The Vision class is a group of six cruise ships built by Royal Caribbean International, and operated by themselves and Marella Cruises. Although called a class by Royal Caribbean, the Vision-class ships were built as three pairs of sister ships, each pair differing from the others in size and design. Unlike other Royal Caribbean classes, the Vision class is not named for the first ship built; was the last ship in the class to be built. Royal Caribbean had been promoting "Project Vision" for some time before ordering the first two ships in the class in 1992,[1] but Vision of the Seas was not ordered until 1994.[2]
Vision-class ships were designed to have more glass windows than any other ships at the time they debuted, and therefore greater views of the oceans from interior spaces. Ships in the Vision class were also the fastest built in 25 years thanks to their diesel-electric propulsion systems (the first in the Royal Caribbean fleet), which allowed the larger engines to be placed closer to the middle of the ships for better weight balance.[3]
Two of the ships were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland, while the others were built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France.
| Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Notes | Image | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandeur of the Seas & Enchantment of the Seas | |||||||
| Built in 1996 and 1997 by Kvaerner Masa-Yards, approximately 74,000 gross tons when built. Enchantment was lengthened by 73 feet in 2005, making it over 80,000 gross tons. | |||||||
| Grandeur of the Seas | 1996 | December 14, 1996 | 73,817 | In October 2019 it was announced that Grandeur of the Seas will transfer to Pullmantur Cruises in 2021, however due to Pullmantur's bankruptcy, Grandeur will remain with Royal Caribbean. | |||
| Enchantment of the Seas | 1997 | July 13, 1997 | 82,910 | In 2005, a 74feet midsection was added to Enchantment of the Seas, allowing for the addition of a pool, suspension bridges, specialty restaurants, additional staterooms, and expanded areas for guest comfort. | |||
| Rhapsody of the Seas & Vision of the Seas | |||||||
| Built in 1997 and in 1998 by Chantiers l'Atlantique, approximately 78,000 gross tons. | |||||||
| Rhapsody of the Seas | 1997 | May 19, 1997 | 78,491 | Received upgrades in 2012 to add an outdoor movie screen, new dining venues, digital signage, Wi-Fi internet access, concierge and diamond lounges, and a nursery. | |||
| Vision of the Seas | 1998 | May 2, 1998 | 78,340 | Received upgrades in 2013 to add an outdoor movie screen, new dining venues, digital signage, Wi-Fi internet access, concierge and diamond lounges, and a nursery. | |||
| Legend of the Seas & Splendour of the Seas | |||||||
| Built in 1995 and in 1996 by Chantiers l'Atlantique, approximately 70,000 gross tons, as Legend and Splendour of the Seas. The only two ships in the Vision class to feature miniature golf courses. | |||||||
| Legend of the Seas | 1995 | May 16, 1995 | 69,130 | Retrofitted in 2013. Sold to Thomson Cruises and renamed in 2017, first as TUI Discovery 2,[4] then as Marella Discovery 2, as part of Tui's rebranding of their cruise businesses.[5] | |||
| Splendour of the Seas | 1996 | March 31, 1996 | 69,130 | Sold to Thomson Cruises and renamed TUI Discovery in 2016,[6] then Marella Discovery in 2017.[7] | |||