Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon Class ship was formally named in Florida, with a pioneering military leader taking centre stage as a new Caribbean cruise season begins.
First came the passengers. Then came the christening. Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas spent the summer cruising in Europe before reaching Florida for its formal naming. In the cruise trade, it seems even a ship’s big day can wait until the next season.
The ceremony took place in Fort Lauderdale on 11 November, Veterans Day in the United States. It marked a new home port and a new run of Caribbean cruises. But the focus was not just on the ship. Royal Caribbean also paid tribute to those who have served in the armed forces, and to their families.
Its choice of godmother gave the day real weight.
Retired US Air Force General Lori J. Robinson led the blessing of the ship, crew and guests. She was the first woman to lead a US combatant command and once headed both NORAD and US Northern Command. Family members joined her as veterans and serving personnel were honoured. Robinson said:
“Being named godmother of Legend of the Seas and taking part in the naming ceremony alongside my family is a tremendous honor.”
A ship’s naming is an old rite, rooted in hopes of safe passage. On Veterans Day, that idea came with more than the usual flash of cameras and clink of glasses. It was a chance to salute those whose work, unlike a cruise ship, rarely gets a glossy brochure.
A naming, not a launch
There is a point worth clearing up. Legend of the Seas was built by Meyer Turku in Finland, handed over in June and put to work in July. It spent its first season in the Mediterranean and reached the United States on 7 November. The event four days later did not mark its first voyage. It gave the ship its formal name.
Legend is the third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class. It is also the first in that class to call Port Everglades home. For Fort Lauderdale, that brings another large draw for cruise guests. For the line, it adds a ship with a season of service behind it, rather than one sold on drawings and promises.
Royal Caribbean has plenty to sell. The ship has eight zones, or ‘neighbourhoods’, with 28 places to dine and seven pools. Count the bars, and the line lists more than 40 places to eat and drink.
The Royal Railway – Legend Station pairs dinner with a staged train trip. The Hollywoodland Supper Club draws on old Hollywood. Crown’s Edge, part skywalk and part zip line, hangs 154 feet above the sea. Those who would rather keep both feet on deck can stick to the pools.
Shows include America’s Got Talent LIVE and Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a big menu of things to do. Whether all of them suit one family is, of course, another matter.
The Caribbean takes over
The ship will now sail from Fort Lauderdale on six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean trips. Routes vary, but the line lists stops in Mexico, Aruba, Curaçao and the Dominican Republic.
The first regular eight-night cruise, due to leave on 14 November, calls at Willemstad in Curaçao, Oranjestad in Aruba and Perfect Day CocoCay in The Bahamas. Royal Caribbean says its six- and eight-night trips include CocoCay, where beaches, slides and pools are part of the draw.
Some island and ship activities cost extra. That is worth asking about before booking. A long list of things to do is not quite the same as a fare that pays for them all.
For Australians, the journey begins well before the gangway. Flights to Florida, a pre-cruise hotel, US entry rules and cruise travel insurance all add to the plans and the price. The Australian Government’s Smartraveller advice says guests should check visa and passport rules for each port, as well as permission to enter the US again after the cruise. It also advises cover that fits the voyage and shore trips.
A good travel adviser can sort out the small print while the family picks the fun stuff.
Launching a Caribbean season is big business. Still, the image that stays from this naming is not a water slide or a pool. It is a veteran, with her family beside her, wishing a ship and those on board a safe journey.
There are worse ways to begin a holiday.
By: Stephen Peters – © 2026.
Read Time: 4 minutes.
Stephen Peters has spent much of his career proving that the straight-and-narrow path is considerably overrated. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Technology from the University of Queensland and a Master’s in Management, he first ventured into hospitality, working in and helping open several five-star hotels across Sydney and Asia.
