If you’re talking about ground-breaking, record-shattering cruise ships, there’s a high chance you’re talking about Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
The cruise line has become known for churning out ship after ship that’s bigger than the last, setting records for the largest cruise ship in the world again and again while introducing first-at-sea features, like the first skydiving experience or the largest water park at sea.
However, while most of Royal Caribbean’s ships are impressive, they’re not all the same. Here’s what you can expect across the 28+ ship-strong fleet, divided into the seven Royal Caribbean ship classes.
The Vision-Class
The Vision-class features Royal Caribbean’s oldest ships in operation, as well as its smallest ships in operation.
Built by Kvaerner Masa Yards and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, at the time of their debut in the 1990s, the ships did, like so many other Royal Caribbean ships, set a few records in the industry.
They featured more glass windows than any other cruise ship at sea. They also were the fastest ships built in more than two decades, thanks to propulsion systems that are more or less commonplace in modern cruising.
The class currently includes four ships, but originally included two more — Legend of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas — but these were sold off to TUI in the 2010s. Today, Royal Caribbean’s Vision-class contains:
- Grandeur of the Seas
- Rhapsody of the Seas
- Enchantment of the Seas
- Vision of the Seas
The oldest of these is Grandeur of the Seas, taking her maiden voyage in December 1996. Grandeur of the Seas is also the smallest of the class, with a guest capacity of 2,440 people.
While these ships are admittedly old, they have been revitalized, as recently as April 2016 for Enchantment of the Seas. This has added some more modern features that you see on Royal Caribbean’s newer ships, such as the rock-climbing wall.
However, otherwise, the ships are missing some of the big features that you may have become accustomed to seeing on Royal Caribbean ships (like ice skating rinks or waterslides).
If you take a cruise on a Vision-class ship, expect a smaller, more intimate experience, and a laid-back vacation that, while not inclusive of any flashy on-board activities, still delivers a classic cruising vibe perfect for those who just want to kick back and relax.
You’ll also find that, on smaller ships like these, you may get the opportunity to visit ports of call that are inaccessible to some of the mega ships within the Royal Caribbean fleet.
The Voyager-Class
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager-class technically comes next, although both ships in the class and the Radiance-class were being built and sent out on their maiden voyages around the same time. Still, with its lead ship debuting in 1999, the Voyager-class comes first.
The Voyager class is much larger than the preceding Vision-class, as well as the yet-to-come Radiance-class, nearly doubling guest capacity and holding somewhere around 4,000 guests per ship. Ships debuted over a four-year period, 1999 to 2003, and this class has been revamped as recently as 2019.
The Voyager-class ships include:
- Voyager of the Seas
- Explorer of the Seas
- Adventure of the Seas
- Navigator of the Seas
- Mariner of the Seas
Built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Finland, these ships really set the stage for a whole new life for Royal Caribbean, establishing the cruise line’s current identity. The ships were the very first to feature the iconic Royal Promenade, and first-at-sea features included the first rock climbing wall on a cruise ship and the first ice skating rink on a cruise ship.
Additionally, since the ships have been refurbished relatively recently, they’ve received additional attractions that you’ll see on newer cruise ships, such as the Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, laser tag, the Sky Pad, FlowRider surf simulators and virtual balcony staterooms.
These ships are a nice fit for cruisers who want some of these newer features, and plenty to do while on the ship, but who don’t want to pay for the high price tag that comes with cruising on some of the biggest-of-the-big, newest cruise ships, like those in the Oasis-class or new Icon class.
The Radiance-Class
Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Class was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and, as mentioned, the Radiance class was being introduced around the same time that Royal Caribbean was rolling out its Voyager-class ships.
Additionally, the Radiance-class ships are about half the size of the Voyager-class ships, just like the Vision class. Guest capacity hovers around 2,500 people.
Read Also: What to Expect on a Small Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
The ships’ size means there aren’t quite as many onboard amenities and features as what you’ll find on the Voyager-class ships, but the ships still have been revitalized as recently as the mid-2010s.
The Radiance-class includes:
- Radiance of the Seas
- Brilliance of the Seas
- Serenade of the Seas
- Jewel of the Seas
Like the Vision-class ships, the Radiance-class ships feature quite a large amount of glass (over three acres across the windows, glass roofs and glass elevators), and also offer industry-first, self-leveling billiard tables.
Since the Radiance-class ships are smaller and have fewer amenities, they’re a good fit for those cruisers who want that intimate, low-crowd cruising experience and who want to visit smaller ports of call during their cruise itineraries.
The Freedom-Class
The Freedom-class is much more in line with the Voyager-class, in terms of both size and features, though the Freedom-class is a few years newer, with ships debuting from 2006 to 2008, and refurbished as recently as 2020.
However, the Freedom-class had the distinction of being, at one point, the largest cruise ships in the world. Of course, by now, other Royal Caribbean ships have displaced them as the largest in the world.
