In October 2016, Royal Caribbean and Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced an order to build two ships under the project name "Icon".

[12] In October 2021, Royal Caribbean announced that the first LNG tank for the ship was installed at the Neptun Werft in Rostock, Germany.

[13] In December 2021, the floating engine room unit, including the LNG tanks, was towed to Turku in Finland by tug.

[16] She returned to the Meyer Turku shipyard on 22 June for adjustments to her systems, and to have interior spaces completed and furnished.

[18] The ship docked at the Navantia Shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, for final outfitting work,[19] then departed Cadiz on 23 December for Puerto Rico and on 10 January 2024 arrived at her home port, PortMiami.

[20][21] On 23 January 2024, the naming ceremony was held and Icon of the Seas was christened by soccer player Lionel Messi.

[28] The designers introduced new concepts including: In May 2024, a passenger reportedly jumped from the 20th deck of Icon of the Seas as the ship was leaving port.