Royal Caribbean to Deploy Five Ships to Europe in 2026

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Royal Caribbean released its roster of Europe voyages for summer 2026, giving cruisers a choice of five ships and five departure cities. Together, the ships will offer port calls to more than 60 destinations on sailings ranging from 2-night getaways to 14-night immersive itineraries.

Harmony of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, and Liberty of the Seas will sail from Barcelona, Rome, Ravenna, and Southampton, respectively. Brilliance of the Seas will offer multiple embarkation ports — Athens, Rome, Ravenna, and Barcelona.

Itineraries will take guests across the region, from the ancient sites and sun-soaked beaches of the Greek Isles and Turkey to the Norwegian fjords and the capital cities of Scandinavia. In the Western Mediterranean, cruisers will visit classic destinations such as Florence, Italy, and the Provence region of France.

Harmony of the Seas will be the line’s only Oasis-class ship sailing in Europe in 2026. The ship, which launched in 2015 and has a total capacity of 6,687 guests, will sail 7-day cruises from Barcelona to ports that include Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Florence (La Spezia), Rome and Naples, Italy; and Provence (Marseille), France, depending on departure date.

A July 5, 2026 departure calls at Palma De Mallorca, Spain; and Florence, Rome, and Naples, Italy. A wide range of shore tours are offered, featuring, for example, the Palma Cathedral in Mallorca and the iconic Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, where Michelangelo’s “David” is on display.

Sailing from Rome, the Quantum-class Odyssey of the Seas offers 7- to 9-night cruises to ports in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. The ship, which entered service in 2020 with a capacity for 5,510 guests, will take guests to historic destinations such as Kusadasi, Turkey, and the whitewashed villages of Santorini, Greece.

The ship’s July 19, 2026 cruise is a 7-night voyage calling at Santorini, Kusadasi, Mykonos, and Naples, Italy.

Liberty of the Seas, a Freedom-class ship that debuted in 2007, will sail 2- to 9-night cruises to ports in the Western Mediterranean and Northern Europe from Southampton. The 4,960-guest ship’s series includes short getaways to Bruges, Belgium, and longer voyages to the Norwegian fjords, Scandinavia, and Spain.

Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas (Photo Credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock)

A sample, 9-night “Spanish Flair” cruise departing July 24, 2026 will visit Vigo, Seville, La Coruna, and Bilbao, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal.

Sailing from Ravenna, the new port for Venice since the city banned mega-ships from its city center, Explorer of the Seas offers 7- to 14-night voyages to ports in the Adriatic Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

The Voyager-class ship, which carries a total of 4,290 guests, offers a 7-night cruise calling at Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia; and Athens and Santorini, Greece, departing on July 25, 2026.

The smallest of the Europe-bound ships in 2026 is the 2,543-guest Brilliance of the Seas, offering departures from four ports, including Athens, Rome, Ravenna, and Barcelona. The Radiance-class ship that launched in 2001 will sail 7-day voyages in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.

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The 2,543-guest ship, for instance, will sail a 7-night Greek Isles and Turkey cruise on August 24, 2026 from Athens to Mykonos and Santorini, Greece; and Istanbul and Kusadasi, Turkey.

One Fewer Royal Caribbean Ship Will Sail Europe in 2026

Royal Caribbean has reduced the number of ships sailing the 2026 summer season by one vessel, from six slated to deploy to the region in 2025 to five in 2026.

Another notable change is the swapping of Allure of the Seas, which is scheduled to sail Europe in 2025, for Harmony of the Seas in 2026. Both are Oasis-class ships.

Guest capacity is nearly the same; Allure of the Seas has a capacity for 6,780 guests with all berths occupied, compared to 6,687 on Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has not revealed where it will deploy Allure of the Seas for summer 2026, and the cruise line website shows no assignment for the mega-ship yet.

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