Discovery of the Seas

[SeaSunnedTraveler]

When is someone going to finally invent the Shipstone? 

 

[Rackham]

5 hours ago, steverk said:

...  The ships will be about Voyager class in size but configured to go in to Tampa

My takeaways were as follows 

...

2. There are competing demands on the class that still need to be worked out. For example, I'm not sure it's possible to have a 130,000 GT ship that can dock in Tampa

...

Based on this information, it appears Discovery class would have around the length of Voyager class, but have the beam of Radiance due to Tampa's cruise port restrictions. So I could see a six-digit GT with the final design. Maybe not 130,000, but definitely over 100,000.

[Rackham]

Hotel director on Odyssey, during the Top Tier Event, mentioned that Royal will be increasing cabin size on Discovery-class. With how cabin size has increased on Icon-class, I'm now expecting something similar for Discovery.

[smokeybandit]

Finally some somewhat official confirmation of Discovery

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2025/06/02/royal-caribbean-design-process-new-smaller-cruise-ships

[JasonOasis]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Finally some somewhat official confirmation of Discovery

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2025/06/02/royal-caribbean-design-process-new-smaller-cruise-ships

Can't wait to see what Discovery Class looks like. It probably won't be as small as Radiance or Vision Class vessels but I think if its somewhere between Voyager and Freedom Class size ships it will be a home run while allowing Royal to continue to serve ports Oasis and Icon Class ships simply can't get into.

Royal has enough mega class ships it is good to get partial confirmation project Discovery is still alive and the work to bring it to fruition is still ongoing.  

[barjpoe]

A few less water activities. Those that want the water bells and whistles can go on the mega ships 

[Rackham]

On 6/3/2025 at 11:03 AM, barjpoe said:

A few less water activities. Those that want the water bells and whistles can go on the mega ships 

Royal's probably like "Challenge Accepted" and now we're going to get the first completely indoor waterpark at sea, the Aquaplex. 

[Fuzzywuzzy]

This topic seems to pop up off and on for quite awhile now. We really need a definitive answer.

[J_Keeble]

After Stars launch i Believe 

[Nathan adams]

They don't want to create a situation where people "hold out" on a purchase of a cruise. 

But it will be awhile. I believe the ship yards are pretty backed up. 

[steverk]

4 hours ago, Nathan adams said:

They don't want to create a situation where people "hold out" on a purchase of a cruise. 

But it will be awhile. I believe the ship yards are pretty backed up. 

I suppose this is possible, but I have a different theory. 

I think they are hoping for a new clean propulsion system that is approved by Norway for use in the fjord. I believe Royal thinks it is very close to release and worth waiting for.

I could be totally wrong,  but that's my take.

[smokeybandit]

I suppose discovery could be hydrogen capable for those sensitive areas.

[steverk]

12 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I suppose discovery could be hydrogen capable for those sensitive areas.

Possibly. Or maybe a hybrid drive with a ton of batteries 

[twangster]

My personal opinion is that hydrogen isn't ready to scale to being a ship fuel with enough availability all over to make it work.  For Discovery to use a new fuel source it would need to be already viable and in use by some form of shipping already.  

Heck hydrogen powered cars are frequently abandoned at hydrogen fueling stations due to lack of hydrogen.  It just never became viable.  

Given the goal for Discovery to go places where mega ships can't it will need fuel available all over, beyond the bigger ports and commercial centers.  Alaska?  Nope, not going to find ship quantity of hydrogen to refill the ship every week.  

Ironically to go off the beaten path, away from the mass ships will need a reliance on traditional fuel sources that are readily available.  

Could Discovery use multiple fuels?  It may need to.  Traditional fossil fuel to make it across vast distances then switch to something clean(er) close to land, then switch back to dinosaur juice to get somewhere else.  

Perhaps by 2040 or 2050 shipping can be Norway type clean but it's going to be a process to get there.  Too soon for Discovery to be that ship.   

[ZeroZeroSeven]

On 7/24/2025 at 1:39 PM, twangster said:

Given the goal for Discovery to go places where mega ships can't it will need fuel available all over, beyond the bigger ports and commercial centers.  Alaska?  Nope, not going to find ship quantity of hydrogen to refill the ship every week.  

Ironically to go off the beaten path, away from the mass ships will need a reliance on traditional fuel sources that are readily available.  

Could Discovery use multiple fuels?  It may need to.  Traditional fossil fuel to make it across vast distances then switch to something clean(er) close to land, then switch back to dinosaur juice to get somewhere else.  

Perhaps by 2040 or 2050 shipping can be Norway type clean but it's going to be a process to get there.  Too soon for Discovery to be that ship.   

