The following vessel to take the title of world’s largest cruise ship is headed to Port Canaveral. Disney is sending a brand new ship to Port Everglades for the primary time. And new ships will debut from Norwegian, MSC Cruises, Princess, Celeb and extra.
These are a few of the cruise highlights for Florida coming in 2025.
The marquee occasion needs to be the arrival of Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, a sister ship to present titleholder Icon of the Seas. Touchdown the most recent and largest ship is a primary for Central Florida with the previous titleholders all making their debuts out of South Florida.
These ports, although, will get loads of new ship motion as nicely whereas cruise strains feed demand with new {hardware}. Port Canaveral, Port Everglades and PortMiami noticed document passenger counts of practically 20 million in 2024, with every forecast to develop additional within the coming 12 months.
Right here’s a rundown of what’s new in Florida cruising in 2025:
Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas: Coming in at greater than 250,000 gross tons, it is going to be incrementally greater than Icon of the Seas, which debuted out of PortMiami in 2024 and might sail with 10,000 individuals on board together with crew and passengers.
It has a six-slide water park referred to as Class 6 amongst 9 neighborhoods carved out equally to the marginally smaller Oasis-class of the cruise line. Distinctive options on Star of the Seas will likely be “Again to the Future: The Musical” on prime of latest productions for its ice rink and signature AquaTheater.
The ship may even have its personal high-end model of Icon’s Empire Supper Membership with the introduction of the Lincoln Park Supper Membership themed to Thirties-era Chicago. That’s amongst greater than 40 meals and beverage choices on board.
The ship’s maiden voyage is Aug. 31 with seven-night alternating Jap and Western Caribbean itineraries on faucet.
Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Future: The third Want-class ship follows the debuts of Disney Want in 2022 and Disney Treasure in 2024, each of which sail out of Port Canaveral. Future, although, marks a shift for DCL as it’ll debut out of Port Everglades, which grew to become Disney’s second year-round Florida dwelling in 2023.
The ship has the identical footprint as its sister ships, however encompasses a signature stage present based mostly on the animated movie “Hercules,” a dinner theater expertise tied to “The Lion King” and a sweets store themed to “The Incredibles.” It should additionally embrace villainy with a brand new piano bar themed to the character Cruella de Vil from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” and a pub pulling inspiration from the theme park experience and movie franchise for “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
The ship’s maiden voyage will likely be Nov. 20 because it begins four- and five-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Aqua: NCL is debuting the primary in what it calls its Prima Plus class, a bigger model of the current Prima and Viva ships that function a big wraparound lower-deck walkway and widespread meals corridor idea.
This ship will function what the road says is the primary hybrid coaster at sea referred to as the Aqua Slidecoaster, twin slides which can be a mixture of curler coaster and waterslides that function a magnetic carry to ship riders by means of two totally different programs traversing three decks and venturing concerning the ship’s funnel.
Additionally new to the ship will likely be a digital sports activities complicated, the road’s first devoted Thai venue, a brand new wine bar idea and the road’s first three-bedroom duplex suites for its unique space referred to as The Haven.
The ship will sail seven-night Caribbean itineraries starting in April from Port Canaveral, then in August migrate to New York earlier than heading again to Florida to sail from Miami from October to April 2026.
Celeb Cruises’ Celeb Xcel: Particulars on simply what will likely be on the fifth Edge-class ship for the premium cruise line received’t be revealed till February, however it has the identical design as its current sister ships together with the Magic Carpet — an exterior elevator platform that acts primarily as an revolutionary method for passengers to disembark and reboard the ship when it tenders at ports of name, but in addition doubles as an leisure and eating venue.
The cabins will as soon as once more function the favored Infinite Verandah staterooms through which the balcony is a part of the cabin.
One distinctive factor about this new ship will likely be its functionality to make use of methanol as a gas supply, the primary for any ship within the Royal Caribbean Group household of cruise strains and an effort to cut back its carbon footprint.
The ship’s debut crusing out of Port Everglades is Nov. 18 earlier than it begins common seven-night Jap and Western Caribbean voyages.
