cruise ship size football

How Big Is a Cruise Ship Compared to a Football Field?

By Alice Nichols

Cruise ships are some of the largest vessels in the world. They are used for pleasure cruises and often carry hundreds of passengers at a time.

But how big are cruise ships compared to other things we can relate to? One way of gauging size is to compare a cruise ship to a football field.

The average cruise ship measures around 984 feet long, which is about three times as long as a football field. The width of the average cruise ship is about 106 feet, which is only slightly wider than a standard American football field at 100 feet across. The height of the average cruise ship is around 194 feet tall, which is twice as high as even the largest NFL stadium.

When it comes to size, it’s clear that cruise ships dwarf football fields. In terms of internal volume and capacity, cruise ships can hold thousands of passengers and crew, while a football field can only accommodate tens of thousands at most. Even though they may look small from afar, cruise ships have many decks and staterooms that give them plenty of room for passengers.

Conclusion : Cruise ships are much larger than football fields in terms of length, width, height and internal volume. Cruise ships can carry thousands of passengers while most stadiums can only fit tens of thousands. From this comparison we can see just how big these vessels really are!

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How Big is a Cruise Ship?

How big is a cruise ship? Well, size isn’t everything, but when it comes to cruise ships, it can certainly be impressive.

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The modern, oceangoing cruise ship has reached massive heights (and length and width and passenger capacity). But luckily for cruisers, there is no one-size-fits-all cruise ship . Today’s cruise options span intimate expedition ships of a few dozen other passengers to behemoth floating resorts with neighborhoods that can accommodate thousands. And that’s not considering the many cruise ships that ply the world’s lakes and rivers.

Still, for those who have watched cruising evolve over the years, it is fascinating to compare the sheer size of these feats of engineering. For anyone who loves a good statistic, cruise ships have them in spades. We’ve compiled a brief history of ship size as well as the scope of engine rooms, anchors, and more for readers to marvel over.

Size isn’t everything, but when it comes to cruise ships, it can certainly be impressive. Here’s a look at how big cruise ships are, on every scale imaginable.

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How big is a modern cruise ship?

In order to gain some perspective on how big modern cruise ships are, it’s helpful to take a look at the evolution of ship size over the years. The most common comparison used is perhaps the world’s most famous ocean liner, the Titanic.

The Titanic sailed in 1912, well over a century ago. At the time, it was 10 decks high (seven passenger decks), 882.5 feet long, with a 92-foot beam (the widest part of the vessel). It could accommodate 2,408 passengers across first, second, and third-class cabins.

Fast forward to another famous ship, the Love Boat. Princess Cruises ’ Pacific Princess sailed onto our TV screens in the 1970s as the “Love Boat.” This vessel was only 553.5 feet long with an 80.7-foot beam, accommodating just over 600 passengers.

Enter the mega-ships

It was really in the late 1980s to 1990s that cruise ships began to grow to the mega-ships we are familiar with today. In 1988, Royal Caribbean — now widely recognized as sailing the world’s largest ships — built what’s considered to be the first modern mega-ship, Sovereign of the Seas. Accommodating more than 2,600 passengers across 11 passenger decks, Sovereign measured 880 feet long and 106 feet at the beam.

Two decades later, in 2009, Royal Caribbean launched Oasis of the Seas. This revolutionized the cruise industry with our present-day interpretation of a mega ship. The Oasis Class boasts 18 total decks, lengths up to 1,188 feet and up to 6,988 passengers — that’s 10 times the passenger capacity of the Love Boat.

So, well into the 2020s, how big is a modern cruise ship? Is a cruise ship bigger than an aircraft carrier? Well, yes actually. The largest aircraft carrier at sea has a length of 1,106 feet. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, launching in 2024, is 1,198 feet long. Also, due to its height and capacity, this cruise ship is more than double the weight of the aircraft carrier.

Beyond the biggest ships

The growth of cruise ships doesn’t mean that all passenger ships require you to sail with thousands of others and navigate nearly two-dozen decks. In fact, even the majority of large ships sailing the Caribbean carry about 3,000 to 4,000 passengers (half of the biggest ships) and consist of a dozen to a dozen-and-a-half decks.

Prefer to avoid the crowds? Premium cruise lines like Azamara, Oceania Cruises and Windstar all sail with a maximum of a few hundred guests. Windstar offers just five decks.

How many tons is a cruise ship?

Ships are weighed using a measurement called gross registered tons (GRT). Gross register tonnage considers the internal volume of the vessel, with 1 GRT equaling 100 cubic feet.

With that measurement in mind, the average large cruise ship today weighs about 200,000 GRT. For perspective the Titanic weighed 58,000 GRT. The 50 biggest cruise ships currently sailing all weigh well over 100,000 GRT.

The heaviest cruise ship built to date — Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas — currently weighs in at 250, 800 GRT. If you can imagine, that is the size of more than four Titanics.

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How long is the average cruise ship?

Using the football field analogy, a modern cruise ship is about three football fields long. On average, that is about 1,000 feet. If you’re wondering how long the biggest cruise ship is, that would be Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas (at the time of publication) measuring an estimated 1,200 feet in length.

How wide is a cruise ship?

An average oceangoing cruise ship is about 200 feet wide; wider than a football field (160 feet).

How many stories is a cruise ship?

Cruise ships are measured in decks , not stories. With that said, cruise ships are now so tall they might seem like floating skyscrapers. Mega cruise ships have at least a dozen decks, averaging between 12 and 16 decks (or stories). However, the world’s largest cruise ships are now reaching heights of 20 decks.

A Royal Caribbean Oasis-class cruise ship has 18 total decks (16 accessible to passengers). Above the water line, this equates to about 236 feet tall. At 20 decks, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas (total height) rivals that of the Statue of Liberty at 305 feet tall.

How deep is a cruise ship underwater?

Below the water line, there is about 30 more feet of a cruise ship sitting underwater. Such a massive vessel needs this difference or displacement to float and balance. While clever design and buoyancy keep most of the ship above water, there are about two decks that sit below the water line.

For the most part, these decks are accessible to ship crew only, and house the majority of crew rooms and their rest areas. But “below deck,” is also where restricted areas such as the morgue and holding cells are located. If you happen to die or behave badly while onboard a cruise, you might find yourself in the bowels of the ship on these lowest decks.  

How big is a cruise ship engine?

Cruise ship engine rooms are located on the lowest decks of the ship for stability and security. These rooms can span multiple decks and contain not only the engines (yes, there are multiple!) but generators, fuel tanks, water systems and more.

There are typically between four and six engines on any given cruise ship, and they measure up to 45 feet long, 27 feet high, and can weigh about 275 tons. Multiply that times four and you’re looking at more than 1,000 tons of engines alone.

Engine rooms are tucked away for another reason: noise. While these rooms are insulated to protect against disturbing passengers, inside volumes can surpass 173 decibels — a level that would instantly damage the hearing of the crew without the proper protection.

No longer employing the steam engines of the 19 th century, modern cruise ships are powered by diesel engines or diesel-electric hybrid engines. Since 2016, some cruise ship engines are now powered by liquid natural gas (LNG).

How big is a cruise ship anchor?

Even though dynamic positioning systems have revolutionized how cruise ships can maneuver and stop, cruise ships today still employ the iconic anchor. And yes, they are huge.

Most anchors measure between 10 and 20 feet long and 15 to 20 feet wide. In order to help stabilize the ship while docked, anchors typically weigh between 10 and 20 tons. Most cruise ships today actually have two anchors — one on each side of the vessel.

The anchor chain is another impressively long and heavy element of the anchor and you’re likely to hear it being deployed if you’re anywhere on a lower deck close to where the anchors are stored. Most anchor chains measure 1,000 links long. Each link weighs about 110 lbs., which means the chain itself weighs an estimated 55 U.S. tons.

How long does a cruise ship last?

Cruise ships are built to last. They undergo routine maintenance and refurbishments to keep them looking fresh and operating smoothly. Some cruise ships even live multiple lives if they are sold to another cruise line and renamed or redesigned.

Still, even the most resilient cruise ships eventually retire. On average, cruise ships operate on the high seas for about 20 to 30 years. Of course, there are exceptions to this number and some ships go on to sail for much longer. 

After 75 years, the world’s oldest cruise ship — Astoria — was scrapped in 2023. It entered service in 1948 as Swedish American Line’s Stockholm and ended with the bankruptcy of Cruise and Maritime Voyages in 2021.

Even after a cruise ship is retired, it can go on operating like that of Queen Mary, which currently serves as a dry-docked hotel in Long Beach, California. However, most ships eventually make it to the scrapyard when all is said and done, where parts are sold, recycled or dismantled and melted down into new steel.

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How Big is a Cruise Ship?

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Cruise ships are marvels of modern engineering, often compared to floating cities due to their immense size and the plethora of amenities they offer.

But just how big is a cruise ship?

The average cruise ship is 1,000 feet long and accommodates around 3,000 passengers.

The below article will give you everything you need to know about the massive ships.

Table of Contents

How Big is the Average Cruise Ship?

Cruise ships come in all shapes and sizes. The average cruise ship is 1,000 feet long , the size of three football fields, and carries over 5,000 passengers and cruise members. In contrast, the smallest is the size of a small yacht with a passenger capacity of a couple of dozen.

The size of cruise ships can vary significantly, but they are generally categorized into small, midsized, and large ships.

Small cruise ships typically hold between 70 and 350 passengers, offering a more intimate experience and access to smaller, more exotic ports. These ships are often more luxurious and focus on personalized attention but may have a higher price tag​ ​.

Midsized cruise ships can accommodate 400 to 1,700 passengers. They offer a balance of amenities and fewer crowds, providing various entertainment, dining options, and personalized services. These ships can access various destinations, including some exotic ports​ ​.

Large cruise ships are like floating resorts, accommodating between 1,800 to 6,500 passengers. They boast many amenities, activities, and dining options for a wide age range. However, due to their size, these ships can only dock at larger ports​ ​. The world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s ‘Icon of the Seas,’ measures a gross tonnage of 250,800 GT, a length of 1198 feet (365 meters), and room for 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew​ ​.

Average-sized cruise ships include Disney Dream, Voyager of the Seas, Celebrity Apex, and MSC Fantasia.

How Are Cruise Ships Measured?

Cruise ship size is typically measured using several key dimensions and metrics:

• Length : This is the most straightforward measure and refers to the distance from the bow (front) to the stern (back) of the ship.
• Gross Tonnage (GT) : A measurement of a ship’s internal volume, including all passenger and crew spaces and operational areas. One gross tonnage unit equals 100 cubic feet of enclosed space. It’s a common way to compare the sizes of cruise ships, as it indicates the total space available on the ship rather than just its physical dimensions​ ​.
• Beam (Width) : The beam of a ship refers to its width at its widest point.
• Draft : This is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull (keel). It indicates the minimum depth of water a ship or boat can safely navigate.
• Passenger Capacity : While not a physical measurement of size, passenger capacity is often used to describe a ship’s size in terms of how many guests it can accommodate.
• Crew Size : The number of crew members needed to operate the ship also gives an indication of the ship’s operational scale.
• Number of Decks : This indicates how many levels or floors are available for passengers and crew. It’s a measure of a ship’s height.

These measures are used not just for technical purposes but also to help passengers get a sense of the scale and capabilities of a cruise ship. The choice of measurement often depends on the context in which the ship’s size is being discussed.

At High Seas Cruising, we typically use gross tonnage when comparing the size of cruise ships. We prefer gross tonnage as a comparison tool because it considers more factors than just the length or width.

How Measurements Tell Us the Scale of Ships

Surprisingly, most medium and large cruise ships (150,000 GT to 225,000+ GT) have a length right around 1,000 feet (300 meters). The reason cruise ships aren’t built longer is that cruise ships sail to many ports around the world. These massive vessels must dock and maneuver in ports that don’t require frequent upgrades and expansions.

The difference between medium and large cruise ships primarily comes from the differences in height and width.

While cruise ships can’t increase in length much beyond 1,000 feet, they can be taller and broader, resulting in an exponential growth in internal volume.

For instance, while today’s largest cruise ship is only 20% longer than the Titanic. Yet the largest cruise ships in the world are five times larger when measuring gross tonnage.

The larger internal volume, or gross tonnage, means cruise ships can add more passengers, activities, amenities, and facilities to the vessel.

Passenger capacity is another standard measurement for comparing cruise ships. However, it is essential to consider two different measures of guest capacity: double occupancy and maximum capacity.

A cruise ship rarely sails at maximum capacity. Every stateroom must be filled with the maximum number of occupants for the vessel to reach full capacity. Although cruise lines would love to fill every bed on a ship, it’s nearly impossible.

Consider when a family of three books a cabin with a four-passenger capacity. Or a solo traveler booked in a standard two-guest stateroom.

Many cruise lines use double occupancy to measure passenger capacity for the above. Double occupancy would be the ship’s passenger capacity if every cabin had two people.

Further, while there is some correlation between the gross volume of a ship and its passenger capacity, it’s not a consistent measurement of size.

For example, a small ship (less than 800 ft in length) may have a high passenger capacity if every guest sleeps in a bunk bed. At the same time, a large vessel (over 1000 ft in length) may have a lower passenger capacity if every passenger gets a private suite.

The examples above are extreme, but they show why passenger capacity isn’t the best way to compare ships.

For a real example, consider that Dream Cruises’ Global Dream is slightly smaller by gross tonnage than Royal Caribbeans’ famous Oasis of the Seas ships. Still, it has a maximum guest capacity of over 40% greater.

Unsurprisingly, our preferred measure of cruise ship size is gross tonnage.

How Big is the World’s Largest Cruise Ship?

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship by gross tonnage. The icon-class cruise ship has a gross tonnage of 250,000 GT and a length of 1,198 feet (365 meters).

The ship has room for 7,600 guests at maximum capacity and 2,3500 crew.

Icon of the Seas became the largest ship upon its debut in 2024, taking over the spot from sister ship Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas .

How Many People Can Fit on a Cruise Ship?

An average cruise ship has accommodations from 3,000 to 5,000 passengers.

The most people that can fit on a cruise ship is 7,600 passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas.

Cruise Ships Compared to Real-World Objects

It’s challenging to grasp the size of modern cruise ships without a visual reference. We’ve compared familiar buildings and reference points to help you visualize cruise ships’ size.

For the below comparisons, we’ve used 1,000 feet as the average length of a cruise ship.

How Big is the Cruise Ship Compared to the Empire State Building?

The Empire State Building is an iconic skyscraper in New York City. The famous building has a total height of 1,454 feet (443.2 meters) to the tip, including its antenna.

On the other hand, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is 1,198 feet (365 meters) long​ ​. Icon of the Seas is about 84% of the total height of the Empire State Building .

How Big is a Cruise Ship Compared to an Aircraft Carrier?

Like cruise ships, aircraft carriers have a reputation for their massive size. An aircraft carrier is an at-sea airbase with a flight deck from which planes can take off and land. The largest cruise ships and the biggest aircraft carriers are somewhat comparable in size, but there are notable differences.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford, with a length of 1,092 feet. While slightly longer than the average cruise ship, it’s still behind the biggest cruise ship.

The world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, has a length of 1,198 feet (365 meters), which is 106 feet longer than the USS Gerald R. Ford.

However, while the cruise ship is longer, the aircraft carrier is a more specialized vessel designed for military use, with capabilities such as a flight deck and the ability to launch and recover aircraft. On the other hand, cruise ships are designed primarily for passenger comfort and entertainment, featuring a wide variety of amenities like dining areas, entertainment venues, and recreational facilities.

How Big Was the Titanic Compared to a Cruise Ship?

The Titanic, once the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage in 1912, was significantly smaller than modern cruise ships.

• Length : The Titanic measured approximately 882 feet (269 meters) in length. The world’s largest cruise ship measures 1,188 feet (362 meters) long. Icon of the Seas is around 34.7% longer than the Titanic.
• Gross Tonnage : The Titanic had a gross tonnage of about 46,328 GT. Icon of the Seas is more than five times larger than the Titanic, with a gross tonnage of 250,000 GT​ ​.
• Passenger Capacity : The Titanic could accommodate up to 2,435 passengers, along with a crew of 892. Icon of the Seas can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and 2,350 guests.
• Width and Height : The Titanic was about 92.5 feet (28 meters) wide, whereas modern cruise ships are over twice as wide. In terms of height, modern cruise ships are also significantly taller, providing more deck levels and passenger amenities.

The Titanic was a marvel of engineering in its time. Comparing the Titanic to modern cruise ships , newer vessels are substantially larger in every dimension – length, width, height, gross tonnage, and passenger capacity. This growth reflects over a century of advancements in shipbuilding technology and changes in the demands of passenger travel.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Compared to a Whale?

From the nine-foot dwarf sperm whale to blue whales measuring around 100 feet, whales come in all shapes and sizes.

With the average cruise ship being approximately 1,000 feet in length, a cruise ship is the length of ten blue whales.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Compared to a Football Field?

An American football field is 100 yards or 300 feet. The average cruise ship are more than three football fields long at a length of 1,000 feet.

The average European football field, or soccer field, is anywhere between 110 to 120 yards long.

How Big are Cruise Ship Parts?

Cruise ships are massive. It’s no surprise that their components are equally proportionally large.

If you’ve ever wondered how much a cruise ship anchor weighs or what size engine powers these great ships, keep reading to find out.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Propeller?

The size of a cruise ship’s propeller can be quite impressive, reflecting the power needed to propel such large vessels through the water. The propellers on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships stand 20 feet tall.

These propellers are typically part of an advanced propulsion system known as Azipods. Unlike traditional shaft-driven propeller systems, Azipods are electrically driven and are housed in a rotating gondola (pod) suspended under the ship, which can rotate to provide improved maneuverability.

The size of a propeller is directly related to the ship’s size and power requirements. Larger and heavier ships require bigger propellers to move efficiently through the water. The design and size of a propeller also influence the ship’s speed, fuel efficiency, and vibration levels, contributing to passenger comfort.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Fuel Tank?

The fuel tank size of a cruise ship varies depending on the ship’s size, type, age, and operational requirements. Most modern cruise ships have large fuel tanks hold between one and two million gallons of fuel. This large capacity allows them to travel thousands of miles without refueling.

Smaller cruise ships have smaller tanks, holding only a few hundred thousand gallons.

A large cruise ship, such as Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, can carry approximately 1.33 million gallons (approximately 5 million liters) of fuel. The exact amount of fuel a cruise ship needs to fill its tank varies depending on the size of the ship, its engine efficiency, and the length and nature of its voyages.

Most traditional cruise ships use diesel-powered engines to propel themselves through the ocean. However, many newer cruise ships use the more environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG). Compared to diesel, natural gas burns cleaner, produces lower CO2 emissions and has a lower odor.

