Some of the biggest ships ever built are beckoning in 2025 as cruising attracts record bookings. Many new arrivals are sisters of ships that were already the largest ever when they made their debuts. Even new small ships are bulking up.
Here’s a look at notable new choices you’ll want to consider:
Norwegian makes a splash with Aqua
The first in Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Prima Plus Class, Norwegian Aqua is an expanded version of her fleet-mates, with a capacity of 3,571 guests—up from the 3,215 on Norwegian Prima. Among the highlights will be the all-new Aqua Slidecoaster, a first-of-its-kind hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide in place of the multi-level go-kart tracks that feature on Norwegian Viva and Prima. NCL’s first-ever Game Zone will feature interactive darts, VR gaming, and mini-golf, that come with extra fees. Aqua will also boast NCL’s first Thai specialty restaurant. Due to debut from Miami in April, Norwegian Aqua offers five-day Bahamas and Caribbean cruises through August. Then the ship moves to New York for a Bermuda season before returning to Florida.
MSC World America sails from Miami–MSC Cruises
MSC wows with World America
Big news in more ways than one is the newcomer in the World Class, which is 20 per cent bigger than previous ships from MSC Cruises. Carrying up to 6,700 guests and rising an awesome 20 decks high, MSC World America is just as tall as Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, currently the world’s largest cruise ship. The top deck is The Harbor, an expansive family water park that includes a ropes course and features three waterslides that cascade down from the ship’s highest deck to a landing area below. MSC World America will also have six pools and 14 hot tubs
As her name implies MSC World America is geared to American tastes, with features including a sports bar, an outdoor World Promenade and an Eataly-branded Italian restaurant. It debuts in April 2025, with eastern and eastern Caribbean itineraries from Miami that all include Ocean Cay, MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas.
Oceania’s attractive Allura
Oceania’s eighth ship, Allura, which sets sail in July, has capacity for 1,200 guests and 800 crew members, to offer what Oceania boasts are industry-leading spaces and staff-to-guest ratios. Highlights of the luxury ship include specialty restaurants Ember and AquaMar Kitchen, both of which launched on the first in the series, Vista in 2023. The ship will also have a new onboard crêperie and a library with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Allura will sail in the Mediterranean in the summer then sail to New York and do fall cruises to Canada including a two-week Montreal to Miami itinerary. The winter features Caribbean cruises from Miami and then a summer 2026 season in Europe. “Allura’s inaugural journeys are designed to appeal to all global travelers, whether they revel in the joy that comes with reconnecting with favorite destinations or are excited to discover new places and sights for the very first time,” said Frank A. Del Rio, president of Oceania Cruises.
Royal Caribbean’s towering new Star
Though many aspects of the ship will be identical to Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the classmate Star of the Seas will feature enhancements, including a Lincoln Supper Club, a refreshed kids’ club, new cuisine at an AquaDome Market. The mega-ship will sail from Port Canaveral starting in April to the Eastern or Western Caribbean, with a scheduled stop at private island Perfect Day at CocoCay. Star of the Seas will be joined by at least two more Icon Class ships in 2026 and 2027, and there are options to build a fifth and sixth version in the future.
Celebrity Xcel coming in November–Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity set to Xcel
Royal Caribbean Group’s upscale line, Celebrity Cruises is also expanding with another of the award-winning Edge Class ships. Celebrity Xcel will be the cruise line’s first methanol-capable ship, having a tri-fuel engine that can use three types of fuel. This represents a steppingstone on Royal Caribbean Group’s journey to Destination Net Zero, their plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Though many features will be similar to others in the Edge Class, guests will enjoy an expanded Rooftop Garden and a redesigned Grand Plaza. Starting in November 2025, Celebrity Xcel will offer Caribbean itineraries from Florida.
A Brilliant Lady debuts
The long-anticipated and much-delayed fourth ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet, Brilliant Lady finally arrives in September 2025 from New York. The ship is mostly identical to the first three ships in the fleet, but features a hull that’s been slimmed so she can sail through the Panama Canal. Carrying up to 2,770 guests double occupancy Brilliant Lady will also be the first ship for Virgin to sail from New York and Los Angeles, and to offer a season of Alaska cruises from Seattle, in 2026.
