While there are 24 new cruise ships coming in 2020, we can’t include them all here, so we’ve whittled our list down to the ten that we’re most excited about.
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This year is one of the most exciting in recent memory for new cruise ship deliveries, while past years have been marked by the delivery of a few super-exciting new cruise ship such as Celebrity Edge and Symphony of the Seas in 2018, or Carnival Panorama and Spectrum of the Seas in 2019 – this year there are a whole host of new ships for every type of cruise passenger.
Seven Seas Splendor
Seven Seas Splendor
(delivered February, 2020)
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has taken delivery of Seven Seas Splendor, its second Explorer-class luxury cruise ship, joining sister ship Seven Seas Explorer as one of the most expensive cruise ships ever built (on a per ton basis).
Seven Seas Explorer is a quarter the size of Oasis of the Seas in gross ton terms, carries just over a tenth the number of passengers (750) but cost half as much to build, and instead of bowling alleys, dodgem cars and water slides, she boasts features like a $200,000 bed, the most expensive bed at sea, in the Regent Suite.
She is the second of a planned three ships for the top-end of Regent’s fleet. A third sister ship is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard and will be delivered in 2023.
See more here.
Scarlet Lady
Scarlet Lady
(due March, 2020)
Virgin Voyages’ first cruise ship Scarlet Lady is set to break the traditional cruise mold in so many ways, its impossible to recount them all here, so see everything we’ve written about this impressive new ship here.
Scarlet Lady will target the millennial market, but not families. She will be an adults-only ship, with novelties such as a tattoo parlour and blow-dry bar, hammocks on the stateroom balconies, Seabed sofas that converted into full-size double beds at night, and outdoor peak-a-boo showers overlooking the ocean.
There’ll also be 20 dining options, all of which will be included in the cruise fare.
For more about the dining experiences, see our report here.
Celebrity Apex
Celebrity Apex
(due April, 2020)
Celebrity Cruises new Edge-class cruise ship, Celebrity Apex, due in Spring, 2020, and her sister ship Celebrity Edge, launched last year, are perfectly suited to the wants and desires of the Middle East cruise passengers, according to Mohamed Saeed, General Manager, Middle East, Royal Caribbean. And Celebrity Apex will be based in the Med, which is even better for the GCC cruise market.
Celebrity Apex brings together an innovative outward-facing design, visionary spaces, transformational accommodations, the best in the culinary field and legendary onboard experience across 14 passenger decks.
While she will be closely based on the Celebrity Edge platform, she won’t be an identical ship, but Royal Caribbean has been coy about exactly what new features and amenities she’ll offer her 2,910 passengers (Celebrity Cruises is owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises).
For more, see our story about her here.
Silver Moon
Silver Moon
(due April, 2020)
Silversea’s new ultra-luxury cruise ship, Silver Moon is due for delivery in April this year. Although she will have a similar aesthetic to Silversea’s Silver Muse, which has become extremely popular with the cruise line’s guests, many of Silver Moon’s public spaces will be enhanced, according to Silversea.
The Dolce Vita lounge, the Connoisseur’s Corner, the Pool Deck, and the Spa and Fitness Centre have each undergone comprehensive redesigns for the benefit of guests’ comfort and enjoyment.
Silver Moon’s Kaiseki restaurant has also been reimagined, as well as the ship’s La Dame restaurant, which will incorporate bespoke Lalique crystal panels. She will also feature To the Moon and Beyond, a retro tribute to space exploration and classic sci-fi movies, as part of her entertainment line-up, developed in exclusive collaboration with renowned Luna Rossa Productions.
P&O’s Iona
Iona
(due May, 2020)
At more than 183,000-gross tons and carrying 5,200 passengers, Iona is P&O’s first LNG-powered ship, the largest ship in the fleet and the biggest cruise ship ever designed for the British market.
Among the many features aboard Iona will be the Grand Atrium, a new concept for the cruise line with uninterrupted panoramic views of the sea, framed by glazed walls stretching three decks high, and the SkyDome, a new entertainment venue on the top two levels capped by a glass-domed roof.
Iona will also offer 30 different bar and restaurant venues, the widest ever selection of places to eat and drink on a UK ship. Innovative and flexible dining options include a “foodie” market offering cuisine from around the world, a new gastropub concept and a laid-back cocktail lounge.
Iona will also offer Freedom Dining in all of her main restaurants, for the first time on any P&O ship, letting guests eat when they want, where they want.
For more about Iona, see all our stories on her here.
Enchanted Princess
Enchanted Princess
(due June, 2020)
Enchanted Princess is the new sister ship to Sky Princess, the latest in the cruise line’s Royal-class. At 141,000-gross tons and carrying more than 3,600 passengers she is one of the largest ships in the Princess fleet.
