Royal Caribbean cruise ships from newest to oldest — a complete list

What’s the newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship? It might seem like a strange question to ask, but it’s something that matters if you’re in the market for a Royal Caribbean cruise. The newest Royal Caribbean ship is typically also the Royal Caribbean ship with the most bells and whistles and the most up-to-date cabins, restaurants, …

Mar 20, 2025 - 22:40

Royal Caribbean cruise ships from newest to oldest — a complete list

What’s the newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship? It might seem like a strange question to ask, but it’s something that matters if you’re in the market for a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The newest Royal Caribbean ship is typically also the Royal Caribbean ship with the most bells and whistles and the most up-to-date cabins, restaurants, bars and attractions. It’s what you want if you want the latest and greatest in a vessel for your Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.

Right now, the newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship is Utopia of the Seas, which debuted in 2024. It’s the sixth ship in Royal Caribbean’s groundbreaking Oasis Class of vessels.

Other relatively new Royal Caribbean ships include Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas. All began sailing in the past few years.

In all, Royal Caribbean operates nearly 30 vessels. On average, the line launches roughly one new ship a year, and it typically keeps vessels in its fleet for 20 to 30 years before retiring them from the fleet. The oldest Royal Caribbean ship, Grandeur of the Seas, is 28 years old.

In general, Royal Caribbean’s newest ships are far bigger and much more amenity-packed than its older ships. If you crave a lot of activities in a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation, you’ll want to stick to vessels built in the past 15 years.

Royal Caribbean’s oldest cruise ships — those built in the 1990s and early 2000s — in many cases are half to one-third the size of the line’s newest vessels and have far fewer venues on board. Still, even these smaller ships offer a lot of attractions as compared to many vessels sailing for competing lines.

Royal Caribbean is known for bustling activity-packed ships across its fleet.

Here, every Royal Caribbean ship currently in operation is ranked from newest to oldest.

Note: All passenger capacity numbers listed are for double occupancy (two passengers per cabin).

List of Royal Caribbean ships, newest to oldest

1. Utopia of the Seas (2024)

Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas — ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Maiden voyage: 2024
Size: 236,473 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,668

Utopia of the Seas is the sixth vessel in Royal Caribbean’s groundbreaking Oasis Class of ships. In an unusual twist, it has been deployed to Florida for short cruises to the Bahamas. Typically, cruise lines assign their newest vessels to longer seven-night sailings.

The deployment of such a new and large ship (Utopia of the Seas is the world’s second-largest cruise ship) to short cruises is a sign that Royal Caribbean is eager to draw more first-time cruisers. First-time cruisers often gravitate to shorter cruises.

2. Icon of the Seas (2024)

Maiden voyage: 2024
Size: 248,663 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,610

Icon of the Seas is the belle of the ball at Royal Caribbean — the line’s most state-of-the-art ship. It’s also the biggest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet and, indeed, the biggest ship ever built by any line.

Icon of the Seas is the first of a new class of vessels at Royal Caribbean called the Icon Class, which will be rolling out over the next few years. Royal Caribbean has initially ordered four of the vessels but could add more ships to the series down the road.

3. Wonder of the Seas (2022)

Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 235,600 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,734

Wonder of the Seas was the world’s biggest cruise ship until the arrival of Icon of the Seas, and it remains one of the biggest ships ever built by any line.

Wonder of the Seas is the fifth vessel in Royal Caribbean’s much-ballyhooed Oasis Class series of vessels — the world’s largest ships from the time they began debuting in 2009 until the arrival of Icon of the Seas in January 2024.

4. Odyssey of the Seas (2022)

Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 167,704 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,198

Odyssey of the Seas is the newest of Royal Caribbean’s five Quantum Class ships. The five-ship series debuted in 2014 with the unveiling of Quantum of the Seas. It’s the second-newest ship class in the fleet after the Icon Class.

5. Spectrum of the Seas (2019)

Maiden voyage: 2019
Size: 169,379 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,246

Spectrum of the Seas is the fourth vessel in Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class series and has traditionally sailed in Asia, often on cruises aimed at the Asian market.

Like all Quantum Class ships, Spectrum of the Seas features a RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, a SeaPlex entertainment complex with bumper cars and other amusements, and an unusual attraction called North Star that takes passengers into the air in a suspended pod.