LNG fuel tanks are typically 115 feet long with a 26-foot diameter.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Engine?

Modern cruise ships have four to six medium-speed engines, each capable of generating upwards of 25,000 horsepower or nearly 18.5 megawatts . These engines are substantial in size, with some being up to 45 feet long, 27 feet high, and weighing up to 275 tons.

Cruise ships that run on diesel engines must carry catalytic-reduction equipment and exhaust treatment systems to reduce the environmental impact of the machines.

These massive engines can propel cruise ships at an average speed of 18-22 knots .

A cruise ship’s engine room spans several decks and includes the vessel’s water systems, generators, control rooms, and other essential navigation systems.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Anchor?

A cruise ship anchor can weigh up to 17 tons or four male elephants .

Cruise ship anchors are typically quite large, with lengths ranging from 10 to 20 feet, widths from 15 to 20 feet, and weights anywhere from 10 to 20 tons. Each cruise ship generally has two anchors, and the specific designs, weights, and dimensions of these anchors vary, being carefully calculated for each individual ship​ ​.

How Big is a Cruise Ship Life Boat?

Modern-day cruise ships have enough lifeboats and life rafts for every passenger and crew member on board. They are usually visible on the sides of cruise ships on the lower decks.

The fully enclosed lifeboats provide shelter from the elements and are motorized.

The lifeboats found on modern cruise ships are pretty large. The rescue vessels found on Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships have enough room for 372 individuals. They are cramped; remember, they are only a last resort in emergencies.

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How Big Is An Average Cruise Ship

Published: December 12, 2023

Modified: December 28, 2023

by Catrina Boos

• Sustainability
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Introduction

Welcome to the fascinating world of cruise ships! These magnificent vessels take travelers on unforgettable journeys across the seas, offering a unique blend of luxury, entertainment, and adventure. One aspect that often captures the imagination of both avid cruisers and curious travelers is the size of these floating marvels. In this article, we will delve into the dimensions, passenger capacity, amenities, and types of cruise ships, as well as explore the impact of size on the overall cruise ship experience.

When we talk about the size of a cruise ship, it is not just a matter of length and width, but also the sheer scale and grandeur of these behemoths. Modern cruise ships have come a long way from the days of the Titanic, with their colossal size and state-of-the-art facilities. From breathtaking atriums and sprawling decks to multiple restaurants, theaters, and swimming pools, these floating cities offer an incredible array of amenities and experiences.

No two cruise ships are exactly alike in terms of size and passenger capacity. The dimensions of a cruise ship can vary greatly, with lengths ranging from around 200 meters to over 360 meters. Widths can range from around 20 meters to over 60 meters. These dimensions determine not only the physical size of the ship but also its stability and ability to navigate various ports and waterways.

The passenger capacity of a cruise ship is another factor that plays a significant role in its size. Cruise ships can accommodate anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand passengers. The larger the ship, the more cabins and public spaces it has to accommodate the influx of passengers. With such a diverse range of ship sizes, cruise lines are able to cater to different preferences and budgets, from intimate boutique cruises to mega-ship experiences.

As we dive deeper into the world of cruise ships, we will explore the different types of cruise ships available. These include mainstream cruise ships, luxury cruise ships, expedition ships, river cruise ships, and more. Each type offers its own unique features, itineraries, and target audience, providing a variety of options for travelers to choose from.

In the next section, we will take a closer look at some of the largest cruise ships in the industry. These mammoth vessels have redefined the concept of luxury and entertainment at sea, offering a multitude of activities and amenities that cater to all ages and interests. From water slides and surf simulators to ice skating rinks and Broadway-style shows, these mega-ships are packed with excitement.

On the other end of the spectrum, we will also explore the world of small or boutique cruise ships. These intimate vessels offer a more personalized and immersive experience, often visiting unique and off-the-beaten-path destinations. With fewer passengers on board, these ships provide a tranquil and intimate atmosphere for those seeking a more relaxed and immersive cruise experience.

Whether you prefer exploring vibrant cities, relaxing on pristine beaches, or immersing yourself in nature’s wonders, the size of a cruise ship can greatly impact your overall experience. In the following sections, we will examine the pros and cons of different sizes and delve into how size influences various aspects of the cruise experience, such as onboard activities, dining options, and the overall atmosphere.

So, let’s embark on this virtual journey through the world of cruise ships and discover just how big these floating wonders can be!

Size Dimensions of Cruise Ships

When it comes to cruise ships, size truly matters. The dimensions of a cruise ship not only determine its physical presence but also impact its stability, maneuverability, and overall capacity. Cruise ships come in a wide range of sizes, from small and intimate vessels to massive floating cities.

The length of a cruise ship is one of the key dimensions that define its size. Cruise ships can measure anywhere from around 200 meters (656 feet) to over 360 meters (1,181 feet) in length. To put this into perspective, some of the largest cruise ships in the world exceed the length of four football fields. The longer the ship, the more space it has for various amenities, cabins, and public areas.

Width, also known as the beam, is another important dimension of a cruise ship. The width of a cruise ship typically ranges from around 20 meters (66 feet) to over 60 meters (197 feet). A wider beam provides more stability to the ship, which is particularly important in rough waters. It also allows for spacious and expansive living areas, dining venues, entertainment facilities, and outdoor decks.

Cruise ships are not solely limited to horizontal dimensions; their height is also worth considering. The height of a cruise ship, measured from the waterline to the highest point of the ship, can vary widely. While the majority of cruise ships have a height of around 50 meters (164 feet), some exceptional vessels can reach heights of over 100 meters (328 feet). The height of a cruise ship plays a significant role in determining its stability in windy conditions and clearance under bridges or port infrastructure.

In addition to length, width, and height, the draft of a cruise ship is an essential dimension. Draft refers to the depth of the ship below the waterline. A cruise ship’s draft determines the water depth required for the ship to safely navigate and anchor. While larger cruise ships typically have a deeper draft, it is essential for them to access various ports and destinations comfortably.

Understanding the size dimensions of a cruise ship is crucial for both cruise lines and passengers. For cruise lines, having comprehensive knowledge of a ship’s size allows them to evaluate its navigational capabilities, efficiency, and overall suitability for different itineraries. On the other hand, passengers can use size dimensions to assess the capacity, space, and amenities available on board.

It’s important to note that the size of a cruise ship is a delicate balance. While larger ships offer numerous amenities and entertainment options, they may also encounter limitations in terms of accessing certain ports or sailing through narrow waterways. On the other hand, smaller ships may provide a more intimate and personalized experience but may have limited onboard facilities and entertainment options.

Now that we have explored the size dimensions of cruise ships, let’s delve into the fascinating world of passenger capacity and discover just how many people these floating wonders can accommodate.

Passenger Capacity of Cruise Ships

One of the key factors that contribute to the size and scale of a cruise ship is its passenger capacity. Cruise ships are designed to accommodate a specific number of passengers, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand. The passenger capacity of a cruise ship is determined by its size, layout, and the available amenities and facilities.

Small or boutique cruise ships are ideal for travelers seeking an intimate and personalized experience. These ships typically have a passenger capacity of fewer than 500 guests. With a smaller number of passengers on board, these ships offer a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere, allowing for more personalized service and the opportunity to connect with fellow passengers and crew members on a deeper level.

Medium-sized cruise ships, which are the most common in the industry, can accommodate anywhere between 500 and 2,000 passengers. These ships strike a balance between access to a range of onboard amenities and entertainment options while still maintaining a more intimate atmosphere compared to the mega-ships. They offer a wide array of dining venues, entertainment options, and recreational facilities to cater to the diverse preferences of their guests.

On the other end of the spectrum, mega-ships are the giants of the cruising world, capable of accommodating over 2,000 passengers and sometimes even surpassing the 6,000-passenger mark. These floating resorts offer an unmatched variety of amenities, activities, and entertainment options. From multiple pools, water parks, and sports facilities to Broadway-style shows, casinos, and shopping promenades, mega-ships provide a wealth of options to cater to different tastes and interests.

The passenger capacity of a cruise ship also dictates the cabin options available to guests. From cozy interior cabins to spacious suites with private balconies, cruise ships offer a range of accommodations to suit various budgets and preferences. The availability and variety of cabin categories depend on the ship’s size and passenger capacity.

It’s worth mentioning that the overall passenger capacity also includes the crew members on board. These dedicated professionals play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the ship and the comfort of its guests. The crew-to-passenger ratio varies depending on the cruise line and ship size, with some luxury cruise ships offering a higher ratio to provide an even more personalized level of service.

When selecting a cruise ship, considering the passenger capacity is crucial. It strongly influences the onboard experience, the availability and accessibility of amenities, and the overall atmosphere of the ship. Travelers who prefer a more intimate and relaxed setting may opt for a small or medium-sized vessel, while those seeking a vibrant and bustling environment may choose a mega-ship with its plethora of activities and entertainment options.

Now that we have explored the passenger capacity of cruise ships, let’s move on to discovering the remarkable amenities and facilities that these floating cities have to offer.

Amenities and Facilities on Cruise Ships

Step aboard a cruise ship, and you enter a world of unparalleled luxury, entertainment, and convenience. These floating resorts are designed to provide guests with an extensive range of amenities and facilities, ensuring a memorable and enjoyable experience throughout their voyage.

One of the most notable features of cruise ships is their diverse dining options. From elegant fine dining restaurants to casual buffet-style eateries and specialty venues, cruise ships cater to every culinary desire. Guests can indulge in a variety of international cuisines, from Italian and Asian to French and gourmet steakhouse fare. Many cruise lines also offer specialized dining experiences, such as chef’s table dinners and exclusive supper clubs, where guests can savor tantalizing meals crafted by world-class chefs.

For those seeking rest and relaxation, cruise ships provide a haven of wellness and rejuvenation. Most ships feature state-of-the-art spa facilities where guests can indulge in a range of treatments, including massages, facials, and body wraps. Additionally, fitness centers equipped with the latest exercise machines allow guests to stay active while enjoying panoramic views of the ocean. Yoga and Pilates classes, as well as outdoor sports facilities such as basketball courts and jogging tracks, further enhance the wellness experience.

Entertainment options on cruise ships are nothing short of extraordinary. From Broadway-style shows to live music performances, comedy clubs, and dazzling productions, there is never a dull moment at sea. Movie theaters, outdoor screens, and even 4D cinemas provide additional entertainment choices. Some cruise lines also feature partnerships with renowned studios and entertainers, showcasing exclusive shows and performances by famous artists.

Cruise ships are known for their extravagant swimming pool areas, complete with sun decks, loungers, and often multiple pools, some with thrilling water slides and even artificial wave simulators. These pool decks serve as epicenters of relaxation and socializing, offering stunning ocean views and a lively atmosphere. Other outdoor amenities may include mini-golf courses, sports courts, and even zip lines that provide thrilling adventures high above the ship’s deck.

Shopping enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities to indulge in retail therapy aboard cruise ships. Boutiques and duty-free shops offer a wide range of merchandise, including designer clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and souvenirs. Art galleries on board feature a diverse collection of artwork, with opportunities for guests to attend auctions and purchase unique pieces to adorn their homes.

In addition to these amenities, cruise ships also provide a host of practical facilities. Internet lounges and Wi-Fi connectivity keep guests connected with the outside world. Libraries and card rooms offer quieter spaces for relaxation and intellectual pursuits. And for families, cruise ships often have dedicated children’s clubs and activities, ensuring that even the youngest guests have a memorable vacation experience.

Cruise ships also prioritize safety and security. Advanced medical facilities and professional medical staff are available to handle any health concerns that may arise during the voyage. Security measures are in place to provide a safe environment for all guests, including surveillance systems, trained personnel, and emergency response protocols.

With an impressive array of amenities and facilities available, cruise ships truly offer a world within themselves. They cater to a wide range of interests and preferences, ensuring that every guest can find something to enjoy throughout their journey.

Next, we will explore the different types of cruise ships available, each catering to unique travel experiences and interests.

Types of Cruise Ships

When it comes to choosing a cruise ship for your next vacation, the options are abundant. Cruise lines offer a variety of ship types, each designed to cater to different travel experiences, destinations, and interests. From mainstream cruise ships to luxury vessels and expedition ships, there is a cruise ship to suit every taste.

Mainstream Cruise Ships:

Mainstream cruise ships are the most common type of cruise ship you’ll find. These ships are designed to cater to a wide range of travelers, offering a diverse range of amenities, activities, and entertainment. They feature multiple dining venues, pools, theaters, bars, and often have extensive kids’ and teens’ clubs. Mainstream cruise ships typically sail to popular destinations and offer a variety of itineraries, making them a popular choice for families, groups, and first-time cruisers.

Luxury Cruise Ships:

Luxury cruise ships provide an elevated cruising experience, focusing on top-notch service, extravagant amenities, and refined elegance. These ships are smaller in size, allowing for a more intimate and exclusive ambiance. Luxury cruise lines often feature all-suite accommodations with private balconies, gourmet dining experiences, and unique itineraries that explore off-the-beaten-path destinations. Onboard, guests can indulge in personalized butler service, elegant lounges, spas, and enrichment programs hosted by experts in various fields.

Expedition Ships:

Expedition ships are designed for travelers seeking adventurous and immersive experiences in remote and lesser-explored regions. These ships are smaller in size, allowing them to navigate narrow waterways and reach destinations that larger ships cannot access. Expedition cruises focus on exploration, offering in-depth excursions led by expert naturalists, scientists, and historians. Passengers can enjoy activities such as wildlife spotting, kayaking, and hiking in pristine wilderness areas, allowing for a truly immersive and educational experience.

Boutique Cruise Ships:

Boutique cruise ships are characterized by their intimate atmosphere and personalized service. These smaller ships offer a more relaxed and casual approach to cruising, often visiting smaller, less crowded ports and off-the-beaten-path destinations. Boutique cruises provide a more immersive experience, emphasizing cultural encounters and authentic local experiences. They may have unique features such as onboard experts, cooking classes, and local entertainment to enhance the destination-focused experience.

River Cruise Ships:

River cruise ships are designed for exploring inland waterways, such as famous rivers like the Rhine, Danube, and Nile. These ships are smaller in size and offer a more intimate setting, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the scenery and culture as they sail through picturesque landscapes. River cruises often focus on visiting historic cities, charming villages, and cultural landmarks, providing a leisurely and immersive travel experience. With fewer passengers on board, river cruises offer a more intimate and personalized atmosphere.

Sailing Ships:

Sailing ships bring back the nostalgia and romance of traditional seafaring. These vessels are designed with tall masts, full sails, and a classic aesthetic, providing a unique and exhilarating sailing experience. Sailing ships might feature fewer onboard amenities compared to larger cruise ships, but they compensate with a sense of adventure, a closer connection to the ocean, and the opportunity to learn from experienced sailors. Passengers can participate in hoisting sails, navigating, and even climbing the rigging for a true sailing experience.

Each type of cruise ship offers its own distinct advantages and appeals to different types of travelers. Whether you prefer a large and lively ship, a luxurious and indulgent experience, or an adventurous and immersive journey, there is a cruise ship that will suit your preferences and desired travel style.

Now that we have explored the types of cruise ships available, let’s discover the awe-inspiring world of the largest cruise ships in the industry.

Largest Cruise Ships in the Industry

In recent years, the cruise industry has witnessed the rise of mega-ships, grand vessels that redefine the concept of luxury and entertainment at sea. These incredible ships have become marvels of engineering and architecture, pushing the boundaries of size and scale. Let’s take a look at some of the largest cruise ships in the industry:

Oasis Class:

The Oasis class of cruise ships, operated by Royal Caribbean International, currently holds the title of the largest cruise ships in the world. This class includes Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas. These mega-ships measure over 360 meters (1,181 feet) in length and can accommodate up to 6,680 passengers. With multiple neighborhoods, 20+ dining venues, Broadway-style shows, a zip line, water parks, and even a Central Park with live foliage, these floating cities offer an unparalleled range of amenities and entertainment options.

Quantum-Ultra Class:

The Quantum-Ultra class is another impressive fleet of ships operated by Royal Caribbean International. This class features Spectrum of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, and Quantum of the Seas. Although slightly smaller in size compared to the Oasis class, these ships still offer an extensive range of amenities and can accommodate up to 4,200 passengers. With features like skydiving simulators, bumper cars, panoramic North Star capsules, and robotic bartenders, the Quantum-Ultra class elevates the cruise ship experience to new heights.

MSC Meraviglia and MSC Grandiosa:

MSC Cruises introduced the MSC Meraviglia and MSC Grandiosa, two of the largest ships in their fleet. These ships feature a length of around 330 meters (1,083 feet) and can accommodate up to 6,334 passengers. MSC Meraviglia boasts a stunning promenade with a LED sky dome, a Himalayan rope course, and a partnership with Cirque du Soleil for extraordinary live performances. MSC Grandiosa offers elegant staterooms, a Mediterranean-style promenade, and a wide array of dining options, including specialty restaurants serving cuisines from around the world.

Carnival Panorama:

Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Panorama is one of the largest ships in their fleet. This stunning vessel measures around 320 meters (1,050 feet) in length and can accommodate up to 4,008 passengers. Onboard, guests can enjoy a variety of amenities, including a SkyRide suspended bike course, a water park with thrilling slides, a ropes course, and a multi-level atrium with live music and entertainment. Carnival Panorama offers a fun and vibrant atmosphere for guests of all ages.

These are just a few examples of the largest cruise ships in the industry, but there are many more impressive vessels to explore. These mega-ships showcase the innovation and ingenuity of cruise lines, providing guests with an extraordinary range of amenities, world-class entertainment, and unparalleled experiences at sea.

While the size of these ships enables them to offer an extensive array of activities and facilities, it is important to note that they also require careful planning and navigation to ensure they can access various ports and navigate through waterways smoothly.

Now, let’s shift our focus to smaller or boutique cruise ships that offer a more intimate and personalized experience.

Small or Boutique Cruise Ships

While mega-ships may dominate the headlines, small or boutique cruise ships offer a different kind of charm and appeal. These intimate vessels provide a more personalized and immersive experience, often visiting unique and off-the-beaten-path destinations. Let’s delve into the world of small or boutique cruise ships:

With a smaller passenger capacity, usually ranging from around 100 to 500 guests, small cruise ships create a more intimate atmosphere. Passengers can enjoy a closer connection to fellow travelers, as well as a higher level of personalized service from staff and crew. The smaller size also allows these ships to access ports that larger ships cannot, providing a unique and authentic travel experience.

Small cruise ships offer a range of amenities and facilities designed to provide comfort and relaxation. Although not as extravagant as their larger counterparts, these ships often feature luxurious accommodations, fine dining options, and boutique-style lounges. Spa facilities, fitness centers, and outdoor areas for enjoying the breathtaking views are also typically present. The focus is on creating an atmosphere of tranquility and refinement.

