The tallest liner in the world. The largest cruise ships


The biggest cruise ships in the world are striking not only in overall dimensions, but also in the entertainment provided for passengers. Such ships are more like small cities that move on water. The largest passenger liners are equipped with gyms, cafes, many comfortable rooms and even shops. In addition, guests can enjoy chic cuisine from different chefs and see the beauty water world. Of course, traveling the world on such machines is a pleasure. We offer you to get acquainted with the ten largest and best cruise ships in the world.

TOP 10 largest cruise ships in the world

2500 passengers


The weight of the vessel reaches 130 thousand tons. Moreover, its length is 340 meters. The distinctive features of the ship include the similarity with Disneyland. It is practically a copy of this entertainment platform, only it works afloat. Needless to say, this ship attracts children from all over the world, which is understandable, due to entertainment program. On the open spaces of the ship there is a cinema, a water park, many children's slides. About 600 cabins provide capacity to accommodate 2,500 passengers. The rooms are deluxe.

2640 passengers


Another large liner, which is designed for long journeys of passengers. In total, 2640 people can be accommodated. The weight of the ship is 151 thousand tons. Its length is 345 meters. If we compare the duration of the car, we can say that the length is equal to 80 buses lined up. Rest on this ship is an attractive opportunity to relax playing cricket, golf and even basketball. Apart from sports entertainment there is a cinema and many pools.

2670 passengers


Also included in the list of the largest cruise ships on the planet Princess Diamond. Its length is 294 meters. At the same time, the ship weighs over 116 thousand tons. In total, the vessel includes 700 cabins. Within the territory of vehicle can accommodate 2,670 people, along with service personnel and crew members. Each cabin is equipped with a minibar, luxury balcony and TV. There are excellent conditions for a pleasant pastime, even as part of long journeys. large liner undergoes maintenance every six months.

3114 passengers


Despite the weight of 138 thousand tons, the ship includes a smaller amount seats than Carnival Dream. Voyajer of the seas will accommodate 3114 people. Moreover, its length is 311 meters. The ship is a huge entertainment center. In its open spaces you can find an ice rink, a small golf course and even a TV studio. There are 800 cabins, each equipped with a private shower, bar, TV. All guest rooms attract with elegant decoration and comfort.

3274 passengers


Another huge passenger ship, which belongs to the most large ships on the planet. It weighs 137 thousand tons. The length of the ship is 338 meters. In total, the deck can accommodate 3274 people. According to experts, the volume of space of this object is equal to the Eiffel Tower. That is over 1.5 million square meters. The ship has a beautiful design. And this applies not only to the deck, but also to the cabins. Each room provides excellent conditions for relaxation.

3634 passengers


The weight of the liner is 160 thousand tons. Its length reaches 339 meters. These dimensions are enough to accommodate 3634 people. Appearance this ship is like a floating park. And indeed it matches the design, because there are many water activities on board. Great place to travel with the whole family. Anytime guests passenger liner can swim in the pools, try out waterslides, have fun with wave simulators and whirlpools. There are salons and masseurs. Each room has a TV and air conditioning. A park and a children's skating rink also attract tourists.

3646 passengers


The second place in the list is occupied by Carnival Dream, which weighs 130,000 tons. The ship provides accommodation for 3646 people. Its length is 306 meters. We are talking about the lunopark, which is able to move on the water. Often I celebrate weddings on the liner, and outstanding celebrities have a rest. The advantages of the vessel include the presence of several cinemas and excellent service. Each room has air conditioning, TV, bar. In addition, all cabins attract with excellent interior design and comfort.

3700 passengers


The largest cruise ships in the world also include the Celebrity Eclipse. Its weight is 122 thousand tons. The deck length is 315 meters. The ship includes 19 decks. There is a field for playing croquet and bocce. If four Boeing 747s were lined up in a row, their total length would be shorter than that of the Celebrity Eclipse. In total, there are enough cabins on the ship to accommodate 3,700 people. At the same time, each room on the ship provides excellent conditions for travel. There is a bar, showers, round the clock service.

