Cruise vacations have been on-trend for years, allowing the successful cruise lines to expand their already impressive fleets. In their ever-growing competition with each other, many of the major cruise-lines unveiled amazing ships that feature some fantastic on-board experiences, breathtaking sights, and unique flavors to win over new guests. To find out what great things are coming this year in the cruising industry, read our guide to the new ships of 2019.
Norwegian
The Encore, Norwegian’s newest ship, will be set to release in November of 2019, only a year and a half after sister ship Bliss was put into service. The Encore will be the final ship in the Breakaway-Plus category, holding a whopping 4,000 passengers and will be sailing out of the new Miami, Florida port to a multitude of tropical destinations. This impressive ship will boast a virtual reality gaming center, an outdoor laser tag arena, two-story water park, a boardwalk filled with eateries and the world-famous Broadway production “Kinky Boots” to ensure there isn’t a dull moment to be had!
Royal Caribbean
In June of this year, Royal Caribbean will be unveiling another mega-ship, the Spectrum of the Seas that will be sailing out of Shanghai and Hong Kong year-round. This Quantum-Ultra class ship will feature a virtual reality bungee trampoline experience, the North Star gondola and I-Fly indoor skydiving adventures the Quantum class is known for, and a plethora of perks for loyal Royal Caribbean guests.
Carnival
At the very end of the year, Carnival Line will be introducing the Panorama, another Vista class ship that will hold almost 4,000 passengers. It’s design is similar to the line’s other vista ships, but what’s exciting about the Panorama is that it will be docking permanently in Long Beach, California; the first new ship to station its home port in this region in over 20 years! It will be sailing weekly to the Mexican Riviera and will have plenty to keep passengers entertained while sailing: there’s a trampoline park, an adrenaline-inducing bike ride around the perimeter of the top deck, and the water park and fun family activities that make Carnival famous.
Costa
Debuting this year is the sleek and modern Smerelda ship, named after Italy’s Emerald Coast that will be sailing to the Western Mediterranean. It will be the largest ship in Costa’s fleet and will ultimately be the 5th largest cruise ship in the world once complete. This innovative ship will feature amazing gathering spaces such as the Piazza di Spagna that has a glass floor to simulate flying over the sea and a terrace walkway that reaches over 200 feet above the ocean.
MSC
Leaders in luxury cruising, the new MSC ships Bellissima (sailing in March) and Grandiosa (sailing in November, both to the Western Mediterranean) don’t disappoint. MSC will be rolling out a new virtual assistant program on these ships that can help circumvent waiting on long guest service lines. And with innovation and luxury comes more fun than you can fit into one vacation: 4D theaters, aqua parks, a bowling alley and a glass walkway on the top deck are just a few of the ways you can enjoy your days at sea.
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