Are you booking a Royal Caribbean cruise and want to know how old the ship actually is before you commit? You’re in the right place: this is my full, updated list of Royal Caribbean ships by age, ranked newest to oldest.
I’ve taken more than 50 cruises, and the age of a ship changes what I expect from a sailing almost as much as the itinerary does. This guide ranks every Royal Caribbean ship currently sailing from newest to oldest, with the class, guest capacity, and crew size for all 30 ships in the fleet, plus what’s still under construction.
This guide is built for anyone weighing a newer megaship against a smaller, older classic, whether you want the water parks and suspended bars on the newest Icon-class ships or the quieter pace of a Vision-class ship a fraction of the size. I keep this list of Royal Caribbean ships by age updated every time a new one launches, so if there’s something you’d like to see added, don’t hesitate to reach out via Twitter or shoot me an email.
How Many Ships Does Royal Caribbean Have?
As of September 2026, Royal Caribbean has 30 ships in active service, more than any other cruise line. The newest is Legend of the Seas, the third Icon-class ship, delivered in June 2026 and sailing its inaugural season out of the Mediterranean that July. One more ship is already confirmed: Hero of the Seas, a fourth Icon-class vessel due in 2027.
Royal Caribbean Ships Newest to Oldest
Below is Royal Caribbean’s full lineup, ranked from newest to oldest, including the next ship on order.
Royal Caribbean Ships By Age, New To Old
- Legend of the Seas, 2026
- Star of the Seas, 2025
- Utopia of the Seas, 2024
- Icon of the Seas, 2024
- Wonder of the Seas, 2022
- Odyssey of the Seas, 2021
- Spectrum of the Seas, 2019
- Symphony of the Seas, 2018
- Harmony of the Seas, 2016
- Ovation of the Seas, 2016
- Anthem of the Seas, 2015
- Quantum of the Seas, 2014
- Allure of the Seas, 2010
- Oasis of the Seas, 2009
- Independence of the Seas, 2008
- Liberty of the Seas, 2007
- Freedom of the Seas, 2006
- Jewel of the Seas, 2004
- Mariner of the Seas, 2003
- Serenade of the Seas, 2003
- Navigator of the Seas, 2002
- Brilliance of the Seas, 2002
- Adventure of the Seas, 2001
- Radiance of the Seas, 2001
- Explorer of the Seas, 2000
- Voyager of the Seas, 1999
- Vision of the Seas, 1998
- Enchantment of the Seas, 1997
- Rhapsody of the Seas, 1997
- Grandeur of the Seas, 1996
- Hero of the Seas, due 2027
Royal Caribbean Ships By Age, Class, And Guests
| Ship | Class | Year | Guests (Double Occupancy) | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legend of the Seas | Icon Class | 2026 | 5,610 | 2,350 |
| Star of the Seas | Icon Class | 2025 | 5,610 | 2,350 |
| Utopia of the Seas | Oasis Class | 2024 | 5,668 | 2,290 |
| Icon of the Seas | Icon Class | 2024 | 5,610 | 2,350 |
| Wonder of the Seas | Oasis Class | 2022 | 5,734 | 2,300 |
| Odyssey of the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 2021 | 4,198 | 1,633 |
| Spectrum of the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 2019 | 4,246 | 1,551 |
| Symphony of the Seas | Oasis Class | 2018 | 5,518 | 2,200 |
| Harmony of the Seas | Oasis Class | 2016 | 5,479 | 2,210 |
| Ovation of the Seas | Quantum Class | 2016 | 4,182 | 1,500 |
| Anthem of the Seas | Quantum Class | 2015 | 4,180 | 1,500 |
| Quantum of the Seas | Quantum Class | 2014 | 4,180 | 1,500 |
| Allure of the Seas | Oasis Class | 2010 | 5,484 | 2,210 |
| Oasis of the Seas | Oasis Class | 2009 | 5,602 | 2,190 |
| Independence of the Seas | Freedom Class | 2008 | 3,858 | 1,440 |
| Liberty of the Seas | Freedom Class | 2007 | 3,798 | 1,360 |
| Freedom of the Seas | Freedom Class | 2006 | 3,926 | 1,365 |
| Jewel of the Seas | Radiance Class | 2004 | 2,191 | 852 |
| Mariner of the Seas | Voyager Class | 2003 | 3,344 | 1,200 |
| Serenade of the Seas | Radiance Class | 2003 | 2,143 | 832 |
| Navigator of the Seas | Voyager Class | 2002 | 3,368 | 1,230 |
| Brilliance of the Seas | Radiance Class | 2002 | 2,142 | 848 |
| Adventure of the Seas | Voyager Class | 2001 | 3,114 | 1,185 |
| Radiance of the Seas | Radiance Class | 2001 | 2,143 | 894 |
| Explorer of the Seas | Voyager Class | 2000 | 3,286 | 1,185 |
| Voyager of the Seas | Voyager Class | 1999 | 3,602 | 1,200 |
| Vision of the Seas | Vision Class | 1998 | 2,050 | 742 |
| Enchantment of the Seas | Vision Class | 1997 | 2,252 | 852 |
| Rhapsody of the Seas | Vision Class | 1997 | 2,040 | 765 |
| Grandeur of the Seas | Vision Class | 1996 | 1,992 | 760 |
| Hero of the Seas | Icon Class | Due 2027 |
Legend of the Seas holds 5,610 guests at double occupancy, the same base capacity as sister ships Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas. Compare that to Grandeur of the Seas, the oldest ship still sailing at under 2,000 guests, and Royal Caribbean’s newest vessel carries almost three times as many people on roughly three times the tonnage of a ship built three decades earlier.
