What did actually materialize in 2022, the first year after the pandemic:
As a consequence of the COVID-pandemic, newbuildings for Aranui Cruises and Paul Gauguin Cruises have been put on hold. Also Dream Cruises‘ Global Dream which was being built at MV Werften as wel as an expedition ship for Crystal Cruises have been cancelled now Genting, parent company of Dream Cruises, Crystal Cruises as wel as owner of MV Werften is experienced financial problems because of the long period of inactivity of its fleet.
Ship’s name, owner, gross tonnage and yard are shown
Vessels with a planned delivery in Q1
Aidacosma, Aida Cruises, 184,000GRT, Meyer Werft, Germany
Final delivery February 2022
AIDAcosma belongs to Aida Cruises’ latest class of cruise liners and is the sister ship of AIDAnova. AIDAcosma is built by the well-known Meyer Werft from Papenburg, Germany. Some parts of the ship are pre-fabricated by the Neptun Werft in Rostock, Germany. If the pandemic permits, starting May 2021 AIDAcosma will discover Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea in particular making roundtrips out of homeport Kiel in Germany to Baltic Sea ports, Norway (Norwegian Fjords), Estonia, and Finland. She is a large vessel, having a length of 337 meters and 20 decks. Maximum capacity is 6.600 passengers. She is environmentally friendly using LNG-fuel for propulsion like the other ships of the Excellence-class Carnival Corp. is having built for her other brands: Iona (P&O), Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana (Costa Cruises) and Mardi Gras (Carnival Cruises) to name some examples.
Havila Castor, Havila Shipping, 15,800GRT, Tersan shipyard, Turkey
Final delivery April 2022
Havila started operations along the Norwegian coast in December 2021 when their first vessel Capella was delivered by Turkish yard Tersan. Dates for Castor, Polaris and Pollux were not final then, but these three additional vessels were expected in 2022, 2023, delayed after the Turkish yard experienced technical difficulties as well as problems because of the COVID pandemic. Havila will operate 4 of the 11 ships on the Norwegian coastal route, taking over 4 sailings from Hurtigruten under a ten year government contract. These ships have the largest battery pack on any vessel nowadays, enabling them to sail the fjords up to 4 hours powered by electricity. The interiors reflect their Norwegian roots, as does the onboard cuisine. The observation room features a glass room and reclining seats, enabling passengers to view the midnight sun and northern lights.
Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Cruises, 140,600GRT, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France
Final delivery April 2022
She is the third vessel of the Edge-class of ships. Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex preceded her. She too will be immediately recognizable by the orange coloured structure on her starboard side, The Magic Carpet, a platform which can move up and down the ships side. It can be used as a (dis-)embarkation platform in port or a bar while at sea. Also, Celebrity Beyond like her sisters features the three-deck high Eden Lounge surrounded by 7000 square meters of glass and the Infnity balconies which will enlarge staterooms when closed off. Celebrity has teamed up with chef Daniel Boulard who will create special dishes in the Le Voyage restaurant, his first restaurant at sea. Being 20 meters longer than her sisters, she will have an additional 179 staterooms. In April 2022 Celebrity Beyond will depart Southampton on her maiden voyage to the Mediterranean where she will stay until October when she will reposition to the Mediterranean.
Emerald Azzurra, Emerald Yacht Cruises, 10,000GRT, Halong shipyard, Vietnam
Final delivery February 2022
Emerald Cruises (part of the Scenic Group which also includes luxury yacht operator Scenic Cruises) will take delivery of its first ocean going cruise yacht Emerald Azzurra. A sister ship Emerald Sakara will follow in 2023. These intimate ships carry a 100 guests in 50 suites (of which 80% have balconies) in ultra-luxury surroundings. With their gorgeous interiors, off-the-beaten-track itineraries and 64 crew looking after a 100 guests, this will be without any doubt the ultimate in yacht cruising.
Evrima, Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection, 24,000GRT, HJ Barreras shipyard, Spain
Final delivery October 2022
The Spanish yard H J Barreras has experienced (financial) problems building this first ship for new cruise line Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection, resulting in a much later delivery then originally planned. Her Greek name means “discovery” and it shows the mission this company has: providing passengers with experiences that let them discover new destinations and their beautiful scenery in luxury surroundings.
