These 5 new cruise ships will debut in 2024

The cruise industry continues to grow year on year, and 2024 will be no different. The latest additions include the much-anticipated first-in-class ships for Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises, as well as the first Cunard ship to launch since 2010. 

Here are the five cruise ships that we’re most excited to see launch next year: 

When Queen Anne launches in May 2024, she will be the first ship to join the Cunard fleet in over a decade. But that isn’t the only title she’ll be taking - she’ll also be the 249th ship to join the fleet. Headed up by Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge, the 3,000-passenger ship will offer Cunard’s much-loved experiences but with a slight modern twist. Take the new dining options, for example. 

Sun Princess will be the largest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet and the first of the line’s Sphere Class ships when she joins in February 2024. With 4,300 passengers and a whopping 21 decks, Sun Princess will boast 29 restaurants and bars and two new accommodation classes. Families, in particular, should look forward to the abundance of new features, like Sea Breeze. 

Icon of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she sets sail for the first time from her homeport of Miami in January 2024. Welcoming 7,600 passengers onboard, she promises to be a showstopper, with captivating entertainment in Absolute Zero and a new laid-back neighbourhood, Chill Island. Not only will she be the first ship in a new class but she’ll be the first Royal Caribbean International ship to be powered by LNG fuel. 

Icon of the Seas isn’t the only showstopper for Royal Caribbean International in 2024. Introducing Utopia of the Seas, the final ship to join the line’s Oasis Class. Launching in July, she will follow the crowd-pleasing layout of her sister ships but she certainly won’t be a carbon copy. Take her itineraries, for example. Utopia of the Seas will focus on short three and four-day itineraries from her homeport of Port Canaveral. 

After launching Silver Nova in April 2023, Silversea will introduce its second ship in its Nova Class, Silver Ray, in June 2024. As the sister ship to Silver Nova, Silver Ray will follow the same unique asymmetric layout which makes the most of the space available to open up public areas and make the ship feel spacious. Though ships in the Nova Class are larger than the rest of the fleet, they are still classed as small ships with only 728 passengers.