The largest cruise ships have the most luxurious and impressive amenities. These are almost gigantic cities floating on the ocean. Below is a list with photos of the ten largest cruise ships in the world.

Liberty of the Seas is a Freedom class cruise ship. Started regular flights in May 2007. This 15-deck liner can accommodate 4,370 passengers with a crew of 1,360. It was built in 18 months at the Aker Finnyards shipyard in Turku, Finland. It has a length of 338 m, a width of 56 m. The maximum speed is 21.6 knots (40 km/h). Gross tonnage - 155,889 GT.


Norwegian Escape is a cruise ship built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in just 17 months in October 2015. She is 325.9 meters long, 41.4 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of 165,300 GT. It can accommodate 4,266 passengers and 1,733 crew members. The painting on the body is the work of Jamaican artist and conservationist Guy Harvey.


Norwegian Joy is a cruise ship built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in 2017 specifically for the Chinese cruise market. Unusual in that he was given a godfather, the Chinese singer Wang Lihom, and not, as is customary, a godmother. The Joy is 333.46 meters long, 41.40 meters wide, and has a gross tonnage of 167,725 GT. Capable of accommodating 3,883 passengers and 1,700 crew members.


MS Ovation of the Seas is a Quantum-class cruise ship. Owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and is operated by Royal Caribbean International. Flying under the flag Bahamas with a home port in Nassau. The ship was laid down on March 5, 2015 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The launch took place on February 18, 2016. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing became the godmother of the ship. Its first flight took place on April 14, 2016 from Southampton (UK) to Tianjin. The length of the liner is 348 m, the width is 48.9 m, the gross tonnage is 168.666 GT. Can accommodate 4,180 passengers.


MS Anthem of the Seas is a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. It was laid down on November 20, 2013 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Launching took place on February 20, 2015. On April 10, 2015 the ship was commissioned. He was christened on April 20, 2015, and British historian and publicist Emma Wilby became his godmother. The liner made its first flight on April 22, 2015 from Southampton to the coast of France and Spain. Gross tonnage - 168.666 GT, length - 348 m, width - 49.4 m. Capacity - 4,180 people.


MS Quantum of the Seas (Quantum of the Seas) is a Quantum-class cruise ship of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. It was laid down on August 2, 2013 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Launching took place on August 9, 2014. On October 28, 2014, the vessel was put into operation, and on October 31 of the same year it was transferred to the service of the fleet of the customer company. The first flight was carried out on November 2, 2014. Godmother of "Quantum" was the American actress Kristin Chenoweth. Its first flight took place on November 2, 2014 from New Jersey along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The length of the liner is 348.1 m, the width is 49.4 m. The gross tonnage is 168.666 GT. Passenger capacity - 4 180 people.


MSC Meraviglia is a high-tech cruise ship that entered service on June 3, 2017. Owned by the Italian cruise company MSC Cruises. His baptism ceremony in Le Havre on June 3, 2017 was attended by actor Patrick Bruel, musical group Kids United and comedian Gad Elmaleh. Godmother was Sophia Loren. With a length of 315.83 meters and a gross tonnage of 171,598 GT, the ship can accommodate 5,700 passengers.


Oasis of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world. It was built at the Norwegian shipyard in Turku - STX Europe, commissioned by Royal Caribbean International in October 2009. Its construction cost was about $1.5 billion, making it the most expensive passenger ship in the history of civil shipping. Can carry 6,630 passengers and 2,160 crew members. Its length is 361.6 m, width - 47 m, gross tonnage - 225.282 GT.


MS Harmony of the Seas is a cruise ship built by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France in 2015. Owned by the American company Royal Caribbean International. The vessel is 362.12 meters long, 47.42 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of 226,963 GT and has 2,744 passenger cabins. The maximum number of people on board is 6,360 passengers and 2,400 crew members.


MS Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis class cruise ship built by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France between October 2015 and March 2018. Owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. As of June 2017, it is the largest passenger ship in the world. It has a length of 362 m, a beam of 65.68 m and a gross tonnage of 228,081 GT. Capable of accommodating 5,518 passengers and a crew of 2,200.

