Cruise Ship Deployments for 2028 and 2029: Every Announcement and Release Date So Far

Last updated: October 2, 2026

Cruise lines open their schedules about two years ahead, which means 2028 and 2029 sailings are arriving now. Viewers of my ship tours on the Jackson Jetsetting YouTube channel ask every week where a particular vessel is headed next, so I built this page to hold every deployment announcement in one place, along with the dates when the next batches of itineraries go on sale.

I update this post each time a cruise line opens new sailings. The update log at the bottom shows what changed and when.

2028-2029 Cruise Deployment Release Dates Still Ahead

The table below lists every release I am watching. Rows marked Confirmed carry a date from the cruise line. Rows marked Expected are my estimates, based on when the same line made the equivalent announcement a year earlier.

When	Cruise line	What opens	Status
October 7, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET	Disney Cruise Line	Disney Believe homeport and itineraries, revealed by livestream	Confirmed
Week of October 12, 2026	Royal Caribbean	Europe 2028, Part 1	Confirmed
Week of November 2, 2026	Royal Caribbean	7-night Caribbean, May through September 2028	Confirmed
Around December 2026	Norwegian Cruise Line	Winter 2028-2029	Expected
Around December 2026	MSC Cruises	Winter 2028-2029 from U.S. homeports	Expected
February or March 2027	Disney Cruise Line	Summer 2028	Expected
No date yet	Royal Caribbean	Europe 2028 Part 2, short Caribbean, and fall 2028 through winter 2029	Listed as coming soon
No date yet	Royal Caribbean	Name, homeport, and itineraries for the fifth Icon Class ship	Promised in the coming months
No date yet	Celebrity Cruises	Caribbean 2028-2029 and Galapagos 2029	Listed as coming soon
No date yet	Carnival Cruise Line	2028-2029 sailings from Florida and East Coast homeports	Not announced
No date yet	Holland America Line	2028 Alaska Cruisetours	To be announced separately

Pro Tip: A "week of" date from Royal Caribbean means the sailings can load on any day of that week. They usually appear in the second half of it.

2028-2029 Cruise Deployment Status by Cruise Line

Cruise line	On sale now	Still to come
Royal Caribbean	2028 Alaska	Europe 2028, Caribbean 2028, and fall 2028 through winter 2029
Celebrity Cruises	2028 Japan, Europe, Bermuda, Canada and New England, Alaska, Hawaii, South America, Australia, and winter 2028-2029 Asia	Caribbean 2028-2029 and Galapagos 2029
Carnival Cruise Line	Carnival Tropicale and Carnival Jubilee from Galveston, plus the 2028-2029 West Coast program	Florida and East Coast homeports
Norwegian Cruise Line	Summer 2028 (April through October)	Winter 2028-2029
Princess Cruises	2028 Japan, Europe, and Alaska	Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, and Panama Canal for 2028-2029
Holland America Line	2028 Grand Voyages, Europe, Alaska, and Canada and New England	2028 Alaska Cruisetours
MSC Cruises	Summer 2028 Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe	Winter 2028-2029
Disney Cruise Line	Fall 2027 and spring 2028	Disney Believe itineraries and summer 2028
Virgin Voyages	Summer 2028 Mediterranean and Northern Europe	Winter 2028-2029

Royal Caribbean 2028-2029 Deployment Schedule

Royal Caribbean published the first part of its 2028-2029 opening schedule in mid-September 2026. Three release windows have dates so far, and the remainder of the program, covering fall 2028 through winter 2029, is listed as coming soon. A year ago the line opened Alaska, Europe, and most Caribbean sailings across five consecutive weeks from late October into mid-November, with Australia and Asia following later.

New sailings often show up in the travel advisor reservation system before they reach Royal Caribbean's website, so I watch that system for my clients during each release week.

Royal Caribbean 2028 Alaska Cruises (On Sale Now)

The 2028 Alaska season opened to Crown & Anchor Society members on September 30, 2026, and to everyone on October 1. Four ships will sail 7-night itineraries from three homeports.

• Ovation of the Seas: roundtrip from Seattle with Monday departures, May through September, following its amplification. Ovation takes over the Seattle slot from Quantum of the Seas.
• Voyager of the Seas: roundtrip from Seattle with Friday departures. The final Alaska departure of the year is September 22, 2028.
• Anthem of the Seas: one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward plus roundtrips from Vancouver, with 2- to 6-night Cruisetours that add Denali National Park.
• Serenade of the Seas: roundtrip from Vancouver, May through September, with calls that include Icy Strait Point and Prince Rupert.