Unlike mega-ships, which can feel like bustling cities, small cruise ships provide a sense of exclusivity and serenity. With fewer passengers onboard, guests have more opportunities to engage with like-minded travelers and form connections. This creates a more social and warm environment, fostering a sense of camaraderie among guests and crew members.

Small cruise ships offer unique itineraries that explore lesser-known destinations and hidden gems. They can navigate narrow channels, remote rivers, and secluded bays to access places that larger ships simply cannot reach. This allows passengers to discover untouched natural wonders, charming coastal towns, and cultural landmarks away from the crowds, providing an authentic and immersive travel experience.

These boutique cruise ships often provide a more flexible and personalized approach to cruising. The smaller guest-to-crew ratio ensures a higher level of attention and care. Crew members can tailor the experience to individual preferences, making recommendations, and even accommodating special requests. This personalized touch adds an extra layer of luxury and satisfaction for passengers.

Small cruise ships serve a variety of interests and niches, from luxury river cruises to expedition vessels and yacht-like experiences. Whether you’re interested in exploring the majestic waters of Alaska, navigating the rivers of Europe, or immersing yourself in the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean, small cruise ships offer specialized itineraries and expert guides that provide a deeper understanding of the destinations visited.

If you appreciate a more intimate atmosphere, personalized service, and the opportunity to explore unique destinations, a small or boutique cruise ship may be the perfect choice for your next adventure.

Now, let’s explore the impact that the size of a cruise ship can have on the overall cruise experience.

Impact of Size on Cruise Ship Experience

The size of a cruise ship can have a significant impact on the overall cruise experience, influencing various aspects such as onboard activities, dining options, and the overall atmosphere. Whether you prefer a large mega-ship or a small intimate vessel, understanding the effects of size will help you choose the perfect cruise for your preferences and expectations.

Onboard Activities and Amenities:

Mega-ships often offer a vast array of onboard activities and amenities. With multiple pools, water parks, sports facilities, and entertainment venues, these floating resorts provide endless opportunities for fun and excitement. From thrilling zip lines and surf simulators to Broadway-style shows and world-class casinos, there is something for everyone. On the other hand, smaller ships may have more limited onboard facilities but can provide a more serene and relaxed atmosphere, focusing on enrichment programs, cultural experiences, and unique shore excursions.

Dining Options:

Size also affects the dining options available on a cruise ship. Mega-ships typically offer a wide variety of dining venues, ranging from buffet-style eateries to specialty restaurants representing various cuisines. With multiple dining options, guests can indulge in culinary adventures and savor different flavors every day. Smaller ships, however, may have fewer restaurants but often prioritize quality over quantity. These ships may offer more intimate and personalized dining experiences, showcasing local and regional cuisine or featuring renowned guest chefs.

Ambiance and Atmosphere:

The size of a cruise ship plays a significant role in determining its ambiance and atmosphere. Mega-ships, with their larger passenger capacities, tend to have a bustling and vibrant environment. They offer a multitude of entertainment options and attract a diverse range of guests, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere. On the other hand, smaller ships provide a more intimate setting, fostering a sense of community among passengers. With fewer passengers onboard, it’s easier to form connections and engage in social interactions, creating a more relaxed and familiar ambiance.

Accessibility to Ports and Destinations:

The size of a cruise ship directly impacts its ability to access certain ports and destinations. Mega-ships, due to their size and draft, may be restricted in docking at smaller ports or navigating narrow waterways. While they offer a wide range of itineraries to popular destinations, there may be limitations on visiting more remote or off-the-beaten-path locations. Smaller ships, on the other hand, have the advantage of accessing smaller ports and less crowded destinations, providing a more exclusive and immersive experience.

Wait Times and Crowds:

Another aspect affected by the size of a cruise ship is the wait times and crowds. Mega-ships, with their larger passenger capacities, can sometimes experience crowds during peak times, such as at popular restaurants, theaters, or during embarkation and disembarkation. Waiting for activities and services may take longer due to the higher number of passengers. In contrast, smaller ships generally have shorter lines and fewer crowds, allowing for a more seamless and relaxed experience.

Ultimately, the impact of size on the cruise ship experience is a matter of personal preference. Whether you prefer the excitement and multitude of options on a larger ship or the intimacy and personalized service on a smaller vessel, there is a cruise ship size that will cater to your desired atmosphere and activities.

Now that we’ve explored the impact of size on the cruise ship experience, let’s conclude our journey through the world of cruise ships.

Cruise ships truly offer a world of adventure, luxury, and entertainment on the high seas. The size of these magnificent vessels plays a significant role in shaping the overall cruise experience. From the largest cruise ships that resemble floating cities to the small and intimate boutique ships, each size offers a unique set of amenities, activities, and atmospheres.

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The Biggest Cruise Ship In the World Is Coming To Florida

With a capacity for nearly 10,000 people onboard, the Icon of the Seas is more like Miami’s newest suburb.

• The Ship's Size
• Food and Drinks
• The Most Impressive Amenity
• Cabins and Room Types
• How to Book

Courtesy of Icon of the Seas

The world’s largest cruise ship will soon be making her way from a shipyard in Turku, Finland, to her new home in Miami—and she’s ready for a warm, Southern welcome. Between her enormous size and unparalleled amenities, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is breaking records from bow to stern, much to the delight of cruise enthusiasts clamoring for their first glimpse of this modern marvel. 

Family-friendly Icon of the Seas will sail into Miami in January 2024 and then take her maiden voyage on January 27, 2024. The inaugural sailing sold out in less than 24 hours (speaking of breaking records!), but, thankfully, there are still plenty of 2024 and 2025 sailings left to choose from, so you can experience the sheer magnitude of this ship and all its extraordinary offerings first-hand. 

Read on to discover what makes Icon so special in a sea of other impressive vessels, and what to expect if you book a cruise. 

• Linken D’Souza is the vice president of Food & Beverage Operations at Royal Caribbean International.

Size: Bigger than three football fields

The Icon of the Seas measures 1,198 feet long, which is about 11 feet longer than the current largest cruise ship (another Royal Caribbean vessel, Wonder of the Seas ). If it’s hard to appreciate just how big that is, consider the length of a football field—this ship is more than 3 times that size. It also has 20 decks, which is two more than Wonder . 

Icon can hold 7,600 guests on each sailing, and it will take 2,350 crew members to man a ship of this size. Altogether, that means there will be 9,950 people onboard at max capacity. 

Itinerary: Roundtrip Eastern and Western Caribbean routes

Vacation lovers will be excited to learn that the Icon of the Seas is strictly focused on round-trip Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. Eastern Caribbean itineraries will sail to St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten and Western Caribbean itineraries will visit Honduras, and the Mexican cities of Costa Maya and Cozumel. 

All routes will include a full day of fun and sun at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s exclusive island in the Bahamas. Here, you’ll find an enormous freshwater pool, a swim-up bar, a 1,600-foot zip line, a wave pool, and sandy beaches. There are plenty of places to eat (and the food is included in the price of your cruise, as are some of the activities), so grab chicken wings and Caribbean jerk at Captain Jack’s, burgers and sweets at Skipper’s Grill, or hit the buffet at Chill Grill. 

Food and drinks: 40 options to please everyone’s palate 

Worried you’ll get tired of eating at the same few venues on the ship? Impossible, considering there are 40 restaurants and bars onboard to help keep your tastebuds happy. “Everything we’ve put into Icon of the Seas aims to offer travelers more ways to make memories without compromise, and dining is a big part of that,” says Linken D’Souza, vice president, Food & Beverage Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “Memories are made around the table, breaking bread and sharing stories, experiences of the day—that’s what makes the job so important.”

Icon will introduce the first food hall, AquaDome Market—and it truly offers something for everyone. Across five different concepts and a selection of wine and beer, D’Souza says guests will find breakfast, lunch, and dinner with options ranging from Asian, Mediterranean, French crepes and American comfort foods, like elevated mac and cheese, sandwiches, and salads.

Surfside Eatery is a buffet fully dedicated to families, Pier 7 feels like a west coast, causal beach restaurant designed with families in mind, and The Lemon Post offers menus of unique drinks for adults and kids.   

The most unique dining experience is Empire Supper Club, which D’Souza says engages all the senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, taste—with swanky vibes and a lavish eight-course meal paired with craft cocktails, wine, and live music. The menu and ambiance are inspired by vintage New York supper clubs, with premium American cuisine including caviar and wagyu.

After dinner, D’Souza suggests popping by Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues, which features two New Orleans-inspired cocktails on the menu and live performances of soulful classics and jazz-pop tunes surrounded by thousands of plants and greenery.

Most impressive amenity: World’s largest water park at sea

Most cruise ships have a swimming pool or two that are nice for taking a quick dip—but Icon of the Seas has made the pool decks a focal point full of fun firsts for the entire family. This ship boasts the largest water park at sea, and includes seven pools and nine whirlpools, the cruise line’s first swim-up bar (Swim & Tonic), the largest pool at sea (Royal Bay), a suspended infinity pool (Hideaway Pool), two adults-only pools (Cloud 17 and Cove Pool), and a dedicated kid’s pool (Water’s Edge Pool). Plus, there are plenty of dry and in-water loungers, and shaded areas when you need a little break from the sun’s intense Caribbean rays.

One of the coolest features is the Category 6 WaterPark, with six record-breaking waterslides: 

• Frightening Bolt is the tallest slide at sea, with a 46-foot plummet. 
• Storm Chasers are the first duo mat-racing slides at sea, which allows you to grab a mat and race a friend to the bottom.
• Hurricane Hunter is the first family raft slide at sea, and holds four riders.
• Storm Surge is the first suspended family raft slide at sea.
• Pressure Drop is a near-vertical slide with an epic splashdown. 

Cabins: 28 different room types for any arrangement you desire

Given the capacity of passengers the Icon of the Seas holds, it’s no surprise that there are 2,805 cabins to house everyone. But it’s the fact that there are 28 different types of stateroom and suite categories that’s truly remarkable. 

The brand has rolled out its first Infinite Balcony rooms, which transform your outdoor space (balcony) into extra living space with the push of a button. Family Infinite Balcony rooms take that concept a step further, adding a separate alcove of bunk beds for the kids, and a split bathroom design for convenience. Two other standout room options include the Ultimate Family Townhouse, a three-story space that sleeps up to eight and is full of kid-friendly furnishings, and Panoramic Ocean View Rooms and Suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and 220-degree ocean views. 

How to Book: Plan your 2024 or 2025 vacation now 

While the inaugural sailing is already sold out, there’s no shortage of other dates to choose from throughout 2024 and into April 2025. And now is an ideal time to book a cruise on Icon of the Seas , as Royal Caribbean is currently offering a special that includes 30-percent off all cruises and is allowing kids to sail for free. Prices vary based on dates and cabin choice, but some sailings start at about $1,900 per person. 

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• CruiseMapper
• Ships and Lines

Cruise Ship Size Comparison, Dimensions

Compare cruise ship sizes by length, weight (tonnage), height, width/beam. Review cruise ship dimensions in both meters and feet, and FAQ information, definitions.

Cruise ship size comparison

In our huge table below there's a list of all most famous, ever best passenger cruise ships sorted by name. This survey also offers smaller cruise ships size comparison of top luxury all-inclusive vessels with gross tonnage even lesser than 5,000 GT. Now the list of all ship sizes related and integrated articles:

• passenger capacity of cruise ships
• cruise ships cost
• newest cruise ships (on order/under construction)
• list of the biggest cruise ships of the world
• world's largest cruiseship building companies
• cruise line companies list

Length of a cruise ship (Length Overall / LOA)

The cruise ship length is professionally referred to as LOA (length overall), meaning the maximum length between the two most distant points on its hull. LOA may also include the tip of the bowsprit - the pole extending from the ship's prow (usually on tall sailing ships, yachts, and smaller boats). The bowsprit is the "winning" part of the ship when competing in a race or during trials/speed tests.

Another passenger cruise ship length measuring (though not included in this survey) is called LWL. LWL signifies "loaded waterline length" (or just "waterline length"). It excludes the total length, denoting only the length at the point where the vessel sits in the water. The LWL measure plays an important role when assessing some ship properties, like "hull speed" (aka "displacement speed"), water displacement, the amount of paint needed for the ship's bottom, etc.

Longest cruise ship in the world

The longest cruise ships by size also occupy the first two positions in the list of the largest cruise ships of the world by passenger capacity and gross tonnage. The humongous Royal Caribbean's floating cities Allure and Oasis boast the whole 360 meters in length (1,181 ft), and breadth of 47 meters (154 ft), the unbelievable for a passenger cruise ship tonnage of 225,300 tons, and max crew-passenger capacity of almost 8,500 (2,170+6,300) - each!

Weight of a cruise ship (tonnage) and draft

The size (tonnage weight) of a cruise ship is measured in "gross tonnage" (GT). It relates to the vessel's internal volume (keel to funnel* and to the outside of the hull) and applying a mathematical formula. The cruise ship tonnage is generally used for determining registration fees, port fees, safety rules, regulations. Another ship data (though not included in this survey) is the vessel's "deadweight tonnage" (DWT), which is the weight a vessel can safely carry (cargo, passengers, etc).

The cruise ship draft (or draught) measures the number of meters/feet from the waterline to the lowest point of the keel - or the ship's "invisible" portion below the surface (and especially when loaded). The cruise ship's draft is very important when considering docking in a particular port, sailing through channels or the inland waterways of the continents (rivers and canals).

*Note: Actually, the ship's funnel is the only part of the enclosed interior space that is NOT included in its Gross Tonnage measurement.

Cruise ship weight

As one of our fans Mr John Spooner (cruiser / Retired Master Mariner) have pointed out, the "Gross Tonnage" weight is a measurement of VOLUME, and not of MASS. GT  is an index related to marine vessels' overall internal volume. According to Wikipedia's definition:

• "Gross Tonnage" (GT) calculations are based on the volume of all the ship's enclosed spaces.
• "Gross Register Tonnage" (GRT) is the vessel's total internal volume measured in "register tons" (each ton equals 100 ft3 / 2,83 m3).
• Neither GT nor GTR measures the vessel's displacement (mass), but really show how big cruise ships are.
• "Deadweight Tonnage" (DWT) measures how much weight a cruise ship (or any of the marine vessel types) can carry safely. This a weighted sum of the vessel's cargo (incl provisions, passengers, crew), fuel, water (fresh and ballast), etc.
• "Displacement Tonnage" is how much weight the water that a cruise ship (any vessel) displaces when floating (the total weight of the ship / including its contents). Displacement is usually applied to the navy rather than commercial marine vessels. It is measured when the ship is loaded at full capacity.

Compare cruise ship sizes

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The Family Vacation Guide

How Big Is a Cruise Ship?

posted by James Brockbank on July 23, 2022 // last updated on July 23, 2022

Cruise ships are well-known for their comfort and size. In fact, cruisers sometimes get lost on board or even forget they are on a boat because the space feels so extensive. So, how big is a cruise ship?

An average cruise ship is around 1,000 feet long and can hold approximately 3000 guests. 

Read on to learn more about how big this really is, the different types of ships by size, and how to choose the best one for your next cruise .

How Big Is the Average Cruise Ship?

Are all cruise ships the same size, types of cruise ships by size, how big is the world’s biggest cruise ship, will cruise ships keep getting bigger, why do cruise companies want to build bigger ships, which cruise ship size is best for me, frequently asked questions about cruise ship size, wrapping up.

The average cruise ship is around 1,000 feet long. This is just as long as 10 average blue whales, the largest animal in the world! If you are having trouble picturing the size of a blue whale, imagine three football fields in a row. That’s a big ship!

The average cruise ship described above weighs approximately 200,000 gross tons. However, the more popular way to measure a cruise ship is to look at its Gross Tonnage, which uses its height, width, and length to determine how much space is within the entire boat.

Gross tonnage (GT) refers to the ship’s internal volume, or how much space is within the cruise ship. The average cruise ship measures approximately 120,000 GT.

A 1000-foot cruise ship has around 15 decks for visitors to enjoy during their stay. These decks are a popular place to lounge, spend time with other travelers, and even enjoy meals.

There are various types of cruise ships ranging in size and functions. With nearly 30 million cruise passengers yearly (pre-COVID), companies want to provide vessels that have something for everyone.

Cruise ship size can impact many aspects of a cruiser’s vacation. The boat’s size will determine the trip’s price, the destinations you can travel to, and the amenities you will have on board. The overall size also impacts your sleeping quarters and how many others will be on board with you.

Older cruise ships tend to be smaller than newer ships, especially those built after 2015. Eventually, most cruise companies will probably replace their older, smaller boats with larger ones. However, COVID-related lulls in the cruise industry will likely delay this by at least a few years.

The size of a cruise ship varies based on the ship’s type and the ship’s age. Most cruise companies allow you to search on their website by ship size so you can find the one that best fits your needs.

Carnival Cruise Ships by Size (Biggest to Smallest)

Carnival’s fleet includes 23 ships, with more launching soon. The oldest ships still on the water are from the early and mid-1990s, with the oldest (Carnival Ecstasy, 1991) set to retire in 2022.

Carnival Cruise Ships with Over 5000 Passengers

The largest ship in the Carnival fleet is the Mardi Gras, which is 1128 feet long and holds nearly 5,300 passengers. It is the only Carnival cruise ship that carries over 5000 passengers.

This ship has 19 decks for passengers to enjoy. It weighs 181,808 tons.

Carnival Cruise Ships with 4000-5000 Passengers

The Carnival Panorama is the only Carnival ship that holds between 4000 and 5000 passengers. It is just over 1053 feet long and weighs 133,500 tons.

Carnival Cruise Ships with 3000-4000 Passengers

Six ships in the Carnival fleet hold 3000-4000 passengers. They are between 892 and 1053 feet long and range in weight from 102,853 to 133,500 tons.

The Carnival ships in this category are:

• Carnival Horizon
• Carnival Vista
• Carnival Breeze
• Carnival Magic
• Carnival Dream
• Carnival Splendor
• Carnival Sunshine

Carnival Cruise Ships with Under 3000 Passengers

Most of Carnival’s cruise ships host under 3000 passengers per voyage. These ships range from 853 to 980 feet long and weigh between 70,367 and 110,000 tons. Most of Carnival’s older ships fall into the smaller size category.

• Carnival Freedom
• Carnival Liberty
• Carnival Valor
• Carnival Glory
• Carnival Conquest
• Carnival Radiance
• Carnival Sunrise
• Carnival Miracle
• Carnival Legend
• Carnival Pride
• Carnival Spirit
• Carnival Paradise
• Carnival Elation
• Carnival Ecstasy (retiring 2022)

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships by Size (Biggest to Smallest)

Royal Caribbean separates its cruise ships into different classes. The vessels in each Royal Caribbean class will be of similar size and offer passengers a similar experience.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class (5,500 Passengers)

The Oasis Class ships are the largest cruise ships in the world, each weighing over 225,000 tons. The Oasis Class ships provide an all-inclusive experience because they have enough space to fit everything from lodgings to restaurants to zip lines – all right on board.

