Royal Caribbean International is opening a slew of bookings on its 2025-26 Caribbean cruise roster, offering vacationers six embarkation ports and multiple ships to choose from including what will be the biggest cruise ship at sea, Icon of the Seas. The new itineraries opened for sale to loyalty club members on November 15, 2023, and will open to the general public on November 16.
Icon of the Seas to Remain at PortMiami
Royal Caribbean is courting cruisers with a wide range of 6- and 8-night winter and summer season cruises that call at ports across the Eastern and Western Caribbean and the Bahamas in 2025 and 2026. Embarkation options include ports in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico.
Among the showstoppers is the line’s new Icon of the Seas, which will enter service in January 2024 as the largest cruise ship afloat and the first of the line’s revolutionary Icon class. The 7,600-guest ship will be based at PortMiami during her inaugural year and will remain home-ported there for her 2025-26 season as well.
The ship will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages calling at ports such as Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Labadee, Haiti; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. All sailings visit also the line’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Increased Capacity From Miami and Fort Lauderdale
Cruisers also can sail aboard the 4,400-guest Independence of the Seas from Miami, on 7-night cruises calling at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Cayman Islands; and other ports. The Freedom-class ship also calls at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The 5,600-guest Oasis of the Seas, the first of the line’s game-changing Oasis class that debuted in 2009, will be based at Fort Lauderdale and offer 6- and 8-night cruises alternating between Southern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Perfect Day at CocoCay also is a port call on most sailings.
The Oasis class introduced Royal Caribbean’s popular neighborhood concept when it unveiled Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, and Entertainment Place, among other themed shipboard destinations. There are five Oasis-class ships operating, and a sixth, Utopia of the Seas, under construction and due to launch in July 2024.
Voyager-Class Ship to Homeport at Port Canaveral
Elsewhere in Florida, the Voyager-class Adventure of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral on 6- and 8-night cruises to the Southern, Eastern, and Western Caribbean. Destinations feature ports in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, plus Perfect Day at CocoCay. The ship carries 3,800 guests.
Port Canaveral, the world’s busiest port in terms of cruise arrivals, will post another record-breaking year in 2023. Port officials revealed the facility welcomed a record 6.8 million cruise guests for the financial year, an eye-popping increase of more than 2 million arrivals versus 2022.
Two Ships Offers Winter Sailings From Tampa
Royal Caribbean will homeport two ships at Tampa in 2025 and 2026. Rhapsody of the Seas, accommodating 2,000 guests, will sail a winter schedule from Tampa, featuring 6 to 8-night cruises to Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, George Town, Grand Cayman; and Roatan, Honduras.
The Vision-class ship’s summer deployment brings her to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she will sail 7-night Southern Caribbean cruises to destinations like Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; and Roseau, Dominica.
The 2,446-guest Grandeur of the Seas, a Vision-class vessel, will homeport in Tampa, too, sailing 7-night cruises to the Western Caribbean and Bahamas. Port calls are planned to Belize, Mexico, Honduras, and of course, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Oasis-Class Ship to Deploy to Galveston
The popular drive-to port on the Texas Gulf Coast, Galveston, will welcome the 5,500-guest Harmony of the Seas. The Oasis-class ship will sail 6- to 8-night voyages to the Western Caribbean and the Bahamas, calling at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Nassau.
Galveston continues to grow and attract more cruise ships and Royal Caribbean is poised to make the most of the port’s increased popularity. In November 2022, the cruise line opened a new dedicated cruise terminal at Port of Galveston, far ahead of similar plans by other cruise lines as the port expands.
