A glimpse at the 2021 cruise ship orderbook shows 30 cruise ships set to debut, plus 16 more ships that were delivered in 2020, most of which did not see revenue service and sit waiting.
The 30 ships expected in 2021 would mean a quickly rebounding cruise market plus the recovery of the global supply chain of vendors which has been slowed down by the pandemic, pushing shipyard delivery dates out into the future.
What We Know
- Despite the pandemic, 16 new ships debuted in 2020. Very few of these ships saw actual paying passengers onboard, and most now wait to start revenue service in 2021 when the time is right.
- A number of ships that were set to be delivered in mid 2020 or later have so far been delayed by an average of six months.
- Most cruise operators expecting ship deliveries in the second half of 2021 have yet to comment on delivery dates.
- Shipyards haven’t said much about expected delivery dates, but with quarantine requirements for specialist vendors and contractors, plus social distancing in the work environment, timelines are getting pushed back.
- Widespread vaccination will see timelines once again accelerate as shipyards can return to previous production schedules.
- See the current orderbook in PDF; for historical capacity projections see the Cruise Ship Orderbook Report.
2020 Ship Deliveries:
| Cruise Line | Ship | Cost1 | Tonnage | Capacity | Yard | Sailing | Delivery |
| Hurtigruten | Fridtjof Nansen | $220 | 20,000 | 530 | Kleven | World | Q1 |
| Regent | Splendor | $478 | 54,000 | 750 | Fincantieri | World | January |
| Virgin | Scarlet Lady | $710 | 110,000 | 2,770 | Fincantieri | Carib | February |
| Ponant | Le Bellot | $110 | 10,000 | 180 | VARD | World | March |
| Celebrity | Apex | $900 | 129,500 | 2,900 | Chantiers | Eur/Carib | April |
| Lindblad | NG Endurance | $135 | 12,000 | 126 | Ulstein | World | April |
| American | Jazz | $80 | 5,148 | 195 | Chesapeake | U.S. | April |
| Silversea | Silver Origin | $75 | 5,739 | 100 | De Hoop | Galapagos | June |
| Ponant | Le Jacques Cartier | $110 | 10,000 | 180 | VARD | World | July |
| Princess | Enchanted Princess | $760 | 141,000 | 3,660 | Fincantieri | Eur/Carib | September |
| Saga | S/Adventure | $350 | 58,250 | 1,000 | Meyer | Europe | September |
| P&O Cruises | Iona | $950 | 183,900 | 5,200 | Meyer | Europe | Q3 |
| Silversea | Silver Moon | $370 | 40,700 | 596 | Fincantieri | World | October |
| Mystic/Nicko | World Voyager | $80 | 9,300 | 200 | West Sea | World | Q3 |
| Costa Cruises | Firenze | $780 | 135,500 | 4,232 | Fincantieri | China | December |
| Carnival | Mardi Gras | $950 | 183,900 | 5,200 | Meyer Turku | Carib | December |
2021 Expected New Ship Debuts:
| Cruise Line | Ship | Cost1 | Tonnage | Capacity | Yard | Sailing | Delivery |
| SunStone2 | Ocean Explorer | $65 | 8,000 | 140 | CMIH | World | January |
| Viking Ocean | Viking Venus | $400 | 47,000 | 930 | Fincantieri | World | Q1 |
| Sea Cloud | Spirit | $100 | 6,000 | 136 | Metalships | World | Q1 |
| Coral Expeditions | Geographer | $75 | 5,500 | 120 | VARD | Australia | Q1 |
| Quark | Ultramarine | $150 | 13,000 | 200 | Brodosplit | World | Q1 |
| SunStone3 | Ocean Victory | $65 | 8,000 | 186 | CMIH | World | March |
| Tradewind Voyages | Golden Horizon | $100 | 8,770 | 300 | Brodosplit | World | March |
| American | Melody | $80 | 5,148 | 195 | Chesapeake | U.S. | Spring |
| Royal Caribbean | Odyssey | $950 | 167,000 | 4,200 | Meyer | Carib | April |
| Crystal | Endeavor | $390 | 19,800 | 200 | MV Werften | World | April |
| Ponant | Commandant Charcot | $324 | 30,000 | 270 | VARD | World | May |
| Ritz-Carlton | Evrima | $225 | 25,000 | 298 | Barreras | World | Spring |
| Holland America | Rotterdam | $520 | 99,000 | 2,660 | Fincantieri | Eur/Carib | June |
| Hapag-Lloyd | H/Spirit | $155 | 16,100 | 230 | VARD | World | Q2 |
| Mystic/Atlas | World Navigator | $80 | 9,300 | 200 | West Sea | World | Q2 |
| Virgin | Valiant Lady | $710 | 110,000 | 2,770 | Fincantieri | Eur/Carib | Q2 |
| Emerald | Azzurra | $100 | 10,000 | 100 | Halong | World | Q2 |
| MSC Cruises | Virtuosa | $900 | 177,100 | 4,888 | Chantiers | Europe | Q2 |
| American | Unnamed | $80 | 5,148 | 195 | Chesapeake | U.S. | Summer |
| MSC Cruises | Seashore | $1,100 | 169,380 | 4,560 | Fincantieri | Europe | Summer |
| SunStone4 | Sylvia Earle | $65 | 8,000 | 130 | CMIH | World | September |
| Oceanwide | Janssonius | $85 | 6,300 | 174 | Brodosplit | World | October |
| Princess | Discovery Princess | $760 | 141,000 | 3,660 | Fincantieri | Eur/Carib | October |
| Lindblad | NG Resolution | $150 | 12,000 | 126 | Ulstein | World | Q3 |
| Seabourn | Venture | $225 | 23,000 | 264 | Mariotti | World | Q3 |
| AIDA Cruises | AIDAcosma | $950 | 183,900 | 5,400 | Meyer | Europe | Q3 |
| Swan Hellenic | Minerva | $150 | 10,000 | 152 | Helsinki | World | November |
| Silversea | Silver Dawn | $380 | 40,700 | 596 | Fincantieri | World | Q4 |
| Viking Ocean | Viking Octantis | $275 | 30,000 | 378 | VARD | World | Q4 |
| Costa Cruises | Toscana | $950 | 183,900 | 5,224 | Meyer Turku | South Am | Q4 |
1. In Millions
2. On charter to Vantage Travel.
3. On charter to Victory Cruise Lines and Albatros Expeditions.
4. On charter to Aurora Expeditions.
