Royal Caribbean will launch two new cruise ships in 2024, and that might tempt you to book one of the first sailings.

Icon of the Seas will launch in January 2024 and offer 7-night Caribbean cruises. Icon is the first in the Icon Class of ships, and she's being set up as a game changer within the cruise industry.

At 250,800 tons, Icon will be the biggest cruise ship ever built, and will offer more activities on its pool deck than any other ship in history. A water park, sun decks, adults-only pool, sunset view pools and more are coming to Icon.

Not to be overshadowed, Utopia of the Seas will start sailing in July 2024 and while she is the sixth in the Oasis Class, she has a few innovations and new additions coming as well.

Utopia will be the first new Royal Caribbean cruise ship to start off with short 3- and 4-night cruises. 

Utopia will have a new tiki bar experience, new dining experiences, immersive dining, and an open deck filled with plenty of activities.

If these new ships sound incredible, you're not alone.  Lots of people are taking notice of what Royal Caribbean has in store and there is a sense of FOMO ("fear of missing out") circulating to experience these ships.

Should you book a cruise on a brand new Royal Caribbean ship, such as Icon or Utopia?

Depending on your flexibility and preferences, being on a new ship when it first starts sailing could be a really good or bad idea.

Why you should book a brand-new cruise ship

Being first is important to you

Among the cruise fan community, there's definitely a badge of honor to be first.

After years of hype and teases, cruise fans not only want to sail on new cruise ships, but want to beat their friends to seeing it first.

There's definite bragging rights to saying you were on a maiden voyage of a particular ship.  In the same way someone might wax poetically about having been to a concert of famous band, cruisers love to point out they were there when a new ship launched.

Certainly the first public sailing is more enticing for anyone that feels strongly about getting on a ship first.  Similar to how someone might want to see a movie on opening night, getting on a ship first means you can see everything before anyone else.  Less spoilers to contend with later, and a way to feel like "you were there".

After all, how great is it to be able to say, "I was on the maiden voyage"?

You love latest and greatest

Every new Royal Caribbean cruise ship introduces something new or different, and if you love innovation, a new ship might be for you.

Even though Utopia of the Seas is the last in the Oasis Class, she will still have new entertainment, and even a brand new innovative and immersive dining experience never before seen.

New ships are a look at what Royal Caribbean has been working on for years, and many of these offerings were secretive for months or years leading up to the ship's launch.

It's impressive to see new concepts that Royal Caribbean has, and in many cases, they re-define our expectations.  Some cruisers will go on a new ship and then look at older ships with contempt because they don't stack up to the new level of cruising set forth by a new ship.

You like a party

Without a doubt, a new cruise ship is a reason to celebrate and the first sailing of a new ship is a giant party.

When Royal Caribbean launches a new cruise ship, it's sort of like an iPhone launch or opening day of a baseball game.  There's a lot of excitement and pomp and circumstance surrounding the ship's launch.

You'll find nearly all of Royal Caribbean's top executives onboard to oversee and celebrate the launch.

Likewise, cruise fans that cruise the most flock to new ship launches because it's an opportunity to see friends.  Think high school reunion meets birthday party.

Royal Caribbean usually includes extra events on the first sailing of a new ship, along with swag.

The best crew members

When Royal Caribbean launches a new cruise ship, they look to bring in the top rated crew members to help get the ship going.

Any new cruise ship is a challenge to get up and running, because routines need to be set up and systems will need tweaking.

Some crew members relish this challenge, and it gets competitive among crew to get a transfer to a new ship.

Just like how guests like to point out they were there first, many crew members wear it as a badge of honor to help launch a ship.

Because these crew members are the best the cruise line has to offer, you get superior service onboard.

Port stops are a local event

When a brand new cruise ship pulls into a port of call, it's a celebration in and of itself.

Each port is a new stop for a ship on an inaugural cruise so often its arrival becomes a local event.  Sometimes it's a small ceremony, and other times there is a big party on the pier and guests are invited too.

It's kind of neat to see the party atmosphere surrounding a new ship spill over to the places you visit. 

There's no wear and tear

One of the most common concerns I hear from readers is if a particular ship feels old or dated, and there's no such concern with a new ship.

A new cruise ship has no wear and tear. Every aspect of the ship is still in never-been-used, pristine condition. 

Beds are new, decorations are contemporary, and menus reflect trends we are still seeing today.

Why you shouldn't book a brand-new cruise ship

You want everything ready and working for your cruise

New cruise ships aren't always totally complete when they launch.

The ship is functional and perfectly safe to sail on, but not every feature or offering may be ready for the first sailing.

There's a lot of pressure to get a new ship out and sailing on time, and sometimes there could be a venue or show not quite ready for the first sailing.  This is especially true today, as supply chain issues are still difficult to manage.

Most commonly, the full lineup of shows may not be ready for the first sailing.  In some cases, the shows may be performed, but only partially while the cast learns the full lineup.

As an example, Effectors wasn't ready for many months after Wonder of the Seas launched.