Cruise ships are often referred to as cities at sea, and this description is most accurate for them. To understand how huge such ships can be, you can draw a comparison with the infamous Titanic. If it was built in our time, it would not even enter the Top 50. In this list, I will tell you about the 10 largest cruise ships in the world, all of which were built relatively recently, after 2000. Many of them also have twin brothers who are just as big.

Royal Caribbean. Oasis of the Seas

This ship weighs 225,282 tons, is 361.7 meters long and has an official capacity of 5,400 passengers in maximum luxury and comfort. The Oasis of the Seas is one of the few ships that cannot sail through the Panama Canal. It is not only too long for a channel, but also too high and wide. On board you can feel like in huge park entertainment. There are large-scale shows that are not inferior to Broadway ones, and sports fans can do anything, even rock climbing. The team serving the ship and passengers has 2,400 people.



Queen Mary II

This ship weighs 151,400 tons and is 345 meters long. The official capacity is 2640 passengers. To imagine how huge this ship is, you can put bumper to bumper 80 large tourist buses- this will be comparable in length to Queen Mary II. A football field can be placed at each end of the ship, and there will still be room to install a whole Big Ben on the deck. At the time of construction in 2004, it was the most big ship in the world.

Disney Dream

This ship weighs 130,000 tons and is 340 meters long. The Disney Dream has a capacity of 2,500 people and is a miniature version of Disneyland at sea. There is a huge cinema and many other places for entertainment, including a water park.

Freedom of the Seas

The weight of the ship is 160,000 tons, and the length is 339 meters. The vessel accommodates 3634 passengers. It is sometimes compared to a floating water park, there are water slides, and many pools, a jacuzzi, and a wave simulator. There is also a water park for children called H2O and even a skating rink for those who like to skate.


Splendida (Splendida)

This cruise ship weighs 137,936 tons and reaches 338 meters in length. Its capacity is 3274 passengers. The amount of space on board is simply colossal - one and a half million square meters, which exceeds the total amount of space, for example, the Eiffel Tower in Paris.


Norwegian epic

This ship weighs 155,873 tons and is 329 meters long. Capacity - 4100 passengers. This cruise ship was launched in 2010 and is so huge that 5 lifeboats had to be removed to enter New York Harbor. On board you will also find a lot of entertainment, restaurants, attractions. There is even a 24-hour pizza delivery to the room. We have already mentioned this ship, as well as many others, in a selection of the largest ship propellers in the world.


celebrity eclipse

The weight of this vessel is 122,000 tons, and the length is 315 meters. Even if four Boeing 747s were lined up, they would still not exceed the length of this cruise ship. The ship has 19 decks, including a lawn deck where you can play croquet and bocce.



Voyager of the seas

This ship weighs 138 tons and is 311 meters long. It can accommodate 3114 passengers. This is one of the first super-giant cruise ships, it has everything you need to comfortable rest- own TV studio, skating rink, nine-hole mini golf course and much more.


carnival dream

The weight of this liner is 130,000 tons, and the length is 306 meters. Capacity - 3646 people. This ship is a real floating amusement park, there are even several cinemas with screens of different sizes.


Princess Diamond

Closes the top ten largest cruise ships ship weighing 116,000 tons and a length of 294 meters can accommodate 2670 people. Despite the tenth place, in terms of area it is several times larger than, for example, Buckingham Palace, or five times larger than the Taj Mahal. There are more than seven hundred high-class cabins with balconies here.


The largest cruise ships are larger than the usual nine-story building, but there are only a couple of dozen such ships in the world. In our rating - the most huge and luxurious.

Harmony of the Seas

The American liner Harmony of the Seas cruises from Rome and Barcelona. A four-day trip to Harmony of the Seas costs $650. The liner has 18 decks with entertainment for passengers, there is also an unusual bar where robots work as bartenders.

Cruise ship Quantum of the Seas

The 348-meter liner Quantum of the Seas can accommodate almost 5,000 passengers. The ship cruises mainly in Asia. A five-day cruise costs $800. Travelers can admire the ocean from a special observation deck and from a 90-meter tower. Also on the liner there is a race track, a spa, a swimming pool with a cinema, a casino.