My month-by-month guide to the best time to cruise Alaska can help you choose between early and late season dates.

Royal Caribbean 2028 Europe Cruises (Week of October 12, 2026)

The Europe release is labeled Part 1, so expect some of the summer 2028 ships and itineraries in this batch and the remainder in a later one. Royal Caribbean split Europe this way once before, in 2024, when it held back the European debut of Legend of the Seas for a separate announcement.

Royal Caribbean Summer 2028 Caribbean Cruises (Week of November 2, 2026)

This release covers 7-night Caribbean sailings from May through September 2028 on ships that stay in the region all year. Short 3- and 4-night cruises, and ships that split the year between the Caribbean and Europe, will come in a separate release. Royal Caribbean currently sells sailings through April 2028. If you are choosing a route, read my Eastern vs. Western Caribbean comparison first.

Royal Caribbean 2028-2029 Releases Without a Date

Europe Part 2, short Caribbean cruises, the Northeast, Texas, California, Australia, Asia, Panama Canal crossings, and repositioning voyages are all pending. Based on prior years, my read is that most of those will open in late 2026 or early 2027.

Celebrity Cruises 2028-2029 Deployment

Celebrity Cruises announced its 2028-2029 deployment on August 10, 2026, and has been opening it in stages.

• On sale at announcement: summer 2028 Japan
• August 25, 2026: Europe, Bermuda, and Canada and New England
• September 1, 2026: Alaska, Hawaii, and South America
• September 29, 2026: Australia and winter 2028-2029 Asia
• Coming soon, with no date yet: Caribbean 2028-2029 and Galapagos 2029

Four Edge Series ships will sail Europe in 2028, a first for the line, and Celebrity Beyond returns to Europe for the first time since 2023. Celebrity Apex adds 12-night British Isles itineraries with the line's first call at Galway, Ireland. Celebrity Equinox sails its first Alaska season on 7-night one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward, then offers new roundtrip Hawaii sailings from Los Angeles. Celebrity Solstice spends April through October 2028 in Japan, its first full season there. In North America, Celebrity Summit sails 7-night Bermuda cruises from Cape Liberty in May 2028 and 12-night Canada and New England cruises from Boston in September and October 2028.

Carnival Cruise Line 2028-2029 Deployment

Carnival releases its schedule one homeport at a time. Three pieces of the 2028-2029 program are open so far.

Carnival Tropicale From Galveston (Opened September 2026)

Carnival Tropicale, the fifth and final Excel Class ship, debuts from Galveston on April 15, 2028. It will sail 4-, 5-, 6-, and 8-day cruises to Celebration Key, RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay, Isla Tropicale in Roatan, Puerta Maya in Cozumel, Progreso, and Nassau.

Carnival Jubilee From Galveston (Opened September 17, 2026)

With Tropicale taking over most of the longer Galveston itineraries, Carnival Jubilee shifts to mainly 4- and 5-day cruises from April 2028 through April 2029. The 4-day sailings leave on select Thursdays for Cozumel starting April 27, 2028. The 5-day sailings leave on select Saturdays and Mondays for Cozumel and Progreso starting April 17, 2028. My Carnival Jubilee short cruises post has the full schedule.

Carnival West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii Cruises (Announced September 30, 2026)

• Carnival Adventure: makes its Alaska debut from Seattle with 18 seven-day cruises between May 9 and September 5, 2028, each with scenic cruising in Endicott Arm. A 9-day Carnival Journeys Alaska cruise follows on September 12, then a 16-day Carnival Journeys Hawaii cruise on September 21.
• Carnival Legend: sails from San Francisco with ten 4-day Baja Mexico cruises between April and August 2028 and nine 10-day Alaska cruises from May 15 through September 4. It also offers a 13-day Carnival Journeys Alaska cruise on April 28 and a 15-day Carnival Journeys Hawaii cruise on September 14.
• Carnival Spirit: opens with a 16-day Panama Canal crossing from Tampa on April 16, 2028, then sails 7-day Alaska cruises from Seattle between May 7 and September 7. In the fall it moves to Long Beach for Hawaii, Baja Mexico, and Mexican Riviera cruises through spring 2029.

