The year saw an introduction of a record-breaking 24 new ships from the 100-guest Celebrity Flora to the 4,888-guest MSC Grandiosa. 

Carnival Panorama

The 4,000-guest Carnival Panorama is the last Carnival Vista-class ship and debuted on the West Coast in December.

Costa Smeralda

The Costa Smeralda was the first ship to enter service for Costa in Europe since the Costa Diadema in 2014. Based on Carnival’s XL platform, the vessel is also the biggest ship in Costa’s fleet and burns LNG.

Celebrity Flora

The Celebrity Flora was the first ship designed specifically for cruising in the Galapagos. With capacity for 100 guests, it was also the first ever boutique ship built for Celebrity Cruises. The 5,739-ton vessel features Celebrity’s Modern Luxury concept, with several restaurants, lounges and a retractable marina.

Greg Mortimer

The Greg Mortimer was the first in a series of custom-designed ships for the expedition market, and is the first cruise vessel built in China. The ship is chartered to Aurora Expeditions from SunStone Ships. 

Roald Amundsen

Built in Norway, the Roald Amundsen is the first expedition ship ordered by Hurtigruten since the 2007-built Fram and the world’s first hybrid cruise ship, using battery power for short periods.

Hanseatic Nature

The Hanseatic Nature ushered in a new era for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. It is the first vessel purpose-built for the German brand’s luxury expedition product and was followed by another ship later in the year.

Norwegian Encore

The Norwegian Encore wrapped up Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway-Plus class when she was delivered in October. The 4,200 guest ship is sailing from Miami this winter. The Encore features a go-kart track, an open-air laser tag circuit, water slides, a virtual reality center and more.

MSC Grandiosa

The MSC Grandiosa became MSC’s biggest and greenest ship when was delivered at the end of October. The first in the Meraviglia Plus class, it features attractions such as a theater built for Cirque du Soleil shows and a Mediterranean-inspired promenade.

On the environment side, the ship has a next-generation selective catalytic reduction system and advanced wastewater treatment.

Scenic Eclipse

The Scenic Eclipse debuted in August as the first ocean-going ship for Scenic offering a six-star product.

Built for luxury cruises in remote areas, the vessel carries not only the traditional expedition gear, such as kayaks and zodiacs, but also two helicopters and a submarine. The Eclipse also features 10 restaurants for 228 guests.

Spirit of Discovery

Built by Meyer Werft, the Spirit of Discovery is the first newbuild of Saga Cruises. Designed for the British market, the vessel has balconies for all of its cabins and free specialty dining.