Cruise Industry Re-Starts Large Revitalizations as Growth Continues
With strong advance bookings and a positive outlook, the cruise industry is moving forward with the planned but delayed large revitalizations of existing ships. Brands including Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ Regent Seven Seas Cruises have each recently announced large investments into existing ships in the fleet in addition to their newbuilding efforts.
When the COVID-19 pandemic overtook the industry in 2020, plans for the modernization of ships in the fleets were put on hold and canceled as the cruise lines worked to reduce capital expenditures. None of the major brands canceled new ship orders and recently they have placed the first large cruise ship orders since the pandemic. Now with strong demand from travelers, the lines are resuming their efforts at revitalizing existing ships.
The strength of the industry was highlighted last week when the trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) released its 2025 State of the Industry report. It is projecting approximately nine percent growth in passenger counts for its member lines or a total of 37.7 million passengers in 2025. Especially encouraging was the fact that nearly a third (31 percent) of passengers in the past two years on its members’ ships were first-time cruisers.
Celebrity Cruises announced today, May 29, that it is resuming its efforts at modernizing its Solstice class cruise ships. Built by Meyer Werft, the first of the ships, Celebrity Solstice entered service in November 2008 and was scheduled for a large refit as part of the $500 million Revolution program launched in 2018. The program was deferred mid-way due to the pandemic, but now the company reports it is launching a new investment program spending more than $250 million on the five ships of the Solstice class.
Celebrity Solstice (121,878 gross tons) will be first with an extensive dry dock renovation in early 2026 and introduce her new amenities in March 2026. Celebrity reports they will be adding eight new experiences, four new spaces, reinventing outdoor spaces, and a ship-wide stateroom and suite upgrades. All the 1,479 staterooms will be upgraded as well as adding new entertainment venues, an elevated sports bar, a new Italian restaurant, a redone steakhouse, and more. renderings also show a new livery matching the newbuild Celebrity Xcel.
MSC Cruises is undertaking the most extensive renovation since it stretched cruise ships a decade ago. The MSC Magnifica (95,128 gross tons) had been scheduled to be lengthened by 75 feet adding 215 cabins in 2021 at a cost of $143 million. Now the company reports she will undergo a substantial dry dock refurbishment before the summer of 2026. Included in this will be the first time the line has retrofitted its suite enclave concept, the Yacht Club, onto an existing ship.
“The MSC Yacht Club is one of our most highly regarded products, loved by guests for its outstanding level of service, elegant spaces, and exclusive facilities, so we are proud to be bringing this to MSC Magnifica,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. “The extensive remodeling is the largest we’ve undertaken in the last ten years and underlines our commitment to offer our guests the best possible guest experience across our entire fleet.”
Among the changes are 63 suites on the ship which will make up the new club as well as a private sun deck, lounge, and restaurant for the suite club. Other changes include an upgraded spa and fitness center and changes to the spaces dedicated to children.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings also recently announced that two ships for Regent Seven Seas Cruises will undergo extensive renovations. Seven Seas Mariner (48,000 gross tons) introduced in 2001 will go into dry dock in Marseille, France in November 2025. Seven Seas Voyager (42,300 gross tons) completed in 2003, will go into dry dock in late April 2026. The company plans investments to refurbish staterooms and upgrade public areas to prepare the ships to match the new cruise ships it introduced in the past few years and is currently building at Fincantieri in Italy.
Other cruise lines are planning similar large investments into existing ships to upgrade them to rival newbuilds. At the same time the industry has according to Seatrade's estimates more than $55 billion in new orders for 69 or more new ships due by the early 2030s.