2024 will not be a particularly prolific year for new cruise ships, possibly as a lingering effect of the pandemic years when the industry slowed down. Many of the ships launching in 2024 are delayed from 2023.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 67 – December 2023
Icon of the Seas
The world's largest new cruise ship, at 250,800 GRT, has been officially received by Royal Caribbean International, but its debut is not scheduled until the end of January 2024. It is the first Royal Caribbean International ship to use LNG as fuel and will operate throughout 2024, 2025, and the first quarter of 2026 from Royal Caribbean's new terminal in Miami.
Sun Princess
The first to be inaugurated in early February will be the Sun Princess, a new type of ship, the Sphere class, for Carnival Corporation, powered by LNG engines, representing a leap forward in design and facilities for Princess Cruises. Its inaugural season will take place in the Mediterranean from February to October, with Barcelona, Civitavecchia, and Athens as embarkation ports.
Queen Anne
The historic Cunard shipping company will receive a fourth ship for its fleet in May, after more than 13 years without any new additions. This will be the first time since 1999 that the company has four ships sailing. The Queen Anne is based on Holland America's Pinnacle class, meaning it has a gross tonnage of 113,000 and a capacity for 2,996 passengers, 25% larger than its sister ships, the Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, but smaller than the Queen Mary 2. It will feature shore power, among many other environmentally friendly features. Its home port for 2024 will be Southampton, from where it will sail to Iceland, the Norwegian Fjords, the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean.
Silver Ray
It seems like only yesterday that the Silver Nova, Silversea's revolutionary new ultra-luxury ship, was inaugurated, now under the Royal Caribbean umbrella, and its sister ship, the Silver Ray, will soon arrive. It's a revolutionary ship architecturally, with its asymmetrical design, but also environmentally. Despite being only 54,700 GRT, it will be powered, like its sister ship, by LNG, and also features a 4 MW hydrogen fuel cell and a battery system. It will operate primarily in the Mediterranean, sailing from Athens and Venice until December, when it will depart for the Caribbean.
Mein Schiff 7
The seventh new ship from the German company, jointly owned by TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group, will enter service in June. This 111,500 GRT vessel is a sister ship to the Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2, which entered service in 2018 and 2019. It will use low-emission marine diesel fuel (0.1% sulfur content) and will be equipped with catalytic converters that will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 75%, as well as shore power. The innovative feature is its ability to run on methanol.
In summer it will operate from Kiel and Warnemünde, but in autumn it will spend a few weeks in Palma de Mallorca before settling for months in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria until April 2025.
11 new ships in 2024
Utopia of the Seas
This summer, Royal Caribbean International will launch its second ship of the year, the Utopia of the Seas, which will be the sixth Oasis-class ship, although modified to operate on LNG. It will operate year-round from Port Canaveral.
Explore II
In August, the MSC group's new luxury cruise brand will receive its second ship. This 63,900 GRT vessel accommodates 922 passengers and is attended to by a crew of 640. It boasts a wide variety of swimming pools, including a central pool with a retractable roof, two aft pools with magnificent views, and a small forward pool. It will operate Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Civitavecchia until November, when it will reposition to the Caribbean.
Ilma
The second ship in the ultra-luxury Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fleet will arrive in September. Following numerous delays in the construction of its first ship in Spain, which ultimately led to the shipyard's bankruptcy, this second vessel is being built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France. It will operate in the Mediterranean until November, when it will reposition to the Caribbean.
Disney Treasure
The Disney Treasure, sister ship to the Disney Wish that launched in 2022, will begin operations with a Christmas cruise. Both are 135,000 GRT vessels powered by LNG and built by Meyer Werft. Initially, they will operate from Port Canaveral until May 2025.
Viking Sail
Also in December, the tenth ocean-going ship from the Swiss cruise line Viking Cruises will arrive. The Viking Vela will be a slightly larger version of the previous nine ships, to accommodate a hydrogen fuel cell system, but also more passengers, reaching 998 in 54,300 GRT. After a couple of cruises in the Mediterranean, it will offer winter cruises between London and Bergen in search of the Northern Lights.
Brilliant Lady
Sir Richard Branson's fourth ship was scheduled to begin operations at the end of 2023, but the company cited logistical and operational reasons for the delay, without providing a specific date. The ship is practically finished at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, so it is expected to be launched during 2024, although the date and routes have not yet been announced.
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