Just about every major cruise line will have a new ship in 2018 as the industry continues to expand rapidly around the globe. Among the newcomers will be a new vessel from Royal Caribbean that will smash the record for biggest cruise ship ever — if only by a tad. Dubbed Symphony of the Seas, it’ll carry more than 6,000 passengers and feature dozens of lounges, bars and restaurants as well as an array of deck-top amusements.Just as notable will be a new ship from Royal Caribbean’s sister company, Celebrity Cruises. To be called Celebrity Edge, the 2,900-passenger vessel will be the line’s first new ship in six years and boast an innovative new design.
Also unveiling new ships in 2018 are Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. At all five brands, the newcomers will be sisters to earlier vessels. Fast-growing Viking Ocean Cruises also will be rolling out a new ship in 2018 — it’s fifth since its 2015 debut. In all, that adds up to eight major new oceangoing cruise ships aimed at the North American market. What will the ships be like? Lets Explore.
More than half a dozen cruise lines that market to North Americans are rolling out new oceangoing ships in 2018. Here, TRAVEL SPAN profiles few of the new offerings
1. SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS
- Line: Royal Caribbean
- Maiden voyage: March 31
- Home ports: Barcelona; Miami
- Size (in tons): 230,000
- Passengers: 5,535
The buzz: Think cruise ships can’t get any bigger? At 230,000 tons, Symphony will be more than 3,000 tons bigger than the current size leader in the cruise world, Royal Caribbean’s 226,963-ton Harmony of the Seas, making it the new World’s Largest Cruise Ship. Like Harmony, Symphony will be part of Royal Caribbean’s record-breaking Oasis Class of ships, which also includes the line’s giant Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. But it won’t be a carbon copy of its sisters. Royal Caribbean says Symphony will have more cabins than the three earlier vessels including a first-of-its-kind, two-deck-high family suite with a slide between floors.
Other new features will include a New England-style seafood restaurant and a sports bar that sprawls across the vessel’s rear-facing Boardwalk area. Symphony also will have a new candy and ice cream shop and a new casual Mexican eatery.
The new venues will be among dozens of eateries, bars, showrooms and deck-top fun zones on Symphony, which like the earlier Oasis Class vessels will be a floating megaresort to rival the most spectacular properties on land.
Like Harmony, Symphony will have a trio of giant, multi-deck water slides on its top deck as well as four deck-top pool areas, two FlowRider surf simulators, a mini-golf course and a nine-deck-high zip line. It also have a version of the Ultimate Abyss slide that debuted on Harmony — a nine-deck-high twin tube plunge that just might be the most ambitious attraction ever conceived for a cruise ship.
Symphony also will have a Bionic Bar where the drinks are served by robot bartenders — a concept that first debuted in 2014 on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.
Itineraries: After an inaugural summer in the Mediterranean, Symphony will re-position to Miami to offer alternating, seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages.
2. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon
- CARNIVAL HORIZON
- Line: Carnival
- Maiden voyage: April 2
- Home ports: Barcelona, New York, Miami
- Size (in tons): 133,500
- Passengers: 3,954
The buzz: Horizon is a sister to the 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista, which debuted in 2016 as the line’s biggest ship ever, and it will share many of the same features.
Like Vista, Horizon will boast an 800-foot-long sky ride around its top deck and, on the inside, an IMAX Theater. Both were new-for-the-industry offerings when they debuted on Vista. Other notable features will include a 455-foot-long water tube attraction that will be part of a Dr. Seuss-themed water park. Passengers will be able to ride it on inflatable rafts.
New on Horizon will be a Guy Fieri-themed smokehouse and brewpub that serves up smoked-on-board barbecue and house-made craft beer. Dubbed Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse|Brewhouse, it’s the latest eatery on a Carnival ship to come from a partnership between the line and the celebrity chef. Several Carnival ships already boast Fieri-themed barbecue outlets that don’t have attached breweries. Fieri-themed burger stands also can be found on 19 of Carnival’s 25 vessels.
Horizon also will have a Teppanyaki restaurant — another first for Carnival.
Itineraries: : Horizon will operate four Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona before crossing the Atlantic to New York for a series of cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean. In the fall, it’ll move to Miami.
3. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss
- NORWEGIAN BLISS
- Line: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Maiden voyage: April 23
- Home ports: Seattle, Miami
- Size (in tons): 167,800
- Passengers: 4,000
The buzz: Fast-growing Norwegian Cruise Line is creating yet another major mega-resort at sea — it’s fifth in six years. A sister to the recently unveiled Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape, Bliss will rank among the 10 largest ships in the world and feature such over-the-top amusements as a two-deck-high racing course where passengers compete against each other in electric go-carts — a first for a vessel based in North America.