Worth Reading: Royal Caribbean Amenities You Should Pre-Book
Still, these ships offer many of the big ship features you may know and love if you cruise with Royal Caribbean regularly, such as rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, laser tag, The Perfect Storm, Sky Pad and all the classic Royal Caribbean dining options.
Notably, these ships were the first to feature the FlowRider Surfing Simulator (the simulators were added to older ships later).
The Freedom class ships were built by Aker Finnyards in Finland. The class includes:
- Freedom of the Seas
- Liberty of the Seas
- Independence of the Seas
Guest capacity ranges from 4,515 people (Freedom of the Seas) to 4,960 people (Liberty of the Seas). Much like the Voyager class, the Freedom class is ideal for those who want to stay on a ship that’s received some updates, but who don’t want to pay the higher cost charged on an Oasis-class or Icon-class cruise.
The Oasis-Class
Just like the Voyager-class helped to bring the Royal Caribbean cruise line into a new era, so did the Oasis-class. Launched in 2009 with Oasis of the Seas, this class introduced the neighborhood concept to the cruise line, dividing the ship up into themed neighborhoods such as a neighborhood for entertainment, for the spa, for kids programming, for the boardwalk, etc.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that the Oasis-class is still going strong. The most recent Oasis-class ship, Utopia of the Seas, debuted just in 2024. As such, these ships are still very impressive, with lots of new venues and features. In fact, until Icon of the Seas debuted in 2024, the Oasis class still held status as the largest cruising vessels in the world (the aforementioned Utopia of the Seas now sits in the second-place spot).
Built by both Meyer Turku and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the ships all hold more than 6,000 people. Since many of them are still relatively new, most have not been updated since debuting, except for the lead ship, Oasis of the Seas, which was revamped in 2019.
Ships in the class include:
- Oasis of the Seas
- Allure of the Seas
- Harmony of the Seas
- Symphony of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
A seventh Oasis-class ship is expected to join the fleet in 2028. Book a cruise on any of these ships to experience some of the best in the cruising industry.
The Quantum-Class
The Quantum class ships can be basically broken down into two classes beneath the same umbrella: the Quantum class and the Quantum Ultra class. While the ships are not as large as the Oasis class, they still have a lot to love, and the ships are pretty new, debuting over a seven-year period, 2014 to 2021.
The ships include:
- Quantum of the Seas
- Anthem of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Spectrum of the Seas
- Odyssey of the Seas
The ships brought a lot of new features to Royal Caribbean, such as the North Star ride, which features a glass capsule that takes you out over the side of the ship to hover above the sea.
Other features include skydiving simulators, FlowRider surf simulators, bumper cars, loft suites, virtual balcony staterooms, rock climbing walls, virtual adventure zones and more.
However, there are a few features missing on these ships. There are no ice skating rinks and no water parks.
The last two ships, Spectrum of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas, are technically considered the “Quantum Ultra” class, as they differ just slightly from their predecessors, with new venues and tech, and slightly larger sizes. For example, these ships feature the Skypad, whereas the others do not.
In short, if you want lots of cool features and activities during your trip, but don’t necessarily need the newest of the new, or the biggest of the big, try a Quantum-class cruise ship for your next cruise.
The Icon-Class
The Icon-class is the newest of them all and, as Royal Caribbean is apt to do, also the biggest of them all. This class’s lead ship, Icon of the Seas, debuted in early 2024 and superseded its sister ships as the largest cruise ship in the world.
That said, it wasn’t by all that much; Icon of the Seas holds 7,600 passengers and is just 6% larger than the Oasis-class ships.
Beyond setting a record for size, Icon of the Seas also sets records for its expansive number of venues and attractions. For example, the ship has seven pools (more than any other cruise ship) and six water slides (also more than any other cruise ships) plus the largest ice skating rink for any Royal Caribbean ship.
There are dozens of dining and drinking venues, and an array of stateroom and suite options. Icon of the Seas is also the first ship in the fleet to use liquefied natural gas (the other Icon-class ships will follow suit).
Read Also: Icon of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas – A Giant Comparison
Plus, the Icon-class has taken the Oasis class’s neighborhood concept and turned it on its head. Neighborhoods are dictated more on vibes and amenities, rather than venues alone.
As such, you’ll find neighborhoods specifically geared toward families, like for example, the Surfside neighborhood with family-friendly staterooms and suites, entertainment and dining.
Then, you’ll also find neighborhoods geared toward suite guests (the aptly named Suite Neighborhood) or those just looking for quieter surroundings, like what you could find in The Hideaway or The AquaDome neighborhoods.
So far, this class only includes Icon of the Seas, but more Icon-class ships are expected to join her in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The 2025 ship has been named Star of the Seas, and the last two ships’ name are forthcoming.
If you want to cruise on the most exciting and biggest ship possible, in the entire cruising industry right now, there’s no other choice but Icon of the Seas.
