New Cruise Ships Debuting in 2024

The life blood and future success of a cruise line depends on new ships being added to the fleet. Primarily cruise lines add new builds to their fleet, some taking delivery of a one to two ships almost every year. These new builds are years in the making and allows lines to add new features, some breaking records such as Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas which will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuts in January 2024.

New ships also allow cruise lines to expand their offerings by sailing to new exotic destinations or longer seasons in places like Alaska, Caribbean and Europe. Now is the time to start planning for 2024 and the following are new ships that will be making a big splash.

American Cruise Line - American Legend 

Date: Late 2024

Passengers: 100 

American Legend is the fourth Coastal Cat vessel in the river cruise line’s Project Blue series and the 19th ship in the cruise line’s fleet. The 100-passenger ship will be built for coastal operations and features a new hull design - the hallmark of this class of vessels. 

The vessel will offer 56 staterooms and suites, each with a private balcony. Onboard, guests will find spacious indoor and outdoor lounges and an open-air top deck for relaxing as well as dining. The vessel's stern design allows for an activities platform equipped with kayaks and a large tender space. Itinerary details have yet to be finalized, so check back for updates.

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Cunard Line - Queen Anne 

Date: May 2024

Size: 113,000 gross tons

Passengers: 3,000 

Setting sail from Southampton, UK, Cunard’s Queen Anne will make her inaugural voyage on May 10, 2024, on a 14-night sailing to the Canary Islands. Her maiden season will be spent in the British Isles, Norwegian Fjords, Scandinavia, Iceland, and various ports around Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. 

Queen Anne will be the 249th ship from Cunard to grace the seas and the fourth ship to join the current fleet. Continuing the hallmark “white glove service” that Cunard is known for, along with beloved favorite spots, this new ship will offer new dining experiences and venues. The Queen Anne is inspired by Cunard’s long history but is built for the future. 

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Disney Cruise Line - Disney Treasure

Date: December 2024

Size: 144,000 gross tons

Passengers: 2,500 

The sixth ship to join the Disney fleet, the Disney Treasure, will be unlike anything seen before. The entire ship will be themed for adventure and expected to immerse guests in some of Disney’s most iconic stories. For example, Aladdin will be featured on a magic carpet ride through the Grand Hall (aka centrum or atrium on most ships), sending these beloved characters to a whole new world filled with adventure. 

Video from Disney Cruise Line

The Disney Treasure will debut in 2024 as the cruise line’s sixth ship and the second of the Wish class of vessels. Treasure is the second of three vessels to debut for the line by 2025. Disney Treasure will be powered by liquefied natural gas and will offer 1,254 guest rooms. To date, no itinerary information has been released or an expected sail date, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back for updates as they become available.

Read More: Disney Cruise Line Announces New Ship & Private Destination

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Explora Journeys - Explora II 

Date: August 2024

Size: 63,900 gross tons

Passengers: 900

Explora Journeys a new luxury cruise line being launched by MSC Group, debuts with its first ship, Explora I, in July 2023. The second in the class, Explora II will welcome guests in August 2024. Being dubbed Ocean State of Mind, the line is focusing on elevating the luxury cruise experience, including a celebration of global cuisine and gourmet dining, personalized entertainment and enrichment programs, a focus on well-being, and connecting to the ocean. 

Based on all the inclusive features, current renderings, and delicious dining experiences, the Explora II is sure to revolutionize the luxury cruising experience. Explora II will debut in Barcelona and spend her inaugural summer and fall season offering 8+ night sailings in the Mediterranean. For winter 2024 into 2025, the ship will be homeport in Dubai and Jeddah, sailing the Arabian Gulf before setting off in early 2025 to India, Western, and South Africa. 

