Each new cruise ship brings excitement and amazing new features. As the appetite for cruising continues to grow by double digits each year the big cruise lines have been placing orders for larger and more luxurious cruise ships. The new ships below range from 3600 passengers to 5400 passengers. The process, from design to keel laying to launch, generally takes two to three years.
Find below a list of cruise ships that will be launched in 2015-16.
P&O Britannia
141,000 Tonnage
3,611 Berths
Launch Date March 2015
When Britannia debuts, it will be by far the biggest ship in the P&O Cruise fleet, coming in at 141,000 tons and carrying 3,611 passengers — some 25,000 tons larger than P&O’s previous biggest ship, Azura. It will also be the biggest ship ever built specifically for the U.K. market. The ship will include purpose-built single cabins with balconies and the largest spa in the fleet.
Anthem of the Seas
167,800 Tonnage
4,180 Berths
Launch Date Spring 2015
The ship will be the second of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class of vessels, named for fleetmate Quantum of the Seas, which debuted in Fall 2014. Anthem of the Seas will be based in Southampton during the summer, offering Mediterranean itineraries; it will then be based in Bayonne’s Cape Liberty offering Caribbean cruises over the winter months. Anthem of the Seas will be loaded with new-to-the-seas activities such as onboard bumper cars and a skydiving simulator. It also will feature the North Star, a pod that extends up and over the ship for 360-degree views. Inside cabins will feature “virtual balconies” — essentially floor-to-ceiling LCD TV screens linked to a camera mounted on the outside of the ship. It also will feature the wildly innovative entertainment space, Two70, which integrates HD-digital technology with singing, dancing and acrobatics.
Norwegian Escape
163,000 Tonnage
4,200 Berths
Launch Date October 2015
The first ship in NCL’s Breakaway-Plus Class will come in at 163,000 tons and carry 4,200 passengers. It will feature one more deck than the Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, which make up the similar Breakaway Class. The ship will include an outdoor dining and drinking space, called The Waterfront, and will feature famed Miami bar, Tobacco Road. Escape will feature a hull painting by artist Guy Harvey, and it will sail Caribbean itineraries out of Miami.
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas
167,800 Tonnage
4,180 Berths
Launch Date Mid-2016
Royal Caribbean’s third Quantum Class vessel will sail in 2016. Like its sister ships — Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas — this third ship will feature new-to-the-seas activities such as onboard bumper cars and a skydiving simulator. It also will feature the North Star, a pod that extends up and over the ship for 360-degree views. Inside cabins will feature “virtual balconies” — essentially floor-to-ceiling LCD TV screens linked to a camera mounted on the outside of the ship. It also will feature the wildly innovative entertainment space, Two70, which integrates HD-digital technology with singing, dancing and acrobatics.
Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas
225,282 Tonnage
5,400 Berths
Launch Date April 2016
Royal Caribbean has just announced the name of their third Oasis class ship as Harmony of the Seas. Harmony of the Seas introduces the first waterslides on Royal Caribbean with a splash. Three thrilling waterslides will bring brand new adventures to the ship’s Pool and Sports Zone, as guests dip, dive and swirl three decks down through a series of twists and turns. Royal Caribbean’s third Oasis Class vessel will be built and ready to sail by April 2016. A fourth-in-class ship will launch mid-2018. When these ships are complete, they will be the largest passenger ships afloat.
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