Top 10 New Ships to Watch for in 2023

The New Year comes with the anticipation of another exciting 12 months of new ship inaugurals, which will introduce design, technology, cruise lifestyle and environmental innovations that will shape the future of how we cruise.

In 2023, $11 billion worth of new ocean ships alone will debut around the world, adding close to 40,000 new berths to the global cruise fleet.

Here's our top 10 list of 2023's new ships we think will really 'float your boat!'

The luxury, small-ship new cruise line by MSC, Explora Journeys is scheduled to launch in the summer with the inauguration of Explora I, the first of 6 identical sister ships sailing out over the next few years. Explora I holds less than 1000 guests, and stands out for having an incredible array of options for the small-ship concept: 18 food and beverage venues including 5 restaurants, 3 outdoor pools, another under a retractable roof.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will be the first of its Icon class of ships - and the world’s new largest cruise ship, breaking the cruise line’s own record. Icon of the Seas will be home to 7600 guests and will have 8 ‘neighborhoods,’ 5 of which will be all-new creations. In addition to its phenomenal size, Icon is also noteworthy as the first ship for Royal Caribbean powered by more eco-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG.)

Silversea’s Silver Nova is breaking new ground for the ultra-luxury cruise line. Powered by LNG and batteries at sea, it will use hydrogen-based fuel cells for power in port in a big environmental step forward for cruising. In a first for the cruise line, Silver Nova will have an asymmetrical design that maximizes sea-facing exposure for guests, as well as all-new outdoor spaces with a re-imagined, outward-facing pool deck; an al fresco dining area; and a sky bar that offers panoramic views from the ship’s aft.

Seven Seas Grandeur is the third and final of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ three-ship Explorer class, joining Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor in 2023. While the three ships have a lot in common, we can’t wait to see how the final ship in the series will match its sisters in glamorous design, appointments and art.

Expedition small-ship Seabourn Pursuit will join Seabourn Venture, which was inaugurated in 2022. The new ship literally doubles down on the ultra-luxury cruise line’s commitment to expedition cruising, combining adventure and Seabourn’s signature ultra-luxury style of cruising in remote waters of the world ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

 

Another addition to the increasingly popular small-ship expedition cruise trend is the Scenic Eclipse II, identical sister ship to the Scenic Eclipse (on the right, below), complete with both submarine and helicopter touring off the ship.

 

Scenic’s more-budget conscious sister cruise line Emerald Cruises debuts ocean-going yacht Emerald Sakara, also nearly identical to her predecessor Emerald Azzurra (on the left, above), which expanded Emerald from exclusively river cruising into ocean cruises.

 

Viking hits a milestone in 2023, launching its 10^th ocean-going vessel, the 930-guest Viking Saturn. Like its virtually identical sister ships, Viking Saturn boasts the cruise line’s signature Scandinavian style and amenities that translate across its river, ocean and expedition fleets (pictured, top and here below.)