Royal Caribbean International is reaching a significant milestone next year when it debuts its two largest cruise ships in the world in 2024, the Icon of the Seas and the Utopia of the Seas.
Here are some quick facts comparing the cruise line’s two newest ships:
Launch Date: Icon of the Seas: January 2024 Utopia of the Seas: July 2024
Class: The Icon of the Seas: Icon Class The Utopia of the Seas: Oasis Class
Powered by: Icon of the Seas: Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Utopia of the Seas: Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Capacity: Icon of the Seas: 5,610 passengers Utopia of the Seas: 5,668 passengers
Sailing from: Icon of the Seas: Miami, Florida Utopia of the Seas: Port Canaveral, Florida
Itineraries: Icon of the Seas: Seven-day sailings Utopia of the Seas: Three-and-four-night weekend getaways
Vacation style: Icon of the Seas: Dubbed “the world’s best family vacation” Utopia of the Seas: Dubbed “the world’s biggest weekend”
Set to operate in Alaska during the summer, the Carnival Spirit is currently offering a 16-night Panama Canal to the Pacific Northwest.
After completing its winter schedule in the Caribbean, the Carnival Cruise Line vessel left Miami on its repositioning voyage on April 16.
Cruising all the way to Seattle, the one-way itinerary features visits to ports in three different countries: Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.
In addition to doing a complete transit of the Panama Canal, the Carnival Spirit is visiting Cartagena de Indias, Santa Marta, Puntarenas and Cabo San Lucas before arriving in Washington.
The 2001-built ship is then set to kick off its summer program in Alaska.
Beginning on May 2, the Spirit offers a series of seven-night cruises to the Last Frontier which also includes visits to Canada.
During the four-month program, the vessel will visit popular destinations in the region including Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.
Sailing roundtrip from Seattle, the Carnival Spirit also offers scenic cruising of the Tracy Arm Fjord, as well as visits to Victoria.
Upon completing its Alaskan program in September, the Carnival Spirit is set to offer an additional Panama Canal cruise. Sailing from Seattle to New Orleans, the 16-night repositioning voyage precedes the ship’s debut in Mobile.
Ranging from six to eight nights, the cruises sail to different parts of the Caribbean and the Bahamas, including Mexico, Honduras and Belize. In the Bahamas, the ship is set to visit Bimini, Freeport, Nassau and Princess Cays.
As the lead ship of Carnival’s Spirit Class, the Carnival Spirit originally entered service in 2001. Designed with a multi-deck atrium, a glass-enclosed pool deck and a large number of cabins with private balconies, the 2,100-guest ship was followed by the Carnival Pride, the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Miracle.
Nearly 20,000 guests visited St. Maarten on Tuesday onboard five different cruise ships. Offering cruises to different parts of the Caribbean, the MSC Seaside, the Harmony of the Seas, the Carnival Magic, the Harmony of the Seas and the Norwegian Epic docked at the Port of Philipsburg.
Wrapping up a season in the Southern Caribbean, the MSC Seaside offers a seven-night voyage in the region.
After sailing from Martinique on April 8, the cruise also features visits to Guadeloupe, Antigua, Barbados and Dominica.
Following the round-trip itinerary, the MSC Cruises ship is set to reposition to Port Canaveral – its homeport for the upcoming summer season.
Meanwhile, the Harmony of the Seas offers a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean departing from Miami. The itinerary, which left South Florida on April 8, also includes visits to St. Thomas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Another ship based in Florida, the Carnival Magic sailed from Port Canaveral on April 8 for an eight-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. In addition to St. Maarten, the Carnival Cruise Line ship is set to visit Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Kitts before returning to its homeport.
Also sailing from the Sunshine State, the Celebrity Constellation visited the Port of Philipsburg as part of a ten-night cruise that departed from Tampa on April 7. Set to be followed by a transatlantic crossing to Europe, the itinerary also features St. Thomas, San Juan, Dominican Republic and Antigua as ports of call.
Based in Puerto Rico, the Norwegian Epic offers a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. The itinerary sailed from San Juan on April 9 and also includes visits to St. Lucia and other destinations in the region.
Set to reposition to the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship offers an additional itinerary in the region before departing on a transatlantic crossing on April 22.
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