10 Reasons We’re Excited to Cruise in 2023
Happy 2023, fellow cruisers! We’re thrilled about what is in store for the cruise industry this year, with cruise lines back sailing at full capacity once again.
In 2023, we will see the launch of many new cruise ships and experience a complete year of sailing to destinations that were closed to cruise travel for over two years. We will also experience the return of many programs onboard which were temporarily discontinued.
Following are the top ten reasons we’re excited to cruise in 2023.
1. Theme Cruises are Back
In 2022, theme cruising slowly returned, with several enthusiast cruises happening with small capacities and limited programming. For 2023, theme cruises are back with a bang, with a full schedule of events. Ships and event organizers are thrilled to welcome fans back onboard.
Whether you are a scrapbooking aficionado, rock music lover, the ultimate ‘Golden Girls’ fan, or a self-proclaimed ‘Trekie’, there’s likely a theme cruise for you. If you are considering a specific theme cruise, we recommend making your booking plans NOW to ensure you get a spot onboard. The demand for theme cruising in 2023 is strong, and you don’t want to miss out!
Interested in a theme cruise? Explore theme cruises for 2023 and beyond.
2. Numerous Deals Available
Most cruise lines are sailing at full capacity and are motivated to get travelers back onboard. Many lines offer great deals with tremendous cruise fare savings to make this happen. Be on the lookout for value-added amenities such as beverage packages, wifi, gratuities, specialty dining, and/or cabin upgrades.
Want to find the best place to explore cruise deals for 2023 sailings? Look no further than Cruiseline.com! We track the pricing on thousands of cruise deals from mainstream, premium, luxury, and river lines to ensure you get the absolute best price on your trip. Use the Price Drop feature to be alerted via email when a price of a specific cruise gets lower. The best part, this tool is FREE to use, and you can set as many price drop alerts as you like.
Read More: How to Save Hundreds on Your Next Cruise (Even If You Already Booked)
3. Cruising Around the World is Back
It has taken over two years for the full return of cruising in most regions around the world. The health and safety protocols established by cruise lines have allowed guests to get back on ships safely and travel to destinations worldwide.
In 2022, we saw the return of cruising in many regions restricted for cruise ship travel, such as the South Pacific, Australia, and Canada. 2023 will bring a full year of cruise opportunities to these destinations. Cruise lines will position their ships in a number of locales for the first time in years. We will see the return of cruise ships to Japan this March, additional ships coming to Australia, and even more, Caribbean islands opening back up to cruise ships.
If you are looking to plan your ‘dream’ cruise to an exotic destination, 2023 is the year! Need some help picking out where to sail? Check out our recommendations of hot destinations to cruise to in 2023/2024.
4. Better & Faster WiFi
In the age of instant connectivity and working from home, it should be no shock that travelers desire fast internet access - even if they are in the middle of the ocean on a cruise ship. Enter SpaceX’s Starlink.
Several cruise lines (including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Hurtigruten, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea) have added Starlink systems for high-speed guest internet connectivity. These satellite-based communications offer advanced speeds, unlike anything we’ve seen to date available on cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean Group will roll out the Starlink system fleetwide by the end of Q1 2023. Norwegian Cruise Line has already incorporated the systems on 11 of its vessels.
We are excited to see this upgrade as cruising continues to evolve the onboard guest experience.
5. So Many New Ships!
2023 will usher in many new ships from mainstream and premium brands. From what we’ve seen, all these vessels genuinely bring the ‘wow’ factor to guests. Some ships were scheduled to debut years prior, but due to materials shortages and other factors, they are now slated for 2023.
Virgin Voyages will make a big ‘splash’ in 2023 with the debut of two new ships! First up is the 2,700-passenger Resilient Lady, which will enter service in May 2023. Resilient Lady will spend its inaugural season sailing Greek Isles cruises from its homeport of Athens, Greece. Brilliant Lady, the fourth ship from Virgin Voyages, will enter service at the end of 2023, sailing Caribbean cruises from PortMiami.
Read More: Virgin Voyages Names Fourth Ship ‘Brilliant Lady’
Both Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady are sister ships to Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, with many of the same onboard offerings, eateries, cabins, and public spaces. Virgin Voyages has been wildly successful with its adults-only cruise model. We are thrilled to see the brand adding ships to accommodate even more passengers and sail to new destinations.
Read More: One Year at Sea for Scarlet Lady
Explore 2023 Cruises on Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady
Celebrity Cruises will debut Celebrity Ascent in December 2023. This ship is part of the Edge class of vessels. When complete, it will offer one extra deck and is 20 meters longer (compared to fellow Edge ships, Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Edge). Celebrity Ascent will homeport for the winter 2023-24 season in Fort Lauderdale, alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
See All Celebrity Ascent Sailings
Norwegian Viva will debut in August 2023. This ship is Norwegian Cruise Line’s sister ship to Norwegian Prima and the second in the Prima class of vessels. Norwegian Viva will spend its inaugural season sailing Mediterranean cruises from Rome.
Read More: Norwegian Cruise Line Debuts New Ship Norwegian Viva
Explore Norwegian Viva 2023 Cruises
Carnival Cruise Line will debut Carnival Jubilee in late December 2023. The ship is the third in the Excel class of vessels and a sister ship to the Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. Carnival Jubilee will homeport from Galveston and offer year-round Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises.
