Titanic Shmitanic
The world’s most massive cruise ship when it was launched 100 years ago, the Titanic wouldn’t rank among the world’s 50 largest today. Here’s a look at the 10 most Bunyanesque boats, all built since 2000.For comparison purposes, we’ve ranked them by gross tonnage (available revenue-generating space) and also provided their lengths and passenger capacity (which assumes double occupancy in all cabins, though most ships can hold many more than that).
Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas (also Allure of the Seas)
225,282 tons; 1,187 feet long; 5,400 capacity
The world’s most ginormous ship is too long, too wide and too tall to fit through the Panama Canal. But with zip lines, rock climbing walls and Broadway shows onboard, you might not even notice whether the ship actually goes anywhere at all. Its 2,384 crew members are more than the passenger capacity of most ships built before 2000.
The world’s most ginormous ship is too long, too wide and too tall to fit through the Panama Canal. But with zip lines, rock climbing walls and Broadway shows onboard, you might not even notice whether the ship actually goes anywhere at all. Its 2,384 crew members are more than the passenger capacity of most ships built before 2000.
Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas (also Liberty, Independence of the Seas)
160,000 tons; 1,112 feet long; 3,634 capacity
Royal Caribbean's Miss Congeniality is still so gargantuan that you half expect singer Celine Dion to write a syrupy ballad about it. There’s water, water, everywhere on this ship, from the ubiquitous swimming pools and Jacuzzis to the surf simulator to the ice-skating rink to waterfalls and sculpture fountains and the H2O Zone, a water park just for kids.
Royal Caribbean's Miss Congeniality is still so gargantuan that you half expect singer Celine Dion to write a syrupy ballad about it. There’s water, water, everywhere on this ship, from the ubiquitous swimming pools and Jacuzzis to the surf simulator to the ice-skating rink to waterfalls and sculpture fountains and the H2O Zone, a water park just for kids.
Norwegian Epic
155,873 tons; 1,081 feet long; 4,100 capacity
Norwegian's heavyweight contender is so Brobdingnagian that it had to remove five lifeboats just to shimmy into New York Harbor for its christening last July. Twenty dining options — including teppanyaki and 24/7 pizza delivery — mean you never have to dine with your 1,000 closest friends. The Epic also contains the Svedka Ice Bar, made entirely of ice.
Norwegian's heavyweight contender is so Brobdingnagian that it had to remove five lifeboats just to shimmy into New York Harbor for its christening last July. Twenty dining options — including teppanyaki and 24/7 pizza delivery — mean you never have to dine with your 1,000 closest friends. The Epic also contains the Svedka Ice Bar, made entirely of ice.
Cunard's RMS Queen Mary 2
151,400 tons; 1,132 feet long; 2,620 capacity
Line 40 London double-decker buses bumper to bumper and they still won’t span the length of Cunard’s leviathan flagship. Or lie Big Ben on its side, and you’d still have room for a football field on either end. The world’s largest ship when it first set sail in 2004, the QM2 is still big on luxury. It holds just 1,310 staterooms, giving i
Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas (also Explorer, Adventurer, Navigator, Mariner of the Seas)
138,000 tons; 1,020 feet long; 3,114 capacity
The Voyager class is nine times the length of the Wright Brothers' first flight. This is the humongous ship that started the whole supersizing trend back in 1999, and the first to pack in no-need-to-leave-the-ship attractions like an in-line skating track, a TV studio and a concert arena. The 9-hole golf course is of the miniature variety, but that’s the only diminutive thing about this ship.
The Voyager class is nine times the length of the Wright Brothers' first flight. This is the humongous ship that started the whole supersizing trend back in 1999, and the first to pack in no-need-to-leave-the-ship attractions like an in-line skating track, a TV studio and a concert arena. The 9-hole golf course is of the miniature variety, but that’s the only diminutive thing about this ship.
MSC's Splendida (also Fantasia)
137,936 tons; 1,094 feet long; 3,274 capacity
With more than 4.8 million square feet of space, including the cabins, this behemoth is larger than the Mall of America. If you stood the Splendida on its stern, its bow would look down on the Eiffel Tower. Even the service is outsized: Splendida promises not 5-star, but 6-star attention, whatever that may be.
With more than 4.8 million square feet of space, including the cabins, this behemoth is larger than the Mall of America. If you stood the Splendida on its stern, its bow would look down on the Eiffel Tower. Even the service is outsized: Splendida promises not 5-star, but 6-star attention, whatever that may be.
Carnival Dream
130,000 tons; 1,004 feet long; 3,646 capacity
Carnival’s colossal caravan is a veritable traveling amusement park, with an emphasis throughout on fun and games. The ship is so long you could operate two London Eye Ferris wheels side-by-side atop its decks and there would still be room between them for the giant 12-foot-by-22-foot LED screen at the dive-in movie theater.
Carnival’s colossal caravan is a veritable traveling amusement park, with an emphasis throughout on fun and games. The ship is so long you could operate two London Eye Ferris wheels side-by-side atop its decks and there would still be room between them for the giant 12-foot-by-22-foot LED screen at the dive-in movie theater.
Disney Dream
130,000 tons; 1,115 feet long; 2,500 capacity
The Happiest Place on Water isn’t quite the size of 510-acre Disneyland. But with character visits, a 3-D movie theater and the 765-foot long Aqua Duck, the first-ever shipboard “water coaster,” there’s never a dull moment aboard the Mouse’s most herculean vessel. And crowds are limited to a fraction of what streams into the park each day.
The Happiest Place on Water isn’t quite the size of 510-acre Disneyland. But with character visits, a 3-D movie theater and the 765-foot long Aqua Duck, the first-ever shipboard “water coaster,” there’s never a dull moment aboard the Mouse’s most herculean vessel. And crowds are limited to a fraction of what streams into the park each day.
Celebrity Eclipse (also Solstice and Equinox)
122,000 tons; 1,033 feet long; 2,850 capacity
Longer than four 747s, Celebrity’s newest A-lister is so mammoth that its 19 decks literally block out the sun for those in its wake. Luckily, plenty of daylight on the top level keeps this ship’s most unusual feature — a real grass lawn — green and healthy enough for lawn games like bocce and croquet.
Longer than four 747s, Celebrity’s newest A-lister is so mammoth that its 19 decks literally block out the sun for those in its wake. Luckily, plenty of daylight on the top level keeps this ship’s most unusual feature — a real grass lawn — green and healthy enough for lawn games like bocce and croquet.
Princess Diamond (also Sapphire)
116,000 tons; 964 feet long; 2,670 capacity
The crown jewel in the Princess fleet is three times the size of London’s Buckingham Place and has nearly twice as many rooms. This elephantine ship could swallow five Taj Mahals. Features fit for royalty include daily afternoon tea, a wide variety of restaurants — most without a surcharge — martini bars and more than 700 cabins with balconies.
The crown jewel in the Princess fleet is three times the size of London’s Buckingham Place and has nearly twice as many rooms. This elephantine ship could swallow five Taj Mahals. Features fit for royalty include daily afternoon tea, a wide variety of restaurants — most without a surcharge — martini bars and more than 700 cabins with balconies.