The Wonder of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world and belongs to this class of Royal Caribbean’s fleet.

The Oasis Class ships include the following:

• Oasis of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas (the world’s largest cruise ship)

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class (4,900-5600 Passengers)

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class prides itself on its large size and modern designs. These ships range from 1138 feet-1141 feet long. Each ship in the class weighs 168,000-169,000 tons.

The following ships are part of the Quantum Class:

• Quantum of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Spectrum of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class (3600-3700 passengers)

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class ships are still huge but tend to be older and less modern than the Quantum and Oasis lines. They weigh between 154,000 and 156,000 tons and are all 1,112 feet long.

The following ships are part of the Freedom Class:

• Freedom of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class (3100-3300 passengers)

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class is slightly smaller than the Freedom Class but still has plenty of room on board for amenities and comfortable lodgings. These ships are 1020 feet long and range from 137,00-138,000 tons.

The following ships are part of the Voyager Class:

• Voyager of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Adventure of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas  
• Mariner of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Class (2100-2200 passengers)

Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Class includes stylish boats that are small enough to fit into many smaller ports that larger ships cannot dock in. These ships are 962 feet in length and weigh approximately 90,000 tons and

The following ships are part of the Radiance Class:

• Radiance of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Vision Class (2000-2200 passengers)

Royal Caribbean’s Vision Class ships are smaller than most others in their fleet. These smaller cruise boats offer a varied itinerary of international ports that are too small to welcome larger cruise ships.

The Vision Class ships are 915-990 feet long and weigh approximately 78,000-83,000 tons. The exception is the Grandeur of the Seas, which only weighs 73,817 tons.

The following ships are part of the Vision Class:

• Grandeur of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

Norwegian Cruise Ships by Size (Biggest to Smallest)

Norwegian’s fleet includes 17 ships, with more expected to launch in 2022 and 2023. Norwegian ships are smaller than Carnival and Royal Caribbean but still popular amongst cruise-lovers. They do not have a fleet boat with over 5000 passengers.

4000-5000 Passengers

The three ships in this category are the largest in Norwegian’s fleet. They range from 155,000 tons to 165,000 tons. They are from 1,069-1,094 feet long. These ships have 19 and 20 decks and plenty of amenities for passengers.

The following Norwegian cruise ships hold 4000-5000 passengers

• Norwegian Bliss
• Norwegian Escape
• Norwegian Epic

3000-4000 Passengers

Norwegian has four cruise ships that fall into this category. They range from 1,068 feet to 1,094 feet in length. They weigh between 145,000 and 169,000 tons.

The following Norwegian cruise ships hold 3000-4000 passengers:

• Norwegian Encore
• Norwegian Joy
• Norwegian Breakaway
• Norwegian Getaway

Under 3000 Passengers

Most of the ships in Norwegian’s fleet hold under 3000 passengers. This smaller size means that their vessels can fit into small ports that do not have the capacity for larger ships.

These cruise ships range from 832 feet to 965 feet and weigh from 75,904 tons to 93,558 tons. Most of the older Norwegian ships fall into this category.

The following Norwegian cruise ships hold under 3000 passengers:

• Norwegian Jade
• Norwegian Pearl
• Norwegian Gem
• Norwegian Jewel
• Norwegian Dawn
• Norwegian Star
• Pride of America
• Norwegian Sun
• Norwegian Sky
• Norwegian Spirit

The largest cruise ship in the world in 2022 is the Wonder of the Seas. The Wonder of the Seas holds nearly 7,000 passengers and 2300 crew members. There are over 2800 staterooms on board. The ship is 1188 feet long and 210 feet wide. It weighs a whopping 236,857 tons!

The Wonder of the Seas is part of the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class, which includes four other ships that are similar in size. In fact, Royal Caribbean’s fleet includes the top five largest cruise ships in the world . The Wonder of the Seas provides many amenities, such as an outdoor venue, an Aqua Theater, and even a 30-foot diving platform.

One of the most popular attractions on this giant boat is the Ultimate Abyss water slide. This is the tallest waterslide on any cruise ship, providing cruisers with a 13-second ride from 150 feet above sea level. The slide itself contains 216 feet of dark and twisting tunnels that are sure to entertain everyone in the family!

Cruisers on the Wonder of the Seas can take advantage of its significant size by renting larger spaces to stay in, such as a two-story suite. These Ultimate Family Suites come with VIP access to the ship’s many activities and in-suite fun for the family. You’ll find ping pong, air hockey, and even a giant slide in the living space.

Cruise ships are likely to continue increasing in size to a certain extent. The average size of new cruise ships has been growing since 2015 and has only recently stagnated.

The average size of a new cruise ship is more than double that of an average boat built during the 1990s. Some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, continue to develop significantly larger vessels as they update their fleets.

However, eventually, it will no longer be practical for companies to continue expanding the size of their ships. When this happens, we will probably see a plateau in cruise ship size. We’ll discuss this more in the section below.

Cruise ships will likely continue to grow because they offer more options for passengers and the potential for more profit for cruise ship companies. A larger ship means more amenities and activities to do on board and room to hold more paying customers.

The larger ships are also great marketing tools for cruise ship companies. Media outlets are interested in covering the newest, biggest boats as they hit the travel market. This is especially true for those that can fit seemingly impossible activities, such as go-kart racing, VR activities, and even laser tag – all right on the ship.

Are There Any Limitations to Cruise Ship Size?

No regulations or laws limit cruise ships’ size, but that does not mean they will continue to grow in size forever. There are many reasons why cruise ship companies will likely stop increasing the size of their new ships eventually.

For one thing, larger ships require more upkeep and are more expensive to maintain. They bring in more revenue than their smaller counterparts. Still, they also demand more employees, workers, parts, fuel, and other regular costs to keep running.

Another reason cruise ships may stop increasing in size is the natural limitations of where such large ships can dock. 

Many popular ports people want to travel to cannot support such large vessels in their harbor. Some ports have barriers, such as bridges, that stop large ships from entering. Others are simply too small to house a large cruise ship and other boats simultaneously.

There are many factors to consider when deciding which size ship to choose for your next vacation. The fact is that the right size for one cruiser might not be suitable for another.

Here are a few essential things to consider when choosing your cruise ship size:

• Price: Larger ships tend to be more expensive to cruise on. This is because they have more amenities and are usually the newer fleet ships.
• Destination: Be sure to choose a ship size appropriate for your desired destinations . Many of the largest ships will be too large to fit into small ports, especially when traveling internationally. Choosing a smaller cruise ship size might be best if you have your heart set on a smaller port destination.
• Amenities: Check the different cruise ship sizes to ensure you choose one that fits all the amenities you want to have on your trip. Larger ships have more decks and usually offer larger sleeping quarters. Some of the largest ships include everything from zip lines to go-carting. In contrast, the smaller vessels are less likely to have these more elaborate amenities.

Learn more by checking out these other frequently asked questions about cruise ships and their sizes.

How long and wide is a cruise ship?

The average cruise ship is 1000 feet long, but they can vary significantly in width and height. The best measurement for this is the ship’s internal volume (GT), which includes all the space within the vessel (factoring in length, height, and width). The average internal volume of a cruise ship is 120,000 GT.

How big is the Titanic compared to a cruise ship?

Modern cruise ships are generally larger than the Titanic (to the surprise of many movie-lovers). Although the Titanic was the largest ship built at the time of its launch, modern ships have surpassed it in size.

The Titanic was 883 feet long, 117 feet shorter than the average modern cruise ship (1000 feet long). While it is below the average cruise ship size, modern cruise ships are still around this size or even smaller.

What is the capacity of a cruise ship?

The capacity of a cruise ship varies with the type and size of the specific ship. The average cruise ship (1000 feet in length) can hold approximately 3000 passengers for the duration of its journey.

Cruise ships come in all shapes and sizes, but you can expect them to be significantly large. 

The average cruise boat is 1000 feet long and holds approximately 3000 passengers. Different cruise lines offer various types and classes of ships that can vary in size. The most critical aspect of choosing a cruise ship size is deciding what you want out of your cruise and selecting the most appropriate size for your trip.

More about our TFVG Author

James Brockbank

A seasoned traveller, Dad, and avid sports tourist, James foundered The Family Vacation Guide to share his expert vacation experiences- especially when it comes to being a travelling family man.

Featured in Travel articles such as Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy and SFGate, you know you're reading some of the best vacation tips online.

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The 21 largest cruise ships in the world.

Book your next cruise vacation on one of these floating megaresorts.

The Largest Cruise Ships in the World

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

With every year comes bigger and grander cruise ships.

Just when you think cruise ships can't get any larger, a major cruise line unveils yet another longer, taller and grander state-of-the-art vessel – with the capacity to carry the population of a small town. To put the size of today's megaships into perspective: They often stretch three times longer than a 120-yard football field, and some feature nearly two dozen decks or measure more than 215 feet wide.

So, if you're looking for a vacation aboard a large-scale vessel, consider booking a voyage on one of the biggest cruise ships in the world. With cutting-edge technology and entertainment, world-class dining, and endless attractions and activities for cruisers of all ages, you may not even want to leave the ship. Here are the biggest cruise ships, arranged by gross tonnage.

• 1. Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
• 2. Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas
• 3. Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas
• 4. Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas
• 5. Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
• 6. Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas
• 7. Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas
• 8. MSC World Europa
• 9. Costa Smeralda
• 10. Costa Toscana
• 11. P&O Cruises Arvia
• 12. AIDAcosma
• 13. P&O Cruises Iona
• 14. AIDAnova
• 15. Carnival Jubilee
• 16. Carnival Celebration
• 17. MSC Euribia
• 18. MSC Virtuosa
• 19. Carnival Mardi Gras
• 20. MSC Meraviglia
• 21. Norwegian Encore

Find your perfect cruise

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas

Length: 1,198 feet

Width: 213 feet

Gross tons: 250,800

Maximum number of passengers: 7,600

Icon of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship afloat when it debuts in January 2024. The next-level megaship is Royal Caribbean 's first Icon-class vessel and the first of three ships powered by liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which is considered a more sustainable alternative to other fuel options. The ship will have 2,805 staterooms and carry up to 2,350 crew. There's no end to the fun with eight unique neighborhoods, including the new Surfside: a stay-all-day space designed specifically for families.

Other features on the ship include seven pools, nine whirlpools and six record-breaking waterslides. There are also more than 20 new dining venues, such as the swanky Empire Supper Club, which features an eight-course tasting menu; the AquaDome Market, the line's first food hall; and sushi restaurant Izumi in the Park. Cruisers will also find other international cuisine, including Japanese, Mexican and Italian fare, as well as The Lemon Post, the Surfside Eatery and Pier 7 in the Surfside neighborhood.

Read: The Newest Royal Caribbean Ships

Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas

Length: 1,188 feet

Width: 211 feet

Gross tons: 236,860

Maximum passengers: 6,788

Royal Caribbean's first LNG-powered Oasis-class ship will sail its debut voyage in July 2024. The new ship will have 2,834 staterooms and up to 2,290 crew members, as well as eight neighborhoods to keep passengers entertained. Ten complimentary dining venues include the line's new food truck concept, The Spare Tire, which serves up handheld eats on the pool deck. The ship will also feature sloping beach-entry and resort-style pools, plus three Lime & Coconut bars on the outdoor deck.

In total, there are more than 40 dining options, bars and lounges on Utopia of the Seas. Many of Royal Caribbean's specialty dining and bar favorites are returning, such as Chops Grille, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, Rising Tide Bar and Vue Bar. Guests will also find familiar entertainment offerings with rock climbing walls, the AquaTheater, Splashaway Bay, laser tag, mini-golf, the Sports Court, Studio B and much more. With two casinos, five pools and a visit to private island Perfect Day at CocoCay, you'll never run out of things to do.

Read: The Top New Cruise Ships

Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas

Michel Verdure | Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Gross tons: 235,600

Maximum passengers: 7,084

Royal Caribbean's current largest ship at sea, Wonder of the Seas , first set sail in March 2022. The Oasis-class vessel has 2,867 staterooms and carries as many as 2,204 crew members. While you may get lost on this ship, you'll never be bored. Features include eight unique neighborhoods – such as Central Park, the Boardwalk, and the new Suite Class neighborhood, an exclusive space for suite guests.

Take advantage of the AquaTheater, an outdoor live entertainment venue with a 30-foot diving platform and incredible ocean views. Wonder Playscape is an underwater-themed outdoor space for kids filled with slides, climbing walls, games and more. You can also enjoy a few of Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class favorites, such as the FlowRider surf simulator, the rock climbing wall or laser tag at the Battle for Planet Z. If you dare, head into the Ultimate Abyss: Billed as the tallest waterslide at sea, it towers 150 feet above sea level and features an exhilarating 13-second ride through 10 stories of dark, winding tunnels.

When hunger strikes, dine at your pick of more than 20 complimentary and specialty restaurants, including the new Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar. If you're craving a cold beer, a cocktail or a cup of Starbucks coffee, you'll have roughly a dozen bars and lounges at your disposal.

Read:  The Top Party Cruises

Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas

Width: 215.5 feet

Gross tons: 228,081

Maximum passengers: 6,680

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas , another Oasis-class ship, debuted in April 2018. This ship features 2,759 passenger staterooms and accommodates 2,200 crew members. There are seven distinct neighborhoods, four pools, roughly 20 restaurants (about half of which are specialty venues), and about a dozen bars and lounges. The ship even boasts two robotic bartenders that whip up drinks at the Bionic Bar.

Adults can enjoy Broadway-style shows in the onboard theaters and major international sports games at Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade. Meanwhile, kids can cool down at the Splashaway Bay water park, soar on a zip line nine decks high through the Boardwalk neighborhood, try out rock climbing or attend a show at the AquaTheater.

Read:  Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas

Gross tons: 226,963

Maximum passengers: 6,687

Another Oasis-class ship, Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas has been sailing since May 2016. The vessel features 2,747 staterooms and up to 2,200 crew members. Cruisers have plenty of places to dine thanks to eight complimentary venues – including the main dining room and Windjammer Marketplace, a globally inspired buffet – as well as nine specialty restaurants serving everything from burgers and shakes to Italian fare. The Boardwalk, one of the ship's seven neighborhoods, is a favorite spot for cruisers; it contains casual eateries, retail shops and carnival games.

Harmony of the Seas also has Splashaway Bay, the Ultimate Abyss waterslide and a trio of slides called The Perfect Storm. In the evening, don't miss a pre-dinner cocktail at the Rising Tide Bar, which offers a ride between the Central Park neighborhood and the Royal Promenade with dazzling skylight views. Sit back and sip your drink while the entire bar slowly floats between the decks.

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

Simon Brooke | Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Length: 1,187 feet

Width: 215 feet

Gross tons: 226,838

Maximum passengers: 6,771

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world when it was launched in 2009. The line's debut Oasis-class ship is nearly five times bigger than the Titanic by gross tonnage; it has 2,801 staterooms and carries 2,109 crew members.

Oasis of the Seas was reimagined in 2019, with many added amenities that are on newer Oasis-class ships, such as FlowRider simulators, the Perfect Storm waterslides, the Ultimate Abyss and Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade. Across the ship's seven distinct neighborhoods, you'll also find state-of-the-art technology such as VOOM, billed as the fastest internet connection on the high seas – plus exciting live performances and theater productions, laser tag, escape rooms and more.

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

Gross tons: 225,282

Maximum passengers: 6,826

Embarking for the first time in 2010, Allure of the Seas was Royal Caribbean's second Oasis-class vessel. The ship underwent a refurbishment in 2015. Allure of the Seas has 2,748 staterooms and 2,054 crew. Onboard highlights include seven neighborhoods, four pools, and several whirlpools and hot tubs, plus more than 20 dining venues and too many bars and lounges to count.

There are also plenty of entertainment options for guests of all ages, including an ice skating rink, the Sports Court, a nine-deck-high zip line, two rock climbing walls and two FlowRider simulators (a Royal Caribbean favorite). Kids will especially enjoy the interactive H2O Zone Water Park. Adults on this ship will appreciate Broadway productions like "Mamma Mia!," aerial acrobatic performances in Oceanaria (an original AquaTheater production) and '70s disco dance parties. If you find yourself on board for business reasons, rest assured that the ship's conference facilities can host as many as 1,394 guests.

Find a Royal Caribbean cruise on GoToSea.

MSC World Europa

Courtesy of MSC Cruises

Length: 1,093 feet

Width: 154 feet

Gross tons: 215,863

Maximum passengers: 6,762

MSC World Europa was one of the most anticipated new cruise ships when it launched in December 2022 as the first vessel in the line's MSC World-class fleet. It's also the first LNG-propelled ship by MSC Cruises , reaching a maximum cruising speed of 22.7 knots.

The ship's futuristic interior and exterior design features a 341-foot-long promenade. Half the promenade is covered with the Meraviglia-class LED sky screens, while the other half is open-air and offers ocean views. MSC World Europa features 2,626 staterooms and can house 2,138 crew members. As a special touch, each passenger deck is named after an international city, including London, Paris, Lisbon and Rome.

The ship is divided into distinct areas, with a quiet zen district for adults and a family zone that has bumper cars and roller skating. At the fleet's largest onboard water park, younger cruisers will find a twisty, stainless steel tunnel slide towering 11 decks high at the center of the ship. Luna Park Arena, the ship's 300-seat multifunction entertainment venue, can accommodate almost any performance or event.

When you're exhausted from all of the action, grab a bite to eat at one of 13 restaurants or a drink at a selection of bars and cafes. Then, take time to relax and unwind with a signature treatment at the Balinese-inspired MSC Aurea Spa. For an all-inclusive VIP experience during your voyage, book stateroom accommodations in the MSC Yacht Club. This exclusive part of the ship boasts premium suites, a separate pool, a private restaurant and lounge, butler service, and other amenities.

Costa Smeralda

Courtesy of Costa Cruises

Length: 1,106 feet

Width: 138 feet

Gross tons: 185,000

Maximum passengers: 6,554

Costa Smeralda was the first of the two Excellence-class vessels in the Costa Cruises fleet. The vessel debuted in 2019 as the Italian cruise line's largest ship to date. It was also the line's first vessel to use LNG power at sea and in port. The ship has 2,612 staterooms and can carry as many as 1,678 crew members.

