Full List: The 10 Current Largest Cruise Ships on the Planet

Table Of Content

• Full List: The 10 Current Largest Cruise Ships on the Planet
• Why Are Cruise Ships So Big?
• Read Next: Park & Cruise Hotels for Every Port in America
• MSC World Europa
• A look inside the Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, as it prepares for voyage
• List of largest cruise ships
• Oasis of the Seas

The ship that started the trend of truly mega ships is also the namesake of the Oasis class — Oasis of the Seas. This ship first began sailing in 2009 and set off the “arms race” of larger ships that continues today. 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. Following a refurbishment of Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas — which was the second ship in the class and built in 2010 — is actually now the smallest of the group based on tonnage. Still, that’s good enough for sixth largest in the world at “just” 225,000 gross tons.

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Full List: The 10 Current Largest Cruise Ships on the Planet

These two ships come in at a tie for the eighth-largest cruise ship in the world. And if the shape of the ship looks familiar, that’s because Costa is a sister line to Carnival. A similar design is used for Carnival’s largest ships, Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee. However, those ships come in just under the 185,000 gross tons seen with Smeralda and Toscana. Icon of the Seas doesn’t sail with passengers until 2024, but it’s already made waves.

Why Are Cruise Ships So Big?

It holds seven different neighborhoods, nearly 3,000 staterooms, three waterslides, and Ultimate Abyss — a 10-story dry slide. 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.

Read Next: Park & Cruise Hotels for Every Port in America

Oasis-Plus ships additionally have waterslides (created by Aquatic Design & Engineering) and a total of 23 "water fun" areas (swimming pools, large-size outdoor jacuzzies, waterslides, flowriders/surf simulators). The stern-located Ultimate Abyss water slide is 150 ft (45,70 m) above sea level. CruiseMapper's list of biggest cruise ships includes all vessels with gross tonnage/volume over 150,000 GT-tons. Each iteration of Oasis-class ships has arrived just slightly larger than the previous when it comes to gross tonnage. That means they each had their time as the largest in the world before another arrived on the scene.

MSC World Europa

When it comes to the largest ships, Royal Caribbean is the undisputed leader with the six biggest cruise ships in the world. But the king of the fleet — and the largest cruise ship in the world — is Icon of the Seas. If you think cruise ships have gotten bigger, it’s not just your imagination. 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.

Largest Cruise Ships

As of February 2024[update], there are 68 passenger ships with over 135,000 GT in service. The first ships over that size were the Voyager-class ships from Royal Caribbean Group's Royal Caribbean International (RCI). But the largest cruise ships on the planet are in another league altogether. They can measure up to 250,000 gross tons (roughly triple the size of a ship built 30 years ago!) and when at full capacity with crew, have nearly 10,000 people onboard.

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

"We believe, even at 7,500 guests, it won't feel to you like your entire hometown has joined the ship," said Schneider. And despite its massive size, Schneider said the ship is designed to avoid feeling overcrowded. Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Chief Product Innovation Officer, says the cruise ship is more than just its amenities. For instance, Arvia features a unique Skydome area that is a pool area with retractable roof by day and an entertainment venue by night.

List of largest cruise ships

As to vessels' dimensions, each boasts the unimaginable weight of 227, ,000 GT / gross tons, LOA length 362 m (1187 ft) and waterline width 47 m (154 ft). As the GT is a volume measurement, the ship's actual mass (called displacement) is approx 100,000 tons (the hull alone weighs about 54,000 tons). Surpassing all passenger ship standards, building cost and all previous ship travel vacation concepts, the Oasis-class ships are currently the only passenger shipping vessels of such immense size. See here the world's largest cruise ships list (including vessels under construction) owned by the best cruise line companies.

Oasis of the Seas

Spanning nearly 1,200 feet, the cruise ship has 20 decks, which makes the Icon of the Seas the world's largest cruise ship. Today, any new ship from a major line will be at least 140,000 gross tons, with many much larger than that. Passenger counts have also swelled, with many new ships carrying 5,000 cruisers when completely full. "It means more people can experience something. It means that there's a lot more amenities and activities onboard the cruise ship," McDaniel said. "The more people they can put on a cruise ship, of course, the better business they do, the more money they make." A weeklong Caribbean cruise costs about $3,500 for two people in an average stateroom.

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. All of that combines into an experience that can exceed expectations and keep passengers coming back for more.

In this case, Symphony of the Seas (228,000 gross tons and the ability to hold 6,680 passengers) took the crown in 2018. It's a city at sea, accommodating up to 7,600 passengers in 2,805 staterooms and nearly 10,000 people, including the crew. The ship offers different experiences that include seven pools — one is the largest on any ship — the world's first onboard water park with six water slides, theaters, a casino and over 40 dining and drinking spots.

It’s not just the massive size (250,800 gross tons and 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity), but what’s onboard. A full-fledged waterpark, seven different pools, and eight different neighborhoods offer a spot for everyone. The 2020-launched riverboat is China-built, owned by Victoria Cruises China and deployed year-round on Yangtze River. The vessel has the impressive volume of GT-tons, LOA length 150 m (492 ft), width 22 m (72 ft), 7 decks (5 with cabins), 270 staterooms, max capacity 690 passengers plus 195 crew/staff. Built in 2016, Harmony of the Seas features 18 decks, more than 225,000 gross tons (about 10% smaller than Icon of the Seas) and can carry nearly 6,700 passengers when completely full. That’s good enough to make it the fourth-largest cruise ship in the world.

For those seeking more luxury, the Ultimate Family Townhouse – a three-story suite complete with touchscreen tables and a slide – can go for up to $100,000 per trip. The Royal Loft, aimed at high-rolling adults, offers two bedrooms, a private hot tub, and a spacious balcony starting at $40,000. On the ship, you’ll find 18 decks, 2,748 staterooms and more than 6,800 passengers when completely full.

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Last year, passenger volume outpaced pre-pandemic numbers, and this year is expected to hit a new high of 36 million as spending on experiences has climbed 65% since 2019. This ship will be joined in 2025 by sister-ship MSC World America, set to sail stateside. Royal Caribbean is redefining the cruise industry with its latest ship, the Icon of the Seas.

At 235,600 gross tons, there’s room for 7,084 passengers and an amazing amount to see and do onboard. This includes Central Park, the mid-ship outdoor promenade that winds through lush gardens, and the AquaTheater, where performers put on aquatic shows, including towering high dives at sea. 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.

This article is also integrated with our ship dimensions, passenger capacity, and old cruise ships surveys. 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.