“For an average of around $80 million, and just a couple of months out of service, operators can chop an existing ship down the middle, slide in a new slice that’s designed to fit perfectly, weld it together, and come away with enough extra premium cabins to pay off the whole operation within a few years.”
Icon of the Seas cost about $2 billion and took two and a half years to launch. Cutting an old ship in half and welding in a new slice costs about $80 million and as little as nine weeks in dry dock. Cruise passengers went from 3.7 million in 1990 to about 30 million in 2024. The cheapest new cruise ship is an old one with a longer middle.