The new cruise ships of 2024 were a strong group. Ten major ocean ships actually entered service that year, from Royal Caribbean’s record-breaking Icon of the Seas in January to Disney Treasure just before Christmas. Two of the ships most often listed as “2024 launches”, Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady and TUI’s Mein Schiff Relax, didn’t sail until 2025.
Free: download our 2027 Luxury Cruise Calendar →
Many lists of new cruise ships for 2024 were written before the year began, so they still show early estimates. This guide looks back instead. It gives the month each ship really debuted, its size, and where it sails now for the 2026-27 seasons, with fleet changes up to October 2026.
New cruise ships 2024 at a glance
Here’s the year in one table. Tonnage is approximate (lines and registries round it differently). Guest numbers are at double occupancy unless noted.
| Ship | Cruise line | Debut (2024) | Guests | Gross tons | Where it sails now (2026-27) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | January | 5,610 | ~248,000 | 7-night Caribbean from Miami; moves to Galveston from August 2027 |
| Sun Princess | Princess Cruises | February | 4,300 | ~177,900 | Caribbean in winter 2026-27 from Fort Lauderdale, San Juan and Port Canaveral; Europe in summer |
| Queen Anne | Cunard | May | ~2,950 | ~113,000 | Mainly from Southampton (Europe, Canaries, longer voyages); joins P&O in 2029 |
| Silver Ray | Silversea | June | 728 | ~54,700 | Europe in summer; winter regions vary by season |
| Mein Schiff 7 | TUI Cruises | June | ~2,900 | ~111,000 | Northern Europe in summer, warm-weather routes in winter (German-speaking market) |
| Utopia of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | July | 5,668 | ~236,900 | 3- and 4-night Bahamas trips from Port Canaveral, with a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay |
| Ilma | Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | September | 448 | n/a | Mediterranean in summer, Caribbean in winter |
| Explora II | Explora Journeys | Late summer | 922 | ~64,000 | Mediterranean in summer, the Americas in winter |
| Viking Vela | Viking | December | 998 | ~54,300 | Mediterranean and Northern Europe, plus winter Northern Lights voyages to Norway |
| Disney Treasure | Disney Cruise Line | December | ~2,500 | ~144,000 | 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral |
The big ships: Icon, Utopia, Sun Princess and Disney Treasure
Icon of the Seas (January 2024)
Icon of the Seas started sailing from Miami on 27 January 2024 and was the year’s headline ship. It has a full waterpark (Category 6), the Thrill Island and Surfside areas, and the AquaDome. Royal Caribbean also built it around family suites. It was the world’s largest cruise ship until its Icon-class sister Star of the Seas arrived in August 2025. Icon is now one of three nearly identical giants.
Where it sails now: week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from PortMiami. Royal Caribbean has confirmed Icon will move to Galveston, Texas, from August 2027, so the 2026-27 winter is likely its last full season from Miami.
Utopia of the Seas (July 2024)
Utopia is the sixth Oasis-class ship. Royal Caribbean designed it for short getaways rather than week-long holidays. It has a party-focused layout, a dry slide called the Ultimate Abyss, and the line’s first train-themed restaurant. It still sails mostly 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, nearly all with a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay. If you’re trying to choose between Royal Caribbean’s two 2024 ships, our Utopia of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas comparison covers the differences in detail.
Sun Princess (February 2024)
Sun Princess was the first of Princess Cruises’ Sphere-class ships. Its debut slipped twice, and its maiden voyage finally left Civitavecchia on 28 February 2024. Its standout features are the glass-domed Dome entertainment venue and the Spheres atrium. It’s also the largest ship Princess has ever built. Our Sun Princess ship guide covers the venues, cabins and dining.
Where it sails now: for winter 2026-27, Sun Princess is in the Caribbean and Bahamas, with departures from Fort Lauderdale, San Juan and Port Canaveral. It spends summers in Europe.
Disney Treasure (December 2024)
Disney Treasure is the second Wish-class ship. Its maiden voyage left Port Canaveral on 21 December 2024. The ship has an adventure theme, with a Coco-inspired restaurant, a Haunted Mansion lounge and “The Tale of Moana” in the theater. Its schedule has stayed simple: 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral through 2027. In November 2027 Disney Wish and Disney Destiny join it there, which will put all three Wish-class ships in the same port for one season.
Luxury and premium cruise ships launched in 2024
Queen Anne (May 2024)
Queen Anne was Cunard’s first new ship since 2010. Her maiden voyage left Southampton on 3 May 2024. She brought a more contemporary look to the Cunard style and added more dining choices than her older fleetmates. She still sails mainly from Southampton, on Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Canary Islands and longer voyages.
The big change: in October 2026 Carnival Corporation announced that Queen Anne will leave Cunard. She will join P&O Cruises in May 2029, after the Four Queens event in Liverpool in 2028 and a last world cruise, and will be refitted and renamed first. P&O’s Arcadia leaves that fleet on 21 August 2029 and moves to Holland America Line. You can read more in our report on how Carnival Corporation is moving Queen Anne to P&O and Arcadia to Holland America. If you’ve always wanted to sail her as a Cunarder, you can book her under Cunard until spring 2029.
Silver Ray (June 2024)
Silver Ray is the second Nova-class ship for Silversea. Like Silver Nova, it has an asymmetric layout with a lot of glass, and it’s designed to burn less fuel than older ships. It carries just 728 guests in all-suite accommodation. Europe is its main summer region, and its winter deployment changes from year to year, so check Silversea’s current schedule.
Ilma (September 2024)
Ilma is the second ship from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and it’s bigger than the first, Evrima. Ilma was delivered in July 2024 and sailed its first cruise from Monte Carlo on 2 September 2024. It carries up to 448 guests in 224 suites. It uses a superyacht-style pattern: Mediterranean summers, Caribbean winters, with overnights in smaller harbors.
Explora II (late summer 2024)
Explora II is MSC Group’s second luxury ship for Explora Journeys. Its first sailings were pushed back by a few weeks, so it debuted in late summer 2024 instead of early August. It carries 922 guests in ocean-front suites. Like its sister Explora I, it spends summers in the Mediterranean and winters in North America and the Caribbean.
Viking Vela (December 2024)
Some early lists suggested Viking Vela had been delayed beyond 2024, but it arrived on time. Fincantieri delivered it on 3 December 2024, and it sailed from Civitavecchia on 12 December. At about 54,300 tons and 998 guests, it’s a slightly larger version of Viking’s familiar ocean ship design. It sails mainly in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, and it runs winter “In Search of the Northern Lights” voyages along the Norwegian coast.
Mein Schiff 7 (June 2024)
Mein Schiff 7 debuted in June 2024 for TUI Cruises, the German brand (not the UK’s Marella). TUI Cruises built it with lower-emission fuels in mind. It sells mainly to German-speaking guests and spends summers in Northern Europe, then moves to warmer routes in winter.
The cruise ships that slipped out of 2024
Lists of new cruise ships for 2024 often included ships that didn’t arrive that year. Here are the main ones:
- Brilliant Lady (Virgin Voyages): first expected in 2024, then delayed. It finally started sailing from New York in September 2025.
- Mein Schiff Relax (TUI Cruises): the first of a new, larger class for TUI. Its maiden season began in 2025.
- World Seeker (Mystic Cruises / Atlas Ocean Voyages): this small expedition ship’s delivery dates kept moving, and it didn’t join the class of 2024.
Two more ships arrived in 2024 but are easy to overlook. American Cruise Lines added American Liberty and American Legend, each with about 109 guests, for its US coastal routes. Oceanwide Expeditions also added the expedition ship Janssonius for polar trips.
How the 2024 ships compare two years on
With two or three seasons behind them, these ships are easier to judge than they were on launch day. A few points to keep in mind:
- Size is no longer unique. Icon of the Seas was the world’s largest ship in 2024, but Star of the Seas (2025) and the newer Icon-class ships now match or slightly beat it. You choose Icon for its itinerary and homeport now, not the record.
- Launch problems are over. Sun Princess had technical problems in its first months and once swapped a port call because of them. Ships settle down after their first season, so a 2026-27 sailing doesn’t carry those launch-year risks.
- Homeport changes matter more than age. Icon’s move to Galveston, Disney’s three Wish-class ships sharing Port Canaveral from November 2027, and Queen Anne’s move to P&O will change who books these ships and where. If you’ve wanted a particular ship from a particular port, check when that arrangement ends.
- Prices have settled. Most new ships charge their highest fares in the first season. Two years later, regular sales and lower-demand dates often cost noticeably less than the launch prices.
Which 2024 cruise ship is right for you?
- Families wanting maximum activities: Icon of the Seas for a full week, or Utopia of the Seas for a short Bahamas break.
- Disney fans: Disney Treasure, especially if you want its longer 7-night Caribbean routes.
- Mainstream travelers who like a calmer atmosphere: Sun Princess, which has new-ship features and a more relaxed feel.
- Traditional British cruising: Queen Anne. Book before 2029 if you want to sail her as a Cunard ship.
- Small-ship luxury: Silver Ray, Explora II or Ilma, depending on whether you want a classic luxury cruise line, a resort feel or a yacht-style trip.
- Adults-only, destination-focused trips: Viking Vela.
FAQs
What new cruise ships came out in 2024?
Ten major ocean ships entered service in 2024: Icon of the Seas, Sun Princess, Queen Anne, Silver Ray, Mein Schiff 7, Utopia of the Seas, Ilma, Explora II, Viking Vela and Disney Treasure. American Cruise Lines also added two small coastal ships, American Liberty and American Legend.
What was the biggest new cruise ship of 2024?
Icon of the Seas, at roughly 248,000 gross tons and 5,610 guests at double occupancy. It held the world’s-largest title until its Icon-class sister Star of the Seas arrived in 2025.
Which cruise ships planned for 2024 were delayed?
Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady slipped to September 2025, and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff Relax moved to 2025. Sun Princess launched about four weeks late in February 2024, and Explora II’s debut was also pushed back a few weeks.
Is Queen Anne leaving Cunard?
Yes. In October 2026 Carnival Corporation said Queen Anne will join P&O Cruises in May 2029, after a final world cruise for Cunard. She will be refitted and renamed. P&O’s Arcadia moves to Holland America Line later in 2029.
Are the 2024 cruise ships worth booking now?
Yes for most people. They’re still among the newest ships at sea, and the early problems are long fixed. Prices have also settled down since their first seasons, when they were most in demand.
