New Cruise Ship Construction and Refurb Delays (2020)

Once cruising resumes, will you have to wait even longer for that shiny new cruise ship? We’re checking in on the status of new cruise ships and major refurbishments scheduled for 2020. Also Read: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cruise Line Updates 2020 was supposed to be another incredible year for new cruise ship launches, then Covid-19 happened. While we’ve seen almost the entire world come to a standstill, many shipyards have been impacted with total shutdowns or slowdowns affecting the progress of work. In this post, we’ll update you on new builds scheduled for launch in 2020, as well as planned major refurbishments. Delivered New Cruise Ships Let’s first look at cruise ships that were delivered or refurbished prior to the onset of the pandemic. Seven Seas Splendor Regent Seven Seas Cruises latest ship, Seven Seas Splendor was officially delivered and sailed an inaugural voyage from Barcelona to Miami where her naming ceremony took place on February 24, 2020. Currently all of her voyages through June 26 th have been canceled. Celebrity Apex Celebrity Apex, the second Edge-Class ship from Celebrity Cruises was delivered virtually from the shipyard on March 27, 2020. All of Celebrity Apex’s inaugural season cruises have been canceled through at least June 11. Scarlet Lady Scarlet Lady, the first ship for brand new cruise line Virgin Voyages, was delivered on February 17 th . On route to her homeport of Miami, she made overnight stops at Dover and Liverpool in the U.K. for press and invited guests. During her transatlantic voyage, events in New York City and Miami were canceled and there’s been no other sailings. Currently, a special voyage is scheduled on July 15th to celebrate Richard Branson’s 70 th Birthday, but recently, that sailing has disappeared from their website. As of now, the first available sailing is scheduled for August 7 th . Update: Virgin Voyages has canceled all cruises through October 15, 2020. Richard's Birthday Bash has been rescheduled for July 14, 2021. Norwegian Spirit Norwegian Spirit completed a 43-day, $100 million dry dock in February 2020. The ship was originally scheduled to operate in Asia, but those sailings were canceled as Coronavirus continued to spread. Currently, the first scheduled sailings are for July 5, 2020 from Athens. Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Silhouette completed a 42-day dry dock enhancement in February 2020. The ship is currently scheduled to resume service on June 13, 2020 from Southampton, England. Carnival Elation Carnival Elation completed a 23-day dry dock on March 25, 2020. The ship has not sailed with guests since and is currently scheduled to return to service on August 3, 2020 from Port Canaveral. Confirmed New Ship Delays The following new cruise ship launches have been affected by the pandemic. P&O Iona Construction of P & O Cruises Iona, their largest ship ever built, has been affected by coronavirus slowdowns at the shipyard. Currently in the final finishing stages, her maiden voyage for May 15 was delayed and the first voyage is now scheduled for August 1, 2020. Crystal Endeavor Crystal Cruises first expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor, was scheduled to launch in August 2020, but delays at the shipyard related to Covid-19 have pushed back completion of the vessel. The ships’ maiden voyage is now scheduled for November 14 th . Enchanted Princess Enchanted Princess, Princess Cruises fifth Royal Class ship, has been delayed due to shipyard closures. Originally scheduled to launch in June 2020, the full inaugural Mediterranean season has been canceled with her first available cruise listed as November 21, 2020 from Port Everglades. Possible Delays & Changes There are three other major ship debuts this year that could still see delays and another three major dry docks that are currently on hold. Odyssey of the Seas Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, has been making steady progress throughout this