Set to be built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard and ordered in January 2026, Royal Caribbean's Discovery Class ships will carry up to 4,300 passengers at double occupancy, according to the company's SEC filings. The filings also confirmed delivery dates, with the first ship expected to enter service in late 2029 and the second in the second quarter of 2032.
Royal Caribbean has been planning the Discovery Class as a replacement for its smaller, aging ships, though the exact size had previously been a mystery. The ships are expected to replace older vessels such as Vision of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, and their reduced size means they will be able to reach ports that larger vessels such as Icon of the Seas cannot, reportedly including ports accessible through the Panama Canal.
The agreements with Chantiers de l'Atlantique include two firm ship orders with options for four additional ships. Royal Caribbean president and CEO Michael Bayley has described the new class as a "game changer," comparing its potential impact to the Icon series, which he said "changed the game" when it launched. The company has described Discovery Class as a new platform, suggesting it will not simply be a scaled-down version of existing ships.