Royal Caribbean to Build Three New Ships

   May 26, 2016 ,   Cruise Industry

The world's largest cruise ship is getting another sister.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. revealed plans to build a 5th Oasis-class ship, less than a week after 5,479-passenger Harmony of the Seas set sail on her inaugural cruise. The new ship is scheduled for delivery in 2021.

Additionally, the company announced it would double the new Edge Class of Celebrity Cruises with two vessels slated for 2021 and 2022. The first two, scheduled to debut in 2018 (Celebrity Edge) and 2020 (Celebrity Beyond), represent a new class that offers "small-ship itineraries with large-ship amenities." The Edge-class ships will be smaller than line's Solstice Class but bigger than Millennial Class.

Speaking to the recent delivery of Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said that the warm reception of the ship "is evidence that growing this class of ship will continue to drive exceptional performance for the brand."

Royal Caribbean expects a 4th Oasis-class ship (Symphony Of The Seas) to launch in 2018 spring. Like Harmony of the Seas, it will be able to accommodate 5,479 passengers (slightly more than Allure and Oasis) and feature a mix of Oasis- and Quantum-class features.

All 3 new vessels will undergo construction at Saint-Nazaire's STX France shipyard, where Royal Caribbean's 4th Oasis-class ship and Celebrity's 2 Edge-class ships are being built. Ship names, deployment and more details of what guests can expect onboard have not been released yet.

The company also has a 4th Quantum-class ship on the horizon, scheduled to launch in April 2019.

Here you can see the list of all new cruise ships - on order, currently under construction, and also those recently launched (in 2015 and 2016).