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New cruise ships launching in 2026
Which new vessels should you be keeping an eye on in 2026?
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Almost 30 new ocean and river ships are set to launch in 2026, offering resort-style fun, stylish looks and luxurious living, alongside everything from waterslides, posh suite-only residences with butlers and more places to eat and drink than guests could hope to get to on one sailing.
Prices are per person, based on two sharing, and exclude flights unless otherwise stated. Contact cruise lines for details of other inclusions.
March
Four Seasons Yachts: Four Seasons I
The luxury brand’s debut yacht (pictured main) sets sail in the Mediterranean in March, promising personal service and Michelin-style cuisine. It holds 190 passengers and has all-balcony, all‑suite accommodation, three restaurants, five bars, a spa and pool.
Book it: From $20,200 per suite for five nights round-trip from Monaco.
fourseasonsyachts.com
Disney Cruise Line: Disney Adventure
This is Disney’s biggest-ever ship, with room for 6,700 passengers. It will also be the line’s first Asia-based vessel, offering three and four-night cruises without port calls.
Book it: From £1,443 for a three-night round-trip sailing from Singapore.
disneycruiseline.com
Uniworld River Cruises: Emilie
Expect art nouveau and gold accents on Emilie, named after Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s muse, Emilie Flöge. It’ll be cruising the Danube and has Grand Suites that connect to French balcony cabins to create two-bed suites.
Book it: From £2,759 including flights for an eight-day Danube cruise from Belgrade to Vienna.
uniworld.com/uk
AmaWaterways: AmaSofia
A Chef’s Table and heated pool with swim-up bar feature on AmaSofia, which will sail the Rhine and Danube. There’s all-day tapas in the lounge, cabins and suites with split balconies and indoor and outdoor seating.
Book it: From £3,068 including flights for a one-week Danube cruise from Budapest to Vilshofen.
amawaterways.co.uk
Tauck: Lumière
Spacious suites with two French balconies and a wellness retreat where guests can work out, enjoy a massage or just chill are among the highlights on board Lumière, which will be sailing the Rhône in France and holds just 130 passengers.
Book it: From £5,490 for a 10-day Paris, Lyon & Provence cruise.
tauck.co.uk
April
Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian Luna
A slidecoaster (think rollercoaster-meets-water flume) and The Drop, a 10-storey freefall slide, are among the thrills coming on Luna. Prefer to chill? That’s easy given all the places to eat and drink, with no dress codes or formal nights to consider.
Book it: From £750 for a seven-day Caribbean cruise sailing round-trip from Miami.
ncl.com
Emerald Cruises: Emerald Kaia
A superyacht holding only 128 passengers, Emerald Kaia offers stylish suites, private cabanas and an aft marina with paddleboards, water scooters and other fun water toys. It will be sailing the Mediterranean from April.
Book it: From £4,735 with flights for an eight-day Adriatic cruise round-trip from Venice.
emeraldcruises.co.uk
Tauck: Serene
Tauck’s second river ship for 2026 (see March) holds 124 passengers and is sailing the Seine.
Book it: From £5,690 for an 11-day Bordeaux, Paris & The Seine cruise.
tauck.co.uk
The Viking Mira, launching in June. Image credit: Anthony Weller/Archimage
May
Emerald Cruises: Emerald Astra
Astra, meaning ‘stars’ in Latin, holds 180 passengers, offers a choice of cabins and suites with floor-to-ceiling, drop‑down panorama windows and has an indoor swimming pool at the back that transforms into a cinema for screenings in the evenings.
Book it: From £1,849 including £500 flight credit per person for a seven-night Danube cruise from Regensburg to Budapest.
emeraldcruises.co.uk
Amadeus River Cruises: Amadeus Aurea
Fancy Viennese coffee and cake as you sail the Rhine and Danube?
Indulge in Cafe Vienna on Aurea. There’s a pool and Lido Bar on the sun deck, 12 suites with outside balconies and an intimate Amadeus Club lounge.