Fares for the West Coast sailings start at $424 per person. I have not seen 2028-2029 releases for Carnival's Florida or East Coast homeports yet, and Carnival has not published dates for them.

Norwegian Cruise Line Summer 2028 Deployment

Norwegian Cruise Line opened its summer 2028 season on August 11, 2026. It covers more than 450 voyages on 20 ships from 25 homeports between April and October 2028.

• Caribbean and Bahamas: Norwegian Aura sails 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruises from Miami, and Norwegian Aqua sails 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises from the same port. Norwegian Prima returns to Galveston for 7-day Western Caribbean cruises with a call at Harvest Caye, and Norwegian Escape sails from Port Canaveral.
• Bermuda: Norwegian Luna repositions from Miami to New York on a 10-day voyage in May 2028, then sails 5- and 7-day Bermuda cruises. Norwegian Gem sails to Bermuda from Philadelphia and Norwegian Breakaway from Boston.
• Alaska: Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, and Norwegian Joy sail from Seattle with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday departures. Norwegian Jade sails 7-day cruises from Vancouver and Whittier.
• Europe: Norwegian Jewel makes its first calls in Morocco on a 12-day Canary Islands itinerary from Barcelona, and Norwegian Getaway sails between Southampton and Reykjavik during the midnight sun weeks.

Winter 2028-2029 has no announced date. Norwegian revealed its winter 2027-2028 program in December 2025, so I expect the next one around December 2026.

Princess Cruises 2028 Deployment

Princess Cruises has released three large pieces of 2028.

• Japan and Southeast Asia (April 14, 2026): Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess both homeport in Tokyo for the full 2028 season, with 85 departures on itineraries of 7 to 29 days.
• Europe (June 2, 2026): six ships and 291 departures, with first calls at Galway and Killybegs in Ireland and a 53-day Pole-to-Pole Odyssey. The ships are Caribbean Princess, Enchanted Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, Sky Princess, and Sun Princess.
• Alaska (August 11, 2026): eight ships including Star Princess, with 185 departures from Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, plus 86 visits to Glacier Bay National Park. My guide to Princess Alaska cruises explains the ship and route choices.

Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, and Panama Canal sailings are on sale through the 2027-2028 season, so the fall 2028 through spring 2029 releases are still ahead. For the seasons already open, check current Princess Cruises offers for booking perks.

Holland America Line 2028 Deployment

• Grand Voyages (April 30, 2026): a 129-day Grand World Voyage on Volendam leaves Fort Lauderdale on January 4, 2028, and a 90-day Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage on Zaandam leaves San Diego the same month.
• Europe (August 3, 2026): five ships sail itineraries of 7 to 48 days, with departures from January through early December 2028. The ships are Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Volendam, and Zuiderdam.
• Alaska (August 27, 2026): six ships sail cruises of 7 to 18 days. New for 2028 are an 11-day voyage from San Diego to Vancouver on Zaandam, leaving April 29, and the line's first scenic cruising in Nootka Sound. Oosterdam sails its first Alaska season after its Evolution refit.
• Canada and New England (October 1, 2026): Volendam and Zuiderdam sail from May through October 2028, with departures from Montreal, Quebec City, Boston, New York, and Fort Lauderdale.

Holland America says details of its 2028 Alaska Cruisetours will come in a separate announcement. If you are choosing between the two largest Alaska programs, see my Princess vs. Holland America Alaska comparison.

MSC Cruises 2028 Deployment

MSC Cruises opened its summer 2028 Caribbean season at the end of April 2026, with six ships sailing from four homeports.

• MSC World America: 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami
• MSC World Atlantic: 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, the ship's first summer there
• MSC Seaside and MSC Grandiosa: 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises to Ocean Cay and Nassau, from Miami and Port Canaveral respectively
• MSC Seascape: 7-night Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston (see my MSC Seascape review)
• MSC Opera: 7-night Southern Caribbean cruises from La Romana, near the new Catalina Sugar Beach

Summer 2028 guests will be among the first to visit Sandy Cay, the private island retreat MSC is building beside Ocean Cay.

MSC Poesia also returns to Seattle for 7-night Alaska cruises in summer 2028. In August 2026, MSC revised winter 2027-2028 as well. MSC World Europa will stay in the Western Mediterranean rather than move to the Middle East, and MSC World Asia will sail 7- and 14-night Southern Caribbean cruises from Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Barbados.