6. Symphony of the Seas (2018)

Maiden voyage: 2018
Size: 228,081 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,518

Symphony of the Seas is one of the world’s largest cruise ships, just a tad smaller than its newer sisters Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, as well as the ships in the Icon Class. It’s the fourth ship in the groundbreaking Oasis Class of ships that began debuting in 2009.

Like all Oasis Class ships, Symphony of the Seas is broken up into multiple neighborhoods, including a Central Park neighborhood full of eateries, bars and shops that runs down the middle of the ship and is open to the sky.

7. Harmony of the Seas (2016)

Maiden voyage: 2016
Size: 226,963 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,479

Unveiled in 2016, Harmony of the Seas was the third vessel in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class series and the biggest ship in the world at the time of its debut. (It has since been eclipsed by its slightly bigger sisters Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and the Icon Class vessels.)

The ship was the first in the Oasis Class to have a sprawling water park area known as Perfect Storm and the 10-story-high dry slide attraction Ultimate Abyss, the latter of which has since been added to other ships in the fleet.

8. Ovation of the Seas (2016)

Maiden voyage: 2016
Size: 168,666 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,182

Ovation of the Seas is the third vessel in Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class of ships.

Like its Quantum Class sisters, Ovation of the Seas is filled with amusements such as a RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, a SeaPlex entertainment complex with bumper cars and a North Star ride that takes passengers into the air in a suspended pod.

9. Anthem of the Seas (2015)

Maiden voyage: 2015
Size: 168,666 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,180

Anthem of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s five Quantum Class vessels (the second ship in the series). It shares many of the amenities offered by the other ships in the class, including a North Star ride that takes passengers into the air in a suspended pod, a Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator and a SeaPlex entertainment complex with bumper cars.

10. Quantum of the Seas (2014)

Maiden voyage: 2014
Size: 168,666 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,180

Quantum of the Seas was the original Quantum Class vessel for Royal Caribbean, and it thus kicked off a new era for the line.

The 4,180-passenger ship notably was the first in the world with a Bionic Bar — a bar with a robot making drinks (a concept since rolled out to several other Royal Caribbean ships). It was also the first cruise ship with a Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator, a SeaPlex entertainment complex with bumper cars and a North Star ride that takes passengers into the air in a suspended pod.

11. Allure of the Seas (2010)

Maiden voyage: 2010
Size: 225,282 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,718

When Allure of the Seas debuted in 2010, it was the biggest ship in the world (by a hair) and is still one of the world’s biggest cruise vessels.

Allure of the Seas was the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class series, and only the newer vessels in the series are bigger than it.

Like all Oasis Class ships, Allure of the Seas features multiple neighborhoods, including the Coney Island-inspired Boardwalk with an AquaTheater for acrobatic and high diving shows, a carousel, an arcade, restaurants and sweet shops, and two rock climbing walls looming above.

12. Oasis of the Seas (2009)

Maiden voyage: 2009
Size: 226,838 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,602

Oasis of the Seas was the cruise ship that changed the cruise world — a vessel so much bigger and with so many more attractions and venues when it debuted in 2009 that nobody who loved megaships wanted to be on any other vessel.

At the time of its debut, it was a stunning 40% bigger than any other cruise vessel on the planet.

Nearly 20 years after its debut, Oasis of the Seas remains one of the biggest ships on the planet, being just a tad smaller than its four Oasis Class sisters that have debuted in the years since it arrived. It’s also eclipsed in size by Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class ships.

13. Independence of the Seas (2008)

Maiden voyage: 2008
Size: 154,407 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,858

Independence of the Seas is the newest of three ships in Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class series.

Like other Freedom Class vessels, it’s notably smaller than Royal Caribbean’s giant Oasis Class ships, but it still is big enough to offer a lot when it comes to top-deck attractions, eateries, lounges and bars. The back of its top deck features a FlowRider surf simulator, a water park area with swirling waterslides and a rock climbing wall.

14. Liberty of the Seas (2007)

Maiden voyage: 2007
Size: 154,407 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,798

Liberty of the Seas is the second of three ships in Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class series.

Like its newer sister Independence of the Seas, it’s smaller than Royal Caribbean’s giant Oasis Class ships but still is big enough to pack in a lot of options for cruisers. You’ll find many top-deck attractions, eateries, lounges and bars across this vessel.

