Cruise Ships Set to Debut in 2026

Next year, travelers will have even more options for floating vacations, as a variety of cruise lines are preparing to launch new ships; from massive ocean liners to intimate riverboats, these are the new vessels scheduled to debut in 2026.

Cruise Ships to Debut in 2026: Abercrombie & Kent

Nile Seray

Abercrombie & Kent is making big moves with the 64-guest Nile Seray, which is scheduled to set sail on the Nile River in Egypt in October. The intimate, 32-cabin vessel marks the start of an expansion for the brand, which has already ordered another new ship for the Nile.

Amadeus River Cruises

Amadeus Aurea

Amadeus River Cruises will welcome the 158-guest Amadeus Aurea to its European river cruise fleet in May. The 443-foot-long ship will have 79 staterooms and will feature a variety of eco-friendly advancements.

AmaWaterways

AmaSofia

Once she debuts in March, the 152-guest AmaSofia will sail some of Europe’s most storied waterways. The 443-foot-long ship will have 76 staterooms.

AmaMaya

Slated to set sail in August, the 302-foot-long AmaMaya (formerly AmaKaia) will expand AmaWaterways’ small but growing presence in southeast Asia. Ferrying guests along the Mekong River, the ship will be able to accommodate up to 124 guests in 62 staterooms.

American Cruise Lines

American Maverick and American Ranger

Sister ships American Maverick and American Ranger will join the American Cruise Lines’ fleet of small coastal vessels next year—American Maverick in June, followed by American Ranger in September. Each 243-foot-long vessel can accommodate up to 130 guests in 56 staterooms.

American Encore

American Encore, a 269-foot riverboat, will also start sailing in 2026. Scheduled to depart in May, the vessel will be able to host up to 180 guests in 94 staterooms.

Antarctica21

Magellan Discoverer

Antarctica21’s hybrid-electric polar vessel, the 96-guest Magellan Discoverer, will launch during the 2026-27 Antarctica season.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Adventure

Disney Cruise Line’s newest vessel, the 208,000-gross-ton Disney Adventure, is scheduled to debut in March, with a capacity of 6,700 guests. The 1,122-foot ship will have 2,111 staterooms and will be based in Singapore.

Emerald Cruises & Tours 

Emerald Kaia

Slated to debut in April, the 393-foot-long Emerald Kaia yacht will be able to accommodate up to 128 guests in 64 staterooms. 

Emerald Astra

Emerald Cruises & Tours is also scheduled to welcome a new river ship next year: Emerald Astra, slated to debut in May. The 443-foot ship can accommodate up to 180 guests in 91 staterooms.

Explora Journeys

Explora III

Explora Journey will add another luxury ship to its roster with the debut of the 922-guest Explora III in August. With 463 suites, the 879-foot-long vessel is the first in the fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas.

Four Seasons Yachts

Four Seasons I

The very first Four Seasons Yachts vessel is slated to make its highly anticipated debut in March: Four Seasons I, which will be able to accommodate up to 190 guests in 95 luxury suites. The 34,000-gross-ton vessel will have internet-famous captain Kate McCue at the helm.

MSC Cruises

MSC World Asia

MSC World Asia is on track to launch in December, just in time for the holidays. The 215,863-gross-ton World Class ship will be able to accommodate up to 6,758 guests across 2,582 staterooms.

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

Connect

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions will begin its foray into European river cruising with the launch of Connect in April. The 442-foot-long ship, chartered from Transcend Cruises, has 60 staterooms for 120 guests. 

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Luna

In April, Norwegian Cruise Line will welcome the 3,571-guest Norwegian Luna, part of its new Prima Plus class. The 156,300-gross-ton, 1,056-foot-long vessel will have 1,760 staterooms.

Orient Express Sailing Yachts

Orient Express Corinthian

Famed train brand Orient Express is launching a new luxury yachting line with the debut of Orient Express Corinthian in June. The 721-foot ship will have 54 staterooms for 110 guests.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Seven Seas Prestige

In December, Regent Seven Seas Cruises will welcome Seven Seas Prestige, the first ship in the line’s new Prestige class. The 843-foot-long vessel will have a gross tonnage of approximately 77,000 and capacity for 822 guests in 434 stateroons.

Riviera Travel

Riviera Resplendence

Fresh off the debut of Riviera Radiance in 2025, Riviera Travel is back with yet another river ship as it continues to expand its presence in the North American market: Riviera Resplendence. Scheduled to set sail in July, the 443-foot vessel will have 89 staterooms for 178 guests. 

Royal Caribbean International

Legend of the Seas

The newest Icon Class ship is coming, with the 248,663-gross-ton Legend of the Seas scheduled to arrive in July. With room for 5,610 guests across 2,805 staterooms, Legend of the Seas will join sister ships Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas on the world’s oceans. 

Tauck

Tauck Lumiere

Buoyed by strong demand, Tauck is launching two new river ships next year. At 443 feet long, Tauck Lumiere is the slightly larger of the two, with 68 staterooms for 130 guests.

Tauck Serene

Tauck Serene, meanwhile, measures 410 feet long and will have 62 staterooms for 124 guests.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

S.S. Emilie

Scheduled to debut in the spring, the 154-guest S.S. Emilie will sail under the Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ flag. The 443-foot-long vessel will have 77 staterooms.

Viking

Viking Mira

After celebrating its 100-ship milestone in 2025, Viking is preparing to launch a slate of new ocean and river ships next year. The 54,300-gross-ton Viking Mira will kick things off for the brand’s ocean line, debuting in the spring with a capacity of 998 guests.

Viking Libra

In December, ocean sister ship Viking Libra will also make her debut. The 998-guest vessel will be powered by liquefied hydrogen.

Viking river cruise ships to debut in 2026: Viking Rota, Viking Dagur, Viking Sjofn, Viking Haki, Viking Halogi

Viking has five identical longships slated to debut on European rivers in 2026: Viking Rota, Viking Dagur, Viking Sjofn, Viking Haki and Viking Halogi. Each one can accommodate up to 190 guests across 95 staterooms and measure 443 feet long.  

Viking Fjolvar

The slightly smaller Viking Fjolvar was built to sail the Seine River in France, with space for up to 168 guests. It’s 410 feet long.

Viking Sekhmet and Viking Ptah

Viking will welcome two new sister ships on Egypt’s Nile River in 2026, Viking Sekhmet and Viking Ptah. Each 236-foot vessel will be able to accommodate up to 82 guests in 41 staterooms.

Windstar Cruises

Star Explorer

It’s been a busy few years for Windstar Cruises, which added Star Seeker to its fleet at the end of 2025. Following in her footsteps, the 431-foot Star Explorer will also debut in December, offering 112 staterooms for 224 guests at the end of 2026. 

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

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