Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

$7bn in new ships, 28,000 berths arriving in 2016

b918bf0d557ed37dddc0241dc9e2fe16_XL
Koningsdam's World Stage with its 270-degree, high-definition LED screen
Update: Carnival Corp. & plc said the delivery of a second AIDA ship, planned for 2016, has been pushed to 2017. Ten ocean-going newbuilds are scheduled to enter service in 2016, worth a total of nearly $7bn and representing an additional 27,580 lower berths, according to Seatrade's orderbook.

The ships are AIDAprima, Carnival Vista, Genting Dream, Harmony of the Seas, Koningsdam, Mein Schiff 5, Ovation of the Seas, Seabourn Encore, Seven Seas Explorer and Viking Sea.

These dynamic newbuilds will be among the topics highlighting the cruise industry's leading annual business-to-business event, Seatrade Cruise Global, scheduled for March 14-17 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

2016's new ocean-going fleet represents a wide range of sizes, styles and innovations, with new technical and environmental features, new dining and entertainment attractions, and more.

The Japanese-built AIDAprima will have all-weather spaces and dual-fuel engines for direct supply of LNG to power hotel needs in port. Among Carnival Vista's alfresco novelties is SkyRide, a cycling adventure suspended from a track high above the top deck. Genting Dream is the first vessel in Genting Hong Kong's new premium brand, Dream Cruises.

Harmony of the Seas will become the world's largest cruise ship and has thrill rides like The Ultimate Abyss, a 10-deck-high slide. Koningsdam starts the new Pinnacle class for Holland America Line with venues such as World Stage and its 270-degree, high-definition LED screen. Mein Schiff 5 debuts a new Austrian dining spot, Schmankeri.

Seabourn Encore adds a deck to expand the Odyssey-class design and sports interiors by hospitality icon Adam D. Tihany. Regent Seven Seas Cruises touts Seven Seas Explorer as the most luxurious ship ever built. Viking Sea is the sister of 2015's acclaimed Viking Star, the first ship for Viking Ocean Cruises.

The newbuilds were profiled in Seatrade Cruise Review's December digital edition, available to download here.