Royal Caribbean released new cruises for winter 2024-2025 and Matt looks at each of the ships and the new sailings offered.
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Royal Caribbean released new 2024-2025 cruises from the northeast United States and additional Caribbean sailings today.
As part of its scheduled deployment announcement, new sailings across 13 ships were posted.
Royal Caribbean’s 2022-2023 Northeast and Winter Caribbean cruises open for bookings today, February 23.
Let's dig into what Royal Caribbean published.
There will be a new face from the New York City area when Odyssey of the Seas arrives in Cape Liberty.
Odyssey of the Seas will sail from Rome on her Transatlantic crossing and start regular service from Bayonne, New Jersey.
Odyssey will sail from Bayonne between November 2024 and at least April 2025.
The new ship, which was launched in 2021, will offer a variety of 7-12 night cruises to destinations in the Caribbean and Bahamas.
Symphony of the Seas will also sail from the New York City area.
She will finish up her season in Fort Lauderdale, before moving up to Bayonne in May 2024. From then, Symphony will offer 7- and 9-night cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Liberty of the Seas will sail from Bayonne between May and October 2024, offering cruises to Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean.
New England will have a new option when Grandeur of the Seas offers cruises from Boston to primarily Canada, although she does have a 15-night Greenland cruise too.
View the 2024-2025 Northeast itineraries:
Additional Caribbean sailings were also released today. These new sailings are between fall 2024 and spring 2025.
Symphony of the Seas will move from New York down to Miami and offer 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.
Serenade of the Seas will call Tampa home once again, offering 5- and 9-night Caribbean cruises.
Radiance of the Seas will also sail from Tampa after completing a 16-night Panama Canal cruise. She'll then offer 7-night sailings.
Rhapsody of the Seas has 7- and 8-night cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico that will visit the Southern Caribbean.
Oasis of the Seas will be based in Port Everglades and offer mostly 6- and 8-night sailings around the Caribbean.
Over in Galveston, Jewel of the Seas will offer 9-11 night cruises to the Western Caribbean.
Grandeur of the Seas will sail from Fort Lauderdale, beginning in November 2024.
Following her transatlantic from Barcelona, Explorer of the Seas will offer cruises from Miami. These are all longer sailings, with lengths of 10-12 nights.
New Orleans will get a Royal Caribbean ship in 2024 when Brilliance of the Seas starts service.
Brilliance will take a 14-night Panama Canal crossing and then offer 7-night cruises from New Orleans between October 2024 and March 2025.
View the Winter Caribbean itineraries for 2024-2025:
Royal Caribbean has a few more deployments to come, but you'll have to wait a few more months.
New cruises from Australia and Singapore will come in May and July, respectively.
No date is yet set when China sailings might go on sale.
Planning on booking a cruise? These stories will help:
Royal Caribbean has released its Short Caribbean sailings for April 2024 — April 2025, which are now available for booking.
Royal Caribbean's website has been updated with the new itineraries, which are available to book immediately.
Eight cruise ships have new sailings you can book through mid-2025.
Allure of the Seas will continue offering 3- and 4-night weekend cruises from Port Canaveral that visit Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Tampa and offer primarily 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises to destinations in Mexico, and Grand Cayman.
There's also a 10-night Southern Caribbean sailing included.
Read more: What is the best time to cruise to the Caribbean?
Grandeur of the Seas will also sail from Tampa and offer 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises.
Independence of the Seas will offer more of a variety of short Caribbean cruises, including 4-, 5- cruises. Independence will sail from Miami, Florida.
Read more: How different is a 3-night vs 4-night cruise?
Liberty of the Seas will continue offering 3- and 4-night short Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas.
Mariner of the Seas will shift to Galveston, where she will offer 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises.
Navigator of the Seas will remain in Los Angeles and offer a mix of 3- and 4-night cruises along with 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises.
Read more: I tried my first 3-night cruise, here's how it went
After completing a transatlantic from Barcelona, Voyager of the Seas will sail 4- and 5-night cruises from Port Canaveral.
