After debuting the biggest ships in the world this year with Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, Royal is already looking to the future. Royal fans have been wowed by the sheer size and offerings of these mega ships, with the Icon Class boasting the largest cruise ships ever built. But what is on the horizon for Royal Caribbean when it comes to their next class of ship?
Many will be surprised to hear that Royal Caribbean is going small by mighty with their next class of ships: Discovery Class. While oversized and mega has been the theme for the last few years, Royal is now looking into the future, and planning to scale back the ships for their Discovery Class, and for good reason! While the giant ships have been ultra-popular, smaller ships do have an advantage, as they are able to fit into ports that the larger vessels cannot reach. For many ports, cruise ships have to be able to fit under certain bridges and through specific sized waterways in order to reach the terminals, which limits where the mega ships can go.
Another reason for the downsize of the ships within Discovery Class is that the fleet itself still has quite a few aging ships in service. While the Royal Amplified Project is revamping many of the older vessels, having a new class that may be able to replace some of the oldest ships in the fleet, while being a similar size and capacity, is an incredible option.
CEO Michael Bayley said in a statement: "From a brand perspective we recognize that Radiance and Vision are getting older. We’re working on ideas and concepts on replacing those ships. We’re quite actively working on what that would be. If we go through all the process and get the approvals, they’re going to be amazing."
While we don't know much more about the Discovery Class, we can assume from history that the first ship will be called Discovery of the Seas. We look forward to the continuation of the mega-ships with the Icon Class, as well as learning more information about the smaller Discovery Class. We will update as soon as information becomes available in the coming months.
Booking Your Cruise
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