New Cruise Ships Debuting in 2019

With more ships debuting in a single year than ever before, 2019 is shaping up to be a huge year for the cruise industry. The biggest highlights? A new ship from Carnival on the west coast, a new small expedition ship for Celebrity, another Royal Caribbean ship being built just for China, two new vessels for both MSC and Costa, and many, many more. Here’s what the cruising world has in store for us this year:

Sky Princess

Launch Date: October 2019
Line / Class: Princess Cruises / Royal Class
Size: 143,700 gross tons / 3,660 passengers
Homeports: Barcelona, Rome, and Fort Lauderdale
Itineraries: Mediterranean and Caribbean
Highlights: 

• Sky Suites - suites featuring the largest balconies in the Princess fleet with views of the Movies Under the Stars screen
• Four pools
• La Mer - specialty French restaurant 
• Take Five Jazz Club
• The Sanctuary - the adults-only space has been reimagined and has twice the number of private cabanas
• Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar - raw bar serving flights of oyster shooters, sushi and sashimi, ahi tuna poke, king crab cocktail, and more.

Sky Princess Deals From /Nt

Carnival Panorama

Launch Date: December 2019
Line / Class: Carnival Cruise Line / Vista Class
Size: 133,500 gross tons / 3,934 passengers
Homeports: Long Beach, California
Itineraries: Baja Mexico and Mexican Riviera
Highlights: 

• Sky Zone - the first trampoline park at sea
• Family Harbor staterooms with an exclusive lounge and amenities
• Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse
• SkyRide cycling attraction
• Lip Sync Battle: Carnival
• Havana staterooms with an exclusive pool and bar

Panorama Deals From  /Nt

Norwegian Encore

Launch Date: November 2019
Line / Class: Norwegian Cruise Line / Breakaway Plus Class
Size: 169,145 gross tons / 3,998 passengers
Homeports: Miami and New York
Itineraries: Caribbean and Bermuda
Highlights: 

• Go-Kart Track - the largest at sea
• Open-air laser tag arena themed around the lost city of Atlantis
• Galaxy Pavilion - an escape room, virtual reality, and more
• Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical - a cocktail and theater show
• Aqua Park with water slides and a little kids’ area

Encore Deals From  /Nt

Spectrum of the Seas

Launch Date: June 2019
Line / Class: Royal Caribbean International / Quantum Ultra Class
Size: 168,800 gross tons / 4,200 passengers
Homeport: Shanghai, China
Itineraries: China, Japan, Vietnam, and Philippines 
Highlights: 

• SkyPad - VR bungee-jumping experience
• North Star - observation capsule that lifts above the ship
• Sichuan Red - Bold Asian spices make up an authentic Sichuan feast
• Ultimate Family Suite
• Splashaway Cafe - kid-sized cafe for kids near the kids’ pool area

Spectrum Deals From  /Nt

Celebrity Flora

Launch Date: May 2019
Line / Class: Celebrity Cruises / Expedition Class
Size: 5,739 gross tons / 100 passengers
Homeports: Quito, Ecuador
Itineraries: Galapagos Islands
Highlights: 

• Galapagos Glamping - an overnight “camping” experience on the top deck under the stars
• All suite vessel, all inclusive experience
• Ocean Grill - serves sustainable seafood and more, and plays host to the Dinner Under the Stars experience
• Custom-built, comfortable yacht tenders for transportation to shore, snorkeling, and exploring

Flora Deals From  /Nt

Viking Jupiter

Launch Date: February 2019
Line: Viking Ocean Cruises
Size: 47,842 gross tons / 930 passengers
Homeports: A variety in the regions it will sail
Itineraries: Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and South America
Highlights: 

• Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant - a complimentary Italian venue
• Nordic-inspired spa with snow room, sauna, steam room, plunge pool, hot tub, and more
• Heated aft infinity pool
• Two-deck Explorer’s Lounge with views out the front of the ship
• Main pool with adjacent hot tub and retractable roof
• All-balcony cabins with heated bathroom floors 

Jupiter Deals From  /Nt

MSC Bellissima

Launch Date: March 2019
Line / Class: MSC Cruises / Meraviglia Class
Size: 171,598 gross tons / 5,686 passengers
Homeports: A variety in the regions it will sail
Itineraries: Mediterranean and Emirates
Highlights: 

• Cirque du Soleil at Sea - two exclusive shows created just for MSC Bellissima
• Arizona Aquapark - Grand Canyon-themed water park with three twisting slides
• ¡HOLA! tapas bar - a restaurant serving up Mediterranean-style bites for guests to share
• MSC Yacht Club - a ship-within-a-ship concept with exclusive cabins, a pool, restaurant, and other common spaces
• Zoe - a digital personal assistant available in every stateroom

