Royal Caribbean currently has 26 cruise ships, with more being built and on order. This post has a list of Royal Caribbean ships by year built, ordered from newest to oldest.
Knowing this is important because some of Royal Caribbean’s ships are over 25 years old, and so they offer a very different experience from the newest and biggest Royal Caribbean ships.
While it’s true that Royal Caribbean’s ships are each refurbished every three to five years, there’s still quite a stark difference between the oldest and newest ships. It’s not just that the decor is dated, the newer ships have some incredible technology and facilities that the old ones don’t.
So, read on for a list of Royal Caribbean ships from newest to oldest.
List of Royal Caribbean Cruise ships by age
This table shows all Royal Caribbean cruise ships from newest to oldest as well as when what class of ship they are.
Note that Utopia of the Seas and Icon of the Seas are yet to make their maiden voyages.
| Ship Name | Class | Year Built |
|---|---|---|
| Star of the Seas* | Icon | Due 2025 |
| Utopia of the Seas* | Oasis | Due 2024 |
| Icon of the Seas* | Icon | Due 2024 |
| Wonder of the Seas | Oasis | 2022 |
| Odyssey of the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 2021 |
| Spectrumof the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 2019 |
| Symphony of the Seas | Oasis | 2018 |
| Harmony of the Seas | Oasis | 2016 |
| Ovation of the Seas | Quantum | 2016 |
| Anthem of the Seas | Quantum | 2015 |
| Quantum of the Seas | Quantum | 2014 |
| Allure of the Seas | Oasis | 2010 |
| Oasis of the Seas | Oasis | 2009 |
| Independence of the Seas | Freedom | 2008 |
| Liberty of the Seas | Freedom | 2007 |
| Freedom of the Seas | Freedom | 2006 |
| Jewel of the Seas | Radiance | 2004 |
| Mariner of the Seas | Voyager | 2003 |
| Serenade of the Seas | Radiance | 2003 |
| Navigator of the Seas | Voyager | 2002 |
| Brilliance of the Seas | Radiance | 2002 |
| Adventure of the Seas | Voyager | 2001 |
| Radiance of the Seas | Radiance | 2001 |
| Explorer of the Seas | Voyager | 2000 |
| Voyager of the Seas | Voyager | 1999 |
| Visionof the Seas | Vision | 1998 |
| Enchantment of the Seas | Vision | 1997 |
| Rhapsody of the Seas | Vision | 1997 |
| Grandeurof the Seas | Vision | 1996 |
*Currently in construction
What is the newest Royal Caribbean ship?
The newest Royal Caribbean ship is Icon of the Seas, which is due to sail in January 2024 but has been available to book since late 2022.
It’s the first Icon-class ship, with a gross tonnage of over 250,000, and it’s the first Royal Caribbean ship to be powered by LNG.
Which is the next Royal Caribbean ship to launch?
Royal Caribbean’s next ship after the Icon of the Seas will be Utopia of the Seas, which will launch later in 2024. Utopia of the Seas will be another Oasis-class ship, and so she won’t be quite as big as Icon.
What is the oldest Royal Caribbean ship?
The oldest Royal Caribbean ship is Grandeur of the Seas. This ship was built in 1996. As well as being the oldest, Grandeur is also the smallest of the Royal Caribbean ships, with capacity for just 2,240 guests.
Prior to December 2020, the oldest Royal Caribbean ship was Empress of the Seas, followed by Majesty of the Seas. These cruise ships were sold to make way for new additions to the fleet.
What’s the difference between old and new Royal Caribbean ships?
There are several differences between the older and newer ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. These are:
Size
Royal Caribbean ships have increased in size as time has passed with the newer ships being much larger and with the capacity for more passengers compared to older ships.
Icon of the Seas has a gross tonnage of 250,800, which makes her almost 3.5 times as large as Grandeur of the Seas with a gross tonnage of 73,817.
Read more: Royal Caribbean ships by size
Facilities
Newer Royal Caribbean ships have an incredible array of facilities on-board with amenities like water slides, zip lines, skydiving simulators, virtual reality trampolines, escape room games and bumper cars.
