The world's largest £1.5bn 'mega-cruise ship' with 40 bars to launch in 2026

An epic new cruiseship, the largest in the world, took a major step closer to entering service in recent weeks ahead of its 2026 launch. Legend of the Seas is the third of RoyalCaribbean's Icon Class ships, which set a new standard in terms of scale and onboard attractions for pleasure vessels.

The new cruise ship class also includes Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, which only entered service in August. Legend of the Seas matches its colossal size with a gross tonnage of around 250,000 and a length of 1,198 ft and a width of 213ft.

Like its sister vessels, Legend is more akin to a small city on the sea, boasting approximately 2,800 cabins, with sufficient space to accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and as many as 3,000 crew members.

In a press release on September 2, the Miami-based cruise line firm announced that the mega-cruise had officially touched water for the first time during a ceremony at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, where work on preparing it continues.

As with the other Icon-class liners, the liquified natural gas-powered ship features a huge waterpark with a striking network of slides, in addition to numerous luxurious features.

These include its "Crown's Edge" skywalk, seven pools, 10 whirlpools, and even a surf simulator.

It will be set across eight "neighbourhoods" with their own distinct style and attractions.

There's also an array of hospitality options, with 40 bars and restaurants to choose from.

While there's no word officially on the what it will cost to build, The Independent previously reported that like the Star of the Seas, Legend would be in the region of $2billion (around £1.5bn).

According to Royal Caribbean's website, cruises on the ship with be "debuting in summer 2026 from Barcelona, Spain, and winter 2026 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida".