- Headquarters
- Miami, Florida, USA
- Founded
- 1968
- Fleet
- 28 ships (2026)
- Loyalty
- Crown & Anchor Society
Royal Caribbean International is the world's largest cruise line by passenger capacity and the flagship brand within Royal Caribbean Group. It operates 28 ships across six active classes and is defined by two things above all others: the biggest ships ever built (the Icon and Oasis classes) and the most complete family-oriented onboard product in mainstream cruising.
About Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International traces its lineage to 1968 and the founding of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line by three Norwegian shipping families. The modern brand emerged from the 1997 merger with Celebrity Cruises and now operates 28 ships across the Icon, Oasis, Quantum, Freedom, Voyager, and Radiance classes.
The line's competitive advantage is scale-plus-innovation. Royal has repeatedly delivered the world's largest cruise ships — currently the Icon class, which surpassed the previous Oasis-class record — and pioneered the private-destination model with Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. Signature onboard features include multi-storey water parks, ice skating rinks, surf simulators (FlowRider), zip lines, and Broadway productions licensed for full runs at sea.
The onboard product is unapologetically North American in accent — English-first announcements, dollar-priced onboard spend, and a guest mix skewed heavily to US and Canadian families. The Royal Suite Class enclave sits at the top of the fare ladder and gives suite guests private restaurant (Coastal Kitchen), a members-only lounge (Suite Lounge), and Concierge-tier service across every ship in the fleet.
Fleet
13 published ship profiles — more coverage rolling out.
Launched 2024
Icon of the Seas
The largest cruise ship ever built — Royal's Icon-class flagship, LNG-powered, eight-neighbourhood layout.
Launched 2025
Star of the Seas
The second Icon-class ship — Port Canaveral-based, seven-night Caribbean, sister to Icon of the Seas.
Launched 2024
Utopia of the Seas
The sixth Oasis-class ship — LNG-powered and the first Oasis-class vessel built for short-cruise duty from Port Canaveral.
Launched 2022
Wonder of the Seas
The fifth Oasis-class ship — briefly the largest afloat, now a Caribbean and Mediterranean workhorse.
Launched 2018
Symphony of the Seas
The fourth Oasis-class ship — Miami-based year-round, Ultimate Family Suite and Ultimate Abyss.
Launched 2016
Harmony of the Seas
The third Oasis-class ship — introduced the Ultimate Abyss dry slide and the Perfect Storm waterpark to the class.
Launched 2010
Allure of the Seas
The second Oasis-class ship — Galveston-based, Texas-market Caribbean workhorse.
Launched 2009
Oasis of the Seas
The original Oasis-class ship — the vessel that redefined modern mega-ship cruising, now New York-based.
Launched 2021
Odyssey of the Seas
The fifth Quantum-class ship — Quantum Ultra spec, Fort Lauderdale winter and Mediterranean summer.
Launched 2019
Spectrum of the Seas
The fourth Quantum-class ship — the first Quantum Ultra, purpose-built for the Chinese market from Shanghai.
Launched 2016
Ovation of the Seas
The third Quantum-class ship — Australia's largest and newest cruise ship, splitting Brisbane summers with Alaska.
Launched 2015
Anthem of the Seas
The second Quantum-class ship — the New York area workhorse and Royal's most consistent Bermuda operator.
Launched 2014
Quantum of the Seas
The original Quantum-class ship — Singapore-based, Southeast Asia flagship and the smart-ship platform originator.
Ship Classes
Compare the Royal Caribbean International fleet at a glance — classes, ship highlights, and who each is best suited to.
Showing 3 of 3 classes
| Class | Introduced | Tonnage | Capacity | Ships | Highlight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon Class | 2024 | ~250,800 GT | 5,610 (double), 7,600 (max) | Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas | The largest cruise ships ever built — eight themed neighbourhoods and AquaDome. | FlagshipLargest afloatLNG |
| Quantum Class | 2014 | 168,666 – 169,379 GT | 4,180 – 4,905 (max) | Odyssey of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas | North Star, iFly, and SeaPlex — Royal's smart-ship platform and Asia-Pacific flagship class. | Smart-shipNorth StarAsia-Pacific |
| Oasis Class | 2009 | 225,000 – 236,857 GT | 5,400 – 6,988 (max) | Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas | The class that defined mega-ship cruising — Central Park, Boardwalk, AquaTheater. | NeighborhoodsFamilyCentral Park |
Class · 2024
Icon Class
The largest cruise ships ever built — LNG-powered, eight-neighbourhood layout, and the current world-record holder for gross tonnage at sea.
Class · 2009
Oasis Class
The class that defined modern mega-ship cruising — Central Park, the Boardwalk, and the AquaTheater across six sister ships.
Class · 2014
Quantum Class
Royal's smart-ship class — North Star, Ripcord by iFly, SeaPlex, and the platform Royal deploys to Asia-Pacific year-round.
Onboard Experiences
Suite enclaves, fare tiers, and signature onboard products.
Suite enclave
Royal Suite Class
Royal Caribbean's suite-class enclave — Coastal Kitchen, Suite Lounge, and dedicated Royal Genie service across the fleet.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean's private Bahamian island — Thrill Waterpark, Coco Beach Club, and the most heavily invested private destination in cruising.
Loyalty Programme — Crown & Anchor Society
Crown & Anchor Society is Royal's six-tier loyalty programme (Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, Pinnacle) earned through cruise points based on nights sailed and cabin category. Status matches with Celebrity's Captain's Club through the Royal Caribbean Group loyalty reciprocity are automatic at booking.
Meaningful benefits kick in from Diamond onwards — daily drinks vouchers, dedicated concierge, priority tendering, and Diamond Lounge access on ships that have one. For frequent Royal cruisers the programme repays itself quickly and the top Pinnacle tier delivers genuinely material benefits including complimentary suite upgrades and specialty dining.
Destinations
Royal Caribbean's core deployment is the Caribbean year-round from Miami, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, and Cape Liberty — with Perfect Day at CocoCay featuring on almost every eastern and western Caribbean itinerary. Summer sees the fleet redeploy to Alaska (from Seattle and Vancouver), the Mediterranean, and Northern Europe, plus year-round Asia-Pacific programmes on the Quantum class from Singapore, Shanghai, and Brisbane.
The private-destination portfolio is the industry's most developed: Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas, Labadee in Haiti, and the upcoming Perfect Day Mexico project in Costa Maya. For guests who want the private-island experience baked into the fare, Royal is the strongest choice in mainstream cruising.