Royal Caribbean's newest flagship has crossed the Atlantic. Legend of the Seas, the third ship in the line's record-breaking Icon class, arrived at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday 7 November, ready for its first ever winter of Caribbean sailings.
The ship is fresh off a debut European summer, having been the first Icon-class vessel to launch in the Mediterranean. From May to October it ran routes between Barcelona and Rome, then began the transatlantic crossing at the end of October. An official naming ceremony takes place on 11 November, with the ship's godmother, General Lori J. Robinson, joining Royal Caribbean executives and loyalty guests to mark the occasion.
From Fort Lauderdale, Legend will run three-night Bahamas getaways to Perfect Day at CocoCay, the line's private island, plus six-night western Caribbean and eight-night southern Caribbean itineraries — every route stops at CocoCay. The ship returns to Europe for summer 2027 sailings from May.
What's actually on board? Quite a lot. Legend has 28 places to eat arranged across eight neighbourhoods. Standouts include the Royal Railway immersive dining experience, a Hollywood Supper Club, and a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theatre show that pumps chocolate scents through the auditorium. Thrill-seekers can try the Crown's Edge, a zip line that swings you over the edge of the ship.
Royal Caribbean isn't slowing down with the class, either. Hero of the Seas, the fourth Icon ship, launches from Miami next summer with its own bag of firsts: the Orleans Parish Supper Club, the first funnel raft slide at sea, a three-deck Ultimate Family Treehouse suite and nine pools — two more than its predecessor. There's a SpongeBob SquarePants show in the mix, plus a Coconut Cove Pool beside the existing Coconut Cove Bar, and an expanded adult-only Hideaway area with a large swim-up bar.
For travellers, this matters because Fort Lauderdale is now serving up three Icon-class ships — Icon, Star and Legend — meaning some of the biggest and newest ships afloat are sailing short-haul Caribbean itineraries from an easy-to-reach Florida port. If you want a taste of the ship without committing a full week, the three-night CocoCay escape is a low-risk sampler; families after a longer break can look at the six- or eight-night southern and western Caribbean options, which pair the ship's onboard spectacle with stops at the line's private island.
Booking ahead is worth considering: new ships on their first Caribbean season tend to draw a lot of attention, and Legend's window in Florida is finite — it heads back to the Mediterranean in May 2027. Hero of the Seas debuting in Miami next summer will also make south Florida the epicentre of Royal Caribbean's newest hardware for at least another year.
Read the full report in The Independent Travel.