Ocean Odyssey, Sunstone ships, 7400GRT, CMHI-China Merchants Heavy Industry, China
Final delivery October 2022
This series of expedition cruisers consists of 104.4m long vessels having a capacity for 120 to 160 passengers in 93 suites, 68 with balconies, 9 with French balconies and 16 with panoramic windows. They are of revolutionary design, of the X-bow type and have Polar Code 6, Ice Class 1A, allowing them to sail virtually all waters in the polar regions. This year three ships of this series will be taken into service: Ocean Odyssey has been chartered out to Vantage Cruise Line, Sylvia Earle will join Greg Mortimer at Aurora Expeditions while Ocean Albatros will be operated by Albatros Expeditions. Although they are sister vessels to Greg Mortimer, the first ship in the Infinity-series, there are some differences as the flexibility of this type of ships make it possible to adapt the vessels to the needs of the charterers.
Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Cruises, 23, 000GRT, Mariotti shipyard, Italy
She will be taken into service in March 2021, with a sister ship Seabourn Pursuit planned for the first quarter of 2022. As we are used to regarding this company, Seabourn Venture will be a 5-star ultra-luxury vessel. Each of her 132 staterooms, all of these suites, will have a private veranda. She will carry mountain- and e-bikes, kayaks and a fleet of 24 Zodiacs which can handle all her passengers at once. Her most spectacular feature will be two submarines custom-built for Seabourn Venture for exploring the ocean’s underwater world.
SH Vega, Swan Hellenic Cruises, 10,000GRT, Helsinki shipyard, Finland
Final delivery July 2022
Swan Hellenic’s first newbuilding Minerva, constructed by Helsinki Shipyard, was taken into service late 2021. A $150 million sistership of the Vega-class ships (as this new class of luxury expedition ships is called) will be launched in January 2022 and will join the fleet 3 months later, in April 2022. A third sistership will follow at the end of 2022. They will all be registered in Valletta, Malta and are capable of sailing worldwide in all regions no matter what climate conditions they have, ice-regions or tropical weather. Check out my article on the Minerva here.
Vessels with a planned delivery in Q2
Final delivery June 2022
Disney Wish, Disney Cruise Line, 144,000GRT, Meyer Werft, Germany
The new Disney Wish will have Magic as her main theme. According to Disney they will use a design language which will create emotional magic throughout the ship. Disney Wish will be packed with new Disney adventures and characters. Elements from Disney and Pixar to Marvel and Star Wars will be present. Like her fleetmates, Disney Wish will follow an exterior design reminiscent of the golden era of ocean liners. Attached to her bows will be captain Minnie Mouse while Disney princess Rapunzal will be painting the ship at the stern. Her grand hall resembles the interior of a castle with rococo, gothic and baroque style elements. Cinderella adorns this space at the bottom of the stairs. An array of new spectacular attractions will be added, like Aquamouse, Arendelle and Worlds of Marvel.
Delivery postponed to 2023
Janssonius, Oceanwide Expeditions, 6,300GRT, Brodosplit, Croatia
Oceanwide’s new Janssonius, a sister ship to their Hondius (2019) is yet another expedition ship with ice-class classification Polar class 6 enabling her to sail deep into the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. She features a sheltered platform for watersport activities and two different (dis-)embarkation points passengers can use when leaving for or returning from excursions by Zodiac. She has 78 staterooms, her most luxurious accommodation being her six 33sqm suites fitted with balconies while for larger parties there are six 4 guest cabins.
Final delivery August 2022
Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Cruise Line, 142,500GRT, Fincantieri, Italy
Summer 2022 Norwegian Cuise Line’s new Norwegian Prima will make its debut on the high seas. This new ship will be notable smaller than the line’s Breakaway-Plus vessels, as she will carry 3,200 guests compared to 4,200 guests on board the breakaway-Plus ships. Norwegian Prima will be part of a series of six Prima-class ships to be constructed by the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy from 2022 to 2027, one each year at a cost of around USD 850 million per vessel. World renowned architects have worked on the design of the new vessel: leading Italian interior architect Piero Lissoni together with the Rockwell Group, Tillberg design, SMC Design, YSA Design and Studio Dado which was responsible for staterooms, several restaurants and other public spaces. As NCL states “Norwegian Prima will push the boundaries of contemporary cruising and its “Guests First“principle will result in offering passengers more space, spectacular interior design and world class service. Indeed Norwegian Prima will offer it passengers the highest space-ratio (e.g. the most outdoor space of any new cruise ship) and highest crew-to passenger ratio in its category.
