Legend of the Seas departed Civitavecchia on July 4, 2026 on its first paying voyage, a seven-night Western Mediterranean round-trip calling at La Spezia, Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, and Barcelona. The ship, delivered by the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on June 10, came in ahead of schedule, which is why Royal Caribbean moved the maiden date forward twice from its original August 2 target.
At roughly 250,800 gross tons and approximately 1,197 feet in length, Legend edges out its two sisters, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, to hold the title of the world's largest cruise ship. It carries 5,610 guests at double occupancy and up to about 7,600 at full capacity with a crew of 2,350. Unlike the first two Icon-class ships, Legend has no conference center onboard; an expanded casino took over that space.
The ship will spend the summer running seven-night Mediterranean itineraries from both Civitavecchia and Barcelona before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale in November for six- and eight-night Western and Southern Caribbean sailings that include stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Headlining the entertainment lineup is a Broadway-style production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which Royal Caribbean has partnered with Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity to stage during the inaugural European season.
Executives sailing on the inaugural voyage also confirmed that a major milestone for Royal Beach Club Lelepa, the line's first South Pacific private destination in Vanuatu, is expected in July, though no specific details were shared. Discovery Class ship deployment plans also surfaced: CEO Michael Bayley confirmed those smaller vessels will target Asia, Alaska, and European itineraries.