The Top New Cruises In The World

After traveling around the world for a year, whether it's spending the night at a renovated farmhouse in an olive grove near Marrakech or cruising on the first Antarctic voyage of a popular cruise line, it's no wonder we become emotionally connected. The cruise winners for 2024 are listed on the hot list.

Celebrity Ascent

Celebrity is a top-tier cruise line that emphasizes exceptional dining, modern amenities, unique art-filled public areas, and innovative onboard entertainment. The passengers on the ship feel glamorous, to put it simply. Celebrity Ascent's beautifully designed insides are filled with natural sunlight and give off a sense of fun elegance that makes a week on the ship a memorable getaway.

After saying goodbye to the beautiful ship, passengers might feel a desire to come back for another taste of the delicious crab claw at Raw on 5, another martini from the bottle-spinning bartenders at the Martini Bar, or another impressive acrobatic stage show. Starting at approximately £574 per individual for a week-long sailing experience.

Emerald Sakara

With the addition of two sea-faring ships to Emerald's existing fleet of nine river-specific "Star-Ships," the ten-year-old cruise company is expanding its brand of modest luxury to different parts of the globe. Given the name Sakara in August of last year, the 100-passenger superyacht is almost identical to Azzurra, which marked a new beginning for Emerald in 2022 by embarking on the ocean.

Sakara, similar to its sibling, pleasantly blurs the distinction between luxury and ultra-luxury cruises, providing attentive service, gourmet food, stylish decorations, and a diverse range of activities at an affordable price. Both superyachts offer an array of unique benefits not typically found on small ships, including a top-notch spa and a well-equipped marina platform for outdoor activities.

Although containing a lot of great items, every ship is surprisingly roomy. Feeling like you're on a private yacht is as simple as a lazy Sunday morning. Sakara has its homeport in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean until at least March 2026; Azzurra also shares this, along with the Middle East, Kenya, and the Seychelles. The river activities of Emerald are located in Europe and Southeast Asia.

Explora I

Explora I, launched in August 2023, boasts a stunning lobby bar, fine dining options, and an inviting infinity pool, creating a laid-back luxury resort feel on the sea. 461 suites are housed in a stylish navy blue exterior, each featuring spacious balconies, walk-in closets, and luxurious marble bathrooms.

Free-flowing Champagne, 7,500 square feet of wellness space, and 18 options for drinking and dining are available. Explora I offers sensational dining options, ranging from the decadent raw bar at Emporium Marketplace to the pan-Asian restaurant Sakura. Marble & Co. Grill is a cozy steakhouse with temperature-controlled cabinets showcasing aged meats.

The anthology features the ship's sole additional dining option, where renowned guest chefs like Claude Le Tohic from O' by Claude Le Tohic in San Francisco craft exquisite tasting menus. Additionally, there is the sole Rolex store on the ocean, large hot tubs, and a program on land created with explorer Mike Horn. Starting at approximately £564 per individual per evening.

Icon of the Seas

On the Icon ship, you can easily feel disoriented. The giant is extremely large, able to accommodate almost 8,000 people and staff on 20 levels and 250,800 gross tons. Running around the ship's jogging track twice and a half is a standout feature, and you would have completed a mile. One might realize they require a map - it can be quite a hassle if you forget your sunscreen in your cabin, depending on how much progress you have made.

The variety of activities available can also be overwhelming, making you feel like a lotus eater trying to manage it all without getting lost. Among the continuous entertainment, one should not overlook the high-quality performers found throughout the cruise ship, from the world-class aquatics show visible from the specialty seafood restaurant's windows if seats are hard to come by (which they usually are) to the cafeteria, where staff dressed as food items sing songs instructing (in a fantastic manner) guests to wash their hands at sinks by the entrance.

MSC Euribia

When you scan the lineup of cruise ships docked, MSC Euribia will immediately catch your eye. A mural by German artist Alex Flämig, featuring an ocean theme and the hashtag #SaveTheSeas, covers her from front to back, acknowledging the MSC's commitment to sustainable cruising: the Italian cruise line is striving to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

MSC Euribia is a significant step towards the goal of sustainability for the fleet, being the most environmentally friendly ship with advanced systems for treating water and waste, and running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Enough of the technical information - this large ship offers a variety of activities and entertainment, including 10 restaurants, 21 bars, and five pools.

Also, two performance spaces and many family-friendly amenities like an F1 simulator, a waterpark, and a bowling alley. Additional attractions geared towards adults are found on the MSC Meraviglia, such as the MSC Aurea Spa featuring a thermal suite complete with thalassotherapy pools, a salt cave, and a snow room, along with the Helios Wine Maker bar where wine enthusiasts can enjoy tastings.

Norwegian Viva

Norwegian Cruise Line's new Prima Class has a second ship named Viva, which is very similar to its older sister Prima. The amount of staterooms remains at 1,586, designed in clean and attractive neutral tones, with familiar amenities such as the exciting 1,400-foot go-kart track that winds around multiple decks. It is important to note that the Ocean Walk, a feature that my colleague Mercedes Bleth loved while on board the Prima ship, is still intact.

However, the second round of improvements allowed the top name in big-ship cruises to make adjustments and enhancements, adding more seating choices in both the ship's main dining area and on its numerous decks. Opposite the renowned Metropolitan Bar known for its "zero-waste" ethos.

Delicious cocktails are created using food scraps from the ship (such as a tasty Croissant Mai-Tai made from leftover pastries and banana peels boiled down into syrup) and nearby is a large interactive digital artwork showcasing butterflies fluttering next to pedestrians.