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| Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Oasis-class ship. |
It’s been another week of big new ship updates in the cruise industry. In addition to our firsthand tours of Carnival Vista and Harmony of the Seas, major cruise lines have made a host of announcements regarding new and upcoming ships.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. signed a big new ship order for its Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises brands. Royal Caribbean International will get a new Oasis-class ship, and Celebrity will get two additional Edge-class ships. STX France will build the new vessels, which are set to debut in spring 2021 (Oasis) and fall 2021 and 2022 (Edge).
Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., cited the response to the arrival of the line’s newest Oasis-class ship, Harmony of the Seas, as one of the factors behind the decision. Additionally, the two new Edge-class ships for Celebrity Cruises will build on the line’s Solstice-class vessels.
Silversea released new details on the inaugural season of its new Silver Muse, which launches in 2017. The information is from the line’s new 2017 Voyages and Expeditions digital brochure, which just debuted this week.
Launching in April 2017, Silver Muse will have a capacity of 596 guests. During its inaugural year, the ship will visit 34 countries and over 130 ports, offering the chance to visit 52 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from ancient Greek temples through to historic Caribbean fortresses.
Silver Muse will also offer one of the line’s two 2017 Grand Voyages, a 66-day cruise sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale and exploring South America, departing October 13, 2017.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises named the godmother for its upcoming Seven Seas Explorer this week: Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, who will help christen the ship at a gala in Monte Carlo July 13.
Joining H.S.H. Princess Charlene at the christening ceremony for Seven Seas Explorer is Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will take the stage for a 40-minute performance during the event.
The inaugural voyage for the 750-guest, all-suite Seven Seas Explorer is scheduled for July 20. The ship will spend its first season in Europe before heading to Miami for a series of Caribbean voyages.
Finally, Holland America Line welcomed its newest ship, Koningsdam, to the fleet May 20 in a naming ceremony in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands officially blessed the bell and named the new vessel.
During its inaugural season in Europe, Koningsdam sails in the Mediterranean and then repositions from Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome), to its summer homeport of Amsterdam. The ship will go on to sail roundtrip Amsterdam itineraries to Norway, the Baltic and Iceland.
Following its Europe season, Koningsdam will homeport at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will sail one cruise to the Bahamas and then a series of Caribbean voyages from November 2016 through March 2017.
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