Oasis of the Seas

The Oasis of the Seas can carry 6,000 passengers at the same time. The ship has 150-meter double-decker cabins, a golf course, climbing walls and other entertainment. A nine-day trip will cost at least $1,500.

Allure of the Seas

The floating hotel Allure of the Seas also has a capacity of 6,000 passengers. The ship sails mainly between the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Mexico. For a weekly cruise, you need to pay about $600.

Norwegian epic

The Norwegian Epic liner accommodates almost 5,200 people. According to traveler polls, this is the most luxurious ship in the world. In addition to the usual entertainment like swimming pools, sports grounds, restaurants and cafes, it has its own water park with steep slides.

Independence of the Seas

The Independence of the Seas cruises around Europe and Caribbean. A three-day trip costs about $300. The ship has a water park for surfers, a pool with hot water and even a skating rink.

Queen Mary 2

The ocean liner Queen Mary 2 cruises around Europe and exotic islands. two day trip in a regular cabin costs at least $345. For 3,000 passengers, a planetarium, a 3D cinema, and a library operate during cruises.

Norwegian Breakaway

The 324-meter Norwegian Breakaway carries 4,000 passengers between the Bahamas and the Caribbean. A weekly cruise will cost $700. At the Norwegian Breakaway Michelin-starred restaurant, passengers are shown musicals and magic shows.

royal princess

Kate Middleton attended the opening of the Royal Princess. The Duchess of Cambridge gave the name to this luxury ship. Passengers are entertained here in an outdoor cinema, and there is even a show of dancing fountains on the deck.

MSC Preziosa

MSC Preziosa walks on mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The liner is designed for almost 4,000 passengers. On board, in addition to the usual entertainment, you can play Formula 1 and watch movies in a 4D cinema.

Traveling on such luxury liners is a pleasure. Unusual environment and plenty of entertainment on board, endless space around and amazing atmosphere.

Who said size doesn't matter? Giant ships, striking in their dimensions, are built according to last word equipment and transport more than 90% of the total number of goods by sea (and that's not counting people). Most big ships in the world refer to oil tankers, container ships and cruise ships.

Large ships are built for various human needs. Some, with large diesel engines, carry cargo over long distances, while naval ships usually sail on nuclear engines so that they can not depend on fuel and stay at sea for many months. But, regardless of the mode of transportation, at one glance at one of the megaships, you understand how much human effort and what engineering genius was required to build each giant.

Here list of largest ships in the world with photos and detailed descriptions.

10. Planet Solar - 31 meters

What types of energy did not try to use the shipping industry - diesel, gas, nuclear, wind energy. But the solar region remained uncovered until the advent of Planet Solar. It is the largest solar powered ship in the world. Its length is 31 meters, and the panels are able to absorb almost 103.4 kW of solar energy.

The speed of the ship is still low - only 8 knots, but, in the end, this is a unique development. It will certainly be improved.

9. Club Med 2 - 194 meters

Built in 1992 in Le Havre, France, Club Med 2 - the largest sailing ship in the world. Its length is 194 m, and the carrying capacity is 14,983 tons. For comparison: the wing length is 117.3 meters.

In addition to the 214 crew members, 386 passengers can board the Club Med 2. The sailboat speeds up to 10-15 knots and is currently operating as a cruise ship - summer sails on the waters of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, and in winter it goes to the Caribbean.

Club Med 2 has five masts. In addition to seven sails (they are not controlled by people, but by the ship's computer), the ship has four diesel engines. Passenger entertainment includes ballroom dancing, card games, music shows and of course stunning sea views - Club Med 2 floats like many sailing ships up to it, along coastline and only during the day, and at night it anchors.

8. SSV-33 - 265 meters

The largest ship in Russia is also known under the name "Ural". It belongs to the class of reconnaissance ships with a nuclear power plant. The Ural was built during the Cold War, when the USSR and the USA were watching each other with might and main. And it was intended for reconnaissance operations in, where the United States possessed several test sites for ballistic missiles. The length of the Ural was 265 m, the crew consisted of 950 people, the cruising speed was 21.6 knots. Thanks to the nuclear engine, the Ural was autonomous and, after refueling, could not enter the port for three months.