View the full Short Caribbean 2024-2025 sailings:
Read more: Should I take a short or a long cruise
The release of the short Caribbean sailings is the first of the new spring deployments.
Over the next few months, more sailings will be released for the 2024-2025 season, although changes to the deployment schedule are possible.
Royal Caribbean's deployment schedule is as follows:
Planning on booking a new cruise? These stories will help:
Royal Caribbean will replace Oasis of the Seas in Cape Liberty with the newer and slightly larger Symphony of the Seas.
The cruise line released on Thursday its Year-round and Summer Caribbean sailings for the 2024-2025 cruise season.
A very noticeable change for summer 2024 is Symphony of the Seas deployment to Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey. Many cruise fans were curious which ship would replace Oasis of the Seas since it was previously announced Oasis of the Seas was headed to Europe in 2024.
The new itineraries are loaded into Royal Caribbean's website and available for immediate booking.
Read more: How to choose the right Caribbean cruise sailing
Here's a look at the new itineraries and what you can expect if you'd like to book a cruise now.
Adventure of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral, Florida and offer 6- and 8-night cruises that visit the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.
Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Tampa in the summer and offer primarily 7-night cruises to the Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Freedom of the Seas will sail from Miami between May and July 2024 offering short 3- and 4-night cruises.
Then in late July, she will move to Port Everglades, Florida and move away from short cruises to offer 6- and 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
Harmony of the Seas will remain in Galveston to offer 6-, 7-, and 8-night Western Caribbean cruises. Notably, the 8-night cruises will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, which has not traditionally been offered from Galveston.
Icon of the Seas will sail from Miami. Her deployment was already announced when her sailings went on sale earlier this year.
Liberty of the Seas will offer longer cruises from Cape Liberty, with Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean cruises.
Liberty will also offer cruises to Bermuda and Canada/New England.
Vision of the Seas will continue to sail out of Baltimore, Maryland and offer 8-night Southeast Coast cruises along with 12-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean.
There are also cruises to the Bahamas and Bermuda, along with Canada sailings.
Wonder of the Seas will continue sailing year-round out of Port Canaveral with alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.
View all the new 2024-2025 year-long and summer Caribbean itineraries:
Royal Caribbean has not announced when the rest of the 2024-2025 cruises will be released.
Historically, Royal Caribbean typically releases its new itineraries in two batches: first around November/December, and then again in the spring around March/April.
Suffice to say, it is not likely to get anymore deployments before the end of the year. When Royal Caribbean does release a new deployment schedule, we will share that here on this site.
Booking a cruise more than two years in advance might seem crazy, but the reality is it's one of the best times to book a cruise.
There are two compelling reasons to book a cruise super early, especially when new itineraries are released.
First, certain stateroom categories that usually in high-demand will be readily available when new cruises are released. Suites are especially limited, and typically are the kind of cabin that get booked up quickly.
Second, some of the best rates can be found when booking well in advance.
Since cruise fares are based on supply and demand, prices tend to be lowest when new itineraries are released because inventory is at its greatest.
Combine the lower prices with bargain hunters looking for suites, and you'll find a lot of veteran cruise fans booking up highly sought after cabins on popular sailings, such as holidays.
Planning on booking a 2024 cruise? These stories will help:
You can book a Royal Caribbean cruise for summer 2024 beginning today!
The new sailings are available to book via Royal Caribbean's website, offering a variety of ships and itineraries during the summer months when Royal Caribbean deploys its cruise ships to the region.
There are sailings between May and October 2024 to book across 6 different ships.
Here is a breakdown of where the ships will be sailing from:
Anthem of the Seas will sail from Southampton, UK and offer cruises of various lengths to destinations in Spain, Portugal, Norway and the Canary Islands.
Explorer of the Seas will sail from Barcelona & Venice to offer primarily Adriatic and Greek Isle cruises.
Jewel of the Seas will sail from Amsterdam and offer 11-, 12-, and 13-night cruises around the British Isles and Iceland. Jewel will also offer Arctic circle sailings, including a 17-night Iceland and Greenland cruise.
