Andrea Zelinski
If 2024 was headlined by splashy, first-of-a-class cruise ships, 2025's new vessels will represent an encore.
A dozen vessels will enter the North American market this year, up one ship from last year's tally that included the Icon of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International and the Sun Princess from Princess Cruises.
Both Royal and Princess plan to debut the second ships of those respective classes this year, as will Oceania Cruises with ship No. 2 for the Allura class. Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line will unveil the third Prima-class ship with a twist; this vessel is larger and includes several differences from its sisters, earning it a new class name of Prima Plus.
Other vessels will include MSC Cruises' long talked-about World America, Virgin Voyage's long-awaited fourth ship, the final Celebrity Edge ship, a pair of Disney vessels, the third vessel from Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and an expedition ship sailing to Eastern Antarctica for Aurora Expeditions.
In fact, our list is so long this year we've broken the lineup in to two parts, with the second to come in my insight next week. Here are the first cruise vessels debuting in 2025 in order of appearance:
Norwegian Aqua: The start of Prima Plus
It's debatable whether to call the Norwegian Aqua a first-of-its-class ship. The nearly 3,600-passenger ship is the third in Norwegian Cruise Line's Prima series. But this ship differs from its older sisters. The Aqua is the first of the line's two-ship Prima Plus class, which is 10% larger than the Norwegian Prima. With the additional space, NCL has moved around some of its venues, replaced the go-karts with a hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, incorporated more outdoor space, and included its first three-bedroom duplex suites. This ship will debut with a transatlantic sailing from London on March 28 and operate its first cruise from its summer homeport of Port Canaveral on April 26, where it will do seven-day, Eastern Caribbean cruises.
World America: MSC woos the U.S. market
MSC Cruises has been working to win North American market share, and the World America is a big part of the plan. Named for the market MSC is trying to woo, the ship is the second in the brand's World class (first was the World Europa, and third will be the World Asia, due in 2026). Carrying 5,200 passengers at double occupancy, the ship will be the largest of four MSC vessels homeporting in the U.S. The America is to be named on April 9 from MSC's new massive terminal in Miami (which is poised to be the largest in North America). The ship will sail Caribbean itineraries, all of which will include a call at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Oceania Allura: The first under Oceania's new leaders
The 1,200-passenger Oceania Allura is the eighth for the Oceania brand and a sister to the Oceania Vista. The Allura also will be the first ship to debut fully under the brand's current leadership, including Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Harry Sommer and Oceania president Frank A. Del Rio. The ship will sail from Trieste, Italy, on July 18 on a six-day cruise to Athens, Greece, calling along the Eastern Mediterranean; it later will cruise the coasts of Canada and New England before wintering in the Caribbean out of Miami.
Ritz-Carlton Luminara: Land resorts head to sea
While cruise lines look to build in more land-based attractions on their ships, land-based hotels continue to grow their presence on the sea. This is true for the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection which is poised to launch its third ship in July. The 452-guest Luminara is a hair larger than the Ilma, with two additional suites and a few extra feet in length. What also makes the ship different from its sisters is where it will go: the Luminara will be the first for the brand to offer itineraries in Asia-Pacific. But before that, the ship will enter service with a Mediterranean cruise from Monte Carlo on July 3.
Viking Vesta: A slight change in size
Viking will welcome its 12th oceangoing ship on July 2. The 998-guest Viking Vesta is slightly larger than most of the line's other ocean ships, which carry 930 guests. Otherwise, the ship's Scandinavian design and ambience will mirror the rest of the fleet, and that is intentional. "I don't believe elegance is ever dated. Timely elegance is timely, and that is our firm belief,'" Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking, said during a cruise in China last year. The ship will spend its inaugural season cruising the Med and Northern Europe.
But there's more ...
Next week, we'll touch on Star of the Seas, Brilliant Lady and other vessels that will make their entrance in the second half of the year.