How Many More Ships? – As MSC Have 10 More On Order In The Next 8 Years!!!

With MSC just taking delivery of it’s latest vessel MSC Seaview it’s just been anounced that cruise the line also announced plans to order two enlarged sister ships. So including this year and upto 2026 MSC alone will be introducing 10 new ships to their fleet and all of them are in excess of 150,000 tonnes and can all carry over 4,000 passngers.

Below are the ships MSC have launched in 2018 and will be launching upto 2026, with it’s gross tonnage and passenegrs it can hold.

-2018: MSC Seaview at 154,000 GRT and 4,140 passengers

-March 2019: MSC Bellissima at 172,000 GRT and 4,500 passengers

-November 2019: MSC Grandiosa (Meraviglia Plus) at 180,000 GRT and 6,300 passengers

-2020: MSC Virtuosa (Meraviglia Plus) at 180,000 GRT and 6,300 passengers

-2021: Seaside Evo at 170,000 GRT and 4,500 passengers

-2022: World Class 1 at 200,000 GRT and 5,400 passengers

-2023: Meraviglia Plus 3 at 180,000 GRT and 6,000 passengers

-2024: Seaside Evo 2 at 170,000 GRT and 5,000 passengers

-2024: World Class Ship 2 at 200,000+ GRT and 5,400 passengers

-2025: World Class Ship 3 at 200,000+ GRT and 5,400 passengers

-2026: World Class Ship 4 at 200,000+ GRT and 5,400 passengers

So as you can see that’s more than a ship a year over the course of 8 years. So it looks MSC are trying to increase it’s market share which is currently  6.8% of the market and fourth behind NCL (9.1% market share), Royal Caribbean Group (24.5%) and the Carnival Corporation (44.3%). But it’s just not MSC who have plans to increase their fleet over the coming years below is a list of what the other major cruise lines have planned.

Carnival

-2018: Carnival Horizon at 133,500 GT and 4,200 passengers

-2019: 3rd Vista Class Ship at 133,500 GT and 4,200 passengers

-2020: LNG Powered Ship at 180,000 GT and 6,600 passengers

-2022: 2nd LNG Powered Ship at 180,000 GT and 6,600 passengers

Celebrity

-2018: Celebrity Edge at 129,500 GT and 2,918 passengers

-2020: Celebrity Beyond at 129,500 GT and 2,918 passengers

-2021: 3rd Edge Class Ship at 129,500 GT and 2,918 passengers

-2022: 4th Edge Class Ship at 129,500 GT and 2,918 passengers

Disney Cruise Line

-2021: TBA at 135,500 GT with 2,500 passengers (double occupancy)

-2022: TBA at 135,500 GT and 2,500 passengers (double occupancy)

-2023: TBA at 135,500 GT and 2,500 passengers (double occupancy)

Holland American Cruise Line

-2018: MS Nieuw Statendam at 99,800 GT with 2,650 passengers

-2021: 2nd Pinnacle Class Ship at 99,800 GT with 2,650 passengers

Norwegian Cruise Line

-2018: Norwegian Bliss at 168,800 GT and 4,200 passengers

-2019: Breakaway Plus Class Ship at 168,800 GT with 4,200 passengers

-2022: Project Leonardo at 140,000 GT and 3,300 passengers

-2023: Project Leonardo 2 at 140,000 GT and 3,300 passengers

-2024: Project Leonardo 3 at 140,000 GT and 3,300 passengers

-2025: Project Leonardo 4 at 140,000 GT and 3,300 passengers

Princess Cruises

-2019: 4th Royal Class Ship at 143,700 GT and 3,560 passengers

-2020: 5th Royal Class Ship at 143,700 GT and 3,560 passengers

-2022: 6th Royal Class Ship at 143,700 GT and 3,560 passengers

Royal Caribbean

-2018: Symphony of the Seas at 230,000 GT and 6,780 passengers

-2019: 4th Quantum Class Ship at 168,666 GT and 4,200 passengers

-2020:  5th Quantum Class Ship at 168,666 GT with 4,200 passengers

-2021: 5th Oasis Class Ship at 230,000 GT with 6,780 passengers

-2022: 1st Icon Class Ship at 200,000 GT, with 5,000 passengers

-2024: 2nd Icon Class Ship at 200,000 GT and 5,000 passengers

What is amazing that all the new ships being built by the major cruise lines are in excess of 100,000 tonnes and 2,500 passengers, which suprises me as when I am speaking to a lot of existing cruise customers they want smaller ships. They want to get into different and smaller ports that they haven’t visited before, surely that’s what cruising is about?

Also will there come a point where cabins are not being filled and if so will the ship feel souless or will prices be reduced so much that certain standards like the food and entertainment will drop.

What do you think? Do you think there will be too many ships in the future? What is your opinion of all these bigger vessells being built?

Please share your opinions.