Of the 11 newbuilds scheduled for delivery in 2024, four are debuting for the cruise summer season. Cruise Industry News looks at some key details of the vessels and their itineraries.
Mein Schiff 7
Cruise Line: TUI Cruises
Shipyard: Meyer Turku (Finland)
Capacity: 2,900 guests
Tonnage: 110,000
Maiden Cruise: June 12
Debut Region: Northern Europe
The Mein Schiff 7 recently started its maiden season in Northern Europe. Built by the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the 2,900-guest vessel was delivered to TUI Cruises earlier this month.
Now cruising from Germany, the ship is set to offer a series of itineraries to Scandinavia, Svalbard, Iceland, the Baltic Sea and the British Isles as part of its maiden season.
Silver Ray
Cruise Line: Silversea Cruises
Shipyard: Meyer Werft (Germany)
Capacity: 728 guests
Tonnage: 54,700
Maiden Cruise: June 15
Debut Region: Mediterranean
The Silver Ray also entered service ahead of the 2024 summer. Following the 2023-built Silver Nova, the luxury ship welcomed its first guests on June 15.
As the sixth new ship to join the Silversea Cruises fleet in a three-year period, the 728-guest vessel is spending its inaugural season in the Mediterranean before repositioning to South America later this year.
Utopia of the Seas
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International
Shipyard: Chantiers de l’Atlantique (France)
Capacity: 5,714 guests
Tonnage: 231,000
Maiden Cruise: July 19
Debut Region: Bahamas
Royal Caribbean International’s Utopia of the Seas will debut on July 19. As the first ever Oasis-class vessel fully dedicated to short cruises, the 231,000-ton vessel is set to offer three- and four-night sailings to the Bahamas.
Sailing from Port Canaveral on a year-round basis, the cruises feature visits to Nassau and Royal Caribbean’s private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Explora II
Cruise Line: Explora Journeys
Shipyard: Fincantieri (Italy)
Capacity: 922 guests
Tonnage: 64,000
Maiden Cruise: September
Debut Region: Mediterranean
The Explora II is set to enter service in September. Joining the 2023-built Explora I, the 922-guest vessel will become the second ship in the fleet of Explora Journeys, the new luxury brand of the MSC Cruises Group.
For its inaugural season, the upscale vessel is set to offer different itineraries in the Mediterranean, visiting ports in Spain, France, Italy, Tunisia, Portugal and Morocco.
Other ships that already entered service this year include:
- Princess Cruises’ Star Princess
- Cunard Line’s Queen Anne
