By the Caribbean Journal staff

Royal Caribbean Cruises is adding another new ship to its growing fleet.

The company has entered into an agreement with Meyer Turku to order a third “Icon-class” ship, slated for delivery in 2025.

The as-yet-unnamed ship will join two other Icon-class ships already in development, scheduled for delivery in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

“We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our Icon-class fleet that affirms our commitment to clean-power technologies at sea,” said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  “We’ve designed a class of ships powered by liquefied natural gas that leverages the latest, environmentally-friendly applications.  We believe that innovative shipbuilding can reduce our carbon footprint and boost energy efficiencies to help to build a cleaner future.”

The new 200,000-gross-ton, 5000-passenger ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas, part of a growing trend toward cleaner propulsion in the cruise industry.

“These are exciting times for Royal Caribbean, and we have an incredible partner in Meyer Turku to bring to life now three vessels of what will be a remarkable class of ships,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Building on our vision with the addition of a third order is a testament to our confidence in the innovative design and energy-efficient technology and engineering that will, without a doubt, make Icon class a game changer.”

— CJ