A Construction Milestone
Hero of the Seas reached a key stage in its construction this week when builders at Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland floated the vessel out of dry dock. The process involved filling the dock with approximately 90 million gallons of water, allowing the ship to be moved to an outfitting pier where interior and exterior work will continue through next year.
At present, only the AquaDome structure is visible on the ship's exterior. Over the coming months, workers will install waterslides, dining venues, pool decks and passenger cabins. The vessel is scheduled to enter service in Miami in August 2027, according to Royal Caribbean.
Hero will become the fourth ship in the Icon class, following Icon, Star and Legend. These vessels represent the line's largest category, designed around eight themed neighbourhoods that range from the greenery-filled Central Park deck to Surfside, an area aimed at families with young children.
What Sets Hero Apart
While Hero shares the basic layout of its Icon-class siblings, Royal Caribbean has added features specific to this vessel. The ship will carry nine pools, two more than previous Icon-class ships. A new Coconut Cove Pool will sit alongside the existing Coconut Cove Bar, and the adults-only Hideaway area will gain a large swim-up bar.
Dining options will number 28 across the ship, alongside a waterpark and Crown's Edge, an attraction that lets passengers zipline along the side of the vessel approximately 154 feet above the water. New additions include Orleans Parish Supper Club, a restaurant concept, and what Royal Caribbean describes as the first funnel raft slide at sea.
Accommodation will include a three-deck Ultimate Family Treehouse suite, designed for multi-generational groups travelling together.
Caribbean Itineraries and Pricing
Hero's inaugural season will focus on seven-night Caribbean sailings departing from Miami. Itineraries will include stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas that has been developed with waterslides, beach areas and dedicated zones for different passenger demographics.
Bookings opened earlier this year. Fares begin at £897 per person, according to Royal Caribbean, though that entry price will vary depending on cabin category, sailing date and how far in advance passengers book.
The Broader Icon Expansion
The Icon class marks a capacity expansion for Royal Caribbean, which has been adding ships steadily over the past decade. Each vessel in this category is larger than the line's previous Oasis-class ships, with more dining venues, more pools and a greater number of cabins.
The float-out milestone means Hero is roughly on schedule. Cruise ships typically spend 12 to 18 months in outfitting after leaving dry dock, a period when most of the visible passenger spaces take shape. Meyer Turku has built multiple ships for Royal Caribbean over the past two decades, including several Oasis-class vessels.
Whether the Icon class will grow beyond four ships remains an open question. Royal Caribbean has not announced orders for a fifth Icon-class vessel, though the line has historically expanded popular ship categories when demand supports it. For now, the focus is on getting Hero finished and into service next summer.
