On June 16, 2026, Royal Caribbean unveiled the next chapter of its Artist Discovery Program with its newest cohort of emerging artists on Legend of the Seas, the ultimate family vacation debuting July 2026 in Europe. This summer, six artists from across the Caribbean and Central America will debut original, destination-inspired artwork throughout the ship.
The Artist Discovery Program connects budding, local talent and their artwork with audiences around the world. The latest cohort for Legend marks the continued expansion of the program, now reaching beyond the Caribbean to include artists from Mexico and Central America. The initiative also extends beyond the ship to highlight local talent across Royal Caribbean’s destination experiences, including Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau, The Bahamas, featuring 11 local Bahamian artists across 25 locations at the all-inclusive beach club.
“Since its introduction on Icon of the Seas, the Artist Discovery Program has continued to evolve how we connect guests with the places we visit by championing up-and-coming artists and giving them a global stage to showcase their work,” said Jay Schneider, chief product innovation officer, Royal Caribbean. “With Legend of the Seas we’ve expanded our call for talent beyond the Caribbean to include Mexico and Central America, bringing together an even broader range of voices and perspectives. Featuring artists onboard our ships and across our destinations like Royal Beach Club Paradise Island creates a seamless ship-to-shore experience, where the art brings each destination to life.”
For Legend, Royal Caribbean received 250 artist applications comprised of a personal statement, resume and unpublished conceptual artwork from across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Six artists were chosen and received grants to create art pieces, each inspired by the artists’ home countries. The artwork will be showcased in six locations around the ship, including the embarkation and welcome area; the Royal Promenade neighborhood; the exclusive Suite Sundeck and Suite Sundeck Lobby; and two new locations at the Royal Promenade entrance on deck six and the guest boarding area on deck two. In addition to large-scale murals, the art pieces on Legend will take shape in different art forms such as a ceramic mosaic art piece and a stainless-steel structure.
The featured artists include:
- Giovanni Abath from Curacao: As vacationers enter the Royal Promenade on deck six, they’ll encounter a large-scale mural and stainless-steel sculpture created by Abath, setting the tone for the neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars and entertainment. A multi-disciplinary artist, Abath uses diverse materials and techniques, like metal and Styrofoam, to create sculptures and installations that bridge industrial materiality with cultural symbolism and personal narrative. His work focuses on bringing landscapes, community and cultural traditions of the Caribbean to life.
- Vanessa Dalla Costa from Trinidad and Tobago: Costa is a ceramic artist who will craft a mosaic sculpture to be featured in the Suite Sundeck, an elevated outdoor space for suite guests. Her artistic style explores the intersection of light, texture, and the transformation of raw earth, such as clay, to create stained-glass-like art. Each piece of clay is hand-cut and hand-painted.
- Porschia Denning from U.S. Virgin Islands: Denning is a multidisciplinary artist creating vibrant paintings and sculptures using acrylic oil, stone, copper and more. Her art is inspired by the energy of nature and rhythm of island life. She aspires to invite spectators to slow down, unplug and reconnect, evoking the vibe guests will experience when they see her custom mural in the Suite Sundeck Lobby.
- Rafeal Vega Feliciano from Puerto Rico: Feliciano is a contemporary visual artist who will draw on his experience in expressionist portraiture and ancestral symbolism to create an expressive, thought-evoking mural in the boarding area on deck two, where guests disembark and return to the ship for port visits and excursions. His artwork reflects the often-overlooked history of pre-colonial Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
- Rodrigo Macias Maldonado from Mexico: Maldonado is a visual artist who will design a large-scale mural at the heart of Legend, the Royal Promenade. His artwork explores the relationship between geometry, human resilience, and the built environment.
- Alexander Lopez Ryliouk from Costa Rica: Ryliouk’s large-scale mural will light up Legend’s embarkation area for a show-stopping first impression at the start of their vacation. Through the use of vibrant paint, the art will set the tone for what vacationers will experience throughout their time onboard.
Legend will deliver an all-encompassing lineup of dining, thrills, entertainment and ways for families and vacationers of all ages to make memories across eight neighborhoods. Beginning July 2026, vacationers can experience 7-night Western Mediterranean getaways from Barcelona, Spain, and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. In November 2026, the adventures continue with 6-night Western Caribbean getaways and 8-night Southern Caribbean vacations from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the sun-soaked shores of Roatan, Honduras; Willemstad, Curacao, and more, along with visits to the vacation brand’s top-rated destination, Perfect Day CocoCay in The Bahamas.
For more information, please visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com.
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