Cruisers will never go hungry or thirsty, thanks to the 11 restaurants and snack bars plus 19 bars and lounges on Smeralda . One of the most notable dining venues on board is Archipelago, which serves innovative cuisine created by three world-renowned chefs. If you're interested in culinary pursuits, join other passengers for a cooking class at sea in the Food LAB. When it comes to entertainment, centrally located Colosseo – modeled after the piazzas across Italy – is the place to go for socializing and live performances. What's more, the ship also has 13 pools and hot tubs, an aqua park, the Beauty Spa Solemio, and the Squok Club for kids ages 3 to 11.

Costa Toscana

Costa Toscana, Costa Cruises' newest flagship and the second Excellence-class vessel in the fleet, set sail on its debut voyage in March 2022. Similar in size and passenger capacity to Costa Smeralda, Toscana is also LNG-powered. This vessel has 2,663 staterooms, and there can be up to 1,678 crew members on board.

Similar to Smeralda, Colosseo is the centerpiece of Toscana; you'll find live entertainment and themed bars in this area. There are 11 restaurants and snack bars plus 19 bars and lounges on the ship. For a refreshing aperitif with a view, head to the Aperol Spritz Bar, which features special beach cocktails. Another dining highlight is Sushino at Costa, the line's new sushi bistro. After dinner, take in unparalleled views of the sea along the Volare Skywalk, the highest point of the ship, which towers more than 200 feet above sea level.

Explore Costa Cruises deals on GoToSea.

P&O Cruises Arvia

Courtesy of P&O Cruises

Length: 1,130 feet

Maximum passengers: 5,200

Arvia joined the P&O fleet as sister ship to Iona in December 2022. It is also LNG-powered, has 2,614 cabins and carries up to 1,800 crew. The family-friendly ship offers guests many firsts, including Altitude, a new activity area with an escape room, a high-ropes experience, the Splash Valley aqua zone, the Sports Arena and much more.

Arvia has 30 bars and restaurants. New dining venues include the American-inspired 6th Street Diner and Green & Co. feat. Mizuhana, which focuses on sushi and plant-based dishes. For entertainment, plan to see the line's production of "The Official Take That Musical," an adaptation of London West End musical "The Band." Guests can also head to the dome beneath the SkyDome retractable roof for live performances, aerial displays, movies on the giant SeaScreen and DJ parties under the starry skies.

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Courtesy of AIDA Cruises

Gross tons: 184,600

Maximum passengers: 6,654

The sister ship to AIDAnova, AIDAcosma set sail in early 2022. The partly LNG-powered AIDA Cruises vessel has 2,732 staterooms and the capacity for up to around 1,500 crew members. With 17 restaurants and 23 bars and cafes, AIDAcosma offers passengers a seemingly endless number of venues to dine and imbibe. Other onboard attractions include a four-deck outdoor area, complete with an infinity pool and an expansive area for sunbathing; an indoor playground with a bouldering wall and ropes course; the Body & Soul Spa; and a 360-degree stage at the Theatrium.

P&O Cruises Iona

Length: 1,129 feet

Gross tons: 184,000

P&O Cruises' Iona, which launched in spring 2021, has the distinction of being the first LNG-powered British cruise ship. The family-friendly vessel has 2,614 cabins and carries 1,800 crew members. Iona's top features include the two-story SkyDome, a gin distillery, four pools, 10 entertainment venues, and 30 restaurants and bars offering a wide variety of food and beverage options.

With selections ranging from casual eateries to gelaterias to Indian- and British-inspired cuisine at Sindhu, you won't get bored with the restaurant choices. For an especially unique meal, dine and sip wine while watching aerial performances in the Grand Atrium at The Glass House. Or, enjoy dinner at The Limelight Club, an adults-only supper club venue featuring vocal performances and other live music. After dinner, check out the entertainment around the ship, including aerial productions in the Grand Atrium, guest and crew shows in Headliners, late night dancing in The Club House, and performances in partnership with the entertainment company Creativiva in the SkyDome.

Gross tons: 183,900

When German line AIDA Cruises' first Helios-class ship, AIDAnova, debuted in December 2018, it was the first LNG-powered cruise ship in the world. The ship is equipped with 2,626 staterooms, including the two-deck Penthouse Suite, and carries around 1,500 crew members. You won't miss this ship when it's docked in port: It features the line's signature exterior design, with bold red lips at the ship's bow and blue-and-yellow eyes on the port and starboard sides.

While on board, passengers can check out 17 restaurants, along with 23 bars and lounges; party the night away at the Beach Club; and take in live performances on the 360-degree stage in the Theatrium. When it's time to relax, head to the Body & Soul Spa, where you can book a massage, spend time in one of the hot tubs or saunas, take a dip in the private pool, and chill out on the private spa sun deck.

Carnival Jubilee

Width: 137 feet

Gross tons: 183,521

Maximum passengers: 6,631

Carnival Jubilee, as sister ship to Carnival Celebration and Carnival Mardi Gras, will offer many of the same features and amenities as its two predecessors when it launches in December 2023. The new vessel will have 2,687 staterooms, 1,735 crew and six zones of fun. Currents and The Shores are new to Jubilee . Currents is inspired by the underworld of the ocean with mermaids and sea monsters; it's designed with new bars, restaurants, music venues and high-tech spaces, including a wave-shaped LED ceiling and six LED windows that virtually take guests under the sea. The Shores is all about the outdoors, inspired by beaches and boardwalks. Cruisers can grab a slice of pizza at Coastal Slice, a hot dog at Beach Buns and a cocktail at Marina Bar.

On Jubilee, you'll also find Carnival Cruise Line favorites such as BOLT, the first and fastest roller coaster at sea, as well as Waterworks, the onboard water park with twin racing slides, three spiraling slides and more. The line's "next-level fun" ship will also include familiar eateries and lounges like Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken, Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, Cucina del Capitano, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and more.

Carnival Celebration

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Celebration sailed its inaugural cruise in November 2022. Carnival's second-newest ship at sea is LNG-powered and the second in the line's Excel class, with 2,687 staterooms and as many as 1,735 crew. Guests will find new attractions to enjoy on the ship, such as the partnership with the Kennedy Space Center at Space Cruisers: This program is designed for children ages 2 to 11 at Camp Ocean.

Adults can check out the new bar at Latitudes, which features specialty cocktails and outdoor scenery through the virtual windows. Celebration has a variety of complimentary dining venues, including Shaq's Big Chicken, Guy's Burger Joint and Mexican favorites at BlueIguana Cantina. There is also a selection of specialty restaurants like Emeril's Bistro 1397, Rudi's Seagrill, the Steakhouse and Bonsai Teppanyaki. For action and 360-degree views of the ocean from the top of the ship, take a spin around the track on the BOLT roller coaster.

Compare Carnival Cruises on GoToSea.

MSC Euribia

Length: 1,087 feet

Width: 141 feet

Gross tons: 181,541

Maximum passengers: 6,327

MSC Euribia, the newest MSC Cruises ship, debuted in June 2023. The line's second LNG-powered vessel – and the fifth Meraviglia-class ship – has 2,419 cabins and can carry as many as 1,711 crew members. The ship's hull features Alex Flämig's artwork "#SaveTheSea" to highlight the company's dedication to preserving the marine ecosystem.

On board Euribia , guests will find five pools and 11 dining venues, offering everything from sushi and teppanyaki to Latin American street food. There are also 21 bars and lounges, the MSC Aurea Spa, the Ocean Cay Aquapark, luxury retail shopping and more. Two additional highlights are the longest – and most impressive – LED Dome at Sea, which covers the ceiling of Galleria Euribia, and the reimagined Carousel Lounge. The beautiful, updated space features floor-to-ceiling windows, outdoor terraces and cozy seating to enjoy live entertainment, including performances by one of the largest big bands at sea.

MSC Virtuosa

Maximum passengers: 6,334

This vessel launched in 2021 as a sister ship to MSC Grandiosa , the line's other Meraviglia Plus-class ship. MSC Virtuosa has 2,421 staterooms and carries around 1,704 crew members. It offers cruisers 11 dining venues plus 21 bars and lounges. At the heart of the ship, Galleria Virtuosa houses the largest shopping area on a cruise ship, with more than 12,500 square feet of retail space. In this area, you'll also find entertainment venues, restaurants and cocktail bars. And don't forget to look up: An impressive LED dome, one of the longest at sea, spans the ceiling of the promenade.

Another highlight to check out during your voyage is the MSC Starship Club, which features Rob, the first humanoid robotic bartender on a cruise ship. The multilingual expert mixologist even tells jokes and will show you a dance move or two. After all the indoor fun, head outside for a cool dip in one of MSC Virtuosa's five pools or take a ride on the slide at the Savannah Aquapark.

Book an MSC Cruise on GoToSea.

Carnival Mardi Gras

Gross tons: 180,000

Maximum passengers: 6,465

One of Carnival Cruise Line's newest ships, Mardi Gras , debuted in July 2021. Its name honors the line's first ship, the TSS Mardi Gras, which launched in 1972. The original Mardi Gras was around 27,000 gross tons and 650 feet long – in contrast, the new Carnival Mardi Gras weighs more than six times as much and is nearly twice as long. This ship also holds the title as North America's first LNG-powered ship. It has 2,641 staterooms and holds up to 1,745 crew members.

Six themed areas each offer unique dining and entertainment experiences. For New Orleans -inspired cuisine, head to the French Quarter; there, you'll find Emeril's Bistro 1396 and The Brass Magnolia, a bar reminiscent of The Big Easy's jazz culture and Garden District. Don't miss one of the ship's top onboard attractions: the BOLT roller coaster, where riders can hit speeds of nearly 40 mph at 187 feet above sea level.

Read: The Top Themed Cruises

MSC Meraviglia

Courtesy of Port Miami for MSC Cruises

Length: 1,036 feet

Gross tons: 171,598

Maximum passengers: 5,655

MSC Cruises' Meraviglia first set sail in 2017 with an impressive 2,244 staterooms and the capacity to carry 1,536 crew members. A dozen restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisines, including a Spanish tapas bar with dishes created by a Michelin-starred chef, Japanese teppanyaki, Italian fare, fresh seafood, steaks and more. There are also 20 bars, lounges and cafes serving everything from Champagne and cocktails to ice cream and crepes.

The central highlight of the ship is Galleria Meraviglia, a 315-foot promenade with eateries, boutiques and evening parties. Nightly entertainment includes live performances and shows in the Broadway Theatre and the Carousel Lounge. Kids will find plenty to do, as well: There's an Aquapark, an F1 simulator, a flight simulator, LEGO play areas, bowling and more. When it's time to wind down, book a signature treatment at the MSC Aurea Spa.

Norwegian Encore

Length: 1,094 feet

Width: 136 feet

Gross tons: 169,116

Maximum passengers: 3,998 (double occupancy)

Norwegian Encore was built in 2019 as one of Norwegian Cruise Line 's Breakaway Plus-class ships. The vessel has 2,040 staterooms and carries 1,735 crew members. There are several complimentary culinary venues on board, including three main dining rooms, The Local Bar & Grill, the Garden Café buffet, and grab-and-go options. Specialty dining restaurants offer a variety of cuisines, from seafood to steak to Japanese teppanyaki.

When it's time for cocktail hour, 14 bars and lounges serve up everything from cold brews to fine wine and whiskey. For a pre-dinner option, head up to the Observation Lounge for panoramic ocean views. Norwegian Encore is also home to several entertainment venues featuring award-winning live shows and performances.

You'll find the most fun on the ship's top decks. First, head to the Encore Speedway race track, which takes thrill-seekers on a heart-pumping ride through high-speed curves extending 13 feet off the side of the ship. Also at the top of the vessel you'll find The Haven: Norwegian's exclusive "ship within a ship" concept boasts luxurious suites, villas and penthouses with balconies. These luxe accommodations include perks like 24-hour butler service, a concierge and a private sun deck.

Find a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise on GoToSea.

Frequently Asked Questions

The largest cruise ship currently in service is Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, at more than 235,000 gross tons. Icon of the Seas will become the largest cruise ship in the world at 250,000-plus gross tons after its launch, set for January 2024.

Carnival Jubilee, scheduled to debut in December 2023, and Carnival Celebration are the line's largest ships at 183,521 gross tons.

The line's largest ship is Disney Wish at about 144,000 gross tons. The vessel is 1,119 feet in length and 128 feet wide; it has 1,254 staterooms and carries up to 4,000 passengers and 1,555 crew.

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Gwen Pratesi has been an avid cruiser since her early 20s. She has sailed on nearly every type of cruise ship built, including the newest megaships, paddle-wheelers on the Mississippi River, and an 18-stateroom river ship on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. She has also cruised on a traditional masted sailing ship and on a small luxury expedition vessel in Antarctica crossing the notorious Drake Passage twice. She covers the travel and culinary industries for major publications including U.S. News & World Report.

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Disney Fantasy vs Disney Magic

The Disney Fantasy was built in 2012. Disney Fantasy's exterior has a old-school steam boat feel while the interior leans into the Art Nouveau styling. Outside the ship, you'll see Dumbo painting the name on the stern. It's 14 years newer than the Magic , which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2013. Disney Magic's exterior has a old-school steam boat feel while the interior leans into the Art Deco styling. Outside the ship, you'll see Goofy painting the name on the stern.

Comparison Overview

Number of passengers, food and restaurants.

• Bars and Drinks

Pools and Hot Tubs

Ship features and activities, cruise costs, onboard costs.

The Fantasy is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,115 feet long and 121 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Disney Magic, the Fantasy is 55% larger in terms of overall tons.

Disney Fantasy holds 43% more passengers than the Magic based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Fantasy has more space per person compared to the Magic. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Fantasy has 10 different dining options like Animator's Palate , Remy , and Palo . Of those options, 6 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 4 options have an additional fee.

The Magic has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Rapunzel's Royal Table , Pinocchio's Pizzeria , and Duck-in Diner . 8 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 2 have an additional fee.

The Disney Fantasy has about the same number of dining options as the Disney Magic.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Magic might be a better choice then the Fantasy. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Disney Fantasy & Magic

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.

There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. Alcohol is not included in the base price of this cruise ship. To see if you would save money with a drink package, try our Drink Package Calculator.

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Disney Fantasy has a total of 3 pools and 3 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only.

The Disney Magic has the same number of pools as the Fantasy and more hot tubs.

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Fantasy. Only 77% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Magic, 83% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Disney is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Disney Fantasy will likely be more expensive than on Disney Magic.

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Disney ship.

With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.

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The NFL season comes every fall, and we know that plenty of football fans also are avid cruisers.

Guess what? You can have your cruise and football, too.

Cruise Ship Sports Bars

You don’t have to miss out on the action if you book a cruise on one of the many ships out there that feature awesome some amazing sports bars.

Sure, it would be ideal to have the games shown on the poolside giant screen, so you can fully embrace the cruise vibe while also watching your favorite sport . But this option is not consistently available on many ships.

Some will offer games on the big screen. Princess Cruises , for example, regularly features games on its Movies Under the Stars poolside screen on most of its ships, and Disney Cruise Line shows the games outside, as well.

And most lines show the Super Bowl out there as part of a big viewing party.

For the rest of the season and on several other major lines, though, you can ensure your viewing pleasure by grabbing a seat at one of the best cruise ship sports bars on the high seas.

Carnival Cruise Line Sports Bars

Carnival offers several outstanding sports bars on a number of its ships.

SkyBox  Sports Bar  is available on the newer ships, Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon, as well as 10 other ships in the fleet . This game-day hot spot is decked out with posters, jerseys, photos and other sports paraphernalia, making it a cool environment to hang with fellow fanatics. Seating is available at high-top tables, booths and along a long bar. Multiple screens can show a variety of available games.

Cruisers may also catch the games at the casino bar or on ships that have a   RedFrog  Pub  venue. You can expect game-day beer and appetizer specials.

MSC Cruises Sports Bars

New ships MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview take it to the next level for fans with its  Sports Bar  venues. These massive facilities feature fantastic sports decor. Museum-quality, wall-mounted cases show off jerseys, trophies and pictures of top athletes across a range of sports.

Dozens of TVs show the games in a chic and spacious environment, and seating is arranged around a giant bar. Also, separate intimate seating pods are available to allow you to watch your own TV screen in privacy with just a few of your closest friends.

Norwegian Cruise Line ships feature NFL games on the big screen in the atrium.  O’Sheehan’s  Neighborhood Bar and Grill  (available on many ships in the fleet) and  The Local  on Norwegian Bliss are the places to be on game day during your cruise — as these spots have views of that atrium screen.

You’ll be in your element here. These bars offer up appetizers like chicken wings, nachos, burgers and artichoke dip and is decorated with all manner of sports memorabilia and collectibles.

Royal Caribbean Sports Bars

Symphony of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Independence of the Seas all feature a  Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade .

This bar and restaurant is connected to the ship’s bustling Boardwalk area and features dozens of TV screen showing the games.

It also offers plenty of seating, with bar stools, booths and tables inside and out, all with good views of screens.

Royal Caribbean ships with Royal Promenades – this covers a dozen ships in all in the Voyager-, Freedom-, Quantum- and Oasis classes — feature  British -style  pubs  that also will show NFL games. These venues are a bit smaller, so you will want to try to grab a seat early if you plan to go there to watch a game .

Disney Cruise  Line Sports Bars

We know Disney is dedicated to delivering an outstanding cruise experience for families . The line didn’t forget the football fans, young or old. All Disney Cruise Line ships show the games on the big screen outdoors as well as in dedicated sports bars.

Disney Dream’s  Pub 687 , Disney Magic and Disney Fantasy’s  O’Gills   Pub , and Disney Wonder’s  Crown and Fin Pub  all feature large flat-screen LCD TVs. Pull up a stool at attractive wood-finish bars or plop into a plush leather chair to order a cocktail or craft beer and watch the action.

You can also catch the games in the Promenade Lounge on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete.  CruiseCompete.com  allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts

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The Size of Titanic Compared to Modern Cruise Ships: A Comprehensive Comparison

Titanic Compared to Modern Cruise Ships is the ultimate showdown of nautical giants. Prepare to be amazed as we unveil the staggering size differences between the legendary Titanic and today’s cruise ship marvels. Dive in and let’s navigate the evolution of these floating cities together!

The Titanic is one of the most famous ships in history, known for its tragic sinking in 1912. At the time of its launch, it was the largest ship in the world, measuring 269 meters long and 46,000 gross tonnage. Despite its size, the Titanic was not able to withstand the impact of an iceberg, leading to the death of over 1,500 passengers and crew members .

Today, cruise ships have become a popular mode of transportation and entertainment for millions of people around the world. With advancements in technology and engineering, modern cruise ships have grown significantly in size, making the Titanic look like a mid-size ship in comparison. This article aims to compare the size of the Titanic to modern cruise ships, highlighting the differences in length, height, and capacity.

By comparing the size of the Titanic to modern cruise ships, readers can gain a better understanding of how far shipbuilding technology has come in the past century. It also provides insight into the challenges and limitations faced by engineers and architects when designing and constructing ships of this magnitude.