Like Joy and Escape, Bliss also will have sprawling water park with multi-story water slides; a restaurant-lined boardwalk; Tony Award-winning production shows including Jersey Boys and a giant spa. Dining options will include a modern Texas barbecue eatery called Q that will feature live pop country music — a new concept for the line. Bliss also will have an upscale, modern Mexican restaurant called Los Lobos — a concept that first debuted in 2016 on Norwegian Dawn. Bliss also will be the first Norwegian ship with a full-service Starbucks store on board.
In addition to the new venues, Bliss will feature many of the signature eateries and bars that are staples of the Norwegian fleet, including a Cagney’s steakhouse, French restaurant Le Bistro and Italian restaurant La Cucina. There also will be versions of familiar Norwegian food venues Ocean Blue, Food Republic and Teppanyaki as well as the Norwegian craft beer outlet District Brew House.
As with past Norwegian ships, Bliss also will feature the line’s signature “ship-within-a-ship” luxury suite area, The Haven, which has its own private pool, restaurant, butler service and concierge.
All that said, it isn’t just Bliss’ on-board attractions that are drawing buzz. Just as noteworthy is where the ship will be sailing at least part of the year: Alaska. Operating out of Seattle starting in May, Bliss will become the largest vessel ever to cruise.
4. Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Ovation
- SEABOURN OVATION
- Line:Seabourn
- Maiden voyage: May 5
- Home ports: Various
- Size (in tons): 40,350
- Passengers: 600
The buzz:Billed as the most luxurious new cruise ship of the year, Ovation will be a sister to luxury line Seabourn’s 600-passenger Seabourn Encore, which just debuted in 2017.
Like Encore, Ovation will offer elegant, contemporary spaces created by noted hospitality designer Adam Tihany, including an airy main dining room and a version of the club-like social hub called Seabourn Square found on other Seabourn ships.
Other similarities with Encore will include a sushi eatery and a private, deck-top sanctuary called The Retreat. Ovation also will feature a restaurant by celebrated chef Thomas Keller, something that already is found on several Seabourn ships.
Like Encore, Ovation will be a larger version of the three Odyssey Class vessels that Seabourn rolled out between 2009 and 2011 (Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest). But while based on the same design as the earlier ships, Ovation will have one more deck and expanded public areas. At 40,350 tons, it’ll be about 26% larger than the three younger siblings and holds about 33% more passengers.
Itineraries:Ovation will spend the summer and fall of 2018 sailing in the Mediterrean and Northern Europe before moving to Asia for the winter.
5. MSC Cruises’ MSC Seaview
- MSC SEAVIEW
- Line: MSC Cruises
- Maiden voyage: June 10
- Home ports: Barcelona; Civitavecchia, Italy
- Size (in tons): 153,516
- Passengers: 4,132
The buzz:MSC Seaview is just the latest in a string of new ships for Europe-based MSC Cruises, which is the midst of a massive expansion.
A sister to the two-month-old MSC Seaside, which just began sailing out of Miami, it’ll boast a similar Miami-Beach condo style designed to resonate with the North American market.
Purpose built for warm-water destinations such as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the 153,516-ton vessel will feature the same innovative, extra-wide promenades found on Seaside. Designed to offer passengers more interaction with the sea than on other large vessels, the promenades will jut over the sides of the ship, offering outdoor eating areas, lounge areas, spa stations and even an outdoor gym area.
Like Seaside, Seaview also will boast floor-to-ceiling glass windows and other elements in interior public areas designed to orient the shipboard experience toward the sea to a greater extent than on other large vessels.
Other outdoor features will include an Aqua Park with four water slides, including an interactive “slideboarding tube” that works in video game elements, lights and music, and one inner tube slide. The ship’s top deck also will offer a ropes course called Adventure Trail and two of the longest zip lines at sea (at 394 feet).
In all, Seaview will have 11 eateries, including an upscale seafood outlet and a steakhouse.
While the vessel’s 2,070 cabins will be able to hold 4,132 passengers at double occupancy, extra bed spots from pull-out sofas and pull-down bunks will boost the total capacity to 5,119 passengers.
Itineraries:Seven-night voyages in the Western Mediterranean.
6. Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Orion
- VIKING ORION
- Line: Viking Ocean Cruises
- Maiden voyage: June 19
- Home ports: Various
- Size (in tons): 47,800
- Passengers: 930
The buzz:River cruise giant Viking continues its rapid push into ocean cruising with its fifth new seagoing vessel since 2015.
Like Viking’s first four ships, Viking Orion will be less than a third the size of the latest megaships from the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, and it’s being designed to mix on-board elegance with a focus on destinations that executives say has been lost across much of the cruise industry in recent years.
Like the earlier ships, Orion will operate itineraries that feature more time in ports than is common at many other lines. It’ll also feature shore excursions that are included in the price — a relative rarity in the cruise world. Also included will be beer and wine with lunch and dinner; and even WiFi access — something that can cost up to 75 cents a minute at other lines.
Viking has been building all of its ocean ships to the same design. Like its earlier siblings, Orion will have a modern Scandinavian look and an upscale feel. Cabins on the vessels will be large for cruise ships, with the smallest of five cabin categories having 270 square feet of space. In addition, every cabin will have a balcony. Fourteen two-room suites on each of the ships will range from 757 to 1,448 square feet and offer sweeping views from wrap-around private balconies.
Itineraries:Orion will operate a diverse range of seven- to 92-night sailings over its first year in operation that include voyages in the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska.
7. Holland America’s NieuwStatendam
- NIEUW STATENDAM
- Line: Holland America
- Maiden voyage: Dec. 5
- Home port: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Size (in tons): 99,500
- Passengers: 2,666
The buzz:A sister to Holland America’s 20-month-old Koningsdam, NieuwStatendam will be similar in structure to the earlier ship but feature some new public spaces and its own style created by well-known hospitality designer Adam Tihany and architecture Bjorn Storbraaten.
Like Koningsdam, NieuwStatendam will boast a more contemporary design than earlier Holland America ships, while preserving such classic Holland America touches as a Crow’s Nest lounge with panoramic views.
At the heart of the vessel will be a soaring, three-deck-high atrium capped by a ceiling that serves as a backdrop for subtly changing high-definition projections. By day, passengers will see wispy cirrus clouds floating overhead. In the evening, it’ll take on dramatic lighting hues or reflect the clear constellations of the night sky.
Like Koningsdam, NieuwStatendam will have a French seafood restaurant called Sel de Mer — a new concept at the line — and an entertainment zone called Music Walk. NieuwStatendam also will have cabins for single travelers and ocean-view cabins designed specifically for families. Both are new-for-the-line concepts that first debuted on Koningsdam. The family cabins will offer room for five and two bathrooms. The solo cabins will range from 127 to 172 square feet.
Itineraries:After an initial trans-Atlantic voyage from Italy, NieuwStatendam will operate a variety of three, four, seven and 10-day voyages to the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale through April 2019.
8. Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge
- CELEBRITY EDGE
- Line: Celebrity Cruises
- Maiden voyage: Dec. 16
- Home ports: Barcelona, Spain; Civitavecchia, Italy; Fort Lauderdale
- Size (in tons): 117,000
- Passengers: 2,900
The buzz:After six years without a new ship, Celebrity is kicking back into growth mode. Edge is the first of four new Celebrity vessels due by 2022 that will boast an innovative new design.
Among Edge’s most notable features: A 90-ton platform the size of a tennis court that will be cantilevered over its side. Called the Magic Carpet, it will move up and down the side of the ship serving functions that range from tender boarding platform (when it’s positioned alongside Deck 2) to 90-seat alternative restaurant (when it’s positioned near the top of the vessel on Deck 16).
Among other unusual features, Edge will have a jogging track that spans two decks and winds around the ship’s terraced pool area. A relaxation area to the aft of the pool deck called the Rooftop Garden also is on its plans as are six poolside cabanas for rent with 20-foot ceilings. Hot tubs will be perched on stems in what Celebrity says is a “martini glass” design.
Accommodations also will be a bit, um, edgy. Edge will feature what Celebrity is calling Infinite Veranda cabins designed to blend the indoor and outdoor experience. Billed as an industry first, Infinite Veranda cabins will have balconies that are incorporated into the main cabin area. Bi-fold doors in the rooms either can be completely closed, creating a traditional room area separated from a balcony area, or left open, creating a wide-open indoor space that is about 23% larger than traditional balcony cabins.
Edge also will have Celebrity’s first cabins for solo travellers.
Itineraries:Edge initially will sail to the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale before moving to the Mediterranean for the summer of 2019. In the Caribbean, the ship will operate seven-night trips.