Delivery postponed to 2023
Resilient Lady Virgin Cruises, 110,000GRT, Fincantieri, Italy
Check out my article on her sister ship Scarlet Lady and its owner Virgin Cruises, a newcomer in the cruise industry. Virgin wants to shake up the current cruising scene, making it more informal and party-oriented. An example of this is that there are no restaurants on Resilient Lady and of course no fixed meal times. On board, there will be many references to Virgin’s roots, the music industry like record players in the ship’s suites and a shop selling music equipment and magazines. Sister ships will follow each year until 2024, which are of the so called Lady Ships class, also pointing to Virgin’s roots. Like on the former sailing ships, on its bow will be a mermaid and Virgin’s logo.
Final delivery November 2022
Sylvia Earle, Sunstone ships, 7400GRT, CMIH-China Merchants Heavy Industry, China
The 104.4m long vessels have a capacity for 120 to 160 passengers in 93 suites, 68 with balconies, 9 with French balconies and 16 with panoramic windows. They are of revolutionary design, of the X-bow type and has Polar Code 6, Ice Class 1A, allowing them to sail virtually all waters in the polar regions. This year three ships of this series will be taken into service: Ocean Odyssey has been chartered out to Vantage Cruise Line, Sylvia Earle will join Greg Mortimer at Aurora Expeditions while Ocean Albatros will be operated by Albatros Expeditions. Although they are sister vessels to Greg Mortimer, the first ship in the Infinity-series, there are some differences as the flexibility of this series makes it possible to adapt the vessels to the needs of the charterers.
Final delivery August 2022
Viking Polaris, Viking Ocean Cruises, 30,000GRT, VARD shipyard, Rumania, Norway
Viking Polaris and her sister ship Viking Octantis belong to the Viking Expedition branch of Viking Cruises, whereas their regular cruise ships are operated by Viking Ocean Cruises. She is built at a cost of $230 mio and with a length of 203 meters is quite large for a PC6 classified vessel (meaning she can navigate summer and autumn in medium first-year ice). Constructed by Vard shipyards in Rumania and Norway she follows the same pattern as the expedition vessels this yard has already delivered to high-end companies HAPAG-Lloyd and Ponant: her hull is constructed at the Tulcea-yard, Rumania and the interiors of this VARD-6 class ship as well as further outfitting take place at Soviknes-Alesund, Norway. Her aft-located indoor marina The Hangar will be used for launching the RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) she carries while the launch platform features a 26 m wide rollers-covered slipway allowing safe and sheltered embarkation on these RIBs inside the vessel.
Final delivery November 2022
World Traveller, Mystic Cruisers, 9,300GRT, West Sea shipyard, Portugal
World Traveller is a new unit of the new series of luxury all-suite expedition vessels of which ultimately 10 ships will be introduced . She is a sister ship to World Explorer (2019), World Voyager (2020) and World Navigator (2021) All of their suites have a balcony, a small French balcony or a drop-down window. They features a dedicated hall for lecturing and her observation lounge will have an all glass roof. Active guests can go camping ashore, go kayaking or use one of the paddle-boards available. World Traveller will be operated by Mystic’s subsidiary Atlas Ocean Voyages.
Vessels with a planned delivery in Q4
Final delivery December 2022
Arvia, P&O Cruises, 184,000GRT, Meyer Werft, Germany
Arvia is yet another vessel of the LNG-powered Excel-class series, and is P&O’s second ship following Iona. Her name means “from the seashore”. Like her sister on board Arvia, her design’s central theme is enjoying the stunning scenery she is passing through at any moment. A fine example hereof is of course the Grand Atrium with its 3-deck high glass walls and the Skydome which has a spectacular all glass roof. Minisuites of the Conservation Minisuite-category feature conservatory-style verandas which double as a cabin extension when closed off offering additional seating space.
Final delivery November 2022
Carnival Celebration, Carnival Cruise Line, 184,000GRT, Meyer Turku, Finland
She is the scond LNG-powered vessel in the Carnival-fleet, following her sister Mardi Gras and will debut in November 2022 sailing from Miami to the Caribbean. Her name has been chosen referring to Carnival’s 50th anniversary. Carnival Celebration will like Mardi Gras also feature BOLT, the largest rollercoaster at sea and her onboard facilites will be comparable to those of her sister. Check out my article on Mardi Gras here. In 2022 several sailings of the company’s ships will refer to Carnival’s 50 year anniversary, taking Carnival Celebration into service will be the highlight of the festivities.
