Full List Of All 21 LNG-Powered Cruise Ships

Cruise ships are a popular way for people to explore the world while enjoying the comfort and luxury of a floating hotel.

However, with the growing concern over the environmental impact of cruising, the cruise industry is undergoing a significant shift towards cleaner and greener alternatives.

One such alternative is the use of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel, which is much more environmentally friendly compared to traditional heavy fuel oil. In recent years, many cruise lines have begun to invest in LNG-powered ships to reduce their carbon footprint.

This article provides a comprehensive list of all of the LNG-powered cruise ships currently in operation and under construction.

1. AIDAnova

Maiden Voyage: 2 December 2018
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,200 guests

AIDAnova launched a new class of ship for AIDA Cruises, being the first Excellence-class ship for the fleet. She was also the first ocean cruise ship in the world that can completely sail using LNG, which is quite the record.

She suffered a number of delays due to her new design, which also impacted two other ships on this list. However the hull design has been used for other Carnival Corporation cruise ships since, meaning it’s now much easier for AIDA, Costa, Carnival, Princess, P&O and others to build LNG-powered cruise ships.

2. Costa Smeralda

Maiden Voyage: 21 December 2019
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,200 guests

Costa Smeralda is another Excellence-class ship, this time sailing under the Costa Cruises brand, and when she launched she was not only the first LNG-powered ship for Costa, but also the biggest ship ever built for the cruise line, and the sixth-largest in the world (although she has now fallen further down the rankings).

She remains one of the largest ships in the world to offer exclusively Mediterranean cruise itineraries, including through the winter.

3. Ponant Le Commandant Charcot

Maiden Voyage: 29 July 2021
Cost: $324 million
Tonnage: 30,000 GT
Capacity: 270 guests

Le Commandant Charcot featured a hybrid power plant that’s powered by LNG and has electric batteries that can drive the ship with the engines switched off. She was the first icebreaking vessel to be powered by LNG – meaning a ship that is capable of sailing through the polar regions and withstanding ice impacts in the water.

She was also key in proving that LNG was the future for all size of cruise ships – not just as an investment for larger mega ship designs.

4. Carnival Mardi Gras

Maiden Voyage: 31 July 2021
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,200 guests

Billed as ‘the first LNG-powered ship in North America’, Mardi Gras is the third Excellence-class ship to be built for the Carnival Corporation and the first for the primary Carnival cruise brand.

Carnival took the opportunity to overhaul the layout of the ship too, introducing ‘Zones’ for the first time, with each one hosting different entertainment facilities and features to make navigating the ship much easier.

5. P&O Iona

Maiden Voyage: 7 August 2021
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,200 guests

Iona follows the same Excellence-class design as other Carnival Corp. ships, and was at the time the largest ship ever to be built for P&O Cruises and therefore the largest ship designed with the British cruise market in mind.

Since her launch in 2020 she has been exceptionally popular, primarily offering cruises around Northern Europe and the Med but with the occasional Caribbean itinerary too.

6. AIDAcosma

Maiden Voyage: 26 February 2022
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,400 guests

AIDAcosma is a direct twin of AIDAnova, which also means she helped AIDA Cruises become the first cruise line to feature two LNG-powered ships.

A family-friendly ship, she is packed with fun features for all ages to enjoy including rock-climbing walls, splash pools, a water park and dining options aimed at children too.

7. Costa Toscana

Maiden Voyage: 5 March 2022
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,224 guests

Costa Toscana is the sister ship of the Costa Smeralda, and she is considered to be the new flagship of the Costa Cruises fleet.

Delivery of Costa Toscana was delayed from her original launch date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but since she has launched she has wowed guests with her wide range of family-oriented facilities, helping establish a new and more environmentally-friendly future for Costa Cruises.

8. Disney Wish

Maiden Voyage: 14 July 2022
Cost: $900 million
Tonnage: 140,000 GT
Capacity: 2,500 guests

Disney Wish was the fifth ship to launch for Disney Cruise Line, marking it as a notable event since launches are so rare.

Not only was she the first Disney ship to be powered by LNG, but she was the first to feature a full Disney attraction at sea, in the form of the AquaMouse water coaster. Other popular areas of the ship are themed around Star Wars, Marvel, and the Disney concept of ‘imagineering’.

9. Carnival Celebration

Maiden Voyage: 6 November 2022
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,200 guests

Carnival Celebration is a sister ship of Mardi Gras, and became the seventh Excellence-class ship to launch for the Carnival Corporation.

She is very similar to Mardi Gras, being split into six distinct zones and including a wealth of dining options and family-friendly activities, including the returning Bolt roller coaster at sea and the debut of Space Cruisers, part of the kids’ club developed with the Kennedy Space Center.

10. P&O Arvia

Maiden Voyage: 6 November 2022
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900
Capacity: 5,200

Arvia is the second ship to launch for P&O Cruises to be powered by LNG, and she is the current flagship of the fleet.

Similar to Iona, she has some great features onboard to please the whole family, including fantastic dining options and a varied kids’ club. Unlike her sister, she offers more variety in her itineraries including more frequent Caribbean cruises.

11. MSC World Europa

Maiden Voyage: 26 January 2023
Cost: $1.2 billion
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,200 guests

MSC World Europa is the first ship for MSC Cruises to be powered by LNG, and her futuristic design doesn’t stop there. Other environmentally-friendly features include enhanced water recycling, and improved propellers that cut down on noise affecting marine wildlife.

Her modern style also extends to her entertainment, including virtual-reality themed activities and lots of digital screens.

