ROYAL Caribbean Group (RCG) is expanding its vacation portfolio with the official announcement of its new Discovery class, which will be built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard (CW 22 Jan). The agreements include two firm ship orders with options for four additional vessels, with the first ship in the...
ROYAL Caribbean Group (RCG) is expanding its vacation portfolio with the official announcement of its new Discovery class, which will be built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard (CW 22 Jan).
The agreements include two firm ship orders with options for four additional vessels, with the first ship in the class set to debut in 2029, and the second to be delivered in 2032.
No further details about the Discovery class and its ships were provided, although reporting has suggested the vessels will come in smaller than Royal Caribbean’s current generation of Icon-class builds (CW 22 Jan).
RCG chair and CEO Jason Liberty said: “The Discovery-class represents our continued commitment to shaping the future of vacations.”
“These ships will be a showcase of what’s possible when design meets purpose, ultimately bringing the world closer to our guests,” he added.
“Through our partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, we are leveraging France’s worldclass shipbuilding ecosystem and new technology to, once again, reimagine the industry for decades to come.”
Chantiers de l’Atlantique has built a total of 21 ships for RCG over the past four decades.
The shipyard is currently building two more vessels for RCG, including Royal Caribbean’s Oasis 7 and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Xcite.
“The Discovery class introduces a bold new concept that puts our guests at the centre of it all,” the cruise line’s president and CEO Michael Bayley said.
“It will deliver extraordinary, one-of-a-kind experiences – from cutting-edge design to immersive moments – every detail crafted to surprise and delight guests in ways they’ve never imagined, all while visiting truly breathtaking destinations around the world,” he added. MS