15. Freedom of the Seas (2006)

Maiden voyage: 2006
Size: 156,271 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,926

Freedom of the Seas was another groundbreaking ship for Royal Caribbean, the first in a three-ship series (the Freedom Class) that were the biggest ships in the world when they debuted.

While no longer in the Top 25 list of biggest ships (so many bigger ships have since debuted), Freedom of the Seas still offers a lot of onboard fun. It was, notably, the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature a FlowRider surf simulator on its top decks — now a signature attraction for the line. It also boasts multiple pool areas, a water park, a miniature golf course and a rock climbing wall.

16. Jewel of the Seas (2004)

Maiden voyage: 2004
Size: 90,090 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,191

Jewel of the Seas is the newest of Royal Caribbean’s four Radiance Class vessels, a series of ships that is significantly smaller than the line’s newest Oasis Class, Quantum Class and Icon Class ships.

Indeed, at 90,090 tons, Radiance of the Seas and its three sisters are less than half the size of the massive Icon Class ships.

Still, Radiance of the Seas has more than a half dozen places to eat, including the main restaurant, casual buffet, steakhouse, Asian venue and Italian restaurant.

You’ll also find three pools, whirlpools, a rock climbing wall, a miniature golf course, a sports court and an adults-only solarium. Inside, a theater, spa, casino, and multiple bars and lounges keep passengers entertained.

17. Mariner of the Seas (2003)

Maiden voyage: 2003
Size: 139,863 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,344

Mariner of the Seas is the newest ship in Royal Caribbean’s five-vessel Voyager Class series, which began debuting in 1999.

At the time of their debuts, the Voyager Class ships were the biggest cruise ships in the world (as is often the case with the new series of Royal Caribbean ships). But today, they are essentially midsize in the pantheon of Royal Caribbean vessels.

Still, Mariner of the Seas and its four Voyager Class sisters have many of Royal Caribbean’s signature attractions, including rock climbing walls and ice skating rinks. In fact, the ships were the first at Royal Caribbean to have those attractions.

Voyager Class ships were also the first to feature a Royal Promenade with bars, cafes and shops in their interior. Each also has several specialty restaurants in addition to the main dining room and casual buffet; specialty restaurants include a version of Royal Caribbean’s signature Chops Grille steakhouse and an Italian restaurant.

18. Serenade of the Seas (2003)

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas — ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Maiden voyage: 2003
Size: 90,090 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,143

Serenade was the third ship to debut in Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Class series, which rolled out in quick succession in the early 2000s.

Like other Radiance Class ships, it is significantly smaller than the line’s newest Oasis Class, Quantum Class and Icon Class ships but still has a lot to offer, including more than a half dozen places to eat, three pools, whirlpools, a rock climbing wall, a miniature golf course, a sports court and an adults-only solarium.

Like Jewel of the Seas, its interior venues include a theater, spa, casino and multiple bars and lounges.

19. Navigator of the Seas (2002)

Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 139,999 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,368

Unveiled in 2002, Navigator of the Seas is the second newest vessel in Royal Caribbean’s five-vessel Voyager Class series.

Like other Voyager Class ships, it is significantly smaller than Royal Caribbean’s newer vessels but still offers many of the line’s signature attractions, including a rock climbing wall, an ice skating rink, and a Royal Promenade with bars, cafes and shops.

20. Brilliance of the Seas (2002)

Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 90,090 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,142

Coming out just a year earlier than Serenade of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas is an almost identical vessel.

Like Serenade of the Seas, it’s a Radiance Class ship, and that means it’s significantly smaller than the line’s newest Oasis Class, Quantum Class and Icon Class ships. However, it is still loaded with venues, including more than a half dozen places to eat, three pools, whirlpools, a rock climbing wall, a miniature golf course, a sports court and an adults-only solarium.

Like its Radiance Class sisters, its interior venues include a theater, spa, casino, and multiple bars and lounges.

21. Adventure of the Seas (2001)

Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas — ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 137,276 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,114

Adventure of the Seas is the middle vessel in Royal Caribbean’s five-vessel Voyager Class series.

22. Radiance of the Seas (2001)

Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 90,090 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,143

Radiance of the Seas was the prototype vessel for Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Class series, which debuted between 2001 and 2004.