Oh, and the price for early sailings is the same whether or not everything is 100% or not.

If you'd be disappointed not to be able to experience every single feature promoted with a new ship because it's not ready yet, a new ship might be worth skipping.

You don't want to pay top dollar

Without a doubt, a cruise on a brand new ship will cost more than other ships.

You'll pay a premium for sailing on a new ship compared to older ships, and sometimes the price gap can be substantial.

Even prices for add-ons, like a drink package or cabana at Perfect Day at CocoCay, will cost more on a new ship.

In speaking with Wall Street analysts, Royal Caribbean has talked about how well Icon of the Seas is selling and at higher prices.

In short, you'll pay more for a cruise if you want to get on a new ship. Especially, if it's the first sailing.

You don't like big ships

New or not, if you are not a fan of big cruise ships, then you can probably skip Icon or Utopia too.

Royal Caribbean has steadily been building bigger ships, and some people prefer smaller ships.

There could be a delay

Something else to keep in mind with any new cruise ship is plans can change.

Cruise ship construction is well-thought out, but there's plenty of examples of new ship launches being pushed back.

While there's no reason to believe Icon or Utopia of the Seas will be delayed, we've seen ship launches delayed over the years. 

Could you be sailing on Titan of the Seas? Or perhaps a new Monarch of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean registered 9 new cruise ship names recently, which could be used for a new cruise ship.

The registrations were made between June 10 and June 11 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Here are all the new names trademarked:

• Nova of the Seas
• Splendor of the Seas
• Star of the Seas
• Monarch of the Seas
• Titan of the Seas
• Majesty of the Seas
• Sun of the Seas
• Marquee of the Seas
• Hero of the Seas

Three of the names are names of former Royal Caribbean cruise ships: Splendor, Majesty, and Monarch of the Seas.

Majesty and Monarch are the names of two former Sovereign Class cruise ships that were sold off during the pandemic. Monarch was scrapped and Majesty's fate remains unclear.

Read more: A last look at Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas

Splendor (spelled previously as Splendour) was a Vision class cruise ship, which is now sailing for Marella Cruises. 

Royal Caribbean had also registered Splendor of the Seas back in December 2021.

To date, Royal Caribbean hasn't ever re-used the name of a former ship, although it did once bring back a ship to the fleet and restore its name (Empress of the Seas).

What do these ship names mean?

Before you start planning your Nova of the Seas cruise, keep in mind Royal Caribbean often trademarks a bunch of names together while it figures out which one it will use.

Quite often they register a few names together before deciding on which they may use. Not only does it give them flexibility in choosing a name, but it keeps the public from knowing a new ship's name before they are ready to announce it.

Think of this list as the finalists in a naming competition. In short, it's better to have more names than you need to ensure no one takes up a name later.

What's your prediction?

Now is your chance to show us how much you (think you) know! Share your predictions what these trademarks will be used for the name of a new ship in the future!

It's almost the weekend, and I've got a new report to share of various Royal Caribbean updates.

Between the major announcements, there are a good amount of smaller updates that occur every week, so this is a quick round-up of Royal Caribbean news from this week.

Many thanks to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog community for helping spot what has changed.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Utopia of the Seas construction begins

As we reported earlier this week, construction formally began on Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas.

Among other changes, Utopia will be the first Oasis Class ship powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) when she launches. Royal Caribbean believes LNG is the cleanest fossil fuel available to cruise ships today and additional environmentally friendly applications on board Utopia will boost energy efficiencies and further reduce emissions overall.

In addition to Utopia, Icon of the Seas will also be powered by LNG when she launches a year earlier in fall 2023.

Utopia of the Seas is expected to launch in Spring 2024.

Royal Caribbean considering ordering more new cruise ships

Speaking at the Celebrity Beyond delivery event in France, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty indicated ordering additional new cruise ships is something they are considering.

Travel Weekly reports Mr. Liberty said Royal Caribbean Group is considering ordering new ships for all three brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Silversea.

New ship orders would be placed "as soon as business is back to normal pre-Covid levels, which is not far out."

"It could be later this year, or next year, but we have ships still on order through to 2026, so we have a little time."

Currently Royal Caribbean has orders in place for Utopia of the Seas and three Icon Class cruise ships.

Hideaway Beach construction update

I have a new photo update of the progress being made on the Perfect Day at CocoCay expansion, which will add a new adults-only beach.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Steve Cohen snapped photos of the Hideaway Beach construction from onboard Independence of he Seas.

Hideaway Beach could open mid to late 2023.

Royal Caribbean Group's legal team was busy this week with a variety of new trademarks that sound like it could be names for new venues on its cruise ships.

Trademark registrations may not end up being used by the cruise line, but it does provide insight into what may be currently planned.

Four new trademarks have been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week:

Vue Bar

On October 23, a trademark was made for "Vue Bar" under the category of "cruise ship services".

