World's Top-50 Largest Cruise Ships

Table Of Content

• Norwegian Cruise Line Explains After Switching Port
• Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)
• A look inside the Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, as it prepares for voyage
• Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas
• Following Incident, Carnival Says Gambling ‘Strictly Forbidden’ Outside of Casino
• Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas

Smaller cruise lines — with ships that fit hundreds rather than thousands of guests — dominated U.S. Icon of the Seas can hold up to 7,600 guests at capacity or 5,610 guests on a double occupancy basis (two people per cabin). Both ships offer 13 pools and hot tubs, nearly a dozen restaurants and just under 20 bars and lounges. There are 1,550 balcony rooms on each, providing plenty of options for the roughly 6,500 passengers that can sail at full capacity. Coming in at almost 216,000 gross tons, it’s roughly 14% smaller than Icon of the Seas. From bumper cars to seven pools to an 11-story slide, there’s no shortage of things for kids to do.

Norwegian Cruise Line Explains After Switching Port

It also features its own rum distillery onboard, meaning you can take home rum literally made on the ship. Kids will love the Altitude zone that features a ropes course, mini-golf, and more. Forget everything you thought you knew about beach days, because this private island destination is raising the standard to a whole new level. Experience elevated island vibes while lounging in The Bahamas’ only private overwater cabanas.

Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Royal Caribbean is redefining the cruise industry with its latest ship, the Icon of the Seas. All of that combines into an experience that can exceed expectations and keep passengers coming back for more. When it debuted, Oasis of the Seas® won Best Cruise Ship — and now the Amplified game changer will set a new standard for making memories.

A look inside the Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, as it prepares for voyage

Keep in mind that this list of biggest cruise ships in the world changes annually, as cruise lines update their fleets. While Royal Caribbean continues to dominate the top (and the bottom) of the list, new entries may surprise you. For example, Princess Cruises has a new ship on the list (the largest ever for that fleet), barely missing the top twenty. There are so many reasons to get excited about a Royal Caribbean® cruise. Choose from itineraries that take you to top-rated holiday destinations, from sun-soaked Caribbean isles to ancient temples in Asia and everywhere in between. No matter which ship you choose to sail on, this is a fleet filled with incredible feats.

Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas

The 7,600-guest Icon of the Seas has seven pools and nine hot tubs. As a kid-fearing adult, I loved the grown-ups-only suspended infinity pool. If you're a frequent cruiser — especially with Royal Caribbean — amenities like the mini-golf course and water playground may not seem exciting. The 1,196-foot-long, 20-deck Icon of the Seas is packed with bars, restaurants, and things to do.

I spent $2000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my ... - Business Insider Africa

I spent $2000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my ....

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:55:16 GMT [source]

At 250,800 gross registered tons and carrying up to 7,600 passengers (plus 2,350 crew members), it's a true behemoth. Besides taking on the mantle of largest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas is yet another game changer for Royal Caribbean. Its launch in January 2024 heralds a new ship class loaded with new attractions and iconic spaces. It features 20 decks (18 guest-accessible decks), a record-setting six water slides and the largest swimming pool at sea. Regarding cruise accommodations, this class of vessels has some of the largest suites at sea - measuring 150 m2 (over 1600 ft2, balcony included). Another signature feature is the 7 "neighborhoods" (theme-park-like areas), 5 large swimming pools, a huge casino, a full-size volleyball/basketball court, large-capacity bars, and lounges.

MSC World Europa (MSC Cruises)

For months, the 250,800-ton ship, which can carry nearly 8,000 people, has been making headlines — including some that have criticized its size and potential to damage the environment. But the passengers who plunked down $1,800 to $100,000 and boarded the ship at Port Miami in Florida on Jan. 27, said nothing could have prepared them for the vessel’s sheer scale. On the ship, you’ll find 18 decks, 2,748 staterooms and more than 6,800 passengers when completely full. That’s definitely a lot of people, but remember that you also have a lot more space to spread out, giving plenty of elbow room. Launched in 2023, MSC Euribia is among the list of LNG-powered ships that are revolutionizing the industry with cleaner operations as it cruises to mostly European ports of call. Icon of the Seas will also be the first ship in the cruise line’s fleet to run on liquefied natural gas and fuel cells, which are similar to batteries but do not need to be recharged.

Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Another noteworthy feature is Category 6, which will be the largest waterpark at sea when Icon of the Seas sets sail. World's currently largest cruise ship class is produced exclusively for RCI-Royal Caribbean andin 2 sub-series - Oasis-Class (Allure OTS, Oasis OTS) and Oasis-Plus (Harmony OTS, Symphony OTS, Wonder OTS). These are sisterships from the fleet of the second-largest cruise shipping company in the world - RCCL-Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (as shipowner) that follows only Carnival Corporation (as shipowner). Currently, the largest cruise ship in the world by both tonnage and passenger capacity is Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas. When it set sail in 1912, the ill-fated Titanic was the largest and grandest passenger vessel of its time.

Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas

Whereas a ship built in the 1990s might hold 2,500 passengers and come in at around 75,000 gross tons (a measure of ship size), that’s nowhere near the ships built today. From epic onboard thrills to revolutionary dining and entertainment, this ship will change how you vacation no matter what kind of experience you’re after. Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, now the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world, was actually the largest cruise ship from 2016 to 2018. Onboard, passengers can find 16 guest decks, 2,747 staterooms and suites and 23 pools and whirlpools. The previous world’s largest cruise ship was also a Royal Caribbean vessel, Wonder of the Seas, which spanned 1,188 feet long and featured 18 decks.

Water is the main byproduct of fuel cells—which combine oxygen and hydrogen to produce energy—which should help the ship reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The cruise line is positioning the vessel as “the ultimate family vacation,” as CEO Michael Bayley told reporters earlier this year, per CNN’s Maureen O’Hare. If all goes as planned, the record-breaking vessel will begin sailing in the Caribbean in January 2024. Harmony of the Seas was the first in the class to feature the 10-Story Ultimate Abyss slide, which is located aft of the ship above the AquaTheater. The slide has since been a major feature on new Oasis-class vessels and added during refurbishments. Symphony of the Seas was built at the then-named STX France shipyard and was delivered to the cruise line on March 23, 2018.

See how your favorite cruise lines and ships measure up this year with our list below. Royal Caribbean’s leaders say they view liquified natural gas as a “transitional fuel,” and that they hope to continue to reduce the environmental impact of their ships moving forward. This is the ship that helped push the cruise industry to new heights. Oasis of the Seas was the first of its kind when she arrived at the end of 2009. The groundbreaking vessel was built at the STX shipyard in Turku, Finland. Oasis of the Seas also boasts features like the Zip-line and the AquaTheater.

These vacation-ready giants of the sea seem to push the boundaries of size year after year. With the biggest ships at sea, though, you're getting way more than just crowds of fellow passengers. Water parks, huge entertainment spaces, dizzying restaurant options, and a wider variety of cabins are all part of how the largest cruise ships are filling all that space.

This is the World’s Biggest Weekend — arriving in summer 2024 to Port Canaveral. The second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, is set to sail in 2025. Liquefied natural gas, meanwhile, is a controversial energy source that involves cooling natural gas to a liquid state to make it easier to transport.

"The more people they can put on a cruise ship, of course, the better business they do, the more money they make." Carnival Pinnacle was never built as the project was officially canceled (mainly due to the vessel's incredible cost at that time). However, many of the project's elements and innovative design features were later adapted for other large-sized cruise liners built for rival companies. Oasis-Plus class is also currently the world's most technologically advanced and energy-efficient cruise vessel ever built. Wonder of the Seas® brings even bigger adventures to the award-winning Oasis Class. Like eight unique neighborhoods, including the Suite Neighborhood.

MSC World Europa is the second largest cruise ship powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and takes the cruise line into a new era of sustainability, which it’s taking very seriously. The 7th world’s biggest cruise ship features more than 30 different dining venues and a new thrilling 250-foot Drop slide located aft of the ship. Wonder of the Seas, the fifth Oasis-class vessel, took the world’s largest cruise ship title from her sister Symphony of the Seas in 2022. However, since the arrival of the much-anticipated new-class Icon of the Seas, the vessel has now lost that crown.

Adults will love the 13 different dining options and an indoor promenade or Panorama Lounge for shopping, having a drink, or just relaxing. Wonder of the Seas is the latest edition of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships (until Utopia of the Seas arrives in 2024), which were the largest class in the world until the new Icon class took the torch. Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas made its first voyage in 2016, which made it the third ship in the Quantum-class. Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas is the second ship in the five-ship Quantum-class. Anthem of the Seas debuted in 2015 and has 16 decks (14 guest decks) along with 2,090 staterooms.