Delivery postponed to 2023
Ocean Albatros, Sunstone ships, 7400GRT, CMIH-China Merchants Heavy Industry, China
The 104.4m long vessels have a capacity for 120 to 160 passengers in 93 suites, 68 with balconies, 9 with French balconies and 16 with panoramic windows. They are of revolutionary design, of the X-bow type and has Polar Code 6, Ice Class 1A, allowing them to sail virtually all waters in the polar regions. This year three ships of this series will be taken into service: Ocean Odyssey has been chartered out to Vantage Cruise Line, Sylvia Earle will join Greg Mortimer at Aurora Expeditions while Ocean Albatros will be operated by Albatros Expeditions. Although they are sister vessels to Greg Mortimer, the first ship in the Infinity-series, there are some differences as the flexibility of this series makes it possible to adapt the vessels to the needs of the charterers.
Final delivery December 2022
MSC Seascape, MSC Cruises, 169,000GRT, Fincantieri, Italy
MSC Seascape is the second vessel in the Seaside-EVO-class. Her main objective is to make passengers aware of the beauty of the sea by offering seaviews from most public spaces on board. To achieve this, 65% of these are completely new designs. The Selective Catlytic Reduction-system installed together with a state of the art exhaust gas cleaning system will reduce toxic exhaust gasses by over 90%. 2270 cabins, 19 bars and 11 restaurants make this an impressive ship with some spactacular features like the Bridge of Glass on Deck 16 which offers great views of the ocean deep below as well as her 540 yards wrap around promenade.
Delivery postponed to 2023
VEGA 3 (SH Diana), Swan Hellenic Cruises, 10,000GRT, Helsinki shipyard, Finland
Swan Hellenic’s first newbuilding Minerva, constructed by Helsinki Shipyard, was taken into service late 2021. A $150 million sistership of the Vega-class ships (as this new class of luxury expedition ships is called) will be launched in January 2022 and will join the fleet 3 months later, in April 2022. A third sistership still unnamed will follow at the end of 2022. It will larger at 12,500 GRT and she will have capacity for 192 passengers,40 more than her sisters,They will all be registered in Valletta, Malta and are capable of sailing worldwide in all regions no matter what climate conditions they have, ice-regions or tropical weather. Check out my article on the Minerva here.
Final delivery May 2022
Viking Mars, Viking Ocean Cruises, 47,000GRT, Fincantieri, Italy
She is the seventh sister ship of Viking Ocean Cruises. Since the introduction of Viking Star in 2015 this series of luxury Scandinavian-style decorated ships has built a loyal following of travellers mostly interested in the destinations visited. To create a homely atmosphere, she features bookshelves in several of her public rooms with an excellent selection of titles on history and exploration. The Viking Mars -like her sisters- will not have art auctions, a casino or photographers following you around, as these ships offer quiet surroundings for travelling in comfort. Beer, wine and soft drinks during lunch and dinner are included, as well as complimentary wi-fi internet access and at least one free shore excursion in each port of call.
Final delivery October 2022
World Europa, MSC Cruises, 206,000GRT, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France
World Europa, the company’s first World-class ship, will set sail on her maiden cruise from Dubai where she will be stationed from December 2022. She will reposition to the western Mediterranean in March 2023. MSC World Europa will be instantly recognizable by her knife like upright bow and flowing wave-like topside lines. It gives her a distinctively modern look. Like Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class, she has been divided in neighborhoods with their own specific themes and atmosphere. A 140 mter long promenade, the Europa Promenade starts enclosed midships but opens up when proceeding aft. Her most spectacular attraction is the Spiral, the longest slide on the seven seas, going 11(!) decks down.
Delivery postponed to 2024
Queen Anne, Cunard, 112,000GRT, Fincantieri, Italy
Cunard’s fourth vessel in their fleet. Her interior design will be coordinated by well-known designer Adam D. Tihany. She will be larger than her fleetmates, being built similar to Holland America’s Koningsdam-series. February 8th 2022 her name has been announced. Cunard asked for assistance choosing the new ship’s name from British historian Kate Williams who is the author of several British Royal Family-related books. Queen Anne will have a female captain Inger Klein Thorhauge (previously she was captain of Queen Vistoria since 2010). Queen Anne is being built at two yards, her lower forward bow section at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard which will be towed to the Fincantieri-Marghera yard where she will be completed.
