Those of us who write about cruising sometimes take for granted that those of you who read about cruising are as familiar with cruise lines and cruise ships as we try to be. We assume that you know how many ships Carnival has, which new ship will be next for Royal Caribbean, and what the biggest ship is in the Norwegian fleet.
So we thought it might be interesting to give you a little clarity…and brush up on it ourselves!
What follows is a list of the mainstream lines, accompanied by a little comparative information, as a snapshot. They are listed alphabetically. Call it a cruise scorecard…
Ships in fleet — 23
Biggest ship — Magic (3,720)
Oldest ship — Fantasy (1990)
Newest ship — Breeze (2012)*
Next new ship — Vista (2016)
* Sunshine (2013) rebuilt from Destiny
Ships in fleet — 11
Biggest ship — Reflection (3,046
Oldest ship — Century (1995)*
Newest ship — Reflection (2012
Next new ship — None announced
** Leaving fleet next year
Ships in fleet — 15***
Biggest ship — Nieuw Amsterdam (2,106)
Oldest ship — Prinsendam (1988)
Newest ship — Nieuw Amsterdam (2010)
Next new ship — Koningsdam (2016)
*** Two ships leaving next year
Ships in fleet — 13
Biggest ship — Breakaway (4,500)
Oldest ship — Spirit (2000)
Newest ship — Getaway (2014)
Next new ship — Escape (2015)
Ships in fleet — 18
Biggest ship — Royal Princess (3,600)
Oldest ship — Sun Princess (1995)
Newest ship — Regal Princess (2014)
Next new ship — No name yet (2017)
Ships in fleet — 22
Biggest ships — Oasis/Allure of the Seas (6,360)
Oldest ship — Monarch of the Seas (1991)
Newest ship — Allure of the Seas (2010)
Next new ship — Quantum of the Seas (November)
Those are the “Big Six” of major cruise lines, because they the most passengers.
Another day, the upscale and specialty lines.
-Norwegian Breakaway photo by Dick Elbers
Today at portsandbows.com: The latest in cruise news
Celebrity Solstice
17 nights
October 5, 2014
Honolulu, Lahaina, Papeete, Bora Bora, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Sydney
Inside: $1,199
Cost per day: $70
www.celebritycruises.com