Royal Caribbean quietly revealed one key fact about its new ship class — and many cruisers aren't happy about it.
Although the cruise line has not made any official announcements about details regarding its new Discovery Class vessels, its filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission reveal that they'll have an approximate passenger count (berths) of 4,300, as first reported by Royal Caribbean Blog.
While that's definitely smaller than mega-ships like Utopia or Icon of the Seas, which both can accommodate over 5,600 guests at double occupancy, it's larger than many of the line's older mid-sized ships, such as those in the Radiance and Voyager classes.
The filings also reveal when Royal Caribbean expects the first two ships in the class to be delivered. The first unnamed Discovery Class vessel is expected around Q4 2029, while the second is projected to follow in Q2 2032.
When Discovery Class was first announced, many loyal fans were excited about the prospect of newer, smaller ships, as Vision and Radiance Class vessels are undoubtedly dated and showing their age. However, the newly revealed capacity figure suggests the line may not be trying to replace those ships as some had hoped.
"So disappointed in this. I was hoping for something maybe just a little bigger or similar size to Radiance class. Something mid size," commented Jeanie Baker Wood on Facebook.
Cheryl D Wise added, "So still [too] big to get into many ports. This is supposed to replace Radiance and Vision classes? I think not, heck it is basically a Freedom class ship."
"Was hoping for much less," wrote Thommy Sterz.
Peggy Moffett Weatherington chimed in, "I thought the idea was to get in to more ports especially for another world cruise. I've got to believe this ship will be too big compared to the Radiance class that did the first world cruise."
Royal Caribbean Discovery Class Size Comparison
Based on the approximate passenger count of 4,300, this puts Discovery Class ships around the same size (at least in terms of capacity) as Quantum Class ships.
For example, Odyssey of the Seas' passenger capacity, based on double occupancy, is 4,198, according to the cruise line. Similarly, Ovation's approximate passenger count is around 4,230.
Although not as small as many hoped, these ships are being designed with a stronger emphasis on exploration and a wider range of itineraries.
"With Discovery Class, we're building a new platform with Chantiers de l'Atlantique that will advance next-generation innovation and sustainability while taking our guests to extraordinary destinations around the world," Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, shared on Facebook.
Bayley also explained that the cruise line wanted these vessels to focus on more exotic itineraries during the 2025 President's Cruise, adding that they'd be small enough to sail through the Panama Canal.
"It'll go through the Panama Canal, which we think will be a real positive because it'll be able to go to Alaska in the summer, and it can get back into the Caribbean," he said.
There's a strategy behind big cruise ships
Bigger cruise ships make the most economic sense, as one Facebook user pointed out.
"The economics of cruise ships make it so they CAN'T build small ships with everything their cruisers have come to expect, and still have sufficient public spaces. If they built everyone's dream small ship, the prices would be astronomical or they'd be outlaying hundreds of millions of dollars to rake in smaller profits than the large ones," said Josh Overmyer.
There's truth behind that perspective, even if it means cruisers hoping for new, smaller ships are disappointed.
The cruise industry is heavily driven by economies of scale. This means that the cost of operating and staffing bigger ships can be spread across more passengers.
As Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty noted, newer, larger ships can reach cash-flow break-even at roughly 35% capacity, compared to closer to 50% for older, smaller vessels, like Vision of the Seas or Jewel of the Seas.
Plus, larger ships with more amenities offer another source of potential revenue, as consumers are more likely to splurge on add-ons — whether that's a specialty restaurant, unique attraction, or gambling in the casino.
Read more: Why are Royal Caribbean cruise ships always so big? Secret strategy explained
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
