Legend of the Seas Will Debut Earlier, New Sailing...

Building and outfitting is transferring alongside at a very legendary tempo for Royal Caribbean’s upcoming third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, and a brand new first crusing has now been added.

The ship will now debut on July 4, 2026, one week sooner than her preliminary July 11 maiden voyage and practically a full month earlier than the unique August 2 debut date.

Royal Caribbean has reached out to visitors booked on the July 11 crusing to offer them the chance to maneuver to the sooner voyage if they like. For a lot of cruise visitors, the privilege of being a part of a ship’s maiden voyage is really a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list journey.

“We merely can not wait to point out off The Subsequent Icon of Holidays,” the email notification reads. “We’ve got no added one (1) further crusing, a 7-Night time Western Mediterranean Cruise on 4 July 2026, that would be the inaugural crusing to kick off the celebrations for our inaugural season!”

This new inaugural crusing will depart from Rome (Civitavecchia) and go to Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Florence earlier than returning to Rome on July 11.

Legend of the Seas is at the moment underneath development on the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The ship nonetheless must be completed, full her sea trials, and be handed over to the cruise line, however all the pieces is forward of schedule for her to hitch the fleet with nice fanfare.

Booked Friends Can Set Sail Early

To be clear, the July 11 departure is unchanged, this new crusing is solely welcoming visitors one week earlier. If that first-aboard feeling is particularly essential to visitors, nevertheless, they do have an choice to alter their crusing date.

“As you will have booked your Legend of the Seas crusing to be first onboard, you’ll now have the chance to maneuver your present reserving to the primary 5-Night time Western Mediterranean Cruise as of right now!” the e-mail defined.

Transfers to the sooner crusing are on a first-come, first-served foundation and shall be made in the identical stateroom or, the place needed, a like-for-like stateroom.

The unique worth visitors booked for the July 11 voyage is protected, but when the July 4 crusing is definitely a decrease fare, the lower cost will apply and any overage shall be refunded again to the unique type of cost.

Friends will nonetheless be answerable for taxes, charges, and any add-ons resembling drink packages, pre-paid gratuities, and shore excursions on the prevailing charges for the brand new crusing date.

Learn Additionally: How Much Is a Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas?

If visitors are interested by transferring to the sooner crusing and booked airfare via Royal Caribbean’s Air2Sea program, the staff will modify flights as needed. These visitors who made unbiased preparations for airfare or accommodations can submit receipts for reimbursement for as much as $200 (USD) for home journey or $400 for worldwide journey, per individual.

Will the July 11 Crusing Nonetheless Be Particular?

As a result of an inaugural cruise is such a novel and actually once-in-a-ship’s-lifetime occasion, visitors who can not transfer to the sooner July 4 departure are naturally involved about whether or not or not their July 11 departure will nonetheless have that particular really feel.

“To not fear, our 11 July crusing that’s a part of our showcase will nonetheless happen,” the e-mail confirmed.

Luckily, cruise traces now not deal with only a single voyage as particular, however your entire first season of a ship’s service has a novel and unforgettable really feel with particular memento swag, unique inaugural merchandise, and all kinds of enjoyable onboard.

This ensures that extra folks can expertise the distinctive alternative to welcome a brand new ship to the fleet, and it helps assuage any disappointment when plans have to alter, as they’ve for Legend of the Seas.

The truth is, this isn’t the primary time the ship’s debut has been moved earlier. In September 2025, Royal Caribbean introduced three earlier sailings departing July 11, July 18, and July 25.

Comparable gives had been made for booked visitors to regulate their crusing date if desired, giving everybody the chance to be the “first” aboard what is going to actually be a legendary cruise ship.