After a year in which many ships sat at anchor and cruise fleets were shrinking, 2022 is looking to be a breakout year, with a host of innovative new ships making their debuts.
The small and large newcomers promise more of everything and innovative itineraries. Two hotel brands are getting into cruising as well. Here’s a look at what’s new in what everyone hopes will finally be the year we can plan a future cruise with confidence:
Emerald Azzurra
Emerald Cruises new ocean going superyacht Emerald Azzurra debuting in January carries just 100 guests in 50 deluxe suites and staterooms, with more than 80 per cent of cabins featuring a balcony. The sensuously sleek ship is the first of a planned pair, and it will explore the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Black and Red Seas in its inaugural season. The line’s second superyacht, Emerald Sakara, will join the fleet in early 2023.
Viking Octantis
Viking’s first purpose-built expedition ship begins life in January doing Antarctic cruises. The 378-passenger ship will be officially named in April 2022 in New York City by its godmother, explorer and educator Liv Arnesen. The ship will then head to the Great Lakes for a series of spring and summer sailings. A sister ship, Viking Polaris, is scheduled to join the fleet in August and do itineraries in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Night time entertainment on the pool deck of Discovery Princess –Princess Cruises
Discovery Princess
The sixth and final Princess Cruises Royal-class ship, Discovery Princess coming in March is also the third to include the tech and perks of MedallionClass. The ship is joining a growing number of ships making Los Angeles its home port and its itineraries include Mexican Riviera and Alaska. Among the unique features are Take Five, a live jazz and craft cocktail venue, and the Princess Live Cafe, for coffee, cocktails, and comedy acts. The Discovery Princess Sky Suites will also feature the largest balconies in the Princess fleet, at more than 1,000 square feet.
Wonder of the Seas pool deck–Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
The fifth ship in Royal Caribbean’s largest Oasis Class, Wonder of the Seas boasts it’s an extra few inches longer and wider than its fleet mates and that means it will claim the title of largest ship in the world when it debuts in March. The ship was originally announced to be doing Asian itineraries, but the pandemic shifted the plans. After a series of spring sailings from Fort Lauderdale, it will sail in the Mediterranean during the summer and fall and then return to make Port Canaveral its home port for seven-night itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean. Every Caribbean cruise will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas.
Margaritaville Paradise
Margaritaville at Sea Cruises will launch in April with Margaritaville Paradise by way of a rebranding of the former Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, but the line has plans for “dramatic expansion,” according to Margaritaville CEO John Cohlan. And while at first the ship will feature the same two-day cruises from the Port of Palm Beach that it did under Bahamas Paradise, the line is exploring expanded itineraries and tie-ins with properties on land.
Seabourn Venture
Seabourn Venture is a luxury ship designed for adventure, with its PC6 Polar Class structure and technology that will extend the ships global exploration capabilities. Seabourn Cruises’ 132-guest all-verandah ship, and a coming sister also built by shipyard T. Mariotti, features all the ultra-luxury features and service that has made Seabourn so successful. Venture features two custom-built submarines along with double sea kayaks and 24 Zodiacs , enough to accommodate all onboard guests at once. Starting in April, the ship will do explorations in Norway, Iceland and Greenland before a September Canadian Arctic cruise. Explorations continue to South America and Antarctica in the fall and winter.
Evrima
It’s been a long time coming, but The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s first ship, Evrima (which is Greek for discovery) is finally due to debut in May. After a series of Mediterranean cruises, the 298-guest ship is due to sail from Barbados and St. Maarten in the early winter before shifting to the Mediterranean and Greek Isles and fall in Canada/New England, and then a late-year return to the Caribbean.
Celebrity Beyond
There’s no sitting on laurels. Celebrity Beyond may be the third ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Class, but it offers a lot of new attractions. The main deck will be 40 per cent larger than the layouts on the two other Edge Class ships and there will be a new two-story Sunset Bar, a redesigned Rooftop Garden, a redesigned Grand Plaza with multiple stories and new dining options. The ship arriving in late April will begin its sailings with a Western European cruise, with stops in France and Spain, before doing regularly scheduled Mediterranean itineraries between Barcelona and Civitavecchia. In the fall and winter, it’s slated to sail Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale.
Viking Mars
This latest luxury addition to Viking Ocean Cruises has many of the same features as other ships in the ever-expanding Viking fleet. The ship due in April will sail the Mediterranean and Northern Europe in the summer, before heading to Asia and Australia.
Disney Wish
Coming in June, Disney Cruise Line’s newest features three new family restaurants. One is Frozen-themed, with Norwegian cuisine; another is cinematic in style and Avengers-focused; the last features Old Hollywood and has a Roaring 20s decor. A new water feature combines cinema with water slides, and new Broadway-style shows are also on tap. Disney Wish sails out of Miami with Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries.
Resilient Lady
And soon there will be three. Virgin Voyages is expecting a big repeat business by adding another 2,774 -guest ship that’s due in the summer. In many ways it’s a clone of the Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady with multiple dining options and an adults-only policy. It’s doing Mediterranean itineraries before moving on to the Caribbean for the fall and winter.
Norwegian Prima
Norwegian Cruise Line is aiming to break records with this new class of ship due to appear in August. The company boasts Norwegian Prima will feature the most outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship, and the most total pool deck space out of its entire fleet. The first Project Leonardo-class cruise ship will also claim the highest staff level of any other new ship, as well as the highest number of suite categories available at sea. The ship will travel European itineraries before traveling to the Caribbean for the winter. In 2023, it returns to Europe.
MSC Seascape
MSC Cruises claims more than 60 per cent of the public spaces on the ship due in November are different from previous designs in the fleet. There are 10 restaurants and nearly 20 bars; six pools, including an aft infinity pool; a 540-meter waterfront promenade; and a glass-floored Bridge of Sighs on Deck 16 with views of the ocean. The ship also features the largest MSC Yacht Club in the growing fleet. It boasts sustainability features including catalytic reduction systems to virtually eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. It will sail Caribbean itineraries from Florida.
Carnival Celebration
While it’s a twin sister to Carnival Cruise Line’s next-generation Mardi Gras, the company is promoting it as a milestone because it debuts in November when Carnival celebrates its 50th birthday. Carnival Celebration will feature six fun zones, and a version of BOLT, the only rollercoaster at sea. It has all the Carnival restaurant features and will debut some new options, including Shaq’s Big Chicken. The ship is doing Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries departing from Miami.
MSC World Europa
While most cruisers won’t experience this ship until 2023, this first of a new class of ship from MSC Cruises is due to start service in December with cruises from Dubai. At 6,800 guests the huge size of the ship has enabled the architects to create a separate zen zone for adults and a family zone for all the kids’ experiences. An 11-deck stainless steel slide will be the longest at sea. The ship will also offer MSC Cruises’ largest water park yet, with VR-enabled water slides. It’s also the biggest LNG-fueled cruise ship ever built. After the Middle East season, the ship will offer seven-night sailings in the Mediterranean starting in April, 2023.
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