# List of ship launches in 2004

The list of ship launches in 2004 includes a chronological list of ships launched in 2004. In cases where no official launching ceremony was held, the date built or completed may be used instead.
| Date | Builder and location | Ship | Class and type | Operator | Notes |
| January 7 | DCNS, Lorient, France | Formidable | Formidable-class frigate | Republic of Singapore Navy |
| January 9 | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States | Halsey | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | United States Navy |
| January 22 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Allegro | Sietas type 178 container ship | Reederei Winfried Eicke |
| February 9 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Confianza | Sietas type 168 container ship | | |
| February 15 | Samsung Heavy Industries, Geoje, South Korea | OOCL Ningbo | OOCL SX-class container ship | Orient Overseas Container Line | |
| February 25 | Odense Staalskibsvaerft, Lindø, Denmark | Absalon | Absalon-class auxiliary frigate | Royal Danish Navy | first ship of her class |
| February 25 | Odense Staalskibsvaerft, Lindø, Denmark | Adrian Mærsk | Mærsk A-class container ship | Mærsk Line | |
| February 28 | Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry, Xiamen, China | Rickmers Genoa | type Superflex Heavy MPC container ship | Rickmers Group | |
| March 8 | Astellios Hijos de J. Barreras, Vigo, Spain | Volcan de Tamasite | ferry | Naviera Armas | |
| March 13 | Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany | Jewel of the Seas | Radiance-class cruise ship | Royal Caribbean International | |
| March 13 | Germany | Lisa von Lübeck | Carrack | | |
| March 14 | Taizhou Yongtai Shipbuilding, Taixing, China | Zelek Star | General cargo ship | Fuden Shipping & Trading | |
| March 20 | Tenix Defence Systems, Williamstown, Australia | Perth | Anzac-class frigate | Royal Australian Navy | |
| March 22 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Pioneer Sea | Sietas type 178 container ship | | |
| April 3 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, United States | Nitze | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | United States Navy |
| April 19 | BAE Systems, Glasgow, Scotland | Mounts Bay | Bay-class landing ship dock | Royal Navy |
| April 22 | HDW, Kiel, Germany | Papanikolis | Type 214 submarine | Hellenic Navy |
| April 22 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Alana | Sietas type 178 container ship | Peter Döhle Schiffahrts KG | |
| April 28 | Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan, South Korea | MSC Stella | Sealand-New-York-type container ship | Maersk | |
| 1 May | Kvaerner Masa Yards, Turku, Finland | Color Fantasy | Cruiseferry | Color Line | largest cruiseferry in the world when delivered |
| 13 May | Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, United States | Jimmy Carter | Seawolf-class submarine | United States Navy |
| 15 May | Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Okpo, South Korea | Monte Cervantes | Monte-class container ship | Hamburg Süd | |
| June 3 | Navantia, Ferrol, Spain | Fridtjof Nansen | Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate | Royal Norwegian Navy |
| June 4 | Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai, India | Satpura | Shivalik-class frigate | Indian Navy |
| June 15 | Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany | Manthatisi | Type 209 submarine | South African Navy |
| June 18 | Peene-Werft, Wolgast, Germany | Arkona | Multi-purpose vessel | Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Stralsund |
| June 21 | Odense Staalskibsvaerft, Lindø, Denmark | Albert Mærsk | Mærsk A-class container ship | Mærsk Line | |
| June 26 | Fincantieri, Marghera, Italy | Arcadia | Vista-class cruise ship | P&O Cruises | |
| July 3 | ST Engineering, Benoi, Singapore | Intrepid | Formidable-class frigate | Republic of Singapore Navy |
| July 20 | Fincantieri, Riva Trigoso, Italy | Cavour | amphibious assault aircraft carrier | Italian Navy | |
| July 27 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Bianca Rambow | Sietas type 178 container ship | Reederei Rambow | |
| July 30 | Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Okpo, South Korea | Monte Olivia | Monte-class container ship | Hamburg Süd | |
| August 26 | Japan | Suzunami | Takanami-class destroyer | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| August | HDW, Kiel, (Germany) | U-33 | Type 212 submarine | German Navy |
| September 8 | Santierul Naval Damen Galati SA, Galați, Romania | Geeststroom | Damen Container Feeder 800 container ship | | |
| September 14 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Akacia | Sietas type 178 container ship | Peter Döhle Schiffahrts KG | |
| October 2 | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States | Forrest Sherman | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | United States Navy |
| October 6 | Brest Arsenal, Brest, France | Mistral | Mistral-class amphibious assault ship | French Navy |
| October 16 | Volkswerft Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany | Julius-S. | VW 2500-type container ship | | |
| October 18 | Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany | Eilbek | Eilbek-class container ship | Hansa Hamburg Shipping |
| October 18 | Schiffswerft J.J. Sietas, Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany | Finnlandia | Sietas type 178 container ship | Hammonia Reederei | |
| October 25 | Santierul Naval Damen Galati SA, Galați, Romania | Geestdijk | Damen Container Feeder 800 container ship | | |
| October 30 | Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany | Reinbek | Eilbek-class container ship | Hansa Hamburg Shipping |
| October 30 | Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Okpo, South Korea | Monte Pascoal | Monte-class container ship | Hamburg Süd | |
| November 4 | Japan | Yaeshio | Oyashio-class submarine | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
| November 12 | Navatia, Ferrol, Spain | Méndez Núñez | Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate | Spanish Navy |
| November 13 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, United States | Bainbridge | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | United States Navy |
| November 18 | Astellios Hijos de J. Barreras, Vigo, Spain | Volcan de Timanfaya | ferry | Naviera Armas | |
| November 19 | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States | Mesa Verde | San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock | United States Navy |
| November 24 | Navantia, Cartagena, Spain | Carrera | Scorpène-class submarine | Chilean Navy |
| November 27 | Samsung Heavy Industries, Geoje, South Korea | OOCL Atlanta | OOCL SX-class container ship | Orient Overseas Container Line | |
| December 9 | Blohm + Voss, Hamburg, Germany | Cosco Brisbane | container ship | COSCO |
| December 11 | Avondale Shipyard, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | New Orleans | San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock | United States Navy |
| December 16 | Kockums, Malmö, Sweden | Härnösand | Visby-class corvette | Swedish Navy |
| December 18 | Fincantieri, Muggiano, Italy | Scirè | Type 212 submarine | Italian Navy | |
| Unknown date | Zhoushan Shipyard, Zhoushan, China | Angeln | Container ship | Brise Bereederungs GmbH & Co. KG |
| Unknown date | STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, Jinhae-gu, South Korea | Jutul | Tanker | | Renamed the Maersk Peary in 2011 and leased to the Military Sealift Command |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. Bristol | Corrine Marin | Barge | For private owner. | |
| Unknown date | Oshima Shipbuilding, Japan | Star Osakana | Container ship / bulk carrier | Masterbulk |