Book it: From £1,794 for an eight-day Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel.
amadeus-rivercruises.co.uk
American Cruise Lines: American Encore
Launching in May, Encore holds 180 passengers, has large picture windows, massive Grand and Signature suites and comes with drinks, tips and selected excursions included in the price.
Book it: From £5,735 for a nine-day Columbia & Snake Rivers cruise from Portland, Oregon, to Clarkston, Washington.
americancruiselines.com
Orient Express Corinthian
June
Orient Express Sailing Yachts: Orient Express Corinthian
Train operator Orient Express is going from rails to sails on what’s been described as the world’s largest sailing yacht. Corinthian, which debuts in the Mediterranean, holds 110 passengers and has 13 bars and restaurants. And, instead of canvas, it has rigid sails mounted on three masts.
Book it: From €37,800 per suite for a seven-night Adriatic cruise from Venice to Valletta.
orient-express.com
Viking: Viking Mira
Viking’s trademark Scandi-style decor, Manfredi’s Restaurant and Nordic Spa are back for another outing on new ocean ship Viking Mira, which will sail the Mediterranean and northern Europe from June.
Book it: From £3,590 for an eight-day Mediterranean cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona.
viking.com
American Cruise Lines: American Maverick
Designed for exploring the US coastline, Maverick holds 130 passengers, has all-balcony cabins and suites, as well as an alfresco Sky Lounge and Sky Walk. It’s cruising New England in summer.
Book it: From £5,556 for a nine-day New England cruise from Portland to Bangor.
americancruiselines.com
Travelmarvel Rigel
July
Royal Caribbean International: Legend of the Seas
Expect a foodie journey travelling along the ancient Silk Routes along with some ‘sweet’ surprises as Royal Caribbean’s third Icon Class mega ship sets sail with a Royal Railway restaurant and the Broadway musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory playing in the theatre.
Book it: From £1,507 for a seven-night Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Rome).
royalcaribbean.co.uk
Riviera Travel: Riviera Resplendence
The third river ship to bear the Riviera prefix, 178-passenger Resplendence will offer guests three restaurants, including the Riverview Kitchen and new eatery Mosaic, alongside a split‑level lounge and Grand Balcony suites with a separate lounge and outdoor seating.
Book it: From £2,399 including flights for an eight-day Rhine cruise from Cologne to Basel.
rivieratravel.co.uk
Travelmarvel: Travelmarvel Rigel
Named after the brightest star in the Orion constellation, Rigel will be sailing a new Rhine and Moselle cruise. The vessel accommodates 178 passengers, has four large Owner’s Suites, a top‑deck whirlpool and McGeary’s, an Irish bar that serves casual pub fare.
Book it: From £2,195 with flights for an eight-day Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel.
travelmarvel.co.uk
Explora III
August
Explora Journeys: Explora III
Explora’s third new-build ship makes its debut in northern Europe with a few more cabins than its sister ships, taking the passenger count to 926, with a second club for older kids and a wellness centre with a spa and gym.
Book it: From £3,800 for a five-night Scandinavia cruise from Copenhagen to Hamburg.
explorajourneys.com
September
Viking: Viking Ptah
Named after an Egyptian god of creation, Viking Ptah will be sailing one-week Nile cruises round-trip from Luxor. It holds 82 passengers, has cabins with outdoor balconies and an Aquavit Lounge with indoor and alfresco seating.
Book it: From £6,995 with flights for a 12-day Cairo and Nile cruise-and-stay trip.
viking.com
Travelmarvel: Travelmarvel Sirius
Temples, tombs and pyramids await passengers who book a cruise on Travelmarvel’s new Nile river ship. Sirius will have 62 cabins, a pool and an interior that reflects the colours of the landscape. A flight to see the temples at Abu Simbel is included in the price.