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Princess Cruises - Sun Princess 

Date: February 2024

Size: 175,500 gross tons

Passengers: 4,300

The first of the new Sphere Class ships and the third ship in Princess history to carry the name Sun Princess will be the largest ship in the fleet and offer more balcony cabins than ever before. The ship will be lighter and brighter than any of the ships before her and was designed to connect passengers to the spectacular views outside, from ocean sunrise and sunset to ports of call around the world. The Sun Princes will also be the first in the fleet to offer new suites categories that will have a private restaurant, lounge, and other amenities to create a ship-within-a-ship atmosphere.

Spending the inaugural season in the Mediterranean, Sun Princess will sail 10-day Grand Mediterranean and Western Grand Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona or Rome. It will also offer seven-day Mediterranean cruises from Rome, Barcelona, or Athens. These seven-day sailings can be combined for the ‘ultimate’ 21-day Mediterranean experience. In September 2024, she will sail transatlantic to Fort Lauderdale, where she is expected to be homeported for the Caribbean season, but the official itineraries have not yet been announced. 

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Royal Caribbean - Icon of the Seas

Date: January 2024

Size: 250,800 gross tons

Passengers: 7,514 

Icon of the Seas is the highly-anticipated new ship from Royal Caribbean. The ship is to be the first ‘Icon’ class of vessels for the cruise line, boasting an all-encompassing lineup of activities with many first-ever and next-level offerings for guests. 

The Icon of the Seas will offer eight distinct onboard neighborhoods. New areas will include ‘Thrill Island’, ‘Chill Island’, ‘Surfside’, ‘The Hideaway’, and the ‘AquaDome’. Icon of the Seas will also include the return of three fan-favorite neighborhood areas with new and exciting Icon-only offerings - The Royal Promenade, Central Park, and The Suite Neighborhood. In addition, the ship will offer 28 different stateroom options, with more choices, ocean views, and rooms than ever before.

The ship is slated to debut in January 2024 officially, sailing 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami. Each cruise will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. 

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Royal Caribbean - Utopia of the Seas 

Date: July 2024

Size: 236,857 gross tons 

Passengers: 5,735 

Utopia of the Seas is to be the newest Oasis-class vessel from Royal Caribbean. The ship is set to feature a number of Oasis-class fan-favorite amenities like The Ultimate Abyss (the tallest slide at sea) and a 40-foot-long FlowRider surf simulator. Upon its completion, Utopia of the Seas will be the first Royal Caribbean Oasis Class ship to be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas). 

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Silversea - Silver Ray

Date: June 2024

Size: 54,700 gross tons

Passengers: 728

The Silver Ray is the second Nova-class ship from Silversea offering expansive sea views, and at only 728 guests will be one of the most spacious ships sailing at a whopping 75 GRT per passenger. Silver Ray will make in debut in Southampton, UK, with her first sailing offering 12 luxurious nights to Lisbon. The ship will spend its inaugural season in the Mediterranean, offering a variety of sailings from Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, and Athens. December 4, 2024, is the first transatlantic sailing from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale.  On January 20, 2025, she embarks on a 72-day Grand Voyage around South America, sailing a roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. 

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The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection - Ilma

Date: Summer 2024

Size: 46,750 gross tons

Passengers: 456 Passengers

Ilma is the second vessel of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The 790-foot yacht is being constructed at France's Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard. Ilma will be the first vessel of The Ritz-Carlton’s collection to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. Onboard, Ilma will offer the highest ratio of space per guest at sea. The yacht features 228 total suites, all with private terraces. Onboard, guests can enjoy Ilma’s five restaurants, six bars, and wine vault. Ilma’s aft marina area includes spaces where guests can dine alfresco or enjoy watersports directly from the yacht.

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Virgin Voyages - Brilliant Lady

Date: TBA 2024

Size: 110, 000 gross tons 

Passengers: 2,770

Brilliant Lady is the fourth kid-free ship to enter service for newcomer Virgin Voyages. This ship was originally slated to launch in 2023; however, due to delays in construction, the cruise line has postponed the launch to a to-be-determined date in 2024. 

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