5 Amazing New Cruise Ships Set to Sail in 2024

Every year we highlight the biggest and best new cruise ships you can look forward to next year (and which you can already book for your next cruise!).

And every year we are amazed at how the cruise industry continues to take cruising to the next level.

Today you will find the TOP 5 new cruise ships that will debut in 2024, including the largest Royal Caribbean ever created!

Modern cruise ships with bigger and better staterooms and suites, world-class dining, amazing entertainment and technological wondersare truly a marvel.

Mostly 5-star luxury resorts on the high seas, modern cruise ships will convince even those who weren’t previously fans of cruising to give it another try.

Debut date: January 27, 2024 (Caribbean)

A new Royal Caribbean ship is always an event, but a new class of Royal Caribbean ships is exciting!

Icon of the Seas will debut in 2024 and will become the largest cruise ship in the entire world, surpassing the previous largest cruise ship, also owned by Royal Caribbean, Wonder of the Seas.

Icon of the Seas will set sail on her maiden voyage from the Port of Miami on January 27, 2024.

Of course, when you’re the largest cruise ship at sea, you have plenty of room to break other records as well.

For example, Icon of the Seas boasts the largest water park at sea. The water park will have 6 water slides (the largest number on cruise ships). The ship also boasts 7 swimming pools and 9 Jacuzzis.

The rest of this luxury ship features over 40 dining and entertainment venues spread across 20 decks and eight areas. New restaurants include Royal Caribbean’s first food hall and the trendy Empire Supper Club with an eight-course menu.

There are about 30 options for cabins and suites. Many of the ship’s offerings are aimed at families, but there are also plenty of adults-only accommodations.

Cruisers are clearly already excited about Icon of the Seas. When Royal Caribbean opened its long-awaited sale in October 2022 , the cruise line reported the highest number of bookings in a single day in the cruise line’s history.

This will be Royal Caribbean’s first ship to run on liquefied natural gas, which is much more environmentally friendly than traditional fuels and has fewer harmful emissions.

Debut date: February 8, 2024 (Mediterranean)

The Sun Princess may not be the largest cruise ship in the world, but the ship is still important to Princes Cruises fans. The ship will be the largest ship in the cruise line’s fleet Princess, more than 20% larger than the second largest ship of the company.

What’s really interesting is that he’s launching a whole new class for Princess Cruises. Even more significant, this will be Princess Cruises’ first ship to run on liquefied natural gas.

Passengers can look forward to the largest casino on board this ship and the largest number of balcony cabins on a Princess Cruises ship today.

Other standout features include The Dome, an entertainment venue inspired by the landscape of Santorini that offers a pool by day and shows by night.

The ship’s piazza is surrounded by a glass dome and takes inspiration from historic piazzas, offering access to a range of luxurious spaces.

Sun Princess will have 29 amazing restaurants and bars. The Horizons dining room now spans three floors, and the ship’s other dining options will include both new and classic Princes Cruises favorites.

One of the ship’s new features is the first-ever Princess luxury enclave. Based on the “ship within a ship” concept, the company will offer two new accommodation categories: Signature Collection and Reserve Collection.

Including the ship’s finest suites and mini-suites, the former includes access to private areas such as the restaurant, lounge and sun deck, while the latter has its own private restaurant and cabanas.

Debut Date: May 10, 2024 (Northern Europe/Mediterranean)

For most cruise lines, a new ship is an exciting moment, but when Cunard launches a new ship, it feels like an event.

Cunard Line fans have long been waiting for the Queen Anne cruise ship, which will follow in the footsteps of the legendary ships Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth .

The launches of Cunard ships do not happen very often – this is the first addition to the fleet since Queen Elizabeth joined them in 2010. But the company has been around so long that the new Queen Anne will actually be the 249th liner to ever join the Cunard fleet!

The fleet is much smaller these days and the ship will be the fourth to sail.

Expect the same classic elegance and cruising tradition that you can experience on these other three ships, just with a few modern updates.

The ship will offer 15 restaurants, including fan favorites such as afternoon tea. A new addition to the ship will be The Bright Lights Society, Cunard’s first venue, an intimate entertainment venue with a luxurious aesthetic.

Plus, expect two pools, plenty of wellness offerings, and luxurious cabins and suites that convey the feel of an elegant European hotel.

Icon of the Seas is not the only Royal Caribbean ship scheduled to sail in 2024. The cruise line’s new cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, is in a different class than the Icon of the Seas, and it won’t be as big – but still pretty awesome (what else would you expect from Royal Caribbean?).

The last ship of the Oasis class, Utopia of the Seas,differs from its sister ships in that it is the only one not to actually hold the title of “world’s largest cruise ship” upon debut (though it is hardly small), and also in that it is the only ship in its class to operate on LNG.

Several new features you’ll find in Utopia of the Seas include “Izumi in the Park” (which is not usually found on Oasis class ships as it is a new feature of the Icon class); more restaurants near the pool; and new bar Pesky Parrot.

In total, the ship will have more than 40 different restaurants and bars, including 10 free restaurants and 11 specialty restaurants.

If you haven’t checked out Explora Journeys, you’re not alone. This relatively new cruise line is owned by MSC Group and focuses on luxury cruises in an intimate atmosphere.

Explora II will be the second ship launched for Explora Journeys.

The ships will be very different from the MSC Cruises fleet – expect smaller ships with an emphasis on luxury, incredible service and stunning destinations.

The new cruise ship Explora II offers nearly 500 ocean view staterooms (no interior staterooms). These are LUX class airliners with an all-inclusive system. There are 6 different restaurants on board, each focusing on healthy and delicious menus using local ingredients from the ship’s destinations.

The ships’ entertainment and relaxation areas are also generous, with ten bars and lounges, shops, and a large indoor and outdoor spa. Explora Journeys will definitely compete with the existing ultra-luxury companies sailing the oceans.