One of the world’s most innovative cruise lines is at it again.
Royal Caribbean is known for pushing the envelope in what’s possible in cruising — both on and off the ship. The line has consistently been at the cutting edge, building ships that are larger than anyone else (all of the top eight largest cruise ships on the planet are owned by Royal Caribbean), offer more things to do, have more room options, and more onboard experiences.
Most recently its Icon-class ships, complete with an entire waterpark onboard, took over the reins as the world’s largest cruise ships ,with the ability to hold upwards of 7,000 cruise passengers at full capacity.
And then on land, the cruise line has also made big moves. In 2019 it transformed its CocoCay private destination from a sleepy island to what’s now a beach amusement park, complete with the tallest waterslide in North America. It’s invested in Royal Beach Clubs to offer a dedicated area for Royal Caribbean passengers in other ports. And it’s making a massive investment in another private destination set to be more than 200 acres in size — Perfect Day Mexico.
But the cruise line isn’t slowing down despite being a leader in innovation. It’s just made an announcement of a new lineup of ships for its fleet.
It’s Official: Discovery Class Will Debut in 2029
While it’s been rumored and discussed in hushed tones for a long time, today Royal Caribbean officially announced its newest class of ships.
The cruise line’s new Discovery Class is no longer a rumor. The cruise line says that the ships are being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France. This is the same shipyard that has built other ships for the company, including Oasis-class ships and the Edge-class ships for sister line Celebrity Cruises.
Royal Caribbean says that two ships have been ordered, with the first one set to be delivered in 2029 and the second a surprising three years later in 2032. There is also an option for four additional orders, bringing the possible number of ships in the fleet to six.
What passengers can expect from the new class of ships, however, is not clear at all. There’s not even a rendering of the new ships included with the announcement.
The press release announcing the Discovery line certainly hypes the new ships but doesn’t offer much about concrete details:
“The Discovery Class introduces a bold new concept that puts our guests at the center of it all. It will deliver extraordinary, one-of-a-kind experiences — from cutting edge design to immersive moments — every detail crafted to surprise and delight guests in ways they’ve never imagined, all while visiting truly breathtaking destinations around the world,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean.
Even when directly asked a question about the new class on an earnings conference call this morning, Royal Caribbean executives declined to share details.
Bayley did share that many of the assumptions about size and capacity of the new ships (which have been rumored to be significantly smaller ships) were “inaccurate.” He also emphasized that the new ships will be a game-changer on par with what Icon of the Seas saw when it was introduced.
Bayley also shared that the cruise line won’t be saying much about the new ship class over the next couple of months but that a promotional campaign with more details is set to come soon.
Bottom line: Any new class of ships coming from Royal Caribbean is likely to mean a major step forward in cruising. What exactly in means for the Discovery class, however, is going to have to wait until the cruise line releases more details.
