How Cruise Ships Are Built: Inside the Process
Inside the Fascinating Craft of Boat Building
By Wanda Duncan | Published on October 30, 2025
The world’s largest cruise ship is just shy of touching the Empire State Building’s 102nd-floor observation deck. At 1,197 feet, Icon of the Seas® can welcome up to 7,600 guests.
These floating cities combine choice dining, riveting entertainment, and lavish accommodations that make you want to daydream about your next trip for just five minutes longer.
For over 50 years, Royal Caribbean has brought its vision of masterfully forged ships and top-of-the-line service to life.
But how are cruise ships built? Let’s examine exactly what goes into making the ships and experiences that first-time and repeat guests alike have come to rave about.
How Are Cruise Ships Built?
Cruise ships are a collaborative effort produced over several phases. But like most ambitious projects, they all start with an idea.
If you’re wondering how you can enjoy so many activities and amenities (many included in your cruise fare) on just one ship, it’s due to careful, intentional ship design. Experts sit down to plan out how you can attend Broadway-scale shows, grab a decadent meal, ride a surf simulator and go rock climbing all in the same place.
Cruise ships are built through the following stages:
- ● Design.
- ● Construction.
- ● Float-out and outfitting.
- ● Testing and sea trials.
- ● Debuting and delivering.
Whether you’re a huge fan or just curious, see a breakdown of each phase of cruise ship construction for a behind-the-scenes look at how cruise ships are built.
Cruise Ship Design
Every Royal Caribbean ship is designed with guests in mind. Naval architects, designers, and engineers reflect on what guests need, what the future of cruising could look like and what experiences and features can set the brand apart.
They ask questions about the kind of vacationers they want to serve:
- ● What do those guests want and need?
- ● What will absolutely delight them?
- ● How can experts think out of the box?
- ● What hasn’t been done on the seas before?
The team has also created an Innovation Lab that allows them to visualize their concepts and walk through their collaboration, using virtual reality to get a better feel for what works and doesn’t work.
Sustainability has also been an important factor in ship design. From energy-efficient bow shapes and waste-to-energy systems to a cleaner-burning fuel called LNG on Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has been implementing ways to reduce its environmental impact.
Cruise Ship Construction
Once the blueprints from the design phase are finalized, the construction phase can begin. Where are cruise ships built? Royal Caribbean uses three shipyards for construction:
- ● Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland.
- ● Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.
- ● Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Depending on the size of the ship, the plans head to one of the three shipyards, and the first milestone is observed.
Cruise ship construction is typically marked with a ceremony to invite good fortune for the ship and crew. The modern version of this maritime tradition is a steel-cutting celebration to commemorate the beginning of the construction process. The symbolic cut steel is typically used for the main body or hull of the ship.
From there, the manufacturing process continues in a facility near the shipyard where massive sheets of steel are cut into segments. Cruise ships aren’t built from the ground up; they’re formed in blocks, which can weigh hundreds of tons. Those prefabricated blocks are transported to the shipyard, then assembled and welded to form the ship's body.
Another milestone is celebrated once the keel, the ship’s backbone, is laid. During the keel-laying ceremony, coins are laid under the keel to represent the team effort required that makes successful construction possible.
A common question is, “Do they build cruise ships in the water?” This initial assembly is done entirely in a dry dock, where the hull is supported by blocks.
Fitting together the enormous pieces takes about a year; it takes another year to weld everything together. After the main body is completed, often using heavy machinery and cranes, work starts on the interior and exterior of the ship.
Experts clean and paint the hull, install pre-produced cabins, and build public spaces and venues. The cabins alone take about a year to be made in a nearby facility.
Launching And Outfitting
At this point, the ship is ready to undergo its first float-out or launch. The dry dock is flooded, and the ship gets to float in the sea for the first time. After a successful float-out, the ship leaves the dock.
Meanwhile, any remaining construction on the ship continues, including fitting out the ship with the engine, propellers and other machinery, systems and components.
Experts also add Interior touches during this phase, including essentials such as furniture, carpet and lighting.
Testing And Sea Trials
Another major milestone arrives when it’s time to test the ship’s performance, speed, and safety to meet operational standards. Sea trials take place in open water to ensure the ship is seaworthy, built to specification and ready for service. This rigorous testing can take place over hours or days.
Finishing touches are also completed on the ship, and it’s fully stocked with your favorites.
Debuting And Delivering
Picture a time-lapse with workers all offering their skills, from welders and electricians to engineers and safety inspectors, to complete such a colossal-scale construction. With everyone doing their part, finally the construction work is done, and it’s time for the launch ceremony.
Bringing the scene of your favorite movie to life, the joyous occasion arrives with the christening of the ship, where a bottle of champagne is broken against the bow of the ship for good luck.
The ship embarks on a delivery voyage where the shipyard crew delivers the completed ship to its destination. This signifies the final step, where the builder hands over the brand-new cruise ship to Royal Caribbean.
More than good luck, Royal Caribbean has been winning awards since 1992. Every single voyage stemmed from an idea and a desire to be excellent from your very first step on board. Imagine the ingenuity that produced 29 ships sailing hundreds of itineraries to ports of call around the world.
Fun Facts About Cruise Ship Creation
With more than 34 million vacationers taking a cruise in 2024, it’s no surprise that many become curious about the brilliantly engineered ships that fuel their holiday bucket lists. Some common questions arise, like:
- ● “How long does it take to build a cruise ship?”
- ● “How much does it cost to build a cruise ship?”
- ● “Why isn’t there a floor 13 on cruise ships?”
Duration
From concept to construction, a cruise ship can take over five years to build. The ship itself can take anywhere from a year to three years to build, depending on the size and features of the ship.
Cost
With such a highly specialized process, just to get an idea, Icon of the Seas costs $2 billion. The size, features, and other fluctuating costs such as materials and labor determine the price to build a ship.
Floor 13
Some cruise ships lack a 13th floor due to triskaidekaphobia — a superstition that the number 13 is unlucky. Some newer Royal Caribbean lines don’t have a Deck 13, such as the Icon Class and Oasis Class. Other ships have them but may not use them for staterooms, like the Voyager Class and the Freedom Class. The Quantum Class does use its Deck 13 for staterooms.
Experience The Craft Of A Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
Who knew such craftsmanship and intention were behind every detail of your Royal Caribbean vacation? From the first blueprint to the debut, teams work to deliver the voyage you bring your family on and tell all your friends about.
And what an exhilarating experience to sail on a ship’s first trip, called a maiden voyage. When you look around the ship as you maneuver from the waterpark to a free world-class meal to miniature golf, you’re immersed in years of design and craft. How marvelous that every single phase of building a cruise ship culminates in the memorable holiday you’ve been craving.
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