Who Are The Godparents Of All Of The Royal Caribbean Ships?
Becoming a cruise ship’s godparent is a big honor, and Royal Caribbean usually announces the pick months before a new ship sails. Below is a list of all current godparents of Royal Caribbean ships, with the exception of Legend of the Seas, whose godparent hasn’t been publicly named as of this writing.
| Ship | Date Christened | Godmother/Godfather |
|---|---|---|
| Star of the Seas | August 20, 2025 | Astronaut Kellie Gerardi, who stepped in as godmother after original pick Diana Ross withdrew hours before the ceremony. |
| Utopia of the Seas | July 2024 | Singer Meghan Trainor |
| Icon of the Seas | January 2024 | Soccer star Lionel Messi |
| Wonder of the Seas | March 4, 2022 | Marie McCrea, a cancer survivor and mother of three |
| Odyssey of the Seas | November 13, 2021 | Erin Brown, a paratriathlete |
| Spectrum of the Seas | October 24, 2019 | Model Angelbaby and Xiaoming Huang |
| Symphony of the Seas | April 7, 2018 | Carlos and Alexa PenaVega and their 17-month-old son, Ocean. |
| Harmony of the Seas | May 29, 2016 | Hero in Education, Brittany Affolter |
| Ovation of the Seas | April 14, 2016 | Fan Bingbing |
| Anthem of the Seas | April 20, 2015 | Travel Agent Emma Wilby |
| Quantum of the Seas | October 29, 2014 | Actress Kristin Chenoweth |
| Allure of the Seas | November 10, 2010 | Princess Fiona, from the Shrek films |
| Oasis of the Seas | November 30, 2009 | Shawn Johnson, Daisy Fuentes, Jane Seymour, Michelle Kwan, Gloria Estefan, Darra Torres and Keisha Knight Pulliam. |
| Independence of the Seas | April 20, 2008 | Elizabeth Hill, was chosen for her outstanding contribution to her local community. |
| Liberty of the Seas | May 28, 2007 | Donnalea Madeley, a Toronto-based travel agent. |
| Freedom of the Seas | April 15, 2006 | Foster Mother Katherine Louise Calder. |
| Jewel of the Seas | June 29, 2004 | Kathy Mellor, 2004 National Teacher of The year |
| Mariner of the Seas | November 17, 2003 | American paralympic athlete Jean Driscoll. |
| Serenade of the Seas | May 20, 2003 | Whoopi Goldberg |
| Navigator of the Seas | May 27, 2002 | Stefanie Graf |
| Brilliance of the Seas | April 29, 2002 | Marilyn Ofer |
| Adventure of the Seas | November 2, 2001 | Tara Stackpole and Kevin Hannafin of the New York Fire Department along with Margaret McDonnell and Richard Lucas of the New York Police Department. |
| Radiance of the Seas | October 14, 2001 | Margot L. Pritzker |
| Explorer of the Seas | November 20, 2000 | American athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
| Voyager of the Seas | November 15, 1999 | Former Figure Skater Katrina Witt |
| Vision of the Seas | April 24, 1998 | Helen Morin Stephan, Wife Of Previous Owner Of RCC Edwin Stephan. |
| Enchantment of the Seas | July 2, 1997 | Colleen Fain, the wife of Royal Caribbean Ltd Chairman Richard Fain. |
| Rhapsody of the Seas | April 1, 1997 | Bodil Wilhelmsen, the wife of Gjert Wilhelmsen (Previous principal stockholder in RCCL) |
| Grandeur of the Seas | October 26, 1996 | Aviva Ofer, wife of Sammy Ofer and mother of Eyal Ofer, a member of Royal Caribbean’s Board of Directors. |
That’s the complete rundown of Royal Caribbean ships by age, and I’ll update it as soon as Royal Caribbean names a godmother for Legend of the Seas and reveals more about Hero of the Seas, the fourth Icon-class ship due in 2027. If you’re torn between a brand-new megaship and one of the line’s older, smaller vessels, the itinerary usually matters more than the launch date, but now you’ve got the numbers either way.
Questions People Ask About Royal Caribbean’s Fleet
What is Royal Caribbean’s newest ship?
Legend of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s newest ship. It’s the third Icon-class vessel, delivered in June 2026 and sailing its inaugural season out of the Mediterranean that July. It carries 5,610 guests at double occupancy, the same base capacity as sister ships Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.
How many ships does Royal Caribbean have?
Royal Caribbean has 30 ships in active service as of September 2026. That number grows to 31 once Hero of the Seas, a fourth Icon-class ship, joins the fleet in 2027, with additional Icon, Oasis, and new Discovery-class ships on order through 2032.
What is Royal Caribbean’s oldest ship still sailing?
Grandeur of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s oldest active ship, launched in 1996. It’s a Vision-class vessel that holds fewer than 2,000 guests at double occupancy, a fraction of the size of the Icon-class ships that debuted three decades later.
Which Royal Caribbean ship is the largest?
Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, and Legend of the Seas are tied as Royal Caribbean’s largest ships at 248,663 gross tons each. All three are Icon-class vessels and carry 5,610 guests at double occupancy, or up to 7,600 when every berth is filled.
When is Royal Caribbean’s next new ship arriving?
Hero of the Seas, a fourth Icon-class ship, is scheduled to debut in 2027. Beyond that, Royal Caribbean has additional Icon, Oasis, and new Discovery-class ships on order through 2032, though names and exact dates for most of those haven’t been announced yet.
Other Cruise Line Ships by Age:
