ships that came before it, Legend will begin sailing in Europe before coming to the United States.  Here's what to know about the first sailings.

First sailings on two continents

You could book the first sailing across two different inaugural voyages.

Legend of the Seas will welcome paying guests for the first time when she departs Barcelona, Spain on August 2, 2026.

The first sailing is a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise that will visit France, Spain, and Italy.

It's a significant move to have a new ship start in Europe, as Royal Caribbean has shied away from this for a while.

According to Royal Caribbean, it's an opportunity to answer demand from Europeans who have wanted an Icon Class ship, "our guests across Europe have been asking for for an Icon Class ship to to be based there. And this was the right time to bring it," said Royal Caribbean Chief Marketing Officer Kara Wallace.

Legend remains in Europe through October, until the ship departs on a 13-night transatlantic sailing.

The new ship heads to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where the first sailing is a quick 3-night sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

There are additional 6- and 8-night Caribbean voyages through April 2027.

How much does Legend of the Seas cost?

If you're looking to book a cruise on Legend, it's not going to be a cheap deal.

New cruise ships tend to come with higher prices, and Legend of the Seas is no exception to that trend.

In the first hours the new bookings are available to book, the least expensive sailing on the vessel available to book was the 3-night inaugural sailing from Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 11, 2026.

It starts at $918.99 per person, including taxes, fees, and port charges.

Of course, that 3-night cruise is an outlier, as it's the only short sailing.  

The next least expensive sailing is one of the last cruises in Europe before Legend transitions to North America.

The September 20, 2026 7-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain starts at $1,567.67 per person, including taxes, fees, and port charges.

Not surprisingly, the most expensive sailing is a 6-night western Caribbean Christmas voyage that begins on Dec. 20, 2026.

There are 28 stateroom categories, including some truly amazing suites with eye-opening prices.

There's some sticker shock with the price for the top two suites on Legend of the Seas, but that's been a trend since Icon of the Seas first went on sale.

At the upper end of the spectrum, the Royal Loft Suite will cost $115,972.40 for two people on that aforementioned Dec. 20 sailing.

That gets you 2,088 sq. ft of living space, which is the most luxurious suite within the Royal Caribbean fleet.

On the same cruise, the incredible Ultimate Family Townhouse that spans three decks, a slide, white picket fence, and movie room will cost you $110,232.40 for two people.

These two suites are the biggest suites on the ship, with enough space and features to rival some homes. Plus, they come with the cruise line's top perks that include almost everything in your cruise fare and provide front of the line access in many cases.

Suites are always a splurge and expensive, but they also come with tremendous benefits.

Other suites are priced comparatively lower, but like all cabins on a brand new ship, you'll pay a premium for that privilege.

Prices will probably only go up

Don't expect fares for Legend of the Seas to come down anytime soon.

Royal Caribbean Group executives said as much during a recent earnings call, when they forecasted the trend of cruise prices rising to continue through 2025 and beyond.

"Demand for 2025 is strong with book load factors in line with prior years and at higher rates, allowing for further pricing and yield growth as 2025 bookings continue to ramp up," said Royal Caribbean Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz during an earnings call with investors.

Your best price strategy for cruising on Legend of the Seas is too book quickly before prices go higher.

A recent analysis of Royal Caribbean cruise prices indicate fares start rising about 10-12 months before the sailing begins.

Pricing trends show fluctuations in price a year before the sail date, but once you reach that 10 month window, prices only tend to trend upwards.

An added benefit to booking a cruise so far in advance is you might be able to reprice the cruise if there are price drops later.

Residents of select countries can utilize Royal Caribbean's price match option, assuming they take the time to track their cruise fare price.

Royal Caribbean is ready to do something it's never done before: bring back a retired cruise ship name to honor its next new vessel.

The cruise line confirmed a not-so-well-kept secret that it will name its third Icon Class cruise ship, Legend of the Seas.

The name was previously used for one of the cruise line's Vision Class ships, launched in 1995. 

That ship would have been dwarfed by the new Legend of the Seas, as the original was only 70,000 gross tons and had a capacity of about 2,000 passengers.  The new cruise ship will be able to handle about 7,000 passengers when at full capacity and is 250,800 gross tons in size.

In 2017, Royal Caribbean sold Legend of the Seas to a cruise line now known as Marella Cruises, where it was renamed Marella Discovery.