You won’t find any of these things on the older ships. However, every Royal Caribbean ship does have swimming pools, a rock-climbing wall, an arcade and a kids’ club.
Read more: The best Royal Caribbean ships for kids
Destinations
Each cruise ship sails out of one or two ports. In some cases, ships are based in Europe in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter.
Many cruise ports have a limit as to the size of the ships they can accommodate. For this reason, Royal Caribbean uses its smaller, older ships to visit destinations that are not accessible to mega-ships.
Itineraries on smaller, older cruise ships are often more port-intensive with fewer sea days. With the newer ships, the ship itself is often the attraction rather than the ports of call, so you may have more days at sea.
Read more: Icon of the Seas Itinerary
Passengers
As the newer Royal Caribbean ships have so much to do on board, they tend to attract a younger crowd of families with children and younger couples. Older ships tend to be more popular with older couples and retired people.
Ambience
The atmosphere on-board the oldest and newest Royal Caribbean ships is somewhat different. This is in part down to the passengers on-board, as older ships tend to attract fewer children and an older, more relaxed crowd. You probably won’t find the nightclub to be pumping late into the night as it will be on a new ship.
Also, the decor of the newer ships will be much more modern. Royal Caribbean cruise ships are refurbished every three years, so the oldest ships are always in good condition, but the decor may look a little dated in some places in comparison.
Price
The older Royal Caribbean cruise ships are much cheaper than the newer ones. Frequent cruisers are always excited to try the next new ship, so cruises on brand new ships are priced at a premium to reflect the demand for them.
If you’re cruising on a tight budget, you can save a lot by choosing one of the older ships.
Reviews
So, are the new Royal Caribbean ships better than the older ones? Well, to find that out you can take a look at the reviews…
To make that easier for you, I combined all of the reviews from the major review sites and Rabked the Royal Caribbean Ships From Best To Worst according to their review scores.
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Royal Caribbean FAQs
How many Royal Caribbean cruise ships are there?
There are currently 26 ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. The newest, Icon of the Seas, sets sail in January 2024. There are currently three more ships planned over the next five years, two of which will be in the new Icon Class.
What are the different classes of Royal Caribbean ships?
Royal Caribbean ships fall into the Vision Class, the Voyager Class, the Radiance Class, the Freedom Class, the Oasis Class, the Icon Class and the Quantum Class, including Quantum Ultra. Icon Class ships are the largest and the newest.
What is the oldest Royal Caribbean ship?
The oldest operating Royal Caribbean ship is the Grandeur of the Seas. Built in 1996, it’s also one of the smallest ships in the fleet. 11 ships built prior to Grandeur of the Seas have been sold on, many since scrapped. The oldest was Song of Norway, built in 1970.
What two ships did Royal Caribbean sell?
Royal Caribbean has actually sold 11 cruise ships in its history. The most recent sales were the Empress of the Seas (sold to Cordelia Cruises) and Majesty of the Seas (sold to Seajets), both of which were sold in 2020.
What is the nicest Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
The nicest Royal Caribbean cruise ship depends on what you’re looking for. The newest and therefore most modern is Icon of the Seas, launching in 2024 as the first Icon-class cruise ship. This is the biggest cruise ship in the world.
Who owns Royal Caribbean ships?
Royal Caribbean ships are owned by the cruise line Royal Caribbean International. This brand is owned by the Royal Caribbean Group, which also owns other cruise lines including Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
What is Royal Caribbean’s motto?
Royal Caribbean does not have an official motto. For a number of years, they used the marketing slogan “Where Extraordinary Happens” but this was purely an advertising campaign and not the official motto of the company.
What is Royal Caribbean known for?
Royal Caribbean is known for being one of the most innovative cruise lines, with some of the world’s largest ships. Royal Caribbean is a family-friendly cruise line, with new facilities that use technology to give adults and children amazing experiences.
What flag does Royal Caribbean fly under?
Royal Caribbean ships all fly under the flag of the Bahamas where the ships are registered. Other cruise lines in the Royal Caribbean Group are flagged under the Malta flag. The headquarters of Royal Caribbean is in Miami.
Related posts:
- Royal Caribbean Ships By Size
- Royal Caribbean Ships By Class
- The Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Adults
- The Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Kids
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