Overall, this article will serve as a comprehensive guide for those interested in the history of shipbuilding and the evolution of cruise ships over time.

The Size of Titanic

Titanic’s size and dimensions.

When Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912, it was the largest ship in the world. The ship measured 269 meters in length, 28.2 meters in width, and 53.3 meters tall. These dimensions made the Titanic one of the most significant engineering feats of its time.

The Titanic’s size and dimensions were impressive for the early 20th century. For reference, an American football field is 109 meters long, meaning the Titanic was the length of almost two and a half football fields. The ship’s gross tonnage was 46,000, which was also impressive for the time.

The Titanic’s dimensions were not only impressive, but they were also instrumental in the ship’s design and capabilities. The ship’s length and width allowed for a spacious and luxurious interior, while the height of the ship made it possible for the Titanic to have multiple decks and accommodate a large number of passengers and crew.

Passenger Capacity and Crew

The Titanic was designed to accommodate up to 3,547 passengers and crew. The ship’s passenger capacity was divided into three classes: First Class, Second Class, and Third Class. The First Class accommodations were some of the most luxurious of the time, while the Third Class accommodations were more modest.

The Titanic’s crew consisted of approximately 900 people, including officers, engineers, and crew members. The crew was responsible for operating the ship and ensuring the safety of the passengers.

Overall, the Titanic’s size and dimensions, as well as its passenger capacity and crew, were impressive for the time. Although the ship has been surpassed in size and capacity by modern cruise ships, the Titanic’s legacy continues to fascinate and inspire people around the world.

The Size of Titanic Compared to Cruise Ships

The RMS Titanic was a massive ship for its time, but compared to modern cruise ships, it is relatively small. The Titanic had a gross register tonnage of 46,328 tons, a length of 882.75 feet long (269 meters), and 92 feet wide (28 meters). It was considered the largest ship afloat when it was launched in 1912.

The Titanic had a total of 10 decks, with 3 of them being below the waterline. The ship had a maximum speed of 24 knots (44 km/h), and it could carry up to 2,435 passengers and 892 crew members.

Cruise Ship Sizes Compared to Titanic

When compared to modern cruise ships, the Titanic is significantly smaller. The average cruise vessel today is around 298 meters long, just a few meters longer than the Titanic. However, modern ships are much larger than the Titanic in terms of gross registered tonnage, passenger capacity, and amenities.

For example, the largest cruise ship in the world as of 2023 is the Wonder of the Seas, which is 1,200 feet (368 meters) long, 215 feet (66 meters) wide, and has a gross tonnage of 236,857 mt. It can carry up to 6,988 passengers and 2,200 crew members. The Wonder of the Seas has 18 decks, 20 restaurants, a water park, a zip line, and many other amenities that were not available on the Titanic .

Other modern cruise ships, such as the Symphony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, the Allure of the Seas, and the Harmony of the Seas, are also significantly larger than the Titanic and offer many more amenities and activities for passengers.

Comparison of Titanic to Modern Cruise Ships

Size and dimensions of modern cruise ships.

Modern cruise ships are much larger than the Titanic. The Titanic was about 882 feet long, while the largest cruise ship today is around 1,184 feet long. The average modern cruise ship is 20% longer than the Titanic and twice as tall. The Wonder of the Seas, for example, is over 1,000 feet long and more than twice as wide as the Titanic. It has 24 pools, 22 restaurants, 2 rock climbing walls, an ice-skating rink, and more.

In terms of passenger capacity, the Titanic could carry around 2,200 passengers and crew, while the largest cruise ship today can carry over 6,000 passengers and crew. The Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, has a gross volume of 236,857 GT and is five times the size of the Titanic.

Advancements in Technology and Design

Modern cruise ships have many technological and design advancements that the Titanic did not have. For example, modern ships have stabilizers that reduce the amount of movement felt by passengers in rough seas. They also have advanced navigation systems, satellite communication, and safety features like smoke detectors and sprinkler systems.

Modern ships also have a wider range of amenities and entertainment options. They have multiple swimming pools, water parks, theaters, casinos, and shopping areas. Some ships even have virtual reality experiences and skydiving simulators.

In terms of environmental impact, modern cruise ships are designed to be more eco-friendly. They use advanced wastewater treatment systems, energy-efficient lighting, and low-emission engines. Some ships even have solar panels and wind turbines to generate electricity.

Overall, modern cruise ships have come a long way since the Titanic. They are much larger, have more amenities, and are more environmentally friendly. The advancements in technology and design have made cruising a popular and enjoyable vacation option for millions of people around the world.

About the author

I worked as an officer in the deck department on various types of vessels, including oil and chemical tankers, LPG carriers, and even reefer and TSHD in the early years. Currently employed as Marine Surveyor carrying cargo, draft, bunker, and warranty survey.

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Chart: See the Dramatic Rise in the Size of Cruise Ships

How much larger have cruise ships become? Until you are standing next to a modern cruise ship, it’s hard to appreciate just how massive they actually are.

Many times they are called floating cities. That’s not just a cute phrase. It’s accurate. The largest cruise ship in the world — Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas — can hold 6,600 passengers and 2,200 crew. That’s nearly 9,000 people.

Meanwhile, the amenities onboard include everything you need to run a city of that size, from nearly 20 restaurants to medical facilities, from laundry facilities to storefronts.

Growing in Size Over the Years

Gone are the days where a cruise ship was designed simply to be the vessel to get you from port to port. Today, the cruise ship is the destination.

For years there’s been an arms race when it comes to ships. The major cruise lines — including Carnival , Royal Caribbean , and Norwegian — have competed to create ships that not only push their own fleets bigger, but also put them on par with their rivals.

That’s led to the largest cruise ships the world has ever seen… and a steady increase in average size over time.

Consider that from 1990 until 2000, most cruise new ships built were in the 70,000-80,000 gross ton range. (Gross tonnage is a standard measure of a ship’s size.) The average size of all new ships during this time from the major cruise lines was 80,000 gross tons.

But since then the size of ships has soared.

From 2015 until today, the average gross tonnage of a new cruise ship from the major cruise lines is 164,000 gross tons — more than twice the size of a ship built during the 1990s. That includes the Symphony of the Seas, which comes in at a staggering 228,081 gross tons.

Take a look at just how dramatic the increase in cruise ship size has been during the past 30 years:

As you can see from the chart, when it comes to size, all the cruise lines continue to move toward larger ships. Every single cruise line has dramatically increased in size over the past several decades.

However, Royal Caribbean is the line that pushes the envelope the most when it comes to building bigger ships.

The line of ships at the top right of the chart represent the cruise line's Oasis-class of ships, which are the biggest in the world. First launched in 2009, the ships within this class are all at least 225,000 gross tons.

That's about three times the size of the average ship built in the 1990s .

Why Cruise Ships Continue to Get Bigger

So why do cruise ships continue to get larger? For cruise companies and passengers, there are a number of benefits to larger cruise ships.

For passengers, larger ships simply mean more options. With more space comes more restaurants, public areas, activities, and cabin types.

Consider Carnival's Mardi Gras. The new mega-liner is set to debut at the end of 2020, and will have more than 15 spots to eat on board. That's a long way from just having a buffet, dining room and maybe another restaurant or two like you would have found on much older cruise ships.

Norwegian's Breakaway-Plus class of ships like Norwegian Encore have the space to include a number of activities that were unheard of just a few years ago. This includes laser-tag arenas, virtual reality areas, and even go-kart tracks at sea.

For cruise lines, larger ships bring economies of scale come into play. Put simply, it's much cheaper for a cruise line to build and operate one 6,000 person cruise ship than two ships with 3,000 people sailing. It requires less staff, and less cost to build a single large ship than two smaller ones.

With more space, there are also more chances to earn money from passengers. As mentioned by Travel Weekly , "large ships have far greater potential for onboard revenue than smaller ones, with more space for bars, restaurants, and bigger casinos and spas."

Finally, cruise ships act as a marketing tool for the cruise line.

With each new ship comes new media coverage and attention to the ship and the line. In the race to gather attention, bigger and more extravagant lead the way to gather the imagination of potential passengers. There's a very good reason that you never see older ships in the advertisements from the cruise lines.

Limits on Cruise Ship Size

Given the current trend, you might think that cruise ships will continue to increase in size in the future. That's likely not the case. There does come a point to where size becomes a negative instead of a benefit.

Consider that the Oasis of the Seas -- the first of the largest Oasis-class vessels built by Royal Caribbean -- was built in 2009, more than a decade ago. Since then, it's had several sister ships built, that have been marginally larger at most. However, there hasn't been a significantly larger cruise ship built.

Instead, at least for now, this seems to be the upper limit for how large cruise ships will become. As ships get larger, so too do the logistical issues that come with them. Namely, not every port of call can handle the size and scale of the largest vessels.

For example, the Port of Tampa Bay simply can't have the largest cruise ships dock because the height of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge at the entrance to the bay is too low.

The Port of Galveston (the busiest cruise port outside of Florida) anticipates welcoming an Oasis-class vessel in the future, but first has to work with Royal Caribbean to build a new terminal that can accommodate ships of that size.

But while the limit on the size of ships may have maxed out for now, there is still room for more vessels to be built up to current standards. Of the 120 cruise ships included on our chart above, 49 of them (41%) are less than 100,000 gross tons.

Given the recent troubles the industry has faced it may take some time to replace those older, smaller ships with larger vessels. But there's no question that the trend definitely is moving that way.

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One of the World’s Largest Cruise Ships That Nobody Is Talking About (Yet)

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Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever

Seven agonizing nights aboard the Icon of the Seas

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Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET on April 6, 2024.

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MY FIRST GLIMPSE of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, from the window of an approaching Miami cab, brings on a feeling of vertigo, nausea, amazement, and distress. I shut my eyes in defense, as my brain tells my optic nerve to try again.

The ship makes no sense, vertically or horizontally. It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots. Vibrant, oversignifying colors are stacked upon other such colors, decks perched over still more decks; the only comfort is a row of lifeboats ringing its perimeter. There is no imposed order, no cogent thought, and, for those who do not harbor a totalitarian sense of gigantomania, no visual mercy. This is the biggest cruise ship ever built, and I have been tasked with witnessing its inaugural voyage.

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“Author embarks on their first cruise-ship voyage” has been a staple of American essay writing for almost three decades, beginning with David Foster Wallace’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” which was first published in 1996 under the title “Shipping Out.” Since then, many admirable writers have widened and diversified the genre. Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel. I am 51, old and tired, having seen much of the world as a former travel journalist, and mostly what I do in both life and prose is shrug while muttering to my imaginary dachshund, “This too shall pass.” But the Icon of the Seas will not countenance a shrug. The Icon of the Seas is the Linda Loman of cruise ships, exclaiming that attention must be paid. And here I am in late January with my one piece of luggage and useless gray winter jacket and passport, zipping through the Port of Miami en route to the gangway that will separate me from the bulk of North America for more than seven days, ready to pay it in full.

The aforementioned gangway opens up directly onto a thriving mall (I will soon learn it is imperiously called the “Royal Promenade”), presently filled with yapping passengers beneath a ceiling studded with balloons ready to drop. Crew members from every part of the global South, as well as a few Balkans, are shepherding us along while pressing flutes of champagne into our hands. By a humming Starbucks, I drink as many of these as I can and prepare to find my cabin. I show my blue Suite Sky SeaPass Card (more on this later, much more) to a smiling woman from the Philippines, and she tells me to go “aft.” Which is where, now? As someone who has rarely sailed on a vessel grander than the Staten Island Ferry, I am confused. It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD , or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship. I trust that you have enjoyed this nautical lesson.

I ascend via elevator to my suite on Deck 11. This is where I encounter my first terrible surprise. My suite windows and balcony do not face the ocean. Instead, they look out onto another shopping mall. This mall is the one that’s called Central Park, perhaps in homage to the Olmsted-designed bit of greenery in the middle of my hometown. Although on land I would be delighted to own a suite with Central Park views, here I am deeply depressed. To sail on a ship and not wake up to a vast blue carpet of ocean? Unthinkable.

Allow me a brief preamble here. The story you are reading was commissioned at a moment when most staterooms on the Icon were sold out. In fact, so enthralled by the prospect of this voyage were hard-core mariners that the ship’s entire inventory of guest rooms (the Icon can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers, but its inaugural journey was reduced to 5,000 or so for a less crowded experience) was almost immediately sold out. Hence, this publication was faced with the shocking prospect of paying nearly $19,000 to procure for this solitary passenger an entire suite—not including drinking expenses—all for the privilege of bringing you this article. But the suite in question doesn’t even have a view of the ocean! I sit down hard on my soft bed. Nineteen thousand dollars for this .

The viewless suite does have its pluses. In addition to all the Malin+Goetz products in my dual bathrooms, I am granted use of a dedicated Suite Deck lounge; access to Coastal Kitchen, a superior restaurant for Suites passengers; complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream (“the fastest Internet at Sea”) “for one device per person for the whole cruise duration”; a pair of bathrobes (one of which comes prestained with what looks like a large expectoration by the greenest lizard on Earth); and use of the Grove Suite Sun, an area on Decks 18 and 19 with food and deck chairs reserved exclusively for Suite passengers. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz , an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations. The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them.

In preparation for sailing, I have “priced in,” as they say on Wall Street, the possibility that I may come from a somewhat different monde than many of the other cruisers. Without falling into stereotypes or preconceptions, I prepare myself for a friendly outspokenness on the part of my fellow seafarers that may not comply with modern DEI standards. I believe in meeting people halfway, and so the day before flying down to Miami, I visited what remains of Little Italy to purchase a popular T-shirt that reads DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL across the breast in the colors of the Italian flag. My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. “Oh, and who is your ‘daddy’?” some might ask upon seeing it. “And how long have you been his ‘little meatball’?” And so on.

I put on my meatball T-shirt and head for one of the dining rooms to get a late lunch. In the elevator, I stick out my chest for all to read the funny legend upon it, but soon I realize that despite its burnished tricolor letters, no one takes note. More to the point, no one takes note of me. Despite my attempts at bridge building, the very sight of me (small, ethnic, without a cap bearing the name of a football team) elicits no reaction from other passengers. Most often, they will small-talk over me as if I don’t exist. This brings to mind the travails of David Foster Wallace , who felt so ostracized by his fellow passengers that he retreated to his cabin for much of his voyage. And Wallace was raised primarily in the Midwest and was a much larger, more American-looking meatball than I am. If he couldn’t talk to these people, how will I? What if I leave this ship without making any friends at all, despite my T-shirt? I am a social creature, and the prospect of seven days alone and apart is saddening. Wallace’s stateroom, at least, had a view of the ocean, a kind of cheap eternity.

Worse awaits me in the dining room. This is a large, multichandeliered room where I attended my safety training (I was shown how to put on a flotation vest; it is a very simple procedure). But the maître d’ politely refuses me entry in an English that seems to verge on another language. “I’m sorry, this is only for pendejos ,” he seems to be saying. I push back politely and he repeats himself. Pendejos ? Piranhas? There’s some kind of P-word to which I am not attuned. Meanwhile elderly passengers stream right past, powered by their limbs, walkers, and electric wheelchairs. “It is only pendejo dining today, sir.” “But I have a suite!” I say, already starting to catch on to the ship’s class system. He examines my card again. “But you are not a pendejo ,” he confirms. I am wearing a DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL T-shirt, I want to say to him. I am the essence of pendejo .

Eventually, I give up and head to the plebeian buffet on Deck 15, which has an aquatic-styled name I have now forgotten. Before gaining entry to this endless cornucopia of reheated food, one passes a washing station of many sinks and soap dispensers, and perhaps the most intriguing character on the entire ship. He is Mr. Washy Washy—or, according to his name tag, Nielbert of the Philippines—and he is dressed as a taco (on other occasions, I’ll see him dressed as a burger). Mr. Washy Washy performs an eponymous song in spirited, indeed flamboyant English: “Washy, washy, wash your hands, WASHY WASHY!” The dangers of norovirus and COVID on a cruise ship this size (a giant fellow ship was stricken with the former right after my voyage) makes Mr. Washy Washy an essential member of the crew. The problem lies with the food at the end of Washy’s rainbow. The buffet is groaning with what sounds like sophisticated dishes—marinated octopus, boiled egg with anchovy, chorizo, lobster claws—but every animal tastes tragically the same, as if there was only one creature available at the market, a “cruisipus” bred specifically for Royal Caribbean dining. The “vegetables” are no better. I pick up a tomato slice and look right through it. It tastes like cellophane. I sit alone, apart from the couples and parents with gaggles of children, as “We Are Family” echoes across the buffet space.

I may have failed to mention that all this time, the Icon of the Seas has not left port. As the fiery mango of the subtropical setting sun makes Miami’s condo skyline even more apocalyptic, the ship shoves off beneath a perfunctory display of fireworks. After the sun sets, in the far, dark distance, another circus-lit cruise ship ruptures the waves before us. We glance at it with pity, because it is by definition a smaller ship than our own. I am on Deck 15, outside the buffet and overlooking a bunch of pools (the Icon has seven of them), drinking a frilly drink that I got from one of the bars (the Icon has 15 of them), still too shy to speak to anyone, despite Sister Sledge’s assertion that all on the ship are somehow related.

Kim Brooks: On failing the family vacation

The ship’s passage away from Ron DeSantis’s Florida provides no frisson, no sense of developing “sea legs,” as the ship is too large to register the presence of waves unless a mighty wind adds significant chop. It is time for me to register the presence of the 5,000 passengers around me, even if they refuse to register mine. My fellow travelers have prepared for this trip with personally decorated T-shirts celebrating the importance of this voyage. The simplest ones say ICON INAUGURAL ’24 on the back and the family name on the front. Others attest to an over-the-top love of cruise ships: WARNING! MAY START TALKING ABOUT CRUISING . Still others are artisanally designed and celebrate lifetimes spent married while cruising (on ships, of course). A couple possibly in their 90s are wearing shirts whose backs feature a drawing of a cruise liner, two flamingos with ostensibly male and female characteristics, and the legend “ HUSBAND AND WIFE Cruising Partners FOR LIFE WE MAY NOT HAVE IT All Together BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE IT ALL .” (The words not in all caps have been written in cursive.) A real journalist or a more intrepid conversationalist would have gone up to the couple and asked them to explain the longevity of their marriage vis-à-vis their love of cruising. But instead I head to my mall suite, take off my meatball T-shirt, and allow the first tears of the cruise to roll down my cheeks slowly enough that I briefly fall asleep amid the moisture and salt.

I WAKE UP with a hangover. Oh God. Right. I cannot believe all of that happened last night. A name floats into my cobwebbed, nauseated brain: “Ayn Rand.” Jesus Christ.

