15 Cruises Not to Miss in 2016

What’s New: The industry’s biggest innovator, Royal Caribbean, has upped the ante for 2016, when it’s set to launch the world’s largest cruise ship: the 5,497-passenger, 16-deck Harmony of the Seas. The behemoth vessel comes equipped with some repeat recent Royal innovations like the Bionic Bar (helmed by robot bartenders) and LCD-screen “virtual balconies” in inside cabins, but boasts some standout new features, too, like the tallest slide at sea (at 10 stories high), as well as some of the largest staterooms in the company’s fleet. The ship debuts in May with an inaugural summer season in the Mediterranean; 7-night itineraries sail round-trip from Barcelona or Rome, calling on popular ports like Naples, Marseille, and more.

Set Sail: Sail the Mediterranean from May through November; rates from $1,017/person. The Harmony moves to Fort Lauderdale come November for weeklong Caribbean sailings. (Photo: Courtesy of Royal Caribbean)