Read More: Carnival Cruise Line’s New Ship Headed to Galveston in 2023
Check Out All Carnival Jubilee Sailings
Although we’re covering 2023 here, we can’t help but mention our excitement about some of the new ships coming to market in 2024. Princess Cruises will debut the Sun Princess, the first of its Sphere class. Originally this ship was projected to debut in 2023; however, delays have the launch now scheduled for 2024. Also, in 2024, we will see the debut of Icon of the Seas, the highly anticipated new ship from Royal Caribbean. The ship is groundbreaking and will be the largest cruise ship in the world when it enters the market. Bookings for both ships will be available in 2023, so get ready to make your future vacation plans!
6. A Full Alaska Season
In 2022, the return of cruising in Alaska began. However, due to COVID restrictions in Canada, it was an abbreviated season. Now that measures have been lifted, 2023 promises to be a robust season for Alaska cruising. Many lines have already released plans to position several ships in the region, with numerous itinerary options.
In 2023, Holland America Line will celebrate a significant milestone marking 75 years of cruising in the region. From April through September, the line will sail the Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Volendam, and Westerdam in Alaska.
Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, and Disney Cruise Line have also announced their plans to sail in the region in 2023. On the luxury side, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Windstar, Seabourn, Cunard, and Viking Ocean will also sail in Alaska.
If you’ve been dreaming of sailing to the ‘Last Frontier,’ 2023 is the year to do so! Not sure where to start with planning your Alaska cruise vacation? Check out Cruise to Alaska: Beginners Guide for advice on booking and all you need to know about sailing in the region.
Explore All 2023 Alaska Cruises
7. New in Luxury
2023 is getting a little more elegant with the debut of several new luxury cruise ships.
Oceania’s Vista will make its debut on May 13, 2023. Guests have so anticipated the ship that the cruise line decided to move Vista’s debut date up a week from its initial launch date of May 20, 2023, to accommodate an additional sailing.
Explore Summer 2023 Cruises on Oceania’s Vista
Silversea Cruises will debut the 728-passenger Silver Nova in August 2023. The ship will spend an inaugural season in the Mediterranean and then reposition to the Caribbean for winter 2023. Regent Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Grandeur will begin sailing in November 2023. This 750-passenger ship is a sister to Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor. Seven Seas Grandeur will spend winter ‘23-’24 sailing Caribbean cruises from Miami before repositioning to Europe for summer 2024.
Explore 2023 Cruises on Seven Seas Grandeur
Also, in 2023, MSC Group (parent company of MSC Cruises) will debut Explora Journeys, a new high-end cruise line. It will launch its first ship Explora 1, in July 2023. The vessel is the first of six 922 ultra-luxury passenger ships that Explora Journeys will launch between 2023 and 2028.
2023 is getting a little more elegant with the debut of several new luxury cruise ships.
8. New Terminals & Expanding Service at U.S. Homeports
The past few years have seen several major terminal facelifts by cruise lines at several U.S. homeports - most notably at PortMiami and the Port of Galveston. These upgraded terminals enhance the overall cruise experience for guests before they even get onboard. They give a (sometimes needed) update to check-in and public areas, making the experience much more pleasant.
At PortMiami, 2022 ushered in the completion and debut of Virgin Voyage’s ‘Terminal V’ and Carnival Cruise Line’s ‘Terminal F’. These two new facilities will welcome thousands of visitors each year. We’re excited to see these terminals operate for an entire year in 2023, allowing more ships to port and passenger traffic.
Royal Caribbean Group has invested its presence at the Port of Galveston in Texas with the opening of a new zero-energy cruise terminal. It made its formal debut in November 2022 and will see its first full year of operations in 2023. The terminal generates 100% of its energy through on-site solar panels, making it the first-ever LEED Zero Energy facility in the world. This new facility has the capability to host Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis Class vessels, allowing more passengers to sail from the homeport than ever before. The Allure of the Seas is the first of the class to homeport from Royal Caribbean’s new terminal.
Read More: Royal Caribbean Group to Open Zero Energy Cruise Terminal
9. Farewell to the Traditional Muster Drill
It’s been a few years since a traditional, in-person muster drill has been a standard practice for cruise lines; however, it's safe to say that now in 2023, it's likely a thing of the past!
Many cruise lines have introduced a digital (phone/tv screen) element, visually demonstrating what to do in an emergency. In most cases, you will physically go to a designated spot on the ship to check in, signaling you’ve completed the program. Overall, the response to the changes in the muster drill program has been positive by both guests and cruise lines.
10. Ten Years of Cruiseline.com!
Throughout 2023, we’re continuing to celebrate ten years of Cruiseline.com! We launched in December 2012 and have grown to become the well-rounded destination for all things cruising that you know today.
This year, stay tuned for a number of cruise advice and deals articles (hint: most of these will start with a ‘10’) and new community features.
Read More: Cruiseline.com Celebrates Ten Years
Ready to plan your dream cruise for 2023? Use our Find a Cruise tool to explore sailings from all cruise lines. You can also use our deals search feature to explore the best prices on cruises from all lines.
Read Related:
10 Best Caribbean Cruise Deals
Join the discussion
Are you planning to cruise in 2023? Tell us what ship you are sailing on!
1 Comment
Posted by Johngold
Not sure yet which Princess ship we will cruise on. We are planning for late 2023 or early 2024. Hopefully we can get the right deals.