Princess gets a new Star
While she’s a twin of the Sun Princess now sailing in the Caribbean from Ft Lauderdale, Star Princess is the biggest in the Princess fleet, with capacity for 4,300 guests double occupancy and towering to 21 decks. She arrives in November with several unique enhancements, including non-smoking casino areas, as well as expanded dining areas for O’Malley’s Pub and Love by Britto. Another addition is a SkyDeck Sports Court & Track where active guests can play pickleball and basketball, and us a jogging track and splash pad, while less active guests will find shaded areas for relaxation.
The 4,300-guest ship features signature spaces like The Dome, a geodesic dome at sea, and The Sphere, a glass-enclosed piazza in the center of the ship, that’s powered by clean-burning liquefied natural gas (LNG). Following a season sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean, she’ll move to Alaska in May 2026.
Viking Vela joins the fleet–Viking Cruises
A duo for Viking: Vela and Vesta
Viking Vela, inaugurated in December, 2024, is the 11th ship in a series for Viking Cruises and it has a capacity for 998 passengers, compared to 930 for the previous vessels which have been arriving annually since 2015. Viking is working on a project for a partial hybrid propulsion system for future ocean ships based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, which could allow the company to operate at zero-emission in the Norwegian Fjords and other sensitive environments. While Viking Vela has a traditional propulsion platform, it is considered hydrogen-ready and can be retrofitted in the future.
Next comes a sister, Viking Vesta, due in July. While also a 998 guest ship, it’s designed to be able to dock in places larger ships can’t. Itineraries include Malta, Morocco, Venice, the Adriatic, Greece; Iceland, British Isles and Iberia.
Ritz-Carlton’s glowing Luminaria
The most luxurious cruise ship to launch in 2025 is The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Luminara, a superyacht that features 226 suites, all with private balconies. At 456 guests, it’s a sister to Ilma which launched in 2024 and larger than the line’s first ship Evrima, which carries just 298 guests. Luminara will offer five restaurants, six bars, a wine vault and a marina platform. She’s powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is currently the cleanest marine fuel. Ritz Carlton claims its ships offer, the highest space-to-passenger ratios at sea. The prices are premium, with fares for the inaugural week-long cruise in July starting at $11,000 per guest and an Owners Suite topping $64,000 per guest.
Disney Destiny rendering from Disney Cruise Line
The Disney fleet is becoming a dynasty
The pixie dust is spreading quickly. Disney Treasure which made her inaugural voyage out of Port Canaveral in December, 2024 is just the first of three newcomers for the expanding Disney fleet. The 4,000-guest ship is a sister of Disney Wish that debuted in 2022. While the Disney Wish embodies a theme of enchantment and dreams coming true, the Treasure showcases Disney, Pixar and Marvel adventure tales. Among the features are shows from Moana, Coco and the space travel of Rocket and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Disney Destiny, another 4,000 guest ship voyaging from Fort Lauderdale launches in November, 2025 as the most superhero-focused ship in the fleet. Attractions include a World of Marvel dining venue and Marvel Super Hero Academy, along with a Doctor Strange-inspired lounge. The hull will feature art of Spider-Man and his Spider-bots. A 2,000-square-foot Tower Suite inspired by Iron Man’s penthouse is among other superhero-inspired touches. The multi-story Grand Hall pays homage to Black Panther and features a statue of T’Challa, the King of Wakanda.
Yet another new arrival is Disney Adventure, the line’s biggest yet, at a whopping capacity of 6,700 guests. She’s entering service from Singapore and isn’t likely to make its way to America for a while.
The ship has an interesting story because it was originally built for another company and has been reimagined. Themed zones, include Marvel Landing; Toy Story Place; San Fransokyo Street, a mash-up of California and Japan; and Disney Imagination Garden, which draws inspiration from 100 years of Disney tales. Guests will find Mowgli’s Eatery and Gramma Tala’s Kitchen in the Garden. The latter is a Moana-inspired restaurant that will feature a menu with flavors found throughout the Pacific and Asia, while Mowgli’s Eatery is based on the protagonist of The Jungle Book.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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