Royal Caribbean begins building follow-up to Utopia of the Seas
Shortly after taking delivery of its third Icon-class cruise ship, Legend of the Seas, from shipbuilding partner Meyer Turku in Finland, Royal Caribbean celebrated another milestone in new ship construction.
On June 11, Royal Caribbean and shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique held a keel-laying ceremony at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France to kick off physical construction on the seventh Oasis-class cruise ship, set to launch in 2028.
In shipbuilding tradition, teams from Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l'Atlantique placed a layer of symbolic coins beneath the first steel block in the dry dock, known as the keel. The time-honored maritime ritual represents a wish of good fortune for the ship, its crew, and all its voyages ahead.
"The first block of Oasis 7 has been set in the dry dock by the TGP, in the presence of Royal Caribbean Group and Chantiers de l'Atlantique teams - as Oasis 7's assembly officially begins," Chantiers de l'Atlantique shared in a Facebook post. "A cherished shipbuilding tradition was honored: a symbolic euro and dollar coin were sealed in a steel tube, wishing the ship fair winds - in the shipyard and at sea."
With the ship's first block now set, its assembly will begin, commencing a physical construction process that will take about two years. As construction gets underway, vacationers can expect Royal Caribbean to reveal details on the soon-to-be-named ship, its home port, and inaugural itineraries by early 2027.
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Seventh Oasis-class ship follows 2024 launch of Utopia of the Seas
Oasis 7 follows Utopia of Seas, the sixth Oasis-class cruise ship, which launched from Port Canaveral, Florida in July 2024. Utopia and its Miami-based sister ship, Wonder of the Seas, sail short three- and four-night getaways to The Bahamas from Florida.
Related: Why you should book a Royal Caribbean Oasis or Icon class ship
Short cruises on the newest Oasis-class ships pair high-energy entertainment and new dining experiences with popular Royal Caribbean exclusive destinations in The Bahamas. Cruises on both ships visit Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as Nassau, where passengers can take a shore excursion to the cruise line's new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
Since this new style of Oasis-class cruises has proven to be a successful strategy for Royal Caribbean to maximize revenue, it's highly likely that Oasis 7 will continue the trend of short cruises to Royal Caribbean exclusive destinations.
Royal Caribbean to launch more Icon-class ships, new Discovery-class ships
In addition to launching Oasis 7 in 2028, Royal Caribbean is set to debut four more Icon-class cruise ships between 2027 and 2030, and the first ship in its new Discovery Class in 2029.
Royal Caribbean's pipeline of new ships under construction or on order includes:
- Hero of the Seas: The fourth Icon-class ship launching from Miami in August 2027
- Oasis 7: The seventh Oasis-class ship under construction for delivery in 2028
- Icon 5: The fifth Icon-class ship under construction for delivery in 2028
- Discovery 1: The first Discovery-class ship slated to debut in 2029
- Icon 6: The sixth Icon-class ship ordered for delivery in 2029
- Icon 7: The seventh Icon-class ship scheduled for delivery in 2030
- Discovery 2: The second Discovery-class ship ordered for delivery in 2032
Related: Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas ready for European debut
These new cruise ships are expected to be complemented by new exclusive Royal Caribbean destinations in Mexico and the South Pacific.
Following the launch of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau in late 2025 and the line's newest beach club in Santorini, Greece in 2026, Royal Beach Club Lelepa is slated to open in the island nation of Vanuatu in October 2027 to enhance cruises from Australia.
Royal Caribbean is also working to transform Mexico cruises with exclusive Royal Caribbean destinations. Royal Beach Club Cozumel is expected to open in 2028, while previously announced plans for new Costa Maya destination Perfect Day Mexico are on hold until a site can be found that meets the approval of Mexico's environmental authorities.
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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 9:24 AM.