Bellissima Deals From  /Nt

MSC Grandiosa

Launch Date: November 2019
Line / Class: MSC Cruises / Meraviglia Plus Class
Size: 181,000 gross tons / 6,300 passengers
Homeports: Rome, Italy and Barcelona, Spain
Itineraries: Mediterranean
Highlights: 

• MSC Grandiosa will be MSC’s largest ship ever
• Cirque du Soleil at Sea - two exclusive shows created just for MSC Grandiosa
• Polar Aquapark - a cold weather and Himalayas themed water park with three twisting slides
• MSC Yacht Club - a ship-within-a-ship concept with exclusive cabins, a pool, restaurant, and other common spaces
• Galleria - large indoor promenade area with LED dome ceiling

Grandiosa Deals From  /Nt

Costa Venezia

Launch Date: March 2019
Line / Class: Costa Cruises / Vista Class
Size: 135,500 gross tons / 5,260 passengers
Homeport: Shanghai, China
Itineraries: Asia
Highlights: 

• The first Costa ship purpose built and designed for China
• Chinese-style karaoke bars
• Piazza San Marco atrium - themed after St. Mark’s Square in Venice
• Three-deck high theater for entertainment performances and 4D movies

Costa Smeralda

Launch Date: October 2019
Line / Class: Costa Cruises / Excellence Class
Size: 182,700 gross tons / 5,200 passengers
Homeports: Barcelona
Itineraries: Western Mediterranean
Highlights: 

• First cruise ship to be powered both in port and at sea by liquefied natural gas (LNG)
• Passeggiata Volare - a panoramic walkway at the highest point of the ship
• A 4,305 square foot onboard museum called CoDe, the Costa Design Museum
• Nutella Cafe offering rich and delicious desserts 
• Japanese-inspired teppanyaki restaurant
• Piazza-like space called the Colosseo lined with lounges, bars, and screens that transform the space throughout the day

Le Bougainville

Launch Date: August 2019
Line / Class: Ponant / Explorer Class
Size: 9,900 gross tons / 184 passengers
Homeports: A variety in the regions it will sail
Itineraries: Mediterranean, Adriatic, The Seychelles, The Vanilla Islands
Highlights: 

• Blue Eye Lounge - a lounge under the waterline where guests can look at marine life outside the windows and hear it thanks to the ship’s hydrophones which can capture noise up to 5 kilometers away
• Water Sports Marina - at the aft of the ship for swimming and putting kayaks, paddleboards, and Zodiacs in the water
• Infinity pool with counter-current swimming system
• Complimentary wifi for all guests
• All-balcony cabins 

Le Dumont d'Urville

Launch Date: August 2019
Line / Class: Ponant / Explorer Class
Size: 9,900 gross tons / 184 passengers
Homeports: A variety in the regions it will sail
Itineraries: Northern Europe, Portugal, West Africa, South America, Bijagos Archipelago, Central America, Caribbean
Highlights: 

• Blue Eye Lounge - a lounge under the waterline where guests can look at marine life outside the windows and hear it thanks to the ship’s hydrophones which can capture noise up to 5 kilometers away
• Water Sports Marina - at the aft of the ship for swimming and putting kayaks, paddleboards, and Zodiacs in the water
• Infinity pool with counter-current swimming system
• Complimentary wifi for all guests
• All-balcony cabins

Roald Amundsen

Launch Date: May 2019
Line / Class: Hurtigruten / Explorer Class
Size: 140 meters long / 530 passengers 
Homeports:A variety in the regions it will sail
Itineraries: Antarctica, South America, Northern Europe, Portugal, Alaska/Canada
Highlights: 

• Engines designed by Rolls Royce that run on diesel but can also use electricity from battery packs, cutting fuel consumption and engine noise
• Aft infinity pool
• Two-level indoor/outdoor observation deck 
• Zodiac inflatable boats and kayaks for exploring
• Onboard science lab where marine research and data collection will take place and guests can (lightly) be involved 
• Fredheim international restaurant serving street dishes like kebabs and hot dogs from “food truck” stations

Other Ships Debuting This Year

• Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration - Hapag-Lloyd
• World Explorer - Mystic Cruises
• Coral Adventurer - Coral Expeditions
• Flying Clipper - Star Clippers
• Hondius - Oceanwide Expeditions
• Scenic Eclipse - Scenic Cruises
• Spirit of Discovery - Saga Cruises
• Greg Mortimer - Sunstone
• Magellan Explorer - Antarctica21
• Ritz-Carlton's first yacht