Carnivals ACE Class vs. Royal Caribbeans Discovery Project: The Future of Luxury Cruising

In recent years, the cruise industry has witnessed a trend of larger and more luxurious ships, with each new addition to the fleet outdoing the last in terms of size and amenities. However, the question remains: is this what cruisers really want? Two of the industry's biggest players, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, are preparing to answer this question with their next-generation ships.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced the development of a new class of mega ships under Project ACE, scheduled to debut in 2029. These ships will have a passenger capacity of over 8,000, making them the largest in terms of passenger capacity but not in tonnage. The new ACE Class ships will offer more interconnecting rooms that can offer more options for families and groups traveling together. They will also feature new dining experiences and enhanced spaces for youth, including an expanded water park with four new water slides and six slides total. Two of the new slides will be designed as family raft slides, allowing multiple passengers to ride together.

Royal Caribbean's Discovery Project

While Carnival is going big with its ACE Class ships, Royal Caribbean seems to be taking a different route for its next class of ships. The company has not revealed many details about the Discovery Project, referring to its next class of ships, which will proceed the newest Icon Class. However, Royal Caribbean's CEO's Jason Liberty and Michael Bayley have mentioned that smaller class ships have been discussed as well as the need for replacing ships that are nearing the end of their time at sea. The oldest Royal Caribbean ship is the Grandeur of the Seas, which first set sail in December 1996.

The Discovery Class could offer more diverse itineraries in popular destinations such as the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Alaska. There has been no debut date revealed for the Discovery Project's ships yet, but based on the time frames of previous launches, it could be 2027 or 2028.

Larger cruise ships tend to focus on maximum thrills and appeal to diverse demographics, whereas smaller cruise ships lean toward offering more laid-back and intimate experiences. Smaller ships also have an edge of being able to visit more destinations since some ports cannot accommodate larger vessels and their large number of passengers.

In conclusion, while both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line are preparing for their next-generation ships, they are taking different approaches. Carnival is continuing its trend of producing mega-thrill ships with the ACE Class, while Royal Caribbean is considering a smaller class of ships as well as replacing older ships. The decision ultimately comes down to what cruisers want and what the industry needs to offer in order to remain competitive.