Book it: From £3,695 with flights for an 11-day Cairo and Nile cruise‑and‑stay trip.
travelmarvel.co.uk
American Cruise Lines: American Ranger
A sister to American Maverick (see June), Ranger will cruise the Hudson River from September and the Florida Keys in winter.
Book it: From £6,770 for a nine‑day Hudson River cruise from Albany to New York.
americancruiselines.com
Spirit of Ponant I, the sister ship to Spirit of Ponant II. Image credit: Ponant-Julien Champolion/polaRYSE
October
A&K Sanctuary: Nile Seray
Seray means ‘palace’, which offers a clue as to what to expect from A&K Sanctuary’s fifth Nile river ship. It’ll have 32 suites, two restaurants and a pool, and will sail four-night cruises between Luxor and Aswan.
Book it: Prices TBC.
abercrombiekent.com
December
MSC Cruises: MSC World Asia
Contrary to the name, MSC World Asia is making its debut in the Med. Expect more than 40 bars, lounges and restaurants, a new pan-Asian eatery and family Clubhouse.
Book it: From £1,049 for a seven-night Mediterranean cruise round-trip from Barcelona.
msccruises.co.uk
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Seven Seas Prestige
New features on Prestige include two-storey Skyview Suites with large private terraces, Mediterranean restaurant Azure serving mezze-style sharing dishes and atrium bar Galileo’s. It will spend its first winter in the Caribbean.
Book it: From £6,619 for an 11-night Caribbean cruise sailing round-trip from Miami.
rssc.com
Viking: Viking Sekhmet
A sister ship to Viking Ptah (see September), Viking Sekhmet is named after an Egyptian goddess of war.
Book it: From £7,395 with flights for a 12-day Cairo and Nile cruise‑and‑stay trip.
viking.com
Viking: Viking Libra
Outwardly, this is like sister ship Viking Mira (see June), but Libra is different because it will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, capable of sailing with zero emissions. It’s sailing the Med and northern Europe.
Book it: From £2,495 with flights for an eight-day Mediterranean cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona.
viking.com
Ponant: Spirit of Ponant II
Launching in late 2026, this yacht will carry 10 people, cruise in French Polynesia and carry all the gear needed for snorkelling, waterskiing and other watersports.
Book it: From €64,000 for a full private charter.
ponant.com
Fast fact
Another five Viking Longships are due to launch in 2026, sailing on the Rhine, Main, Danube and Seine rivers.
Switch-up sea ships
Aqua Expeditions will be cruising the Seychelles and Tanzania when it brings 30-passenger Aqua Lares into its fleet in February. The yacht, built in 1980, has all-suite accommodation and a cinema, plus indoor and outdoor whirlpool baths.
aquaexpeditions.com
Quark Expeditions is swapping World Explorer, currently on charter from Atlas Ocean Voyages, for World Voyager, also an Atlas ship, in November. World Voyager will be sailing Quark’s 2026-27 season in Antarctica.
quarkexpeditions.com
World Explorer is leaving Quark Expeditions because it’s been bought by Windstar Cruises. It relaunches in December as Star Explorer after a makeover that will add the Basil + Bamboo speciality restaurant and Star Grill.
windstarcruises.com
Revamped river cruise ships
Viva Cruises is launching Viva Beyond on the Seine in May under a new Boutique brand. The vessel, which formerly sailed for Tauck, will hold 112 passengers, have three places to eat plus the line’s first master suites.
viva-cruises.com
Tui River Cruises has acquired a fourth river ship, Tui Aria, to sail the Rhine, Main and Moselle from March. It has an indoor pool that converts into an evening à la carte restaurant and a top-deck putting green. It’s reserved for adults only.
tui.co.uk
Escorted touring operator Trafalgar is entering the river cruise sector with two ships, Trafalgar Reverie and Trafalgar Verity, that previously sailed for Uniworld River Cruises. The vessels will sail the Danube and Rhine respectively from April.
trafalgar.com
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