While sailing aboard
a preview cruise on Royal
Caribbean’s newest vessel, Utopia
of the Seas, CEO Michael Bayley made a revealing announcement about the cruise
line’s future.
During a press
briefing Tuesday, Bayley said Royal Caribbean is developing an entirely new
class of ship called Discovery Class, hinting that it, “will be really exciting,
but we can't say anything about it.”
Afterward, at a Q&A
event for travel advisors, he expounded upon the revelation, saying that Discovery
Class may consist of smaller ships that would be able to access ports where
bridges prevent larger ships from visiting, like Baltimore and Tampa.
"It's not as
simple as making [the ship] broader and less high, but we constantly look at
the ability to get ships in these places. So, maybe Discovery class will have
the great solution for that," he said.
Los Angeles To Get
Another Ship
During the same
session, Royal Caribbean’s executive leadership team announced that it will be
bringing a second vessel to the Port of Los Angeles, come next spring. Vicki
Freed, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Service
revealed that it will be Ovation of the Seas that starts sailing three-, five-
and six-night cruises out of L.A. from May 28, 2025.
Currently homeported
in L.A. is the Voyager Class Navigator of the Seas, now 22 years old. The Quantum
Class Ovation of the Seas is less than a decade old, having entered the scene
in 2016.
Bayley told his
travel advisor audience that, if they can “sell the hell out of this ship, we’ll
send you an Icon”, referring to the line’s newest class of ship, which was unveiled
back in January with the launch of Icon of the Seas. "The more you sell,
the bigger the ships get out of Los Angeles," Freed affirmed.
During Icon of the
Seas’ preview cruise back in January Bayley also alluded to plans to homeport upcoming
Icon Class ships in Galveston. According to a Travel
Weekly report, the CEO let another hint drop during Tuesday’s Q&A
session, teasing that the line is looking to go “big” in Texas.
Royal Caribbean currently
has two new Icon Class ships in the works, with the first, Star
of the Seas, scheduled to launch in late summer 2025.
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