Oasis of the Seas will sail from Barcelona and Rome and offer Spain, France & Italy cruises in the Western Mediterranean.
Odyssey of the Seas will sail from Rome to offer Greek Isles and Holy Land cruises to Israel.
Serenade of the Seas will sail from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Barcelona as it participates in the World Cruise. Two segments of the 274-night world tour will include European stops.
The Ultimate Middle East and Med Cruise begins in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, visiting Greece, Turkey, Croatia and more along the way before reaching Rome. In store on the Ultimate Europe and Beyond cruise, starting in Barcelona, are culture-rich destinations like Spain, Ireland, France and more.
Voyager of the Seas will sail from Ravenna and Rome, Barcelona, and Athens, Greece on 7-night sailings to Greece, the Western Mediterranean, Egypt and Israel. (Cruises open Friday, Nov. 18)
View the full itineraries here:
This is the second 2024 deployment released so far, as Royal Caribbean released Alaska 2024 cruises last week.
Year-round and summer Caribbean cruises are scheduled to be released during the week of December 12, 2022, with the rest of the 2024 sailings to be released "soon". Historically, this means the rest will be released in the early spring, around March or April.
Thinking about booking a cruise a year and a half away may seem excessive, but it is one of the best ways to get the best price on a cruise.
Generally speaking, the lowest prices for cruises are available when new itineraries are released, such as these Europe 2024 sailings. Over time, prices will go up as more and more cabins are booked up.
If you are interested in a suite, the importance of booking early is even more apparent, as these cabins usually jump up in price quickly after release.
No matter what the price is today, you can always take advantage of a lower price later with the Best Price Guarantee program, which allows for repricing of cruises in case of a price drop up until final payment date. This is available to residents of the United States and Canada, as well as select other nations.
Besides cost savings, booking early also ensures you get the exact cabin you want. A lot of cruise fans gobble up the most desirable cabins when new sailings hit the market, such as suites, extra large balcony rooms and other unique staterooms.
From the sunny beaches of Spain to the historic ruins of Greece, there is something for everyone in the Mediterranean. But when is the best time to cruise the Mediterranean?
In general, the best months to cruise the Mediterranean are May, June, September, and October. The weather is warm but not too hot, and the seas are typically calm.
April and May are ideal months to cruise the Mediterranean. The weather is comfortable and the crowds are thin, making it the perfect time to explore everything the region has to offer.
Overall, these months offer the ideal combination of weather and conditions for a relaxing and enjoyable cruise.
Planning on booking a 2024 cruise? These stories will help:
Royal Caribbean will keep a cruise ship based on the west coast of the United States for another season.
Royal Caribbean returned to offering cruises from Los Angeles in 2021 after more than a decade away from the region.
Navigator of the Seas will remain homeported from Los Angeles from Spring 2023 through early 2024.
The plan is to have Navigator of the Seas offer primarily 3- and 4-night cruises from Los Angeles, with scattered 7-night cruises down the Mexican Riviera.
The new sailings are available to book immediately.
Just like the cruises in 2021-2022, Navigator of the Seas will depart from Los Angeles' World Cruise Center in San Pedro.
If you've never taken a cruise on the west coast, you'll find a side of Mexico that's very different from Cozumel.
Cruises to the Mexican Riviera are known for a wide variety of things to do, including scuba diving, kayaking, days at the beach, and amazing food.
Just over the border from the United States, Ensenada is known for fishing and shopping.
It's also famous for a natural geyser, known as La Bufadora, where you can go to see and hear this natural wonder.
If you like more of a party vibe, check out Hussong's Cantina. This is the oldest and best known cantina in Baja California, Mexico. It's famous for being reputedly the place where the Margarita was created.
You'll also find a number of wineries in the area that you can tour and sample the local wines.
Across the bay from Los Angeles is a popular day spot for tourists, where you'll find shopping and restaurants to enjoy.
If you're looking for fun in the ocean, scuba diving is great at Catalina because of the clear waters.