The Ural began its service on the Far East coast, where, due to its gigantic size, there was no berth of a suitable size for it, so the ship spent most of its time anchored in the bay. But his calmness was deceptive - in the 80s, the Ural served as the main source of information about what was being done in the military circles of the United States and Japan.

It all ended with the beginning of perestroika. First, junior conscripts were transferred to the reserve, then nuclear boilers were damaged as a result of a fire. For some time, the ship lived on diesel generators, until the painful half-starved existence ended in 2001 - the Ural was laid up. In 2008, its disposal began, and by 2016 it was finally dismantled.

7. USS Enterprise (CVN-65) - 342 meters

No, this ship has nothing to do with Star Trek, but its dimensions are truly impressive - it is the largest warship in the world in the history of the navy. Its length is 342 m, it can carry up to 4,600 troops, 2,520 tons of weapons, and the cruise speed of the namesake Enterprise is 33.6 knots.

USS Enterprise has a long and proud history.

  • Once it became the first among nuclear aircraft carriers (launched in 1961) and its price was so high that it was decided to abandon the planned series of ships of the same purpose and size.
  • Started USS Enterprise service during the Caribbean crisis, then patrolled the Mediterranean, participated in the Vietnam War and, almost twenty years later, in Iraq, fought against sea pirates ...
  • Overall, her service life was 51 years in a row - longer than any other US aircraft carrier to this day.

But the world was changing, and even such a technically perfect ship, which was regularly upgraded, was hopelessly outdated. In 2012, the ship made its last voyage. And by April 2018, it was finally put out of action.

6. RMS Queen Mary 2 - 345 meters

The world's largest transatlantic liner is the RMS Queen Mary 2, built in 2004. The ship got its name in honor of the first "Queen Mary", which left the shipyard in 1936, and the abbreviation RMS (royal mail ship, royal mail ship) was awarded only to the fastest and most reliable ships. The RMS Queen Mary 2 is currently the only transatlantic vessel cruising between Southampton and New York. However, once a year, the Queen also works as a cruise ship, making a round-the-world tour.

The length of the "Queen Mary" is 345 m, it can accommodate 2620 passengers and 1253 crew members. She develops a speed of 30 knots. Although the ship is inferior in size to the titanic cruise liners (however, by only 15 m), it still does not give up its position as the largest ocean liner.

  • A cruise liner differs from an ocean liner in that the first of them goes on a journey and drops passengers on the spot in the same port, while the purpose of the second is to transport passengers from one point to another.
  • However, this is not the only difference. The transatlantic liner makes long journeys, so it often encounters adverse weather conditions. Therefore, its design should be stronger than that of cruise ships sailing in comfortable conditions, seaworthiness should be better, and engines should be more powerful.
  • A cruise ship, on the other hand, can afford to focus on the number of passengers carried instead of seaworthiness and endurance - that's why they have such a funny box shape for better passenger capacity.

5. Gas carriers Q-Max - 345 meters

The world's largest carriers of liquefied gas are Q-Max ships. Their length reaches 345 m, and the total capacity varies from 262,000 to 267,000 m3. At the same time, their speed is not bad for ships of this class - 19.5 knots.

There are currently 14 vessels of this type in circulation; they were built by Samsung, Hyundai and Daewoo. The very first of them, Mozah, left the shipyard in 2007 and got its name in honor of one of the wives of the Emir of Qatar. All 14 vessels are owned by a Qatari natural gas transportation company. These are the largest ships capable of docking at LNG terminals.

4. Oasis of the Seas - 360 meters

The largest passenger ships in the world are Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, formerly known as Project Genesis. They belong to the company Royal Caribbean and were built respectively in 2009, 2010 and 2015. The cruise ships are 360 ​​meters long and carry up to 6,296 passengers, excluding a crew of 2,394. These are the fastest of the big ones. passenger ships- their speed reaches 22.6 knots.

There is plenty of entertainment on them so that the tourists on board do not get bored. There is even surfing, a 25 m long 9 deck zip line, two 13 m high climbing walls, swimming pools, a basketball court, a water park and even ice rink. No wonder there are so many attendants on the ship!

