Royal Caribbean Is Going Year-Round in Europe for the First Time — 7 Ships and Winter Sailings to the Canaries

Europe cruising has always come with a calendar. Ships arrive in spring, sail the Mediterranean and Northern Europe through summer and early fall, and then head elsewhere for winter. Royal Caribbean just announced it is breaking that pattern.

For the 2028-29 season, the line will offer European sailings all year for the first time. The program, announced on October 14, includes seven ships across the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Canary Islands. Crown & Anchor Society members got early access, and general bookings opened on Thursday, October 15, 2026 — so these sailings are on sale now, nearly two years ahead.

The ship carrying the year-round plan is Rhapsody of the Seas. From May to October 2028 she will sail from Athens (Piraeus), Barcelona and Lisbon, mostly on seven-night itineraries covering Greece, Turkey and Egypt. Selected sailings add overnight stays in Istanbul and Alexandria, which is a meaningful difference from a standard port day — an overnight lets you have dinner ashore, see a city after dark, and still be back on board for a second morning.

Greek sailings also tie into Royal Caribbean's new beach club plans in Santorini, including a full-day option that combines time in Oia and Fira with beach club access.

Then, instead of leaving in the fall, Rhapsody stays. Starting in November 2028 she shifts to longer nine- to twelve-night winter voyages visiting the Canary Islands, Portugal, Morocco, Cyprus, Malta and Greece, with some itineraries again featuring an overnight in Alexandria. Winter highlights called out by the line include Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canaries, plus Casablanca and Tangier in Morocco. The season also brings Royal Caribbean back to Heraklion on Crete and Cagliari on Sardinia for the first time in more than a decade.

The other six ships fill out the summer map. Explorer of the Seas will sail seven-night Greek Isles and Croatia itineraries from Ravenna. Freedom of the Seas will be based in Southampton on three- to nine-night sailings that range from short breaks to Norwegian fjords runs. Jewel of the Seas returns to Copenhagen and Stockholm for Baltic sailings. Liberty of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas add more Mediterranean and Greek Isles options from ports including Barcelona, Piraeus, Civitavecchia, Lisbon and Ravenna. Odyssey of the Seas rounds things out from Civitavecchia with seven-night Greek Isles sailings starting as early as April 2028.

So what does this mean for planning? First, timing gets more flexible. A winter Canaries sailing is a warm-weather European option at a time of year when Mediterranean cruising normally is not available from this line — think island stops and North Africa rather than summer crowds in the Greek Isles. Second, the longer winter itineraries suit travelers who prefer a slower pace and more sea days paired with bigger port overnights.

Third, booking this far ahead is really about choice. The best-located cabins on popular summer dates, and the limited winter Rhapsody sailings in particular, are the inventory that tends to go first. If you are considering Europe in 2028, it is worth comparing a classic summer Greek Isles week against one of the new winter routes and deciding which experience you actually want — they are very different trips, even though both start in Europe.

Europe, all year, from Royal Caribbean is new. Winter just got added to the cruise map.

Source: Cruise Hive — read the full story here.