Being the third Icon Class ship, Legend of the Seas is going to follow-up on the tremendous success of the world's largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas. The Icon Class has been nothing short of incredible for Royal Caribbean.  

These ships have been a hit with passengers and critics alike, as it's set a new standard for what a megaship can offer.

Not only did Royal Caribbean share the ship's name, but we also have details on when she'll begin offering cruises.

Debuting in Europe first

Royal Caribbean will begin sailings on Legend of the Seas in the Mediterranean first, and then transition to Florida.

Beginning in August 2026, Legend of the Seas will offer 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Spain. (Originally the cruise line said it would be July, but the the new first sailing is in August 2026).

Legend will visit ports of call in France, Italy and Spain, that include historical significance and beautiful landscapes.

The inaugural Legend of the Seas cruise will be on August 2, 2026, which is a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona. It will visit Palma De Mallorca, Spain, Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy, Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, and Naples, Italy.

Here's a breakdown of the of inaugural European sailings:

After the summer cruising season concludes, Legend will move to her new homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Beginning in November 2026, Legend of the Seas will offer 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Southern Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.

The first sailing of Legend in Fort Lauderdale will be on November 11, and it's a 3-night voyage that visits just Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas

In addition, Legend of the Seas will remain in Fort Lauderdale until at least April 2027.

Bookings open tomorrow

You'll be able to start booking sailings this week.  Officially, it goes on sale Thursday, Feb. 20, but expect bookings to open up on Tuesday as an early start.

"A jaw dropping, showstopping, stunning ship"

Naming this new cruise ship Legend of the Seas is significant because of what the name means literally, as well as to the company.

"The Icon Class as a name really sets a really high bar...so we needed a third name that really fit with that," Kara Wallace, Royal Caribbean's chief marketing officer, told Royal Caribbean Blog in an exclusive interview.

"Legend is, not only fitting of the class, but an homage to everything that came before it."

Introducing a third Icon Class ship is something Royal Caribbean can't wait to debut, because of all the success Icon of the Seas has had so far.

"This ship truly has lived up to all of the hype and then some." Wallace said.

Bringing Legend to Europe first is something Royal Caribbean is doing to match what its customers have been clamoring for, "our guests across Europe have been asking for for an Icon Class ship to to be based there, and this was the right time to bring it," Wallace explained.

"The ship will come straight from delivery into Europe, and it's taking now what is going to be a legendary ship and bringing it to legendary destinations."

What will be different on Legend of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean didn't share many details about what will be different about Legend, but Ms. Wallace suggested it won't be a carbon copy of Icon or Star either.

"We'll tweak things as we learn and as we go along to make them both fresh, interesting, but also deliver on the experiences that our guests are asking for and will continue to do that on this ship alike," Wallace said. "Things like entertainment and shows, theming on some venues will constantly be adapted for market, and we'll reveal them in the coming months."

A change that has been leaked already is that the Supper Club will have a Hollywood theme to it.  

Icon of the Seas had a New York theme, and Star of the Seas' version will have a Chicagoland theme.

One thing you won't see is Legend being slightly bigger than Icon or Star of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider has previously said each Icon Class ship will not be a little bit bigger than the previous one.

"Star will not be a foot bigger. It will be 1198ft long. The third ship in the icon class will also be 1198ft long," he said during an interview held on Icon of the Seas.

Legend of the Seas is being built now

While the ship's name and homeport are news, the ship has been under construction for months.

The first piece of steel was cut in January 2024 for Legend of the Seas. When the steel cutting ceremony is held, it marks the official start of construction.

Then in October 2024, the keel was laid and the ship is being assembled as we speak.

Other milestones include floating out, and delivery.

Building on Icon's record-breaking success for Royal Caribbean

Ever since Icon of the Seas started wowing passengers, the new ship has exceeded even the company's highest expectations.

According to Ms. Wallace, the ship has set a new benchmark for guest satisfaction—not just within the cruise industry, but across all of hospitality.

"It’s delivering at the highest levels of guest satisfaction that we’ve ever seen across our brands, across the industry, and across all of hospitality,” Wallace said. “And that’s really by far and wide margin."