Princess Cruises’ Star Princess: The second of the road’s Sphere class of ships, the most important in its fleet, follows on the heels of 2024’s Solar Princess, which may carry 4,300 visitors based mostly on double occupancy.
The brand new vessel can have an expanded nonsmoking on line casino space, extra seats in its Irish pub and a bigger model of latest art-inspired eating venue Love by Britto. The architectural debuts on Solar Princess will likely be mirrored on the brand new ship together with the spherical atrium referred to as The Piazza that juts out on each side of the ship’s hull, the remodeling theater area referred to as The Enviornment and a top-deck, glass leisure venue referred to as The Dome.
One factor lacking from Solar Princess was a deliberate hang-glider attraction, so for Star Princess the area will likely be a devoted sports activities courtroom and observe together with a splash pad.
After inaugural sailings in Europe in October, it’ll make its technique to Port Everglades to start common seven-night Caribbean sailings in November.
MSC Cruises’ MSC World America: The closest competitors to Royal Caribbean within the large ship class is MSC’s World class, which is available in at greater than 200,000 gross tons and can be capable to sail with 6,762 passengers on prime of two,138 crew. The scale permits the road to carve it up into what it calls districts much like Royal’s Oasis- and Icon-class neighborhoods.
That features The Harbour, an outside park with a over-the-side-of-the-ship swinging thrill experience referred to as the Cliffhanger in addition to a water park and ropes course. One other main area would be the three-deck World Galleria with purchasing, eating places and bars. The road’s MSC Yacht Membership ship-within-a-ship idea for higher-paying prospects will function 152 suites.
After a naming ceremony at PortMiami on April 9 the ship will start common sailings of largely seven-night Caribbean itineraries April 12.
Virgin Voyages’ Sensible Girl: The final of 4 ships initially deliberate for Richard Branson’s adults-only cruise model, the Sensible Girl has a hull design change from its sisters to permit for Panama Canal crossings.
The ship will observe its sister ships’ choices with greater than 20 eating and lounge choices, hammocks on the balconies and high-end wellness areas.
The ship will debut out of New York in September earlier than shifting to Miami with its first crusing Oct. 17 because it begins 17 voyages that vary from seven to 12 nights by means of March 2026. It should then make its method through the Panama Canal to the West Coast crusing out of Los Angeles and Seattle tackling Alaska.
Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Allura: For the sister ship to 2023’s Oceania Vista, the culinary-focused cruise line plans on serving crêpes.
The Crêperie will likely be strategically situated adjoining to the espresso bar, taking the area of the ship’s library on its sister ship. Will probably be the twelfth eating venue on board not together with the road’s widespread Culinary Arts Kitchen that teaches vacationers a wide range of themed cooking courses.
Allura will arrive in Miami on Oct. 12 and make a wide range of Caribbean and Bahamas sailings by means of April 2026.
New Locations: After the debut of Disney’s new Bahamas vacation spot Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Level in 2024, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have lined up new locations within the Bahamas for its prospects.
Carnival’s Celebration Key: Carnival has not had its personal non-public Bahamas vacation spot having to share its sister strains’ Holland America and Princess Cruises ports of name Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays. Now it is going to be getting its personal, a 369-acre website on Grand Bahama opening in summer season and welcoming ships from Port Canaveral, PortMiami, Jacksonville and Tampa in addition to six different U.S. ports.
The port of name will open with one dock able to dealing with its largest ships, the 6,000-passenger Excel class, together with Port Canaveral-based Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration out of Miami.
The biggest port building undertaking within the line’s historical past will likely be carved into 5 segments the corporate calls portals. The location may even have a south-facing mile-long beachfront expanse and big freshwater inland lagoon the road says is the most important within the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean’s Royal Seashore Membership Paradise Island: The cruise line is opening up the primary of a number of smaller resort locations in its portfolio with a 17-acre strip of land in Nassau with first guests anticipated in December.
Passengers can elect to go to the seaside membership for the day, which can play up Bahamian tradition alongside conventional choices equivalent to two separate seashores, 40 cabanas, foods and drinks venues, seven swimming pools with three swim-up bars.