Tag Archives: Star of the Seas

Caribbean Cruise Capacity Up Over 10% for 2026

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Caribbean Cruise Capacity Up Over 10% for 2026

The Caribbean will have over 40 percent of cruise market share worldwide in 2026, according to the upcoming 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

CIN data shows that more than 200 ships will sail in the region, with capacity up over 10 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Larger brands, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC and Norwegian, will account for 75 percent of the capacity in the Caribbean this year.

Pushing up the numbers are large new ships, which are set to enter service for some of these brands over the course of 2026.

Norwegian will add a new ship to its Caribbean lineup in the second quarter, with the debut of the new Norwegian Luna.

Currently under construction in Italy, the 3,571-passenger vessel is set to offer weeklong cruises departing from PortMiami.

In November, Royal Caribbean is also introducing the next largest ship in the world, the Legend of the Seas.

As the third vessel in the company’s Icon-class series, the 5,610-guest ship will offer a seasonal deployment out of Fort Lauderdale.

The Caribbean is also welcoming new ships from a series of upscale and niche brands, such as Explora Journeys.

After an inaugural season in Northern Europe, the 922-guest ship will spend the 2026-27 season offering a series of cruises between San Juan and Miami.

Other luxury ships arriving in the region this year include the Seven Seas Prestige, the Four Seasons I, and Orient Express’ Corinthian.

2026 will also mark the first full year of service for megaships that entered service in 2025.

The lineup includes MSC’s World America, which debuted last April, Norwegian’s Aqua, which also debuted in April, and Royal Caribbean’s Star, which entered service in August.

After kicking off its maiden season in November 2025, the Disney Destiny will also offer its first year-round schedule in Port Everglades

Liberty: Pricing Higher in Caribbean Despite Capacity Increase

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Liberty: Pricing Higher in Caribbean Despite Capacity Increase

Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, said that the company’s pricing for Caribbean voyages was up despite the industry’s significant capacity increase in the region.

He said this was for all three company brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.

“We’re seeing high demand wanting to go to the Caribbean. We’re not only seeing good volume, but our pricing is higher in the Caribbean than it was last year,” Liberty said.

Speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth quarter earnings call, Liberty made sure to mention the cruise line expected positive yield growth for key products, including the Caribbean, as its investments continued to differentiate it from its peers and strengthen its leadership position, despite elevated capacity in the Caribbean.

“And I know that may not feed into what maybe some groups want to hear, but that is a reality that we continue to see strong demand for the Caribbean, and we continue to see strong demand for our broader organization,” he added.

Liberty said company capacity was up 6.7 percent year-over-year, driven by the new Legend of the Seas launching this summer plus full-year service from the Star of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel.

A Look at the Inaugural Season of Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas

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A Look at the Inaugural Season of Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas

The third ship in Royal Caribbean International’s Icon class is scheduled to offer itineraries in Europe and the Caribbean as part of its maiden season in 2026.

Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the Legend of the Seas’ schedule, which includes seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean, as well as six- and eight-night itineraries departing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

First Cruise
Date: August 2, 2026
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Barcelona (Spain)
Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona (Spain); La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples (Italy)

According to Royal Caribbean’s website, the Legend of the Seas is scheduled to enter service in early August 2026, with a cruise to the Western Mediterranean.

Sailing from Barcelona, the seven-night maiden voyage features visits to destinations in Spain and Italy, such as Palma de Mallorca, La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples.

Seven-Night Cruises in the Mediterranean
Dates: Multiple sailings between August and October 2026
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Barcelona (Spain) and Civitavecchia (Italy)
Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Marseille (France); La Spezia and Naples (Italy)

Later in August, the Legend of the Seas kicks off a series of regular seven-night cruises to the Western Mediterranean that sail to ports of call in France, Spain and Italy.

With departures scheduled through October, the itinerary sails from Barcelona and Civitavecchia and features visits to Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia and Naples.

Maiden Trans-Atlantic
Date: Oct. 25, 2026
Length: 13 nights
Homeports: Barcelona (Spain) to Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Itinerary: Alicante, Málaga and Cádiz (Spain)

Upon completing its inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean, the Legend of the Seas offers a trans-Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale.

The 13-night repositioning voyage sails from Barcelona and features visits to three additional destinations in Spain: Alicante, Málaga and Cádiz.

Eight-Night Cruise to Southern Caribbean
Dates: Multiple sailings between November 2026 and April 2027
Length: 8 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Oranjestad (Aruba); Willemstad (Curaçao); Cabo Rojo (Dominican Republic); and Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas)

Sailing from its homeport in Fort Lauderdale, the Legend of the Seas offers different itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, including this eight-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

Offered between November 2026 and April 2027, the itinerary includes visits to Aruba, Curaçao, and Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic. The LNG-powered ship is also scheduled to stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning to Fort Lauderdale.

Six-Night Cruise to Eastern Caribbean
Date: Multiple departures between November 2026 and April 2027
Length: 6 nights
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Itinerary: Labadee (Haiti); Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas); and Falmouth (Jamaica)

The Legend of the Seas also offers cruises to the Eastern Caribbean that sail to ports of call in Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

As part of the six-night itinerary, the ship sails to two of Royal Caribbean’s private destinations in the region: Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay. The Legend is scheduled to visit Falmouth before returning to Fort Lauderdale.