Powered by LNG and fuel cells, Royal Caribbean International’s new ships will ride the wave of the future

The newest class of ships from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and introduce the use of fuel cell technology, ushering in a new era of shipbuilding that will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The ships will join the fleet of Royal Caribbean International, traditionally an industry leader in innovation and breakthrough ship design.

Shipbuilders will deliver these newest vessels to Royal Caribbean in the second quarters of 2022 and 2024. In the meantime, the company will begin testing fuel cell technology on an existing Oasis-class ship in 2017, and will also run progressively larger fuel cell projects on new Quantum class vessels being built in the next several years.

Royal Caribbean is already known for making steady progress on energy efficiency and reduced emissions through such technologies as air lubrication, which sends billions of microscopic bubbles along the hull of a ship to reduce friction, and AEP scrubbers, which clean exhaust gases before they leave the ship. Use of the new technologies will result in much cleaner emissions, as they produce no sulfur and significantly reduce the production of nitrogen oxides and particulates.

The switch to LNG provides further momentum for the technology, which has begun making significant inroads in the maritime industry. Royal Caribbean vessels utilizing this technology – which will be known as the “Icon” ships – are expected to run primarily on LNG but will also be able to run on distillate fuel, to accommodate occasional itineraries that call on ports without LNG infrastructure.

Icon is the first new ship class announced by RCL since Celebrity Cruises’ new Edge class, which debuts in 2018. The company is also expanding its fleet with new Oasis- and Quantum-class ships for Royal Caribbean International.