We Finally Know How Big Royal Caribbean’s Discovery Class Could Be
Hardcore Royal Caribbean loyalists have been waiting for years for “Project Discovery.” Often hinted at in meetings with the captains or alluded to by Royal Caribbean leadership, many have hoped this elusive new class of ship would move away from the massive megaships of the Oasis and Icon Class. Officially, Royal Caribbean has been keeping this quite close to the vest, but thanks to some SEC filings, we finally get a hint at how large the Discovery Class ships might be.
More Guests Than Quantum, Less Than Oasis
When Royal Caribbean officially announced the order of the first and second Discovery Class ships, they gave us no information except to expect them in 2029 and 2032, and that they’d be built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard. Now we get a bit more information.
Now we don’t know the gross tonnage, number of decks, length, or width, but we do know roughly how many passengers. This information was revealed in Royal Caribbean’s Q1 10-Q, a report they must file with the SEC to disclose quarterly financial results and material business updates.
The report lists all upcoming ship orders, the estimated quarter of delivery, and approximate berths. While it’s not explicitly labeled, the chart shows only lower berths, meaning the first two people in a cabin.
Discovery Class is listed as having 4,300 guests at double occupancy. That’s no small ship by any means. To put it in comparison, it’s about 23% fewer people than the Oasis and Icon Class. It’s about on par with the Quantum Class and 10% more people than the Freedom Class.
| Class | Double Occupancy | Size Compared to Discovery |
|---|---|---|
| Icon Class | 5,600 | 23% more guests |
| Oasis Class | 5,500 | 23% more guests |
| Discovery Class | 4,300 | |
| Quantum Class | 4,200 | 2% fewer guests |
| Freedom Class | 3,900 | 10% fewer guests |
But that’s only double occupancy. For the Oasis Class, at full occupancy with all beds filled, the capacity is around 6,700 guests. For Icon, because of the increased focus on family accommodations and extra third and fourth berths, the number increased to 7,600 guests, a 36% increase. For Odyssey of the Seas, a Quantum Class ship, the increase to full capacity is 31%.
Using those guidelines, the Discovery Class could hold between 5,200 and and 5,800 guests. That means it’s likely far larger than most small-ship fans would like.
Looking at other cruise lines, that puts Discovery Class around the same double-occupancy capacity as Princess Cruises’ new Sphere Class ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess, and roughly in line with MSC’s Meraviglia Plus Class ships.
Nothing Set In Stone
Of course, this is just based on an SEC filing, which is done in good faith, but may change. In the past, we’ve seen Norwegian Cruise Line adjust its capacity from its original SEC estimates, and the same may hold true here.
The 10-Q gives a fourth-quarter 2029 delivery date, which means they should start construction this year. Carnival’s first Ace Class ship will debut in 2029, and Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy has stated the first steel will be cut this July. That means the design will likely be locked in for Discovery very soon, if it hasn’t already been. But whether or not they’re going to share the plans with us is a whole different story.
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