Winter 2028-2029 has no date. MSC announced its winter 2027-2028 U.S. lineup in December 2025, so December 2026 is my estimate for the next one.

Disney Cruise Line 2027-2028 Itineraries

Disney Cruise Line announced fall 2027 and spring 2028 itineraries on August 25, 2026, and opened them to the general public on September 8.

• Disney Wish: sails from New York from late September to early November 2027, the line's first season there since 2023, with 4- to 7-night cruises to Bermuda, New England, and Canada. It then sails from San Juan before returning to Port Canaveral.
• Disney Magic: makes two 14-night Panama Canal crossings, from San Diego to Galveston in November 2027 and back in March 2028.
• Disney Destiny: homeports in Port Canaveral for the first time.
• Disney Adventure: adds a 4-night itinerary from Singapore with a call at Langkawi, Malaysia.

Disney will reveal the homeport and itineraries for Disney Believe, its fourth Wish Class ship, in a livestream on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Summer 2028 itineraries have no date yet. Disney announced summer 2027 on February 10, 2026, so I expect summer 2028 in February or March 2027.

Virgin Voyages 2028 Deployment

• Mediterranean (July 23, 2026): 41 sailings from April through October 2028 on Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, including 17 new itineraries. Two transatlantic crossings open the season: Valiant Lady from Miami to Barcelona on April 16, 2028, and Scarlet Lady from San Juan to Barcelona on April 22.
• Northern Europe (August 14, 2026): Valiant Lady homeports in Amsterdam for the line's first Scandinavia and Baltic season. The program includes a 7-night Norwegian fjords voyage and runs July 9 to September 4, 2028, with one-way sailings between Barcelona and Amsterdam at each end and an Arctic Circle crossing on August 14.

I have not seen a winter 2028-2029 release from Virgin Voyages yet.

New Cruise Ships and First Homeports for 2027 and 2028

Ship	Cruise line	Debut	Homeport and status
Hero of the Seas	Royal Caribbean	August 2027	Miami, 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean. On sale.
MSC World Atlantic	MSC Cruises	Late 2027	Port Canaveral. Winter 2027-2028 and summer 2028 on sale.
Disney Believe	Disney Cruise Line	Late 2027 (expected)	Homeport and itineraries to be revealed October 7, 2026.
Carnival Tropicale	Carnival Cruise Line	April 15, 2028	Galveston, 4- to 8-day cruises. On sale.
Fifth Icon Class ship	Royal Caribbean	2028	Keel laid September 14, 2026. Name and homeport to come.
Seventh Oasis Class ship	Royal Caribbean	2028	Name and homeport to come.

For a size comparison of the two largest Royal Caribbean classes, see my Oasis Class vs. Icon Class guide. My Star of the Seas guide shows what an Icon Class ship is like on board.

Five Tips I Give Every Client for Booking New 2028-2029 Cruise Deployments

• Log in with your loyalty number. Past guests often get first access. Royal Caribbean opened 2028 Alaska to Crown & Anchor Society members a day early, and Disney staggers its Castaway Club tiers across the week before general sales begin.
• Choose your sailings before release week. Pick two or three target dates, including a backup. Holiday and school break weeks go fastest. My step-by-step guide to booking a cruise walks through the process.
• Book on opening day for cabin choice. Every category is available at launch, including suites and the handful of oversized balconies on each ship, and fares tend to rise as cabins sell. Read guarantee cabin vs. picking your own before you decide how to book.
• Take the refundable deposit. Two years is a long time, and plans change. Several lines charge a little more for a refundable fare, and I think the flexibility is worth it this far out.
• Keep watching the fare. Many lines will adjust your price if it drops before final payment, so a booking made on day one can still improve.

If you want a specific ship and week held on release day, send me the details through my booking page and I will price it as soon as it loads.

Any sailing listed as on sale in this post can be booked through Jackson Jetsetting today.

Jackson Jetsetting Deployment Update Log

• October 2, 2026: Post published. Includes Royal Caribbean 2028 Alaska (on sale October 1), Carnival 2028-2029 West Coast (announced September 30), Holland America 2028 Canada and New England (opened October 1), and the Disney Believe reveal date (October 7).