Cask & Clipper

Another registration made on October 23 is for the "Cask & Clipper", which is filed under two categories:

• Cruise ship services
• Restaurant and bar services

Royal Caribbean's English-style pubs on its cruise ships tend to have names that combine two words in a similar style to Cask & Clipper.

Wonder Playscape

The trademark filing for "Wonder Playscape" sounds a lot like the name of a new play area on Wonder of the Seas cruise ship.

Wonder of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's fifth Oasis Class cruise ship, which is set to debut in 2022 and sail from China.

The description for Wonder Playscape says, "Entertainment services in the nature of children's dry playscape attractions".

The trademark might correlate to a series of renderings for a newly imagined concept for families that popped up online. Or it could be something completely unrelated.

Cantina Fresca

The last trademark filing was made for something called "Cantina Fresca" and is described as "restaurant and bar services".

The name infers a Mexican inspired venue, of which Royal Caribbean has targeted this particular cuisine in the past with Sabor Modern Mexican and El Loco Fresh.

What do these trademarks mean?

Trademark applications are usually quite vague and do not indicate exactly how the cruise line will utilize them, if at all.

In fact, a lot of trademarks never get used for many reasons.

It is also worth noting these registrations are filed on behalf of the Royal Caribbean Group, which means they could be intended for a subsidiary cruise line that is not Royal Caribbean International.

Read more: Who owns Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean has two cruise ships under construction set to debut in the next few years, Odyssey of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. With new ships comes new opportunities to potentially introduce new venues that will help market a ship and differentiate it from other vessels.

In addition, the Icon Class cruise ships are also on the horizon in the next few years.

Royal Caribbean has trademarked the name Metropolis of the Seas, which could possibly be used as a name of a future cruise ship.

The cruise line registered the trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 1, 2018.

Royal Caribbean trademarked three other possible cruise ship names in September. In addition, Apex of the Seas was registered in 2017 and is still a live trademark.

Royal Caribbean currently has four unnamed ships on order, in addition to Spectrum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has trademarked three new ship names that could be the names of new cruise ships in the future.

The cruise line registered Eon of the Seas, Gallant of the Seas and Phenom of the Seas via the United States Patent and Trademark Office last week.

It is worth noting that Royal Caribbean has registered other cruise ship names that it never ended up using for actual ships. Joy of the Seas and Apex of the Seas were registered back in 2017 and have yet to be used.

Royal Caribbean currently has four unnamed ships on order, in addition to Spectrum of the Seas.

Tip of the hat to Lloyd Marchand for alerting us to this news.

Royal Caribbean filed two new trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for what appears to be cruise ship names.

Royal Caribbean filed for new trademarks on Apex of the Seas and Joy of the Seas on June 27, 2017.

Royal Caribbean had registered both trademarks in September 2014, but the trademarks were abandoned on September 14, 2015.

The registration comes just days after Royal Caribbean registered for a similar trademark for Spectrum of the Seas.  The cruise line has not made any announcements of its intentions for these trademarks, if any. Royal Caribbean currently has six ships on order and/or under construction, although two of the ships already have names associated with them (Symphony of the Seas and Icon of the Seas).

Royal Caribbean has filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for "Spectrum of the Seas", which could be the name of a new cruise ship that is currently under construction.

Royal Caribbean filed the trademark application on June 24, 2017 and it is currently active.

This is not the first time Royal Caribbean had applied for a trademark on Spectrum of the Seas. Back in September 2014, Royal Caribbean trademarked it, along with 4 other names.  The trademark for Spectrum of the Seas was abandoned on September 14, 2015, and now the cruise line has re-filed for the same trademark.

It remains to be seen which ship, if any, will bear the name Spectrum of the Seas. Royal Caribbean currently has six ships on order and/or under construction, although two of the ships already have names associated with them (Symphony of the Seas and Icon of the Seas).

Thanks to Lloyd Marchand for alerting us to the filing.

What do you think of the name? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Designing and building the world’s largest cruise ships is no small feat for Royal Caribbean’s Newbuild team. Creative collaboration between the team’s designers, architects, shipbuilders and executives is the key to building industry-leading vessels. Often spanning six or seven time zones, the team is brought together by a shared passion. They’ve built a rapport that allows them to feed off of each other, making innovation the norm. And when the most talented minds in the cruising industry come together, the result is ships that others only dream about.

Royal Caribbean has filed to trademark three new cruise ship names this week, with two of them not associated with any ship yet.

On January 21, 2017, Royal Caribbean filed trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the following names:

• Symphony of the Seas
• Sunrise of the Seas
• Valhalla of the Seas

We reported on Royal Caribbean registering Symphony of the Seas, which is rumored to be the name of its fourth Oasis class ship, but the other two names are yet to be tied to any rumors. 

There are currently six Royal Caribbean ships on order, with two of them tied to rumors of what its name will be (Symphony of the Seas and Icon of the Seas). That leaves four ships without any indication what they might be called. Royal Caribbean has not officially announced the name for any of these ships yet.