Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas sets sail ahead of summer debut
Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class cruise ship, Legend of the Seas, is sailing into its final stages of construction ahead of its maiden voyage this summer.
Beginning in July, Legend of the Seas will introduce a new type of vacation experience on one of the world's largest cruise ships that pairs Icon Class experiences with Mediterranean destinations for the first time. Then in November, the ship will make its U.S. debut to begin a season of six- and eight-night cruises to the western and southern Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
With more varied itinerary options than its sister ships and new experiences on board, Legend of the Seas offers vacationers more ways to personalize a cruise on one of Royal Caribbean's newest ships.
And now, the highly anticipated new ship is one big step closer to welcoming passengers on legendary cruise vacations.
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Legend of the Seas begins sea trials ahead of July debut
Legend of the Seas officially set sail on the open ocean for the first time on April 19, as the ship departed from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland to begin its sea trials.
The ship's sea trials will last about 10 days and consist of a comprehensive series of technical tests conducted by more than 2,000 engineers and specialists to evaluate its systems, from testing how the ship moves in the open water to pushing its engine performance to the limits and more.
Related: Why you should book a Royal Caribbean Oasis or Icon class ship
"During sea trials, all critical systems and the vessel's overall performance are evaluated under real operating conditions, including machinery, navigation, and hotel operations, to ensure everything functions as intended," Meyer Turku explained in Facebook post celebrating the milestone.
As these tests are performed, Legend will cover approximately 2,400 nautical miles before returning to the Meyer Turku shipyard for its final stages of construction ahead of its inaugural voyage in July.
Legend of the Seas' first cruise will sail from Rome
Legend of the Seas will set sail on its maiden voyage on July 4 from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, beginning its inaugural season in the Mediterranean with weeklong sailings from Rome and Barcelona, visiting destinations like Provence (Marseille), France; Naples, Italy; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
After spending the summer in Europe, the new ship will cross the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale, arriving in the U.S. in early November. Before beginning its first winter season of six-night western Caribbean cruises and eight-night southern Caribbean vacations, Legend of the Seas will sail two three-night cruises to Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.
Related: Royal Caribbean adds more choice with Legend of the Seas itineraries
On board the new ship, vacationers will find more than 40 ways to dine, drink, and be entertained with experiences for passengers of all ages across eight distinct neighborhoods designed to be destinations in themselves.
Legend of the Seas' highlights include the largest waterpark at sea, seven pools, new immersive dining experiences Hollywoodland Supper Club and Royal Railway – Legend Station, and Royal Caribbean's latest family entertainment lineup featuring the Broadway musical production of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as well as "America's Got Talent LIVE."
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 1:02 PM.