I breakfast alone at the Coastal Kitchen. The coffee tastes fine and the eggs came out of a bird. The ship rolls slightly this morning; I can feel it in my thighs and my schlong, the parts of me that are most receptive to danger.

I had a dangerous conversation last night. After the sun set and we were at least 50 miles from shore (most modern cruise ships sail at about 23 miles an hour), I lay in bed softly hiccupping, my arms stretched out exactly like Jesus on the cross, the sound of the distant waves missing from my mall-facing suite, replaced by the hum of air-conditioning and children shouting in Spanish through the vents of my two bathrooms. I decided this passivity was unacceptable. As an immigrant, I feel duty-bound to complete the tasks I am paid for, which means reaching out and trying to understand my fellow cruisers. So I put on a normal James Perse T-shirt and headed for one of the bars on the Royal Promenade—the Schooner Bar, it was called, if memory serves correctly.

I sat at the bar for a martini and two Negronis. An old man with thick, hairy forearms drank next to me, very silent and Hemingwaylike, while a dreadlocked piano player tinkled out a series of excellent Elton John covers. To my right, a young white couple—he in floral shorts, she in a light, summery miniskirt with a fearsome diamond ring, neither of them in football regalia—chatted with an elderly couple. Do it , I commanded myself. Open your mouth. Speak! Speak without being spoken to. Initiate. A sentence fragment caught my ear from the young woman, “Cherry Hill.” This is a suburb of Philadelphia in New Jersey, and I had once been there for a reading at a synagogue. “Excuse me,” I said gently to her. “Did you just mention Cherry Hill? It’s a lovely place.”

As it turned out, the couple now lived in Fort Lauderdale (the number of Floridians on the cruise surprised me, given that Southern Florida is itself a kind of cruise ship, albeit one slowly sinking), but soon they were talking with me exclusively—the man potbellied, with a chin like a hard-boiled egg; the woman as svelte as if she were one of the many Ukrainian members of the crew—the elderly couple next to them forgotten. This felt as groundbreaking as the first time I dared to address an American in his native tongue, as a child on a bus in Queens (“On my foot you are standing, Mister”).

“I don’t want to talk politics,” the man said. “But they’re going to eighty-six Biden and put Michelle in.”

I considered the contradictions of his opening conversational gambit, but decided to play along. “People like Michelle,” I said, testing the waters. The husband sneered, but the wife charitably put forward that the former first lady was “more personable” than Joe Biden. “They’re gonna eighty-six Biden,” the husband repeated. “He can’t put a sentence together.”

After I mentioned that I was a writer—though I presented myself as a writer of teleplays instead of novels and articles such as this one—the husband told me his favorite writer was Ayn Rand. “Ayn Rand, she came here with nothing,” the husband said. “I work with a lot of Cubans, so …” I wondered if I should mention what I usually do to ingratiate myself with Republicans or libertarians: the fact that my finances improved after pass-through corporations were taxed differently under Donald Trump. Instead, I ordered another drink and the couple did the same, and I told him that Rand and I were born in the same city, St. Petersburg/Leningrad, and that my family also came here with nothing. Now the bonding and drinking began in earnest, and several more rounds appeared. Until it all fell apart.

Read: Gary Shteyngart on watching Russian television for five days straight

My new friend, whom I will refer to as Ayn, called out to a buddy of his across the bar, and suddenly a young couple, both covered in tattoos, appeared next to us. “He fucking punked me,” Ayn’s frat-boy-like friend called out as he put his arm around Ayn, while his sizable partner sizzled up to Mrs. Rand. Both of them had a look I have never seen on land—their eyes projecting absence and enmity in equal measure. In the ’90s, I drank with Russian soldiers fresh from Chechnya and wandered the streets of wartime Zagreb, but I have never seen such undisguised hostility toward both me and perhaps the universe at large. I was briefly introduced to this psychopathic pair, but neither of them wanted to have anything to do with me, and the tattooed woman would not even reveal her Christian name to me (she pretended to have the same first name as Mrs. Rand). To impress his tattooed friends, Ayn made fun of the fact that as a television writer, I’d worked on the series Succession (which, it would turn out, practically nobody on the ship had watched), instead of the far more palatable, in his eyes, zombie drama of last year. And then my new friends drifted away from me into an angry private conversation—“He punked me!”—as I ordered another drink for myself, scared of the dead-eyed arrivals whose gaze never registered in the dim wattage of the Schooner Bar, whose terrifying voices and hollow laughs grated like unoiled gears against the crooning of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

But today is a new day for me and my hangover. After breakfast, I explore the ship’s so-called neighborhoods . There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000. There’s the aforementioned Royal Promenade, where I had drunk with the Rands, and where a pair of dueling pianos duel well into the night. There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself. Thrill Island refers to the collection of tubes that clutter the ass of the ship and offer passengers six waterslides and a surfing simulation. There’s the Hideaway, an adult zone that plays music from a vomit-slathered, Brit-filled Alicante nightclub circa 1996 and proves a big favorite with groups of young Latin American customers. And, most hurtfully, there’s the Suite Neighborhood.

I say hurtfully because as a Suite passenger I should be here, though my particular suite is far from the others. Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private. There is a quiet splendor to the Suite Neighborhood. I see fewer stickers and signs and drawings than in my own neighborhood—for example, MIKE AND DIANA PROUDLY SERVED U.S. MARINE CORPS RETIRED . No one here needs to announce their branch of service or rank; they are simply Suites, and this is where they belong. Once again, despite my hard work and perseverance, I have been disallowed from the true American elite. Once again, I am “Not our class, dear.” I am reminded of watching The Love Boat on my grandmother’s Zenith, which either was given to her or we found in the trash (I get our many malfunctioning Zeniths confused) and whose tube got so hot, I would put little chunks of government cheese on a thin tissue atop it to give our welfare treat a pleasant, Reagan-era gooeyness. I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad. Still, this ship, this plenty—every few steps, there are complimentary nachos or milkshakes or gyros on offer—was the fatty fuel of my childhood dreams. If only I had remained a child.

I walk around the outdoor decks looking for company. There is a middle-aged African American couple who always seem to be asleep in each other’s arms, probably exhausted from the late capitalism they regularly encounter on land. There is far more diversity on this ship than I expected. Many couples are a testament to Loving v. Virginia , and there is a large group of folks whose T-shirts read MELANIN AT SEA / IT’S THE MELANIN FOR ME . I smile when I see them, but then some young kids from the group makes Mr. Washy Washy do a cruel, caricatured “Burger Dance” (today he is in his burger getup), and I think, Well, so much for intersectionality .

At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. I am proved correct! Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station.

“Everyone is here for a different reason,” one of them tells me. She and her ex-husband last sailed together four years ago to prove to themselves that their marriage was truly over. Her 15-year-old son lost his virginity to “an Irish young lady” while their ship was moored in Ravenna, Italy. The gaggle of old-timers competes to tell me their favorite cruising stories and tips. “A guy proposed in Central Park a couple of years ago”—many Royal Caribbean ships apparently have this ridiculous communal area—“and she ran away screaming!” “If you’re diamond-class, you get four drinks for free.” “A different kind of passenger sails out of Bayonne.” (This, perhaps, is racially coded.) “Sometimes, if you tip the bartender $5, your next drink will be free.”

“Everyone’s here for a different reason,” the woman whose marriage ended on a cruise tells me again. “Some people are here for bad reasons—the drinkers and the gamblers. Some people are here for medical reasons.” I have seen more than a few oxygen tanks and at least one woman clearly undergoing very serious chemo. Some T-shirts celebrate good news about a cancer diagnosis. This might be someone’s last cruise or week on Earth. For these women, who have spent months, if not years, at sea, cruising is a ritual as well as a life cycle: first love, last love, marriage, divorce, death.

Read: The last place on Earth any tourist should go

I have talked with these women for so long, tonight I promise myself that after a sad solitary dinner I will not try to seek out company at the bars in the mall or the adult-themed Hideaway. I have enough material to fulfill my duties to this publication. As I approach my orphaned suite, I run into the aggro young people who stole Mr. and Mrs. Rand away from me the night before. The tattooed apparitions pass me without a glance. She is singing something violent about “Stuttering Stanley” (a character in a popular horror movie, as I discover with my complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream Internet at Sea) and he’s loudly shouting about “all the money I’ve lost,” presumably at the casino in the bowels of the ship.

So these bent psychos out of a Cormac McCarthy novel are angrily inhabiting my deck. As I mewl myself to sleep, I envision a limited series for HBO or some other streamer, a kind of low-rent White Lotus , where several aggressive couples conspire to throw a shy intellectual interloper overboard. I type the scenario into my phone. As I fall asleep, I think of what the woman who recently divorced her husband and whose son became a man through the good offices of the Irish Republic told me while I was hoisting myself out of the infinity pool. “I’m here because I’m an explorer. I’m here because I’m trying something new.” What if I allowed myself to believe in her fantasy?

“YOU REALLY STARTED AT THE TOP,” they tell me. I’m at the Coastal Kitchen for my eggs and corned-beef hash, and the maître d’ has slotted me in between two couples. Fueled by coffee or perhaps intrigued by my relative youth, they strike up a conversation with me. As always, people are shocked that this is my first cruise. They contrast the Icon favorably with all the preceding liners in the Royal Caribbean fleet, usually commenting on the efficiency of the elevators that hurl us from deck to deck (as in many large corporate buildings, the elevators ask you to choose a floor and then direct you to one of many lifts). The couple to my right, from Palo Alto—he refers to his “porn mustache” and calls his wife “my cougar” because she is two years older—tell me they are “Pandemic Pinnacles.”

This is the day that my eyes will be opened. Pinnacles , it is explained to me over translucent cantaloupe, have sailed with Royal Caribbean for 700 ungodly nights. Pandemic Pinnacles took advantage of the two-for-one accrual rate of Pinnacle points during the pandemic, when sailing on a cruise ship was even more ill-advised, to catapult themselves into Pinnacle status.

Because of the importance of the inaugural voyage of the world’s largest cruise liner, more than 200 Pinnacles are on this ship, a startling number, it seems. Mrs. Palo Alto takes out a golden badge that I have seen affixed over many a breast, which reads CROWN AND ANCHOR SOCIETY along with her name. This is the coveted badge of the Pinnacle. “You should hear all the whining in Guest Services,” her husband tells me. Apparently, the Pinnacles who are not also Suites like us are all trying to use their status to get into Coastal Kitchen, our elite restaurant. Even a Pinnacle needs to be a Suite to access this level of corned-beef hash.

“We’re just baby Pinnacles,” Mrs. Palo Alto tells me, describing a kind of internal class struggle among the Pinnacle elite for ever higher status.

And now I understand what the maître d’ was saying to me on the first day of my cruise. He wasn’t saying “ pendejo .” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters.

And now I understand something else: This whole thing is a cult. And like most cults, it can’t help but mirror the endless American fight for status. Like Keith Raniere’s NXIVM, where different-colored sashes were given out to connote rank among Raniere’s branded acolytes, this is an endless competition among Pinnacles, Suites, Diamond-Plusers, and facing-the-mall, no-balcony purple SeaPass Card peasants, not to mention the many distinctions within each category. The more you cruise, the higher your status. No wonder a section of the Royal Promenade is devoted to getting passengers to book their next cruise during the one they should be enjoying now. No wonder desperate Royal Caribbean offers (“FINAL HOURS”) crowded my email account weeks before I set sail. No wonder the ship’s jewelry store, the Royal Bling, is selling a $100,000 golden chalice that will entitle its owner to drink free on Royal Caribbean cruises for life. (One passenger was already gaming out whether her 28-year-old son was young enough to “just about earn out” on the chalice or if that ship had sailed.) No wonder this ship was sold out months before departure , and we had to pay $19,000 for a horrid suite away from the Suite Neighborhood. No wonder the most mythical hero of Royal Caribbean lore is someone named Super Mario, who has cruised so often, he now has his own working desk on many ships. This whole experience is part cult, part nautical pyramid scheme.

From the June 2014 issue: Ship of wonks

“The toilets are amazing,” the Palo Altos are telling me. “One flush and you’re done.” “They don’t understand how energy-efficient these ships are,” the husband of the other couple is telling me. “They got the LNG”—liquefied natural gas, which is supposed to make the Icon a boon to the environment (a concept widely disputed and sometimes ridiculed by environmentalists).

But I’m thinking along a different line of attack as I spear my last pallid slice of melon. For my streaming limited series, a Pinnacle would have to get killed by either an outright peasant or a Suite without an ocean view. I tell my breakfast companions my idea.

“Oh, for sure a Pinnacle would have to be killed,” Mr. Palo Alto, the Pandemic Pinnacle, says, touching his porn mustache thoughtfully as his wife nods.

“THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S your time, buddy!” Hubert, my fun-loving Panamanian cabin attendant, shouts as I step out of my suite in a robe. “Take it easy, buddy!”

I have come up with a new dressing strategy. Instead of trying to impress with my choice of T-shirts, I have decided to start wearing a robe, as one does at a resort property on land, with a proper spa and hammam. The response among my fellow cruisers has been ecstatic. “Look at you in the robe!” Mr. Rand cries out as we pass each other by the Thrill Island aqua park. “You’re living the cruise life! You know, you really drank me under the table that night.” I laugh as we part ways, but my soul cries out, Please spend more time with me, Mr. and Mrs. Rand; I so need the company .

In my white robe, I am a stately presence, a refugee from a better limited series, a one-man crossover episode. (Only Suites are granted these robes to begin with.) Today, I will try many of the activities these ships have on offer to provide their clientele with a sense of never-ceasing motion. Because I am already at Thrill Island, I decide to climb the staircase to what looks like a mast on an old-fashioned ship (terrified, because I am afraid of heights) to try a ride called “Storm Chasers,” which is part of the “Category 6” water park, named in honor of one of the storms that may someday do away with the Port of Miami entirely. Storm Chasers consists of falling from the “mast” down a long, twisting neon tube filled with water, like being the camera inside your own colonoscopy, as you hold on to the handles of a mat, hoping not to die. The tube then flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism. It both knocks my breath out and makes me sad.

In keeping with the aquatic theme, I attend a show at the AquaDome. To the sound of “Live and Let Die,” a man in a harness gyrates to and fro in the sultry air. I saw something very similar in the back rooms of the famed Berghain club in early-aughts Berlin. Soon another harnessed man is gyrating next to the first. Ja , I think to myself, I know how this ends. Now will come the fisting , natürlich . But the show soon devolves into the usual Marvel-film-grade nonsense, with too much light and sound signifying nichts . If any fisting is happening, it is probably in the Suite Neighborhood, inside a cabin marked with an upside-down pineapple, which I understand means a couple are ready to swing, and I will see none of it.

I go to the ice show, which is a kind of homage—if that’s possible—to the periodic table, done with the style and pomp and masterful precision that would please the likes of Kim Jong Un, if only he could afford Royal Caribbean talent. At one point, the dancers skate to the theme song of Succession . “See that!” I want to say to my fellow Suites—at “cultural” events, we have a special section reserved for us away from the commoners—“ Succession ! It’s even better than the zombie show! Open your minds!”

Finally, I visit a comedy revue in an enormous and too brightly lit version of an “intimate,” per Royal Caribbean literature, “Manhattan comedy club.” Many of the jokes are about the cruising life. “I’ve lived on ships for 20 years,” one of the middle-aged comedians says. “I can only see so many Filipino homosexuals dressed as a taco.” He pauses while the audience laughs. “I am so fired tonight,” he says. He segues into a Trump impression and then Biden falling asleep at the microphone, which gets the most laughs. “Anyone here from Fort Leonard Wood?” another comedian asks. Half the crowd seems to cheer. As I fall asleep that night, I realize another connection I have failed to make, and one that may explain some of the diversity on this vessel—many of its passengers have served in the military.

As a coddled passenger with a suite, I feel like I am starting to understand what it means to have a rank and be constantly reminded of it. There are many espresso makers , I think as I look across the expanse of my officer-grade quarters before closing my eyes, but this one is mine .

A shocking sight greets me beyond the pools of Deck 17 as I saunter over to the Coastal Kitchen for my morning intake of slightly sour Americanos. A tiny city beneath a series of perfectly pressed green mountains. Land! We have docked for a brief respite in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. I wolf down my egg scramble to be one of the first passengers off the ship. Once past the gangway, I barely refrain from kissing the ground. I rush into the sights and sounds of this scruffy island city, sampling incredible conch curry and buckets of non-Starbucks coffee. How wonderful it is to be where God intended humans to be: on land. After all, I am neither a fish nor a mall rat. This is my natural environment. Basseterre may not be Havana, but there are signs of human ingenuity and desire everywhere you look. The Black Table Grill Has been Relocated to Soho Village, Market Street, Directly Behind of, Gary’s Fruits and Flower Shop. Signed. THE PORK MAN reads a sign stuck to a wall. Now, that is how you write a sign. A real sign, not the come-ons for overpriced Rolexes that blink across the screens of the Royal Promenade.

“Hey, tie your shoestring!” a pair of laughing ladies shout to me across the street.

“Thank you!” I shout back. Shoestring! “Thank you very much.”

A man in Independence Square Park comes by and asks if I want to play with his monkey. I haven’t heard that pickup line since the Penn Station of the 1980s. But then he pulls a real monkey out of a bag. The monkey is wearing a diaper and looks insane. Wonderful , I think, just wonderful! There is so much life here. I email my editor asking if I can remain on St. Kitts and allow the Icon to sail off into the horizon without me. I have even priced a flight home at less than $300, and I have enough material from the first four days on the cruise to write the entire story. “It would be funny …” my editor replies. “Now get on the boat.”

As I slink back to the ship after my brief jailbreak, the locals stand under umbrellas to gaze at and photograph the boat that towers over their small capital city. The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway. St. Kitts, I’ve been told, is one of the few islands that would allow a ship of this size to dock.

“We hear about all the waterslides,” a sweet young server in one of the cafés told me. “We wish we could go on the ship, but we have to work.”

“I want to stay on your island,” I replied. “I love it here.”

But she didn’t understand how I could possibly mean that.

“WASHY, WASHY, so you don’t get stinky, stinky!” kids are singing outside the AquaDome, while their adult minders look on in disapproval, perhaps worried that Mr. Washy Washy is grooming them into a life of gayness. I heard a southern couple skip the buffet entirely out of fear of Mr. Washy Washy.

Meanwhile, I have found a new watering hole for myself, the Swim & Tonic, the biggest swim-up bar on any cruise ship in the world. Drinking next to full-size, nearly naked Americans takes away one’s own self-consciousness. The men have curvaceous mom bodies. The women are equally un-shy about their sprawling physiques.

Today I’ve befriended a bald man with many children who tells me that all of the little trinkets that Royal Caribbean has left us in our staterooms and suites are worth a fortune on eBay. “Eighty dollars for the water bottle, 60 for the lanyard,” the man says. “This is a cult.”

