With dozens of new cruise ships on the horizon for 2026, there is no shortage of opportunities to start selling cruises to clients right now.

Here, we preview the year’s upcoming newbuilds — along with a few significant renovations — from larger ocean ships to expedition vessels and small ships.

Also check out our list of the year’s new river ships here.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Dec. 22, 2025.

Ocean Ships

Disney Cruise Line

Originally scheduled to emerge this month, Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Adventure will now debut in March 2026 as a year-round offering from Singapore. While it will cater predominantly to the local source market, international guests will also be welcome to enjoy its unique three- and four-day “cruises to nowhere.” The ship’s vast array of family-friendly attractions will feature themes related to Pixar, Marvel (including Disney’s first-ever Iron Man roller coaster at sea) and more.

Explora Journeys

Explora Journeys is growing its luxury fleet from two to three ships, with Explora III coming online next summer. The line’s first liquefied natural gas-powered vessel will carry most of the previous design forward. However, as the cabin count increases from 461 to 463, categories will be shuffled, making 24% of the inventory upper-tier Ocean Penthouses and 9% elevated Ocean Residences, plus one additional Owner’s Residence. Fitness, spa and gym facilities will be a unified space, while youth facilities will be reconfigured into separate, age-specific spaces.

RELATED: Review: Explora I From Explora Journeys

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises will continue the trend of expanding on existing designs when its new MSC World Asia sets sail in December 2026 as the line’s third World-Class vessel, following MSC World Europa and MSC World America. Their names may reflect international regions, but the vessels are not rigidly based in those locales; for example, World Asia is set to deploy first in the Mediterranean. Compared to its sister ships, it will tout an MSC Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship complex with the largest selection of available suites, including the new 570-square-foot Royal Duplex Suite category.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is doubling up on its Prima Plus Class. When it launches in April 2026, Norwegian Luna will be a 10% bigger version of the preceding Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. It will feature the line’s exclusive Aqua Slidecoaster, a hybrid waterslide-roller coaster. New to The Haven signature ship-within-a-ship enclave will be Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites. Additionally, “Rocket Man: A Celebration of Elton John” will be one of two ship-specific headlining shows.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Introducing the world to its new Prestige Class, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ namesake Seven Seas Prestige is set to come online in December 2026. Marking the luxury line’s first new ship series in 10 years, the vessel will be sized at 77,000 tons to accommodate 850 guests, which promises one of the highest passenger-to-space ratios in the industry. The fully inclusive experience will extend to seven specialty restaurants and 11 dining experiences, including the new Azure for mixed Mediterranean flavors. The ship will also be outfitted with new suite categories, such as dual-level loft varieties.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean’s Icon-Class Legend of the Seas repurposes a historic ship name for the company, but Legend — set to debut July 2026 — will be entirely new, building upon its Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas sister ships. A new onboard offering will be the Icon Class’ first Royal Railway dinner show experience, featuring a simulated train journey themed to “Silk Routes.” The returning Supper Club, meanwhile, will be freshly themed to the golden age of Hollywood. Additionally, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” will be the ship’s main off-Broadway production show.

Viking 

Viking will launch a total of 10 new vessels by the end of 2026, including two more seagoing ships: Viking Mira in spring 2026 and Viking Libra later in the year. Mira’s maiden season will be in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, while Libra will hold the distinction of being the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, employing fuel-cell technology. Like Viking Vesta and Viking Vela before them, the new ships will be slightly larger, 998-guest versions of the line’s earlier 930-passenger ocean vessels.

Expedition, Small Ships and Yachts

Antarctica21

Other lines may be easing up on building new expedition cruise ships, but Antarctica21 — regarded for its air cruises that skip the Drake Passage — has a newbuild emerging in November 2026. Considered by the company to be the first hybrid-electric polar cruise ship ever constructed in the Americas, Magellan Discoverer will be a sister ship to the 2019-launched Magellan Explorer, with PC6 ice-class certification and accommodations for 76 guests for air cruises and 96 for sea voyages.

RELATED: Have You Heard of These 3 Under-the-Radar Antarctica Cruise Lines?

American Cruise Lines

Adding to its Patriot Class of small ships, American Cruise Lines will launch two more: American Maverick and American Ranger, in June and September, respectively. To start, both will take a max of 130 guests to the New England region and as far south as the Florida Gulf Coast, thanks to the ships’ deeper drafts. Amenities onboard will extend to all-balcony accommodations and multiple dining venues and lounges.

Emerald Cruises & Tours

Emerald Cruises & Tours successfully expanded its fleet of riverboats to encompass mega-yachts with the launch of Emerald Azzura and Emerald Sakara in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In April 2026, its third yacht, Emerald Kaia, will take to the seas.

Accommodating up to 128 guests, Kaia will be slightly larger than the 100-guest Azzura and Sakara, but still quite intimate. Staterooms and suites will measure between 340 and 1,407 square feet — 88% of which will offer verandas — accommodating visitors to the Mediterranean during its maiden season.

Four Seasons Yachts

Soon putting the “sea” in Four Seasons is the luxury hotelier’s all-new Four Seasons Yachts brand. Following an initial delay, Four Seasons I will debut in March, mixing things up with distinct pricing per suite instead of per person, as well as a la carte costs for most dining and beverages — positioning it closer to the company’s shoreside experience than to other all-inclusive cruise lines. Discerning clients can look forward to famed captain Kate McCue, formerly of Celebrity Cruises, being master of the yacht and overseeing 11 restaurants and bars, a dual transverse marina, an expansive pool deck and more.

Orient Express Sailing Yachts

Joining the cruise industry for the first time, Orient Express is expanding its portfolio of trains and hotels with Orient Express Sailing Yachts. Scheduled to be unveiled in summer 2026, the brand’s initial Orient Express Corinthian will have its maiden season in the Mediterranean, followed by the Caribbean. The all-inclusive vessel promises to be the world’s largest sailing yacht and will feature La Table de L’Orient-Express by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alleno among its five restaurants and eight bars, plus two pools, a marina and other luxurious venues.

Selar

As a new expedition cruise line, Selar is mostly unknown, but its upcoming Captain Arctic ship is set to make waves in November 2026 as a special 36-passenger wind- and solar-powered sailing vessel, targeting the destinations of Svalbard, broader Norway and Greenland. The low-impact line is primarily French but is planning several English-speaking sailings, which will abide by a “no set itineraries” mantra.

Windstar Cruises

In 2026, Windstar Cruises — the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation — will add to its fleet of small ships when it christens Star Seeker in January. As part of the brand’s new Star Class, it will actually measure smaller than the line’s other Star Plus ships (which carry 312 guests) at only 224 passengers. But Star Seeker will offer many of the same signature features, such as a watersports platform and World Spa, as well as several included fine-dining options, such as Amphora Restaurant and Star Grill.

Redesigned Ships

Aqua Expeditions

Now under the Ponant Explorations Group umbrella of brands, Aqua Expeditions is preparing for the arrival of Aqua Lares. While not a newbuild, the redesigned expedition ship will mark the line’s sixth vessel when it begins cruising East Africa and the Seychelles, the Aldabra Atoll, Zanzibar and Tanzania in February 2026. Accommodations will comprise 12 luxury suites and three twin cabins, in addition to a sun deck with a bar and lounge, a cinema, a boutique, a gym, a saloon, a spa and indoor and outdoor dining.

Mitsui Ocean Cruises

In September 2026, Mitsui Ocean Cruises’ new Mitsui Ocean Sakura will debut as a sister ship to Mitsui Ocean Fuji. Another former Seabourn vessel refurbished for the luxury line, Sakura will be the first Japanese-flagged cruise ship to welcome North American travelers. The design will be lightly updated from its former Seabourn features, still including main and specialty dining options, as well as spa facilities and other inviting bars and lounges.

Vidanta Voyages

Repurposing an existing ship converted for yacht-style cruising, VidantaWorld will apply its luxury hospitality to the sea with Vidanta Voyages’ Elegant in the Mediterranean in April 2026. The sizable vessel will cater to only 218 guests at a time for a particularly spacious experience onboard, complete with a nearly 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio. Further amenities will include 13 restaurants and lounges, live music and entertainment, plus a dedicated casino, a spa and a fitness center. The ship will frequent port calls in Greece, Italy and France year-round.

Windstar Cruises

Following its launch of newbuild Star Seeker earlier in the year, Windstar Cruises will debut its comparably configured Star Explorer in December 2026. The vessel was originally planned for Atlas Ocean Voyages, but has been transferred and redesigned to become a matching sister ship, featuring Windstar’s signature Watersports Platform and World Spa, in addition to James Beard-level cuisine at Amphora and the Star Bar & Grill. As the second in the Star Class, Explorer will cater to only 224 guests per sailing.