This seems to be the most logical path forward. IMO, I could see Royal following Disney's lead with their new class of smaller ships. New hull design, flex fuel...possibly even both parties having a wink-wink, nudge-nudge behind the scenes agreement to share common components and design elements for economy of scale.

[Heymarco]

Discovery is slated to replace Voyager/Freedom class ships, don't think it'll be quite as small as everyone is thinking. Radiance and smaller classes won't be replaced by anything comparable in size.

[baltodave]

14 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

Discovery is slated to replace Voyager/Freedom class ships, don't think it'll be quite as small as everyone is thinking. Radiance and smaller classes won't be replaced by anything comparable in size.

If that's the case I hope the Discovery class ships will be low enough to clear the bridges in Tampa and Baltimore.  Also, I hope they are small enough to maneuver through some of the small natural harbors in Europe (e.g. Montenegro)  

[Heymarco]

1 hour ago, baltodave said:

If that's the case I hope the Discovery class ships will be low enough to clear the bridges in Tampa and Baltimore.  Also, I hope they are small enough to maneuver through some of the small natural harbors in Europe (e.g. Montenegro)  

They have already left Baltimore...

[barjpoe]

I know there are no bridges to sail under, but Royal isn't sailing out of Boston next fall.

[Heymarco]

24 minutes ago, barjpoe said:

I know there are no bridges to sail under, but Royal isn't sailing out of Boston next fall.

 I think the locals voted them out (tax increases). 

[twangster]

The Edge class ships from Celebrity are a proven hull design that could be the base platform for Discovery, or a variation that doesn't require re-engineering the whole thing.  

Different deck layouts to suit Royal of course attaining higher capacity.

Unfortunately I don't see them fitting in Tampa or Baltimore.   In modern times balcony cabins are the most popular.  Balcony cabins tend to exist above the embarkation deck which means more decks vertically going higher. More height to have lots of balcony cabins mean challenges fitting in ports with low bridge clearance.   Retractable funnels can help a little but probably not enough. 

Baltimore & Tampa impose limitations that may just make them undesirable or unattainable.  There is also the question of filling larger ships from these smaller markets.   Vision and Radiance capacity works in smaller markets.  Higher capacity would be harder to sell out.   Just as Royal doesn't sail from everywhere Carnival does, Mobile, Norfolk, Charleston, Jacksonville, etc., Baltimore and Tampa may join that list.

[smokeybandit]

Bigger ships will be able to access Baltimore again once Maryland rebuilds the Key Bridge and replaces the Bay Bridge.

 

So in 2050.

[WAAAYTOOO]

21 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

So in 2050. Never

 

[karl_nj]

On 7/25/2025 at 4:55 PM, baltodave said:

If that's the case I hope the Discovery class ships will be low enough to clear the bridges in Tampa and Baltimore.  Also, I hope they are small enough to maneuver through some of the small natural harbors in Europe (e.g. Montenegro)  

Captain Toni Calne implied that Discovery class would be small enough for those ports last week at the Captain's Corner on Anthem, but who knows how much info he really has.
 

[karl_nj]

On 1/11/2025 at 11:51 AM, JasonOasis said:

I get its apples to oranges but is 30 years really the limit in the cruise industry or can Royal squeeze out a few more years if necessary to give themselves more time to get Project Discovery right the first time right out of the gate?

Captain Toni also said that the lifespan of cruise ships is expanding past the old 30 year guideline, and now closer to 50 years, due to better/more frequent maintenance/drydocks and big midlife revitalization projects.

[Mike.s]

Looks like lots of work has been done on the Discovery class, and it's still ongoing.

https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/royal-caribbean-group-president-recognises-opportunity-to-build-smaller-ships

Speaking in a separate session, Royal Caribbean president Michael Bayley said: “We’re already deep into design of the new class [after Icon].

“We’re constantly looking at designing for the future, and in fact, a whole group of us probably spend 50% of our work day designing for the future for Royal Caribbean destinations or ships.”

[Heymarco]

On 7/25/2025 at 3:39 PM, Heymarco said:

Discovery is slated to replace Voyager/Freedom class ships, don't think it'll be quite as small as everyone is thinking. Radiance and smaller classes won't be replaced by anything comparable in size.

The CEO confirmed it will be bigger than Freedom class! 168 tons according to Matt's blog today.

[baltodave]

6 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

The CEO confirmed it will be bigger than Freedom class! 168 tons according to Matt's blog today.

If they are larger than Freedom class ships, how would they fit under the bridges in Tampa and Baltimore plus navigate the natural smaller natural harbors in Europe (e.g. Montenegro)?

[karl_nj]

18 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

The CEO confirmed it will be bigger than Freedom class! 168 tons according to Matt's blog today.