Enchanted Princess, however, will feature a number of new amenities and attractions, such as the Sky Suites with the largest balconies in the fleet, the digital escape room Phantom Bridge, and the new Jazz lounge concept Take Five.
She will also offer more than 25 dining venues and bars including the World Fresh Marketplace and speciality restaurants La Mer (French bistro), Crown Grill Steakhouse and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria.
She will also feature new entertainment. Created exclusively for Princess Cruises, Rock Opera will feature avant-garde inspired costumes, a musical soundtrack spanning classic rock, musical theatre and opera, as well as songs performed in English, Spanish, Latin, and sign language.
For more, see all our stories on her here.
MSC Virtuosa
MSC Virtuosa
(due October, 2020)
MSC Virtuosa will be the latest ship in MSC Cruises’ hugely successful Meraviglia Plus-class, a sister ship to MSC Grandiosa, launched last year. MSC Virtuosa will be very similar to MSC Bellissima in style, design and atmosphere, but she will be larger (181,000-gross tons versus 171,000), carry more passengers (6,200 versus 5,200) and will offer more passenger amenities and facilities.
Like sister ship MSC Grandiosa, its likely that MSC Virtuosa will feature enhanced technology with ship-wide touch screens programmed with more information and increased capability for Zoe, the voice-enabled assistant in every cabin.
Lifts will be operated by an exterior screen where passengers select a floor and immediately see which lift will arrive first. It’s also likely that her 10 restaurants and 21 21 bars and cafes will get the same enhancements, such as an expanded L’Atelier Bistrot speciality restaurant, with seating for 66.
And, just as MSC Bellissima homeported in Dubai for the current 2019/2020 cruise season, MSC Virtuosa will homeport in Dubai for the 2021/22 season.
Costa Firenze
Costa Firenze
(due October, 2020)
Costa Cruises’ new Vista-class cruise ship Costa Firenze is another Dubai-bound new cruise ship, but she will only cruise once from the city on her way to China in late 2020. The 135,500-gross ton ship follows her sister ship, Costa Venezia, which was delivered earlier this year and also offered a cruise from Dubai on her repositioning voyage from the Mediterranean to Asia.
Costa Firenze is inspired by the city of Florence while her sister ship Costa Venezia is inspired by Venice. More details about her on-board features and amenities will be announced in the coming months, Costa Cruises said, but in renderings released with a press release, it appears that the ship will at least boast an impressive pool area and magrodome.
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
(due October, 2020)
Undoutedly one of the most anticipated ships of the year alongside Scarlet Lady, Mardi Gras is a true game-changer in the hugely competitive North American market. She is the largest and most innovative cruise ship Carnival Cruise Line has ever ordered, and will have the most bells and whistles yet. These onboard features include the SkyRide that debuted aboard Carnival Vista, as well as the all-new BOLT roller coaster, the first at sea, the largest WaterWorks aqua park in the fleet, several dozen dining options, including Emeril’s Bistro 1396, the first seagoing restaurant by famed New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse.
BOLT, SkyRide and the WaterWorks park will be located in the Ultimate Playground, while Emeril’s will be located in the French Quarter, these are two of the six ‘zones’ aboard the massive 180,000-gross ton ship. Carrying more than 5,000 passengers, she features several stateroom categories that were first introduced in the Vista-class, including Havana Suites, Family Harbour Suites, and Cloud 9 Spa staterooms. Mardi Gras will also feature Carnival Excel Corner Suites located on the port and starboard sides of the ship. They feature a lounge area, a wet bar and a large wrap-around balcony with ample space for dining and relaxation.
For more, see our extensive coverage of Mardi Gras here.
Odyssey of the Seas
Odyssey of the Seas
(due November, 2020)
Odyssey of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s first Quantum-class cruise ship designed for the North American market, and she’ll be worth the wait! She’ll have the same exterior design and look as her Quantum-class sisters, but will be packed with new experiences. She’ll feature the popular RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator, the Sky Pad (new to the Quantum Ultra-class), the new-to-Odyssey glow-in-the-dark laser tag game Clash for the Crystal City, and more.
The ‘more’ includes a 40-foot rock wall, and the SkyPad bungee trampoline experience will transports travelers to another time, place or planet using a VR headset. The pool deck features resort-style pools and four whirlpools, surrounded by plenty of shady casitas and hammocks. Nearby, The Lime & Coconut serves up two stories of prime pool-front views.
There’ll also be a collection of several dozen restaurants from steakhouses and New York-style pizzerias to Mexican and Italian cuisine, along with a revamped spa and the adults-only Solarium, an exclusive space on the top deck, for some much needed “me time,” including swimming pools and whirlpools, a full-service bar, daybeds and hidden nooks for ultimate relaxation.
For more, see our coverage of Odyssey of the Seas here.
Categories: Cruise Features, Cruise Lifestyle
