What We Know So Far About Royal Caribbean’s Rumoured Discovery Class

Royal Caribbean has long been synonymous with ever-larger cruise ships pushing the limits of scale, innovation, and onboard spectacle. Yet in recent years, whispers have grown louder that the cruise line is developing something quite different — a class of smaller, more flexible ships, colloquially dubbed the Discovery Class (or “Project Discovery”).

While nothing is official yet, Royal Caribbean executives have dropped hints, leaks are surfacing on social media, and cruise fans are already speculating. Here’s a roundup of what we know (and don’t) about the rumoured Discovery Class.

​So, why would Royal Caribbean even want to build a smaller ship? To understand the logic behind Discovery Class, it helps to see the context.
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• Aging small‑ship fleet: Royal Caribbean’s smaller vessels — namely the Vision and Radiance classes — are among its oldest. As executives have pointed out, those ships are increasingly outmatched by newer designs in terms of amenities, layouts, and flexibility. 
• Port access limitations: The massive ships in the Oasis or Icon classes simply can’t dock in many ports, especially in more remote or constrained harbours. A smaller vessel gives more options for itineraries and exotic destinations. 
• Diversification of itineraries: Royal Caribbean seems eager to spread its reach — offering routes in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, Alaska, or South Pacific that current mega‑ships can't serve efficiently. 
• Replacement cycle: Rather than patching up the aging ships forever, a new class might naturally phase out the old ones and bring fresh competitive energy to the mid‑size market.

​What hints have Royal Caribbean executives dropped?

​Because Royal Caribbean hasn’t formally announced Discovery Class, most of what we “know” comes from executive comments, design leaks, and analyst/enthusiast speculation. Here are a few of the more concrete titbits:

• Project Discovery is still active: In June 2025, Royal Caribbean confirmed that the design process is underway. Vicki Freed (SVP Sales & Trade) remarked that the project is “top secret” but very real, with architects, operations and hotel teams meeting regularly. 
• Smaller than Icon: Freed also confirmed the new class will be smaller than Icon (i.e. the giant ships) — though how much smaller is not yet defined. 
• “Getting really close”: In September 2025, CEO Michael Bayley said the design is progressing and hinted that a more formal reveal may happen in the coming months.
• Itinerary scope: Bayley has explicitly said the ships are intended to open up more exotic and varied itineraries beyond the usual Caribbean and Bahamas routes.
• Panama Canal capable: One revealing snippet: Bayley said Discovery Class ships would be able to transit the Panama Canal. That places an upper bound on size (because of canal limitations). 
• Timeline hints: 
• Gross tonnage / scale: Because the ships must traverse the Panama Canal, the class likely stays under the maximum canal‑capable limits, known as neo-Panamax, probably somewhere around 168,000 GRT.
  Relative to Radiance / Vision: Some speculation suggests Discovery Class ships could be around or modestly above Radiance’s 90,000 GRT, maybe in the 100,000–120,000 GRT ballpark.
  Passenger capacity: Discovery Class ships will likely carry round 2,500–3,000 guests (mid‑size) — much smaller than Oasis or Icon class mega ships, but larger than many niche small ships from other cruise lines. 

Royal Caribbean Group EnTers Agreement With Meyer Turku Shipyard Through Until 2036

In September 2025, Royal Caribbean Group entered into an agreement that secures their right to build ships at the Turku shipyard through until 2036. The shipyard's long-term framework agreement also confirms the order of Icon 5 and an option for Icon 6 and Icon 7.

​Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm, said: “With the framework agreement now signed, we announce our common plan for the next decade in cooperation with Royal Caribbean Group and other key partners to build more Icon Class ships and drive the future of shipbuilding over the next decade. I am extremely proud of the recognition that these orders bring to the skilled personnel at Meyer Turku and to the Finnish maritime industry expertise.”

Could this agreement for the Turku shipyard and Royal Caribbean to work together until 2036, indicate that perhaps the Discovery Class ships will be built here too?