Like the other ships in the series, it’s significantly smaller than the line’s newest Oasis Class, Quantum Class and Icon Class ships. However, it still is loaded with venues, including more than a half dozen places to eat, three pools, whirlpools, a rock climbing wall, a miniature golf course, a sports court and an adults-only solarium.

In addition, its interior venues include a theater, spa, casino and multiple bars and lounges.

23. Explorer of the Seas (2000)

Maiden voyage: 2000
Size: 137,308 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,286

Unveiled in 2000, Explorer of the Seas was the second vessel in Royal Caribbean’s five-vessel Voyager Class series.

Like the other four vessels in the series, it has many of Royal Caribbean’s signature attractions despite being smaller than the Royal Caribbean ships that have debuted over the past 15 years. These include a rock climbing wall and an ice skating rink, as well as a Royal Promenade with bars, cafes and shops.

Explorer of the Seas also has several specialty restaurants in addition to the main dining room and casual buffet; specialty restaurants include a version of Royal Caribbean’s signature Chops Grille steakhouse and an Italian restaurant.

24. Voyager of the Seas (1999)

Maiden voyage: 1999
Size: 137,276 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,602

Voyager of the Seas was the original Voyager Class ship and, at the time of its debut, the biggest cruise ship in the world.

Nearly 30 years later, it isn’t even one of the 50 biggest cruise ships in the world — the result of years of growth in the cruise industry, which has since introduced far bigger vessels.

Still, Voyager of the Seas has many of Royal Caribbean’s signature attractions, including a rock climbing wall and an ice skating rink (two concepts it debuted). It was also the first Royal Caribbean ship with an interior Royal Promenade with bars, cafes and shops.

25. Vision of the Seas (1998)

Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 78,340 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,050 passengers

Vision of the Seas is the newest of Royal Caribbean’s Vision Class ships, which are the smallest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Unlike most Royal Caribbean ships, they offer fewer onboard attractions and amenities than is typical for the line’s vessels.

In general, Vision of the Seas and its three older Vision Class sisters appeal to cruisers looking for a more intimate experience on a cruise ship and cruisers who care more about the destinations they visit than the onboard attractions.

26. Enchantment of the Seas (1997)

Maiden voyage: 1997
Size: 82,910 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,252

Enchantment of the Seas is the third of four Vision Class vessels that began joining the Royal Caribbean fleet in 1996.

Like its sister ships, it’s less than half the size of Royal Caribbean’s newest, biggest ships and has far fewer onboard attractions and amenities.

Like Vision of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas appeals to cruisers looking for a more intimate experience on a cruise ship.

27. Rhapsody of the Seas (1997)

Maiden voyage: 1997
Size: 78,878 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,040

Rhapsody of the Seas was the second vessel in Royal Caribbean’s Vision Class of ships, which are the smallest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

Like its sisters in the Vision Class, it offers fewer onboard attractions and amenities than are typical for the line’s vessels.

28. Grandeur of the Seas (1996)

Maiden voyage: 1996
Size: 73,817 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 1,992

Grandeur of the Seas was the original Vision Class vessel in the Royal Caribbean fleet, and it’s the smallest of the series, too. In fact, it’s the smallest ship in the entire Royal Caribbean fleet.

Like its sisters in the Vision Class, Grandeur of the Seas offers relatively few onboard attractions and amenities — at least compared to newer Royal Caribbean ships.

What is the newest Royal Caribbean ship?

The newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship is Utopia of the Seas. As noted above, it debuted in 2024.

Utopia of the Seas is the latest vessel in the line’s iconic Oasis Class series. Launched in 2009 with the debut of Oasis of the Seas, the Oasis Class ships have dominated the world of mega-size cruise ships since that year. At the time the class began rolling out, the vessels were around 40% bigger than the next-biggest cruise ships, and until early 2024 they continued to be the biggest and most amenity-laden ships in the world.

Also new at Royal Caribbean is the line’s Icon Class of vessels. At nearly 250,000 gross tons, they’re the biggest cruise ships ever built, eclipsing the six Oasis Class ships by a tad. They’re also loaded with more restaurants, bars, showrooms and top-deck attractions than you’ll find on any other ship at sea.

TPG got a sneak peek at Icon of the Seas in advance of its first sailing with paying passengers. Don’t miss our first stories live from the ship:

What is the oldest Royal Caribbean ship?

