Tag Archives: Explora Journeys

13 New Cruise Ships to Enter Service in 2026

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According to the latest edition of the cruise ship orderbook by Cruise Industry News, 13 cruise ships will enter service in 2026.

As part of a strong year for the shipbuilding business, 13 vessels are set to be delivered to 12 cruise lines, including Viking, which is set to welcome two luxury vessels from Fincantieri.

[Download a PDF of the orderbook here]

The year will be particularly strong in the luxury segment, with seven upscale vessels set to enter service.

In addition to Viking, other brands taking delivery of high-end newbuilds include Emerald Cruises, Explora Journeys, Atlas Ocean Voyages and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Marking Orient Express’s official debut, the OE Corinthian is also set to enter service in 2026, kicking off the company’s first-ever cruise program.

The industry is welcoming several large ships next year as well, including the Legend of the Seas.

Currently being built for Royal Caribbean International at the Meyer Turku in Finland, the 250,000-ton vessel will be the second in the company’s Icon-class series.

Norwegian Cruise Line and TUI Cruises are also welcoming large vessels to their fleets with the debuts of the Norwegian Luna and the Mein Schiff Flow.

Continuing its record-breaking World class, MSC Cruises is set to take delivery of the MSC World Asia from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

Other ships entering service include the Adora Flora City, which will become the largest cruise ship ever built in China, and the Magellan Discovery, which was designed to offer expedition cruises in Antarctica.

According to CIN’s independent research, the new ships will add roughly 38,000 berths to the industry in 2026.

With an average size of 112,377 tons and an average cost of $805,066,667, the newbuilds will cost over $12 billion.

Florida Cruise Ports Smash Passenger Records as Industry Makes Comeback

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PortMiami and Port Everglades have reported record-breaking passenger numbers for fiscal year 2024 as cruisers returned to the high seas en masse following the pandemic.

PortMiami, the nation’s busiest cruise port and often called the “Cruise Capital of the World,” has set a new record with an astounding 8.2 million cruise passengers in fiscal year 2024, marking a 12.79% increase from the previous year’s record.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades in Broward County has also surpassed its previous records, welcoming 4,010,919 cruise passengers in the same fiscal year. This represents a remarkable 39% growth in passenger numbers and a 23% increase in cruise ship calls compared to the previous year, demonstrating the port’s rapid recovery and expansion. Of note, Port Everglades achieved passenger records with just 648 calls, highlighting the growing size of cruise ships.

Both ports’ fiscal years run from October 1 through September 30.

“Cruising is in high demand, and our cruise line partners are poised for greater gains with new itineraries and a variety of sailing dates,” said Joseph Morris, CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades.

Both ports are looking ahead to even more growth. PortMiami is preparing to welcome several new cruise ships in the upcoming 2024-2025 season, including vessels from Explora Journeys, Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Oceania. The port is also expanding its infrastructure, with MSC Cruises’ new Cruise Terminal AA set to become the world’s largest cruise terminal.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades expects the new record to be short-lived, with a whopping 4.4 passengers expected across its terminals in FY2025.

PortMiami also launched its shore power project in June, allowing cruise ships to plug into landside electrical power while docked, reducing emissions and noise. This initiative, a collaboration between the port and major cruise lines, positions PortMiami as the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard to offer shore power capability at five cruise berths.

NCLH Concentrating on Product, People and Partnerships

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Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said his strategy is built on the three Ps: product, people and partnerships.

Speaking aboard the brand new Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, Sommer said he was not worried about the influx of new luxury cruise competition, pointing to new tonnage from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Explora Journeys, but instead was focused on competing with luxury hotels.

“We are super focused and passionate on delivering an unrivaled product to our guests across all three brands,” said Sommer. “The three brands are different. NCL is in the contemporary space. Oceania is in the upper premium and foodie space that we created, and Regent is in the ultra-luxury space.

“When you know your main mission in life is to deliver an outstanding product to guests it really focuses everyone on what they are doing,” Sommer continued.

Since taking the helm at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings earlier this year, Sommer said he had visited about half of the ships in the company’s 32-ship fleet and has plans to visit the rest in 2024. He said when he’s aboard he makes time to meet with the captain, general manager and also talks to crew and guests.

“I sit down with guests and ask them what they like, and about challenges and what we can improve,” Sommer explained, noting he held a forum aboard the Grandeur, talking to some of Regent’s most loyal guests and asking for feedback.

The second P in his arsenal is for people, with Sommer noting the company’s 40,000 employees both shipboard and shoreside.

For partnerships, Sommer pointed to the high commission rates Regent pays its travel advisor partners, and said the company was committed to being the easiest and most profitable cruise line to do business with.

“I know the commissions we give the trade are the highest by far in the industry mostly due to our all-inclusive packaging,” Sommer said. “We essentially pay commission on everything.”