Want to embark on the world's biggest cruise ship? These 10 make quite a splash.
Does size really matter?
We’re talking, of course, about the world’s largest cruise ships. For some travelers, bigger automatically means better. But if you’re going to shell out your hard-earned dollars for a vacation on one of the top lines, it’s important to research if the experience is a good fit for you.
You may be looking for a party-packed weekend with other young travelers or a family adventure with something for both kids and adults. But if you won’t settle for anything but colossal, here’s what you need to know about record-breaking ships.
What is the biggest cruise ship?
The Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world. The nearly 1,200-foot ship set sail in January 2024 and accommodates 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members, according to Royal Caribbean.
According to the DNV, the leading maritime register, the Icon of the Seas has a gross tonnage of 248,663. Gross tonnage measures a ship’s total volume.
Icon of the Seas’ maiden voyage was so highly anticipated that it nearly sold out in just a few hours, Business Insider reported. Some cruise-goers even paid $75,000 a week to stay in an exclusive three-story townhouse complete with private balconies, a whirlpool, a backyard and slides.
Here are the 10 largest cruise ships in the world and how much they weigh in gross tonnage, according to the DNV and VesselFinder:
Icon of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 248,663
Utopia of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 236,473
Wonder of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 235,600
Symphony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 228,081
Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 226,963
Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 226,838
Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean): 225,282
MSC World Europa (MSC Cruises): 215,863
Costa Toscana (Costa Cruises): 186,364
P&O Arvia (P&O Cruises): 185,581
You will get your steps in: How to make the most of the Icon of the Seas
What is the biggest ship ever built?
The Icon of the Seas might be the biggest cruise ship to set sail, but it’s not the largest boat in the history of maritime travel. The Seawise Giant, also known as the Knock Nevis, was the biggest ship ever built at 564,739 tons, according to The New York Times.
The oil tanker was built in the 1970s but caught fire and sank in 1988 after Iraqi planes bombed an offshore terminal. A Norwegian company rescued it a year later from shallow waters and repaired it. The Seawise Giant continued transporting oil until its final journey concluded in December 2009.
How big was the Titanic?
The Titanic was about 883 feet long and had a gross tonnage of 46,329 tons – it’s sizable, but much smaller than the world’s biggest ship; the Icon of the Seas which is 1,200 feet long and has a gross tonnage of 248,663.
There were over 2,200 passengers on the Titanic – more than 1,500 of them died in the 1912 sinking.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Largest cruise ship: Ranking the top 10 biggest in the world