Another popular activity is to rent a golf cart and explore the island on your own. You can take the cart around to visit different spots, like Descanso Beach or the Catalina Casino.
You'll find a 10-mile long seaside promenade in Mazatlan, where you can sample some great Mexican cuisine.
There's also the "old town" area of Mazatlan known as Plaza Republica, which has a number of historic sites from the cities origins.
Mazatlan has plenty of lovely beaches in the area, which is perfect for surfing, scuba diving, or just relaxing in the ocean.
You will find some of the best food in Western Mexico in Puerto Vallarta, which is great for foodies. El Centro, which is the name of the downtown region, features churches with charming colonial detail.
The beaches are a major draw in Puerto Vallarta that offer all sorts of activities.
You'll take a tender into town where you can choose from golf, swimming, or zip-lining.
Whale watching is a hot activity in Cabo, as humpback whales migrate to the area from December through April.
Royal Caribbean has posted new cruises in 2023-2024 from Panama.
The newly released sailings offer 6- and 7-night Southern Caribbean cruises that begin in either Colon, Panama or Cartagena, Columbia. Sailing from these ports is a first for Royal Caribbean in almost a decade.
Rhapsody of the Seas will sail between December 2023 and April 2024.
Royal Caribbean believes these new itineraries combine the international cuisine, entertainment and nightlife on a single cruise that does not require a travel visa.
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley shared the exciting news on Facebook, "I am very excited to announce that starting in 2023, Panama is your newest jumping-off point for the captivating shores of the Southern Caribbean onboard Rhapsody of the Seas."
The new cruises are available to book immediately.
Not only are there cruises that visit many exotic destinations in the region, but this also offers 7-night Panama Canal crossings.
The 7-night Costa Rica & Panama Canal cruises starts off with a visit to Cartagena before traversing the Panama Canal and spending time in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Something else novel about this new deployment are cruises from Cartagena.
Located in Colombia, Cartagena is known for its romantic colonial architecture and Caribbean coast line.
There are still more cruises to be announced for the 2023-2024 cruise season.
Royal Caribbean's deployment schedule is as follows:
Keep in mind that the deployment schedule is subject to change.
Planning on booking a 2023 cruise? These stories will help:
Royal Caribbean has released its plans for cruises down under in 2023-2024.
Three cruise ships will sail from Australia: Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.
"It’s thrilling to welcome back two Quantum Class ships Down Under, demonstrating Royal Caribbean’s commitment to the region. Plus, because there’s always more room for adventure with Royal Caribbean, we’ve taken the opportunity to bring Enchantment of the Seas to Australia to offer unique sailings that visit new destinations we know our guests are excited to explore," said Gavin Smith, managing director of Australia and New Zealand, Royal Caribbean International.
"We look forward to even more guests, their loved ones and families creating memories while holidaying with us in several of the most spectacular places on earth."
Here's a look at each of the ships sailing from Australia:
Homeport: Brisbane
Following its first summer season in Brisbane in 2022, Quantum of the Seas returns to offer 3- to 13-night cruises.
Itineraries include visits to destinations in Queensland, such as Airlie Beach and Cairns, Queensland. Longer sailings visit places in the South Pacific, such as Port Vila, Vanuatu, and Noumea, New Caledonia.
Homeport: Sydney
Ovation of the Seas will sail from Australia for the fifth season and offer a series of 9- to 11-night cruises around New Zealand, including Milford Sound, Wellington and Bay of Islands.
There are also 3- to 9- night cruises around Australia that visit Hobart, Adelaide and Eden; as well as cruises to the South Pacific islands.
Homeport: Sydney
Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Australia for the first time, and she will visit some brand new destinations for any Royal Caribbean ship, such as Kangaroo Island and Gladstone, Australia.
Royal Caribbean has arranged a series of 8- to 11- night cruises to the South Pacific that visit Raiatea, French Polynesia; Isle of Pines, Mare; and Lifou, New Caledonia.