Royal Caribbean re-imagined what a cruise ship could be when it designed Icon of the Seas, calling the ship a "white paper" design because everything was conceived without any pre-existing ideas. Wallace highlighted how the ship’s vibrant design and innovative features created excitement from the moment it launched.

"I think it was highly anticipated when it came to market,” she said. “Last year, the demand for it was off the charts, creating excitement through its colors, its vibrancy, its energy."

One of the most talked-about features is Surfside, a neighborhood designed specifically for families, offering a space where they can “stay and play all day.” The AquaDome, a stunning architectural space with breathtaking exterior views and immersive entertainment, has also left a lasting impression.

Meanwhile, the ship’s water park, Thrill Island, brings an unprecedented level of excitement to the cruise experience.

"It wasn’t one slide, two slides—it’s multiple slides," Wallace said. "The slide experiences are great, and that theming and experience runs throughout a whole neighborhood."

Icon's connection to the water was also one of its primary goals that the ship delivered on, offering expansive sea views throughout the ship.

"I think the flow of the ship, of Icon Class, in terms of bringing the sea to the ship and the expansive views edge to edge, is something that we haven’t experienced on a class of ships like this yet," she noted. "And certainly what that did for the promenade experience and the inclusion of The Pearl—one of my favorite things to do is watch TikTok or Instagram videos when people first board Icon and they just see the magnitude of the ship. That first impression with The Pearl—there’s nothing like it."

Wallace also emphasized that social media has played a major role in Icon of the Seas’ success, as guests eagerly share their experiences online.

"We’re seeing that in the popularity—not just in how people are experiencing the ship, but how they’re also reliving and posting their experiences all over social media," she said. "It is truly a jaw-dropping, showstopping, stunning ship when you see it in person."

A key factor in Icon of the Seas’ success is its focus on families of all kinds. From young kids to teens, multi-generational groups to extended families, the ship offers an unmatched variety of accommodations and entertainment to suit every type of traveler.

"We are a family brand," Wallace said. "When we think about families, it’s every single type of family. It’s families with young kids, it’s families with teenagers, it’s extended families, multi-generational families. And when you think about Icon, it truly does have something for all of those different types of families."

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas departed on March 13th for her last ever sailing under Royal Caribbean colors.

Photo by CruiseArabiaOnline

Legend of the Seas was launched in 1996, and has sailed more than 600 cruise itineraries and is the most-travelled ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

During her career she has been based in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, Alaska, Central America, Caribbean, the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Middle East. No other Royal Caribbean ship has been so widely deployed.

Legend of the Seas will be handed over to TUI Group’s Thomson Cruises subsidiary after her arrival in Barcelona in two weeks.

"Since its inaugural sailing, Legend of the Seas has created many wonderful memories for hundreds of thousands of guests, and we expect this successful history to continue as she transitions to Thomson Cruises," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  "While she will be missed, her transition supports our objective of moderate capacity growth."

Photo by CruiseArabiaOnline

Legend of the Seas is scheduled to depart Dubai Cruise Terminal at 8pm, with events planned on-board to mark her last ever sailing under Royal Caribbean colors.

“The fact that she is sailing from Dubai on this last ever cruise speaks to the importance of the city as a new global cruise destination,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said.

Legend of the Seas was in port in Dubai at the same time as her fleet mate and sister ship Vision of the Seas, which is currently homeporting in Dubai for the 2016/17 cruise season.

Royal Caribbean announced today it will sell Legend of the Seas to Thomson Cruises in the spring of 2017.

Legend of the Seas first entered service with Royal Caribbean in 1995. The 69,130-gross-registered-tons ship carries 1,832 guests (double occupancy) and 726 crew.

"Since its inaugural sailing, Legend of the Seas has created many wonderful memories for hundreds of thousands of guests, and we expect this successful history to continue as she transitions to Thomson Cruises," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  "While she will be missed, her transition supports Double-Double and our objective of moderate capacity growth."

Legend of the Seas' final sailing will be on March 13, 2017, with the officers and crew remaining with Royal Caribbean.

The current round trip Brisbane, Australia sailings departing on January 6, 15, 29 and February 8 will operate as scheduled.

All scheduled sailings from February 20, 2017 onward will be canceled.  This includes the summer season cruises from Venice, Italy as well as the balance of the Brisbane itineraries.

A series of three repositioning cruises will be offered beginning on February 20 from Brisbane.  This will include an 11-night sailing from Brisbane to Singapore, as well as a 10-night cruise from Singapore to Dubai and a 13-night sailing from Dubai to Barcelona.

To accommodate guests booked on the affected sailings, Royal Caribbean will provide vacationers with a full refund of their cruise fare, the opportunity to re-book on another Royal Caribbean ship as well as an onboard credit to use during the newly booked sailing. In addition, vacationers who purchased airfare through Royal Caribbean will receive a full refund. Guests purchasing their own airfare will be given a refund for their airline change fee. All refund transactions will be automatically processed back to the original form of payment within four to six weeks. Commissions for travel agents will be protected for all cruises that are fully paid.

Guests requesting more information are asked to contact Royal Caribbean International’s customer service team at 1-800-256-6649 or their travel agent.

We love looking at beautiful Royal Caribbean photos and today we have a handful of great ones to share.

Photographer Rob Starling shared these great shots of four different Royal Caribbean ships coming and leaving Port Everglades, Florida.

Liberty of the Seas

Legend of the Seas

Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas

Independence of the Seas

All photos copyright Rob Starling.

Royal Caribbean announced due to the progress of Tropical Cyclone Ula, the planned itinerary for Legend of the Seas will have be changed.

The cyclone has required Royal Caribbean to alter Legend of the Seas current 11 night South Pacific cruise, which, departed Brisbane on December 30, 2015.

Instead of calling at Lautoka and Suva in Fiji, the cruise will now call on January 6 at Champagne Bay, Vanuatu.

Royal Caribbean's decision to cancel the calls in Fiji is centered around the safety of guests and crew and to avoid the path of the storm.

All pre-booked Royal Caribbean Fiji shore excursions will be refunded as a result of this change.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will be based out of Brisbane, Australia for the next five months as she begins offering service in the area for the summer cruise season.

Legend of the Seas arrived at Brisbane’s Portside Wharf yesterday.

With her time there, about 30,000 passengers will arrive and depart on Legend of the Seas while in Brisbane, and is expected to pump $20 million in to the Queensland economy.

Legend of the Seas' first cruise was a three-day cruise and will offer other cruises to the South Pacific, Queensland coast and New Zealand.

Royal Caribbean’s regional vice president Gavin Smith commented on the arrival of Legend of the Seas, "Southeast Queensland is our second biggest market in Australia and lots of our passengers were flying down to Sydney from Queensland anyway."

Royal Caribbean is celebrating the arrival of Legend of the Seas to Australia with a new contest, where guests can enter to win a 2-night getaway cruise on Legend of the Seas.

The grand prize is a 2 night sampler cruise for two people in a Balcony stateroom on Legend of the Seas departing Brisbane on 8 December 2015.

Part of the contest asks entrants in 25 words or less, to nominate a legend in their life and tell Royal Caribbean what makes them legendary.

The contest is only open to Australian residents aged 18 years or over. Submissions are open beginning Wednesday 23 September 2015 and closes at 11:59PM AEST on Sunday 11 October 2015.

Entrants are limited to one (1) per person in accordance with the entry requirements. 

Five lucky winners will be selected and the winner's names will be posted to the Royal Caribbean Australia and New Zealand Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/RCIAustraliaandNZ.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas has returned to her homeport of Singapore, where she will begin her autumn 2015 cruise season with three- to 14-night cruises in Southeast Asia.

Legend of the Seas had previously homeported in the region between 2008 and 2013.  

She will offer cruises ranging between three- and 14-night sailings, that will take her to 19 ports in 10 countries.  Guests will be able to visit countries such as Vietnam, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Legend of the Seas’ itineraries include a three-night voyage to Penang and Kuala Lumpur, a five-night cruise to Bangkok and Koh Samui, a 10-night cruise to Koh Samui, Bangkok, Sihanoukville,Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, a 10-night one-way cruise to Koh Samui, Bangkok, Sihanoukville, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Danang and Hong Kong, a 10-night one-way cruise from Hong Kong to Taipei, Manila, Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Kota Kinabalu, Bandar Seri Begawan and Singapore, and a 14-night one-way cruise to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Phuket,Bali, Lombok, Broome, Geraldton and Perth.

Legend of the Seas will leave Singapore in November 2015, to move to Australia for the winter cruise season.