2026 is shaping up to be the cruise industry’s biggest expansion year on record, with 13 new oceangoing ships entering service and global passenger capacity growing by roughly 9%. Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas debuted in July as the world’s largest cruise ship, powered by liquefied natural gas — a step toward cleaner large-scale cruising.
The bigger milestone comes in December, when Viking’s Viking Libra sets sail as the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship — a genuine first for an industry that has faced sustained criticism over its environmental footprint. Luxury operators aren’t sitting out either: Regent Seven Seas Cruises debuts its new Prestige class with Seven Seas Prestige, also in December.
Source: Seatrade Cruise News — https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/shipbuilding-equipment/2026-s-15-new-oceangoing-cruise-ships
