Look for these eight new cruise ships to sail the ocean this year
Eight new cruise ships will launch in 2018, ranging from a high-end, 228-passenger yacht that will be outfitted with helicopters and a submarine, to a mega-ship that will carry more than 6,000 passengers and will run on natural gas.
The “discovery yacht,” as it’s being called by owner Scenic cruises, will have almost a 1:1 ratio for staff to guests. It is scheduled to launch in the Mediterranean at the end of summer.
The mega-ship, the AIDAnova, is being billed as the world’s first cruise ship that can be run completely on liquid natural gas, or LNG. Designed for the German cruise company AIDA, the ship will launch near the end of 2018 and cruise the Canary Islands.
Other new ships heading out to sea this year include Carnival Horizon, part of the line’s Vista Class. It will launch in the spring, sailing a few Mediterranean cruises, some short voyages from New York City, and eventually Caribbean cruises. It will carry nearly 4,000 passengers, who will be able to try out the line’s SkyRide, as well as a new Bonsai Teppanyaki restaurant.
Royal Caribbean‘s Symphony of the Seas will also launch this spring, carrying about 5,500 passengers. It will have a redesigned Boardwalk with arcade games, a laser-tag arena, three water slides, the sheer-drop Ultimate Abyss and multiple FlowRiders. It will sail in the Caribbean.
The mega-ship Norwegian Bliss is another newcomer that will debut this spring. It will sail to Alaska from Seattle this summer carrying 4,000 passengers, making it the largest ship to offer regular cruises to the 49th state. The ship will feature the largest race track at sea and water slides that round the side of the ship.
The European-based cruise company MSC, which launched the new ship Seaside in December, will welcome another new ship, the MSC Seaview, in late spring. It will hold 4,132 passengers and offer a unique condo-style design with a water park, ropes course and two of the longest zip lines at sea. It will sail the Caribbean and Mediterrean.
The Nieuw Statendam, a Holland America ship, is scheduled to debut in the fall. It will carry 2,650 passengers and sail a variety of Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Passengers will find a two-tiered Lido Pool with a movie screen, and Music Walk, home to Billboard Onboard, Lincoln Center Stage and B.B. King’s Blues Club at the Queen’s Lounge.
Celebrity Edge, the line’s first new ship in 10 years, is expected to sail late this year. The ship has been generating a lot of buzz because of its new features, including the Magic Carpet, a movable deck that will rise from Deck 2 all the up to 16. It will also have two martini-glass-shaped Jacuzzis, among other interesting design features. The ship will hold 2,900 passengers and will sail Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries.
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