The oldest Royal Caribbean cruise ship is Grandeur of the Seas. Unveiled way back in 1996, it’s not just the oldest Royal Caribbean ship but the smallest Royal Caribbean ship — far smaller than the newest Royal Caribbean vessels. Measuring just 73,817 gross tons, it’s only one-third the size of Icon of the Seas and has far fewer venues.

Except for a rock climbing wall, Grandeur of the Seas has none of the “gee whiz” top-deck attractions — like skydiving simulators and giant water parks — found on bigger Royal Caribbean vessels. For the most part, its top deck is lined with pools, whirlpools and sunning areas, as is typical for ships built in the 1990s.

That said, Grandeur of the Seas has a loyal following among Royal Caribbean fans who prefer smaller and more intimate ships.

What new Royal Caribbean ships are coming?

Royal Caribbean currently has four new cruise ships on order, all of which will be among its biggest cruise ships ever — if not its biggest.

They include three more vessels in the line’s Icon Class series, the first of which will roll out in 2025 with the name Star of the Seas. The second, Legend of the Seas (which recycles the name of a previous Royal Caribbean ship that’s no longer in the fleet) is set to debut in 2026. The third, which is scheduled to begin sailing in 2027, is currently unnamed. They are expected to be as big as or bigger than Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean also has one more unnamed ship in the Oasis Class series on order for delivery in 2028. It’s expected to be roughly the same size as Utopia of the Seas but smaller than Icon of the Seas.

What is the newest Royal Caribbean ship available for booking?

Star of the Seas is the newest Royal Caribbean ship that you can book right now. While the new Icon Class ship isn’t yet sailing, its voyages are already on sale through 2026.

The next two Royal Caribbean vessels on order (the third and fourth Icon Class ships) have yet to open for bookings.

What is the newest class of Royal Caribbean ships?

The Icon Class is the newest class of Royal Caribbean ships. It’ll be made up of at least three vessels, the first of which (Icon of the Seas) debuted in 2024.

At 248,663 gross tons, Icon of the Seas is more than 6% bigger than the biggest Royal Caribbean ships that came before it. It can hold up to 7,600 passengers — a new record for a passenger ship.

The bigger passenger capacity of Icon of the Seas is in part due to the ship’s greater focus on family travelers. Icon of the Seas was built with more cabins that have plenty of extra bunks to accommodate families with children. It also has more amenities geared to families, including a new-for-the-line outdoor “neighborhood” called Surfside that’s dedicated to families with young children.

What’s the difference between newer and older Royal Caribbean ships?

Newer Royal Caribbean ships generally are bigger than older Royal Caribbean ships — sometimes much bigger. As a result, they have room for many more onboard venues and attractions than the line’s older vessels.

On Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest Oasis Class vessels, for instance, you’ll find three separate main pool areas, a kiddie splash zone, surfing simulators, a miniature golf course, a basketball court and even a zip line. And that’s just on their top decks.

Inside the vessels, you’ll find more lounges, bars, restaurants and shops than you can imagine — plus huge casinos, spas and theaters with Broadway-style shows. They even have indoor ice skating rinks.

In short, they’re like giant floating versions of the megaresorts you find in the Orlando area or Las Vegas, and they appeal to people who like that type of experience.

Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas has a similar array of venues.

Royal Caribbean’s older ships are half to one-third smaller and lack many of the above features. They have a much more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships, and they hold far fewer people. While Icon Class and Oasis Class ships can hold nearly 5,700 passengers at double occupancy, the line’s four oldest vessels (known as the Vision Class) are only designed to carry about 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.

That makes the older vessels a good choice for someone who wants to try Royal Caribbean but isn’t eager to travel with huge crowds. The oldest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet thus appeal to a subset of Royal Caribbean fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don’t mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. They also often cost less to sail on a per-day basis.

In addition, because of their size, the oldest ships at Royal Caribbean are able to operate itineraries to places that aren’t as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports in the world can handle a ship the size of Icon of the Seas.

Note that all Royal Caribbean ships are renovated and upgraded on a regular schedule every few years, so even the oldest Royal Caribbean cruise vessels have newer carpeting, updated furniture, modern decor in cabins and other updates. In many cases, they also have had entire eateries and bars renovated over the years with concepts that first debuted on newer vessels.

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