The construction cost of Oasis of the Seas was about $1.14 million - the most high price, which has been paid for a civilian ship in the entire history of mankind. Both Oasis and Allure currently operate week-long cruises around caribbean and are very popular with tourists.

3. TI class ships - 380 meters

The largest oil tankers in operation were designed and built for the Hellespont Group at a shipyard in South Korea by Daewoo (or rather, its shipbuilding division) in 2003. There are four vessels in total - later the customers renamed them TI Oceania, TI Europe, TI Asia and TI Africa.

Approximately 90 million dollars and 700,000 man-hours were spent on the construction of each vessel. They are shorter than Knock Nevis, at 78 m; their length is 380 m, carrying capacity is 440,000 tons, and they can develop speed from 16 to 18 knots. In addition to their size, the ships impress with the elegance of their outlines and the beauty of their design; when viewed from high above, they most of all look like giant snow-white icebergs.

2. CSCL Globe and Maersk Triple E class vessels - 400 meters

In the fall of 2014, the christening ceremony of the world's largest container ship, the CSCL Globe, took place. It was the very first of five 19,000 TEU (TEU stands for “twenty-foot equivalent”, a measure of the capacity of a vehicle) ordered by a Chinese shipbuilding company in 2013. However, the CSCL Globe record has since been broken by OOCL class cargo carriers, which reach an impressive 21,413 TEU in the same length.

A 400 m long megaship sails with the help of a 77,200 hp main engine. with., the efficiency of which is so high that it consumes no more fuel than a container ship with a carrying capacity of almost half. Fuel economy is up to 20%. This happens due to the fact that the “smart” engine reacts to the situation at sea and regulates fuel consumption accordingly.

The Danish company Maersk ordered Daewoo to build 20 Maersk Triple E-class ships. Each of them cost about $200 million. Their capacity is slightly less than that of the CSCL Globe (18,000 TEU), but they are almost the same in length. The cruise speed of the new container ships is high - from 23 to 26 knots, which makes them the fastest vessels of this class in the world.

Triple E, that is, “triple E” - principles encoded in a short form, which were followed by customers and shipbuilders:

  1. saving;
  2. energy efficiency;
  3. environmental friendliness.

Maersk vessels are currently among the most cost-effective container ships in terms of cost/carrying capacity.

1. Knock Nevis - 458.45 meters

During its service to people, the ship has changed many names - Seawise Giant, Happy Giant, Jahre Viking and, finally, Knock Nevis. This is the longest ship in the history of shipbuilding - from bow to stern, its length is 1504 feet (or 458.45 m), which exceeds the length of the Empire State Building laid on its side. Knock Nevis belonged to the ULCC class of oil tankers and had the largest cargo capacity of any vessel. It is considered the largest artificial object capable of moving independently, of all ever built by man.

At full load, the volume of cargo carried by the ship was 657019 tons, and with a draft of 24.6 m, even the English Channel, the Suez and Panama canals were shallow for the sea giant. At the same time, the speed of the ship was surprisingly high for such a size - 16 knots. The Knock Nevis was powered by a single engine with a diameter of 9 m. The braking distance from cruise speed to a complete stop took 9 km, and the turning radius of the vessel was 3 km. He was served by a team of 35 people.

The Knock Nevis was built in 1979 by the Japanese shipbuilding company Sumimoto Heavy Industries at the Japanese shipyard in Yokosuko. The Greek owner named the ship Porthos. Since then, the ship has seen a lot:

  • traveled the seas for about 30 years;
  • was damaged in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq war;
  • was repaired and sold to Norway;
  • in 2009 he made his last trip to the shipyard in Gujarat, India, where he was dismantled.

Why are the largest ships in the world dangerous?

Huge ships are not very environmentally friendly. Cargo transportation by sea costs the planet almost 1.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is 6% of the total emissions. This number is twice that of air transport.

For this reason, most sea ​​giants they are trying to switch to highly efficient and fuel-saving engines, and also use hybrid systems - there are ships that are powered by wind and solar energy.