- Royal Caribbean has expanded Asia-Pacific homeports with Ovation of the Seas in Brisbane
- MSC Cruises has cancelled Middle East sailings and moved ships to Western Mediterranean and South Caribbean
- Carnival Tropicale will debut in spring 2028 from Galveston with capacity for 6,000 guests
- Princess Cruises has announced 291 European departures with maiden calls to Galway and Killybegs
- Celebrity Cruises has deployed four Edge Series ships to Europe for 2028
Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises have confirmed their 2028 deployment schedules, revealing substantial shifts in regional fleet positioning, new ship launches, and expanded itineraries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and beyond. Royal Caribbean’s 2027-2028 deployment features expanded Asia-Pacific and Australian homeports, with Ovation of the Seas moving to Brisbane and Voyager of the Seas handling regional rotation, alongside traditional Caribbean and European schedules. Early port telemetry and community tracking have indicated upcoming 2028 summer placements including Freedom of the Seas in Southampton and Anthem of the Seas returning to Sydney.
MSC Cruises has announced major deployment changes for the winter 2027-2028 season, cancelling its previously planned Middle East season and moving its mega-ships into the Western Mediterranean and the South Caribbean instead. The company has opened bookings for a 115-night World Cruise departing in early 2028 aboard MSC Magnifica, travelling from the Mediterranean across the Caribbean, Australia, and Dubai. MSC World Europa will no longer sail to the Middle East and will now remain in Europe year-round with 7-night loops calling at Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Messina, and Valletta. The brand-new flagship MSC World Asia is being deployed to the Southern Caribbean for its first season with 7- and 14-night voyages departing from Fort-de-France (Martinique), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), and Bridgetown (Barbados).
Carnival Cruise Line’s 2028 deployment schedule introduces the new Excel-class ship Carnival Tropicale, which will debut in spring 2028 with a massive water park and capacity for over 6,000 guests, making its official homeport in Galveston, Texas. Carnival Adventure will end its year-round Australian schedule in April 2028, transitioning to North America for the Northern Hemisphere summer and returning to Australia only for the seasonal Southern Hemisphere summer from November to April. Princess Cruises has announced its largest-ever European season with 291 departures across 150 unique itineraries, featuring maiden calls to Galway and Killybegs on the western coast of Ireland, while Celebrity Cruises has unveiled voyages across all seven continents with four Edge Series ships deployed to Europe simultaneously.
Michael Bayley, President of Royal Caribbean International, shared: “We are seeing strong demand across all our key markets, and the 2028 deployment reflects our commitment to offering guests the widest possible choice of destinations and experiences around the world.”