“Tell me about it,” I say. There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. For a large middle-class family (he works in “supply chains”), seven days in a lower-tier cabin—which starts at $1,800 a person—allow the parents to drop off their children in Surfside, where I imagine many young Filipina crew members will take care of them, while the parents are free to get drunk at a swim-up bar and maybe even get intimate in their cabin. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care.

There is another man I would like to befriend at the Swim & Tonic, a tall, bald fellow who is perpetually inebriated and who wears a necklace studded with little rubber duckies in sunglasses, which, I am told, is a sort of secret handshake for cruise aficionados. Tomorrow, I will spend more time with him, but first the ship docks at St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is more charming in name than in presence, but I still all but jump off the ship to score a juicy oxtail and plantains at the well-known Petite Pump Room, overlooking the harbor. From one of the highest points in the small city, the Icon of the Seas appears bigger than the surrounding hills.

I usually tan very evenly, but something about the discombobulation of life at sea makes me forget the regular application of sunscreen. As I walk down the streets of Charlotte Amalie in my fluorescent Icon of the Seas cap, an old Rastafarian stares me down. “Redneck,” he hisses.

“No,” I want to tell him, as I bring a hand up to my red neck, “that’s not who I am at all. On my island, Mannahatta, as Whitman would have it, I am an interesting person living within an engaging artistic milieu. I do not wish to use the Caribbean as a dumping ground for the cruise-ship industry. I love the work of Derek Walcott. You don’t understand. I am not a redneck. And if I am, they did this to me.” They meaning Royal Caribbean? Its passengers? The Rands?

“They did this to me!”

Back on the Icon, some older matrons are muttering about a run-in with passengers from the Celebrity cruise ship docked next to us, the Celebrity Apex. Although Celebrity Cruises is also owned by Royal Caribbean, I am made to understand that there is a deep fratricidal beef between passengers of the two lines. “We met a woman from the Apex,” one matron says, “and she says it was a small ship and there was nothing to do. Her face was as tight as a 19-year-old’s, she had so much surgery.” With those words, and beneath a cloudy sky, humidity shrouding our weathered faces and red necks, we set sail once again, hopefully in the direction of home.

THERE ARE BARELY 48 HOURS LEFT to the cruise, and the Icon of the Seas’ passengers are salty. They know how to work the elevators. They know the Washy Washy song by heart. They understand that the chicken gyro at “Feta Mediterranean,” in the AquaDome Market, is the least problematic form of chicken on the ship.

The passengers have shed their INAUGURAL CRUISE T-shirts and are now starting to evince political opinions. There are caps pledging to make America great again and T-shirts that celebrate words sometimes attributed to Patrick Henry: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” With their preponderance of FAMILY FLAG FAITH FRIENDS FIREARMS T-shirts, the tables by the crepe station sometimes resemble the Capitol Rotunda on January 6. The Real Anthony Fauci , by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears to be a popular form of literature, especially among young men with very complicated versions of the American flag on their T-shirts. Other opinions blend the personal and the political. “Someone needs to kill Washy guy, right?” a well-dressed man in the elevator tells me, his gray eyes radiating nothing. “Just beat him to death. Am I right?” I overhear the male member of a young couple whisper, “There goes that freak” as I saunter by in my white spa robe, and I decide to retire it for the rest of the cruise.

I visit the Royal Bling to see up close the $100,000 golden chalice that entitles you to free drinks on Royal Caribbean forever. The pleasant Serbian saleslady explains that the chalice is actually gold-plated and covered in white zirconia instead of diamonds, as it would otherwise cost $1 million. “If you already have everything,” she explains, “this is one more thing you can get.”

I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship. They already speak English better than most of the passengers and, per the Serbian lady’s sales pitch above, better understand what America is as well. Crew members like my Panamanian cabin attendant seem to work 24 hours a day. A waiter from New Delhi tells me that his contract is six months and three weeks long. After a cruise ends, he says, “in a few hours, we start again for the next cruise.” At the end of the half a year at sea, he is allowed a two-to-three-month stay at home with his family. As of 2019, the median income for crew members was somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000, according to a major business publication. Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice.

And because most of the Icon’s hyper-sanitized spaces are just a frittata away from being a Delta lounge, one forgets that there are actual sailors on this ship, charged with the herculean task of docking it in port. “Having driven 100,000-ton aircraft carriers throughout my career,” retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, writes to me, “I’m not sure I would even know where to begin with trying to control a sea monster like this one nearly three times the size.” (I first met Stavridis while touring Army bases in Germany more than a decade ago.)

Today, I decide to head to the hot tub near Swim & Tonic, where some of the ship’s drunkest reprobates seem to gather (the other tubs are filled with families and couples). The talk here, like everywhere else on the ship, concerns football, a sport about which I know nothing. It is apparent that four teams have recently competed in some kind of finals for the year, and that two of them will now face off in the championship. Often when people on the Icon speak, I will try to repeat the last thing they said with a laugh or a nod of disbelief. “Yes, 20-yard line! Ha!” “Oh my God, of course, scrimmage.”

Soon we are joined in the hot tub by the late-middle-age drunk guy with the duck necklace. He is wearing a bucket hat with the legend HAWKEYES , which, I soon gather, is yet another football team. “All right, who turned me in?” Duck Necklace says as he plops into the tub beside us. “I get a call in the morning,” he says. “It’s security. Can you come down to the dining room by 10 a.m.? You need to stay away from the members of this religious family.” Apparently, the gregarious Duck Necklace had photobombed the wrong people. There are several families who present as evangelical Christians or practicing Muslims on the ship. One man, evidently, was not happy that Duck Necklace had made contact with his relatives. “It’s because of religious stuff; he was offended. I put my arm around 20 people a day.”

Everyone laughs. “They asked me three times if I needed medication,” he says of the security people who apparently interrogated him in full view of others having breakfast.

Another hot-tub denizen suggests that he should have asked for fentanyl. After a few more drinks, Duck Necklace begins to muse about what it would be like to fall off the ship. “I’m 62 and I’m ready to go,” he says. “I just don’t want a shark to eat me. I’m a huge God guy. I’m a Bible guy. There’s some Mayan theory squaring science stuff with religion. There is so much more to life on Earth.” We all nod into our Red Stripes.

“I never get off the ship when we dock,” he says. He tells us he lost $6,000 in the casino the other day. Later, I look him up, and it appears that on land, he’s a financial adviser in a crisp gray suit, probably a pillar of his North Chicago community.

THE OCEAN IS TEEMING with fascinating life, but on the surface it has little to teach us. The waves come and go. The horizon remains ever far away.

I am constantly told by my fellow passengers that “everybody here has a story.” Yes, I want to reply, but everybody everywhere has a story. You, the reader of this essay, have a story, and yet you’re not inclined to jump on a cruise ship and, like Duck Necklace, tell your story to others at great pitch and volume. Maybe what they’re saying is that everybody on this ship wants to have a bigger, more coherent, more interesting story than the one they’ve been given. Maybe that’s why there’s so much signage on the doors around me attesting to marriages spent on the sea. Maybe that’s why the Royal Caribbean newsletter slipped under my door tells me that “this isn’t a vacation day spent—it’s bragging rights earned.” Maybe that’s why I’m so lonely.

Today is a big day for Icon passengers. Today the ship docks at Royal Caribbean’s own Bahamian island, the Perfect Day at CocoCay. (This appears to be the actual name of the island.) A comedian at the nightclub opined on what his perfect day at CocoCay would look like—receiving oral sex while learning that his ex-wife had been killed in a car crash (big laughter). But the reality of the island is far less humorous than that.

One of the ethnic tristate ladies in the infinity pool told me that she loved CocoCay because it had exactly the same things that could be found on the ship itself. This proves to be correct. It is like the Icon, but with sand. The same tired burgers, the same colorful tubes conveying children and water from Point A to B. The same swim-up bar at its Hideaway ($140 for admittance, no children allowed; Royal Caribbean must be printing money off its clientele). “There was almost a fight at The Wizard of Oz ,” I overhear an elderly woman tell her companion on a chaise lounge. Apparently one of the passengers began recording Royal Caribbean’s intellectual property and “three guys came after him.”

I walk down a pathway to the center of the island, where a sign reads DO NOT ENTER: YOU HAVE REACHED THE BOUNDARY OF ADVENTURE . I hear an animal scampering in the bushes. A Royal Caribbean worker in an enormous golf cart soon chases me down and takes me back to the Hideaway, where I run into Mrs. Rand in a bikini. She becomes livid telling me about an altercation she had the other day with a woman over a towel and a deck chair. We Suites have special towel privileges; we do not have to hand over our SeaPass Card to score a towel. But the Rands are not Suites. “People are so entitled here,” Mrs. Rand says. “It’s like the airport with all its classes.” “You see,” I want to say, “this is where your husband’s love of Ayn Rand runs into the cruelties and arbitrary indignities of unbridled capitalism.” Instead we make plans to meet for a final drink in the Schooner Bar tonight (the Rands will stand me up).

Back on the ship, I try to do laps, but the pool (the largest on any cruise ship, naturally) is fully trashed with the detritus of American life: candy wrappers, a slowly dissolving tortilla chip, napkins. I take an extra-long shower in my suite, then walk around the perimeter of the ship on a kind of exercise track, past all the alluring lifeboats in their yellow-and-white livery. Maybe there is a dystopian angle to the HBO series that I will surely end up pitching, one with shades of WALL-E or Snowpiercer . In a collapsed world, a Royal Caribbean–like cruise liner sails from port to port, collecting new shipmates and supplies in exchange for the precious energy it has on board. (The actual Icon features a new technology that converts passengers’ poop into enough energy to power the waterslides . In the series, this shitty technology would be greatly expanded.) A very young woman (18? 19?), smart and lonely, who has only known life on the ship, walks along the same track as I do now, contemplating jumping off into the surf left by its wake. I picture reusing Duck Necklace’s words in the opening shot of the pilot. The girl is walking around the track, her eyes on the horizon; maybe she’s highborn—a Suite—and we hear the voice-over: “I’m 19 and I’m ready to go. I just don’t want a shark to eat me.”

Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines. He is a sweet, gentle man, and I thank him for the earworm of a song he has given me and for keeping us safe from the dreaded norovirus. “This is very important to me, getting people to wash their hands,” he tells me in his burger getup. He has dreams, as an artist and a performer, but they are limited in scope. One day he wants to dress up as a piece of bacon for the morning shift.

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE TITANIC (the Icon of the Seas is five times as large as that doomed vessel) at least offered its passengers an exciting ending to their cruise, but when I wake up on the eighth day, all I see are the gray ghosts that populate Miami’s condo skyline. Throughout my voyage, my writer friends wrote in to commiserate with me. Sloane Crosley, who once covered a three-day spa mini-cruise for Vogue , tells me she felt “so very alone … I found it very untethering.” Gideon Lewis-Kraus writes in an Instagram comment: “When Gary is done I think it’s time this genre was taken out back and shot.” And he is right. To badly paraphrase Adorno: After this, no more cruise stories. It is unfair to put a thinking person on a cruise ship. Writers typically have difficult childhoods, and it is cruel to remind them of the inherent loneliness that drove them to writing in the first place. It is also unseemly to write about the kind of people who go on cruises. Our country does not provide the education and upbringing that allow its citizens an interior life. For the creative class to point fingers at the large, breasty gentlemen adrift in tortilla-chip-laden pools of water is to gather a sour harvest of low-hanging fruit.

A day or two before I got off the ship, I decided to make use of my balcony, which I had avoided because I thought the view would only depress me further. What I found shocked me. My suite did not look out on Central Park after all. This entire time, I had been living in the ship’s Disneyland, Surfside, the neighborhood full of screaming toddlers consuming milkshakes and candy. And as I leaned out over my balcony, I beheld a slight vista of the sea and surf that I thought I had been missing. It had been there all along. The sea was frothy and infinite and blue-green beneath the span of a seagull’s wing. And though it had been trod hard by the world’s largest cruise ship, it remained.

This article appears in the May 2024 print edition with the headline “A Meatball at Sea.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

I sailed on Royal Caribbean's 2 largest cruise ships. They were shockingly similar for the $1,000 difference

• Royal Caribbean operates many of the cruise industry's biggest ships.
• Icon of the Seas  launched in January, dethroning its predecessor, Wonder of the Seas, as the world's largest.
• Here's how the two mega-ships compare in size, neighborhoods, amenities, dining, cabins, and costs.

Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's new mega-cruise ship darling, was deemed a success before it was even built.

In January, the highly anticipated vessel — complete with more than 40 bars and restaurants, a six-slide waterpark, and a waterfall — set sail, dethroning its less than two-year-old precursor, the Wonder of the Seas , as the world's largest cruise ship.

Before its debut, Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, had already repeatedly called Icon its "best-selling product" yet. The company experienced its largest booking day ever when reservations opened for Icon of the Seas more than a year before its launch, it said

Despite all of this fanfare, you might be surprised by how similar it is to its predecessor.

I've sailed on both ships. Let's see how Icon and Wonder compare in six categories: size, neighborhoods, amenities, dining, cabins, and costs.

Both ships stunt the size of their competitors.

Wonder of the Seas debuted in 2022 as the then-world's largest cruise liner, measuring 235,600 gross-tons, 1,188 feet-long, and 18 decks-tall. The ship can accommodate up to 9,288 people, including 2,204 crew.

Icon of the Seas is, comparatively, 13,063 gross-tons heavier, eight feet longer, and two decks taller. It can sail up to 9,950 people, including 2,350 crew, although it's 52 feet less wide than its predecessor.

Both vessels feel more like amusement parks than traditional cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean invited me on complimentary, non-revenue sailings on both ships: two nights on Wonder in late 2022 and three nights on Icon in January.

I spent most of my time lost, overwhelmed, and exhausted.

It's no surprise both ships are operating weeklong itineraries this year. Any less, and you might not have time to experience all the activities and restaurants on your list.

Like other Royal Caribbean ships, Wonder and Icon have eight 'neighborhoods' that serve separate purposes.

The new ship shares three of Wonder of the Seas' neighborhoods : Central Park, Royal Promenade, and Suite.

Icon's other five — Thrill Island , Surfside, Hideaway, Chill Island, and AquaDome — are a first for the cruise line.

Many of the ships' amenities overlap, but in differing quantities.

Wonder has three waterslides. Icon has a six-slide waterpark complete with rafting and racing options.

Both have increasingly popular cruise amenities like decks-long dry slides, mini-golf courses, rock climbing walls, and playgrounds.

But instead of Wonder of the Seas' zipline , Icon of the Seas has Crown's Edge, a thrilling agility course with a small zipline that leaves travelers dangling 154 feet above the ocean.

Wonder’s Boardwalk neighborhood was my go-to.

Boardwalk delivered exactly as it had promised: an open-air space grounded by wood-planked floors, a hot dog stand, a sweets store, and kitschy, colorful decor.

Icon of the Seas' Surfside , designed for families with young children, felt like its closest dupe.

Both neighborhoods had a carousel, an outdoor playground, and family-friendly dining. But Surfside was more toddler-friendly, as suggested by the children's water play area and nighttime story readings.

On to entertainment: Both mega-ships have ice skating performances and exciting multi-disciplinary shows at the AquaTheater.

But travelers who enjoy musicals at sea will want to stick to Icon.

Unlike its predecessor, the new ship shows a rendition of Broadway hit "The Wizard of Oz" — Munchkins, a puppet Toto, and a 16-piece live band included.

The layout of Icon's amenities were better than its cousin.

Some of Wonder of the Seas' enticing outdoor amenities — like the surf simulator, zipline, and mini-golf course — are clustered on the deck above and away from the pools and water slides.

This layout might be difficult for parents with children who bounce from one activity to the next. Wouldn't it be easier to have all of these outdoor extras near each other, or at least on the same deck, for parental supervision purposes?

This is where Icon of the Seas excelled: All its exciting open-air activities were adjacent.

The rows of pools flowed perfectly into Thrill Island's waterpark , rock climbing walls, mini-golf course, and Crown's Edge.

The best part? The adult-only Hideaway — which flexes an infinity pool club with a DJ — is right behind Thrill Island, creating a clear separation between parents and their children without being too far from each other.

'Free' options like the buffet and build-your-own tacos and burritos bar are available on both ships.

But you won't find the larger vessel's five-stall food hall or mini-golf-adjacent finger food stand on Wonder.

As expected, Icon of the Seas has more dining options than its predecessor, although there are some overlaps.

Wonder of the Seas has 11 bars and 21 dining venues (9 complimentary and 12 upcharged).

Icon of the Seas has eight more bars, four more complimentary restaurants, and three more specialty dining choices.

Nor will you find the new ship’s plush $200-a-person Empire Supper Club on any other cruise liner.

The multi-course dinner, paired with cocktails and live music, stunts the cost of either vessel's other dinner options.

But if you love Johnny Rockets, you’ll be disappointed by Icon of the Seas.

Restaurants like the popular burger chain and Southern comfort-inspired Mason Jar are only on Wonder of the Seas. Fine by me: My fried chicken at Mason Jar was as dry as a desert.

The younger ship doesn't have Wonder's robot bartender-armed bar either. It does, however, have new watering holes with dueling pianos and live jazz.

Surprisingly, Wonder of the Seas has 65 more cabins than its new cousin.

But several of Icon's 28 stateroom categories are a first for the cruise line.

This includes the new family infinite balcony cabin, which has a small bunk bed nook for children.

Royal Caribbean assigned me an ocean-view balcony stateroom on both ships.

My Wonder of the Seas' cabin was 20 square-feet smaller than the one on Icon. But my bathroom on the latter was so tiny, I accidentally elbowed the walls at almost every turn.

Sailing on the world's largest cruise ship doesn't mean you'll have the world's largest cabin after all.

Wonder and Icon are both operating seven-night roundtrip itineraries from Florida to the Caribbean.

In 2024, Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for year-round sailings from Port Canaveral to the Caribbean and Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay , starting at $700 per person.

Icon of the Seas is spending its first year in service operating nearly identical itineraries but from Miami instead. The cheapest 2024 option is $1,786 per person.

That's a difference of more than $125 per person per day.

"Bookings and pricing for Icon of the Seas can only be described as 'iconic,'" Naftali Holtz, the CFO of Royal Caribbean Group, told analysts in February.

Icon of the Seas’ name speaks for itself.

If your family is looking for a jam-packed kid-friendly cruise with enough amenities to stay entertained for a week, both ships are a great option.

But if you're a seasoned mega-ship-cruiser looking to experience something new, Icon of the Seas is your best bet.

They may be similar, but no other behemoth cruise liner has a waterpark for children and a pool club for adults just dozens of feet from each other.

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