If you have the time, check out the 34-night circumnavigation cruise that visits all of Australia and New Zealand by booking a combination of two itineraries.
These new sailings are available to book immediately.
To sweeten the deal, Royal Caribbean is offering half-price deposits for sailings booked by Australians between March 23 and April 5.
Royal Caribbean has released new cruises you can book to destinations in the Caribbean for the 2023-2024 season.
The new batch of itineraries were published to Royal Caribbean's website overnight into Tuesday, and include ships such as Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean has methodically announced new deployments week after week, and this week's batch is categorized under the "Long Caribbean" itinerary.
A notable change in this deployment is Harmony of the Seas will move from Florida to Texas in November 2023.
Harmony of the Seas will move from Miami and begin sailing from Galveston, Texas on November 1, 2023 with a 4-night cruise before changing to 7-night cruises through April 2024.
Symphony of the Seas will shift to Port Everglades after returning from Europe in November 2023.
From Fort Lauderdale, Symphony will sail alternating 6- and 8-night cruises to the Caribbean.
Odyssey of the Seas will remain in Fort Lauderdale as well, sailing alternating 6- and 8-night cruises through April 2024.
Oasis of the Seas will move back to Miami after completing her summer cruises from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Oasis will start with a 4-night cruise on November 1, 2023 and then switch to 7-night alternating cruises from PortMiami through April 2024.
The biggest cruise ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas, will continue to offer 7-night cruises out of Port Canaveral through April 2024.
Brilliance of the Seas will begin offering 7-night cruises from Tampa. She returns to Tampa after her summer season and sail 7-night Western Caribbean cruises.
Voyager of the Seas will call Port Canaveral home and sail 6- and 8-night cruises around the Caribbean.
You may recall Icon of the Seas, the first ship in the Icon Class, is set to debut sometime in 2023 and she is conspicuously absent from the deployments.
Traditionally, Royal Caribbean releases sailings on a new ship in its own separate deployment. We've seen this with Wonder, Odyssey, and Symphony of the Seas when their initial sailings were put on sale.
Royal Caribbean has not said where Icon of the Seas will sail from yet, but we do know it will debut sometime in fall 2023.
More cruises will be announced over the course of the next few weeks.
Royal Caribbean's deployment schedule is as follows:
Keep in mind that the deployment schedule is subject to change.
Planning on booking a 2023 cruise? These stories will help:
There's new cruises you can book from cities in the northeast United States.
Royal Caribbean released for booking its northeast 2023-2024 deployments from cities such as Bayonne (New York City) and Baltimore.
Five cruise ships will offer cruises from New York and Baltimore to destinations around the Caribbean, Bahamas, Canada and beyond.
The array of new sailings include 4 to 11 night cruises to destinations in Bermuda, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and New England.
Four ships will offer cruises from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey between 2023-2024.
Liberty of the Seas will offer 4-, 5- and 9-night cruises to Canada, Bermuda and the Bahamas.
Anthem of the Seas will sail a 6-11 night cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas in the winter of 2023-2024, before sailing a transatlantic to Southampton in May 2023.
Oasis of the Seas will return to the New York City area in summer 2023 to offer cruises to Canada, the Bahamas, and Caribbean.
If you want something more exotic, Jewel of the Seas will sail from Cape Liberty in the fall of 2023 and offer 10- and 11-night open-jaw sailings between Cape Liberty and Quebec.
Something truly out there is Jewel's single voyage roundtrip from Cape Liberty to Greenland. It's a 14-night cruise that visits Nuluk and Qaqortoq in Greenland, before stopping in Newfoundland, Canada on its way back.
Vision of the Seas will replace Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore in 2023.
Guests can book a variety of cruises from Baltimore on Vision of the Seas, including cruises that visit Bermuda, Perfect Day at CocoCay, southeastern United States, and the Southern Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean has more 2023-2024 cruises to announce in the coming weeks.
The current deployment schedule is as follows:
Keep in mind that the deployment schedule is subject to change.
Planning on booking a 2023 cruise? These stories will help:
