Royal Caribbean Announces Schedule for 2025-2026 Bookings

Eager travelers hoping to plan ahead for that dream cruise vacation in 2025 or 2026 can set their alarms, alerts, and reminders for when to book Royal Caribbean International sailings.

The cruise line has now released the opening schedule for those future deployments, when bookings can begin to be made for cruises in different parts of the world.

When Will New Cruises Go on Sale?

Exactly when new 2025 and 2026 cruises will be available for booking depends on the sailing region and sailing date of the upcoming voyages.

The first new sailings that will open up are the 2025 Alaska season cruises, which set sail from April through October that year. Prospective guests will be able to book these itineraries to the Last Frontier beginning the week of October 30, 2023.

Next up is Europe, an ever-growing hotspot for cruise travel, especially as summer sailings offer enriching and phenomenal family vacation experiences. These 2025 cruises will also set sail between April and October, and can be booked beginning the week of November 6, 2023.

Starting on the week of November 13, 2023, the first phase of 7-night Caribbean sailings will be available for reservations, with departure dates between April 2025 and April 2026. Additional 7-night Caribbean cruises, with departure dates from July 2025 through April 2026, will be opened the week of December 4, 2023.

Guests looking for shorter cruise sailings in the Caribbean, as well as cruises from Los Angeles or sailings in the Northeast, such as Canada and New England itineraries, can begin booking those journeys the week of February 12, 2024. These itineraries will set sail from April 2025 through April 2026.

Finally, longer Caribbean cruises – typically those that will visit more exotic ports of call – will open to guests during the week of February 19, 2024, with departure dates from October 2025 through April 2026.

Interested travelers should note that Royal Caribbean only specifies that bookings will open “the week of” the listed dates, but it is possible that reservations may not be made until later in the week rather than on the first date listed.

Sailings Already Released

If guests are interested in one specific ship – the upcoming record-breaker, first-in-class, revolutionary Icon of the Seas – sailings for that ship have already been released through April 2026.

This early release of booking dates is in response to the epic response to the new vessel, which officially opened for bookings on October 25, 2022.

The new ship shattered all previous single-day booking records in Royal Caribbean’s 53-year history. While the cruise line has not detailed exactly how the booking records were set – volume of sales, total financial amount of bookings, projected revenue, etc. – it is no surprise that the hotly anticipated ship is quickly filling up future bookings.

Icon of the Seas will be homeported from Miami, Florida, with her maiden voyage set for January 27, 2024. The 250,800-gross-ton vessel will offer alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, including calls on the cruise line’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Cruises Yet to Come

Some limited itineraries for 2025 and 2026 are not yet scheduled for release, but are only noted as “coming soon” with respect to the opening schedule. This includes cruises from Singapore, China, and Australia, as well as other isolated sailings.

It is also possible that transatlantic or transpacific cruises – even within the windows noted for sailing dates – may not yet become available for booking in the announced schedule.

Read Also: Carnival Ship to Sail Europe, New Cruises Open From the US

Interested travelers should always be aware that cruise itineraries can change due to a number of factors, including deployment changes, weather, socio-political events, port closures, dry dock schedules, and more.

This is especially true for bookings made years in advance, but it is still a good idea to begin planning that future cruise vacation when bookings open to secure the best deals, most desirable cabins, and preferred itineraries.