12. MSC Euribia

Maiden Voyage: 10 June 2023
Cost: $1 billion
Tonnage: 177,000 GT
Capacity: 4,888 guests

MSC Euribia is the second LNG-powered ship to launch for MSC, but notably she’s also the first ship in the world to launch as part of an existing class of ship, but with the new fuel type. She joins the Meraviglia-Plus class, alongside sisters MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa that are powered by traditional diesel.

She also incorporates MSC’s new wastewater treatment systems, and other energy-efficient technology solutions to help reduce fuel needed.

13. Silversea Silver Nova

Maiden Voyage: 14 August 2023
Cost: $600 million
Tonnage: 54,700 GT
Capacity: 728 guests

Arguably, Silver Nova has the distinction of being the first ultra-luxury cruise ship to be powered by LNG (Le Ponant is sometimes considered an ultra-luxury cruise line too).

Along with a number of contemporary features aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the ship, the ship also looks to the future by adding more choices for dining and suite accommodation, and ensuring public spaces are as sumptuous as possible with hand-picked furnishings.

14. Carnival Jubilee

Maiden voyage: 23 December 2023
Cost: $950 million
Tonnage: 183,900 GT
Capacity: 5,400 guests

Carnival Jubilee will be the third LNG-powered ship in the Carnival Cruises fleet, offering sailings out of Galveston in Texas.

So far, the ship has been announced as retaining many of the most popular features of her sister ships, although it’s expected that some new features may be revealed closer to her debut sailing to set her apart.

15. Icon of the Seas

Maiden Voyage: 27 January 2024
Cost: $1.1 billion
Tonnage: 250,800 GT
Capacity: 5,610 guests

When Icon of the Seas launched for Royal Caribbean, she wasn’t just the first LNG-powered ship for arguably the biggest cruise line in the world; she also took on the mantle of the single biggest cruise ship ever built.

She features some incredible new features, such as a dedicated neighbourhood for young families in Surfside, the largest waterpark at sea, and a massive range of dining options, including old favourites and debuting venues.

16. Sun Princess

Maiden Voyage: 18 February 2024
Cost: $1 billion
Tonnage: 175,000 GT
Capacity: 4,300 guests

Sun Princess will be the first LNG-powered ship for Princess Cruises, and also the first LNG-powered ship built for the Carnival Corporation that isn’t an Excellence-class ship. She’ll actually be a little smaller than the Excellence-class ships, but she’ll still be the largest ship sailing for Princess Cruises.

The third ship to ever sail for the fleet with the name ‘Sun Princess’, she will offer some stunning new features including the Wake View Terrance and Sun View Terrace, both perfect spots to relax and enjoy the incredible views from the ship.

17. Silver Ray

Maiden Voyage: 3 June 2024
Cost: $600 million
Tonnage: 54,700 GT
Capacity: 728 guests

Silver Ray will be the second Nova-class ship sailing for Silversea, including some of the debuting features from Silver Nova such as the asymmetrical design and the increased use of glass throughout the public areas to open up the ship more and make the most of the view.

As well as being powered by LNG, she’ll retain other contemporary tech from Silver Nova that helps to make her more environmentally-friendly than earlier ships in the Silversea fleet.

18. Utopia of the Seas

Maiden Voyage: 3 June 2024
Cost: $1.3 billion
Tonnage: 231,000 GT
Capacity: 5,714 guests

Utopia of the Seas will be the final Oasis-class ship to launch for Royal Caribbean, and the first of which to be powered by LNG.

Expect her to retain many of the most popular features from sister ships like Wonder of the Seas, along with some new features yet to be revealed – no Royal Caribbean ship ever launches without something innovative.

19. TUI Mein Schiff 8

Maiden voyage: Q4 2024
Cost: $850 million
Tonnage: 161,000
Capacity: 4,000

Mein Schiff 8 is set to be the first LNG-powered cruise ship for TUI Cruises – somewhat surprisingly, since Mein Schiff 7 is only set to debut in 2024, although she is being built to run on traditional diesel.

She will be the largest ship in the TUI fleet on launch, and will introduce other green tech debuting on other cruise lines, such as shore power connections to reduce emissions in port to zero.

20. Disney Treasure

Maiden voyage: 2024
Cost: $900 million
Tonnage: 140,000 GT
Capacity: 2,500 guests

Disney Treasure is set to be the sister ship of Disney Wish. As well as maintaining the environmentally-friendly features of her sister, she’ll also build on her new entertainment options and themed areas too.

While details are currently scarce, we do know that she has the theme of adventure, with public areas based on the Aladdin movies.

21. MSC World America

Maiden voyage: Summer 2025
Cost: $1.2 billion
Tonnage: 205,700 GT
Capacity: 5,400 guests

MSC World America is due to be the next MSC Cruises ship to launch following MSC Euribia, and she will be a twin sister to MSC World Europa.

A detailed list of features is still awaited but we know that she’ll be LNG-powered, and will sail around the Caribbean from the US when she does launch in 2025.

22. TUI Mein Schiff 9

Maiden voyage: TBC 2026
Cost: $850 million
Tonnage: 161,000
Capacity: 4,000

Mein Schiff 9 was announced at the same time as sister ship Mein Schiff 8, and is expected to be an almost identical twin, including her LNG-powered engines.

Construction will begin once Mein Schiff 8 is complete, with the ship due to launch in 2026.

The use of LNG-powered ships is a significant step towards a more eco-friendly future for the cruise industry. By investing in these innovative vessels, cruise lines aim to greatly reduce their impact on the environment.

I hope that this comprehensive list of LNG-powered cruise ships will inspire you to choose a more sustainable way to explore the world, without sacrificing luxury and comfort.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.