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First look at world’s largest cruise ship with 20 decks, waterpark and 40 bars and restaurants
4 September 2025, 17:28 | Updated: 4 September 2025, 17:30
As Royal Caribbean's brand new vessel Legend of the Seas hits the water for the very first time, we take a look inside the luxurious liner.
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The world’s largest cruise ship has finally hit the water, thrilling holidaymakers with its exhilarating activities and incredible design.
Royal Caribbean's brand new liner, Legend of the Seas, took to the ocean at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Tuesday and wowed onlookers with its monumental size.
Weighing in at over 250,000 tonnes, spanning a humungous 365 metres long and holding up to 7,600 passengers, the impressive vessel is breaking records at sea in more than one way.
Inside, the adventure-packed liner features a whopping 20 decks, the biggest waterpark the ocean has ever seen, an ice rink and over 40 bars and restaurants.
On board there are seven sun-soaked pools, ten all-zen whirlpools, a skywalk ropes course dangling high over the deep blue sea, a 40-foot-long surf simulator and a suspended adults-only pool.
There's also a high-tech 'AquaTheater' putting on jaw-dropping displays in front of a man-made 55-foot-tall waterfall, plus Broadway-style musicals and an arctic arena for added entertainment.
For the ultimate in family luxury, there's even two-storey cabin with a slide inside, an air hockey table and table tennis on the balcony and an in-suite cinema.
Its official splash in the water occurred on 29th August after traditional ship celebrations took place, including a gun salute, plus commemorative speeches from both the shipyard and the bosses at Royal Caribbean.
For the spectacular cruise liner to float successfully in the basin, it took workers a painstaking 12 hours to fill the dry dock with water.
The ship will remain here until the finishing touches are completed, ahead of its grand Caribbean debut in November 2026.
Next winter, it is due to set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and travel to the western and southern areas of the Caribbean region.
Before that, the Legend of the Seas will take to the Balearic Sea, with European trips departing from Barcelona during the summer of 2026.
Legend of the Seas is the third vessel within the 'Icon Class' legacy of cruise chips, launched by Royal Caribbean.
The trio, which also includes the Icon of the Seas and the Star of the Seas, are the three largest in the world.
Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku, said: "Legend of the Seas continues the state-of-the-art Icon Class, which allows the Finnish maritime industry to showcase its unique expertise at its best.
"Alongside its sister ships, Legend of the Seas will also mark an important milestone in increasingly responsible shipbuilding."
