Friday Briefing: More New Cruise Ships Announced Ahead of Strong 2017

Fresh off the rumored name of Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis-class ship, a trio of new cruise lines just announced new ships during what’s forecast to be a strong year for the industry. 

Carnival Corporation has announced two new cruise ships, one each for Princess Cruises and Holland America Line. The new Princess ship is notable for carrying Carnival Corp.’s new “Ocean Medallion” class, a new technology platform that uses a wearable Ocean Medallion to allow guests to access a host of personalized experiences on the ship, as well as potentially in private shore destinations equipped with the platform’s Internet of Things-enabled sensors. Holland America Line’s new ship will be the third in its “Pinnacle” class, which just made its debut recently with the launch of the Koningsdam. That class introduced a host of new onboard amenities, such as the new Music Walk live performance area, and new restaurants. (Our cruise editor, Susan J. Young, says her favorite Koningsdam restaurants are the new Sel de Mer and Tamarind.)

In expedition cruise news, Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic just announced the name of its newest ship: the National Geographic Venture, which will debut in June 2018. The new ship will be a sibling to the National Geographic Quest, which launches this June. Both will offer a host of new onboard amenities, such as a redesigned wildlife viewing area, upgraded Zodiacs, a mudroom to help keep staterooms clean, and a fuel-efficient, eco-friendly design. 

These ships are just the latest new vessels announced this year as the cruise industry enjoys a strong run of growth. According to Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) 2017 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook, which was released back in December, cruise travel is expected to increase to 25.3 million passengers this year, up from 15.8 million 10 years ago. From 2017-2026 the industry is expected to introduce a total of 97 new cruise ships totaling an estimated investment of $53 billion through 2026.

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