I'm not sure it says that exactly... it just says that it likely can't be any larger than Norwegian Bliss.

[mworkman]

After reading what Matt posted…it looks like RC is focused on Big ships, shorter sailings and private islands. The discover class will focus on longer sailings in other continents with the standard season return to service the Caribbean islands and Celebrity is focused on River cruises and everything else.

[steverk]

2 minutes ago, mworkman said:

After reading what Matt posted…it looks like RC is focused on Big ships, shorter sailings and private islands. The discover class will focus on longer sailings in other continents with the standard season return to service the Caribbean islands and Celebrity is focused on River cruises and everything else.

Reading the tea leaves is always hard, but that isn't quite what I see. If they were focusing on other continents, then there would be no reason for Discovery to be able to transit the Panama Canal.  My (uninformed) read is that they are trying for flexibility. They want to be able to enlarge their list of ports visited, which means a more global focus. But they also want to be able to move between Alaska and the Caribbean. 

Time will tell how they are going to deploy these new ships. Whatever they do, I'm excited!

[mworkman]

17 minutes ago, steverk said:

Reading the tea leaves is always hard, but that isn't quite what I see. If they were focusing on other continents, then there would be no reason for Discovery to be able to transit the Panama Canal.  My (uninformed) read is that they are trying for flexibility. They want to be able to enlarge their list of ports visited, which means a more global focus. But they also want to be able to move between Alaska and the Caribbean. 

Time will tell how they are going to deploy these new ships. Whatever they do, I'm excited!

I think you’re missing the point of what I wrote..when the Discovery class finish with theirs season in the other continents, they will return to service the Caribbean islands. If they were on the west coast, they would have to pass through the canal to get there. The ships that get selected to join the rotation for Alaska will also have to pass those the canal, if they came from the Atlantic side. Just my opinion and speculations. I’m probably wrong.  I’m just hoping for longer sailings of 10 nights minimum.

[JasonOasis]

1 hour ago, Heymarco said:

The CEO confirmed it will be bigger than Freedom class! 168 tons according to Matt's blog today.

That isn't what Matt said what he said was Norwegian Bliss is currently the largest ship that has sailed through the canal so we know Discover won't be bigger than Bliss at 168 tons. 

Royal still hasn't officially released any specs pertaining to Discover Class so we don't know how small this new class of ship will be what we do know is it can't be bigger than Bliss if its going to fit through the Panama Canal. 

[smokeybandit]

Baileys comments about itinerary regions align with what the captain on adventure told us in March 2024.

[Heymarco]

12 minutes ago, JasonOasis said:

That isn't what Matt said what he said was Norwegian Bliss is currently the largest ship that has sailed through the canal so we know Discover won't be bigger than Bliss at 168 tons. 

Royal still hasn't officially released any specs pertaining to Discover Class so we don't know how small this new class of ship will be what we do know is it can't be bigger than Bliss if its going to fit through the Panama Canal. 

I think the point is, it's going to be small compared to today's ship standards, but not as small compared to the ship classes it's planning on replacing as people originally thought.

[Cakemeister]

Is there a length restriction at Tampa and Baltimore, or do they only have height restrictions?

You can still fit a large ship into 180 feet high and neo-Panamax length and width. They would need to have tendering capabilities for small ports.

[twangster]

58 minutes ago, Cakemeister said:

Is there a length restriction at Tampa and Baltimore, or do they only have height restrictions?

You can still fit a large ship into 180 feet high and neo-Panamax length and width. They would need to have tendering capabilities for small ports.

Based on comments on the President's Cruise I think cruise lines are looking for a new cruise ports/terminals to be built that wouldn't require ship to pass under the bridge.  

I suspect that may be easier in Tampa compared to Baltimore, but it's not clear how easy.  

I would be willing to wager large sums that Discovery class won't fit under the bridges to reach the existing Tampa or Baltimore cruise berths.

[Nathan adams]

i'm hoping for small enough to fit under those bridges. I'm sure there are many other ports around the world needing close to the same criteria. and the name Discovery to me means going to new places. I was envisioning a smaller and accomodate more world cruises.

 

[barjpoe]

The other bridge it needs to fit under is the Bridge of the Americas that travers the Panama canal. 

[Rackham]

3 minutes ago, barjpoe said:

The other bridge it needs to fit under is the Bridge of the Americas that travers the Panama canal. 

201 feet at high tide.

Compared to a few other bridges in the Americas.

Tampa: Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Maximum Clearance: 180–190 feet, depending on the source.

Baltimore: Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Clearance: 186 feet

Vancouver: Lions Gate Bridge
Maximum Clearance: About 200 feet

I wonder if Royal will pull the trick on Discovery class that they use with certain ships to get them under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (~228 feet clearance) with retractable funnels?