When it comes to largest cruise ships, there are two very obvious categories: mega-ships and luxury mega-cruise ships. The former category dominates the top five in both categories, with Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class dominating the competition. Two other cruise lines round out the top five, however: Costa Cruises and AIDA. While the latter two do not cater to the North American market, both have the same passenger capacity of around two hundred thousand tons.
The RMS Titanic was the world’s largest passenger ship and the largest ever built. At 882 feet long, it had a maximum capacity of 2,435 people, and was the largest ship of its time. Today’s largest cruise ship, the Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, dwarfs the Titanic in almost every aspect, including length. However, its length is still competitive, at about seventy-five percent longer than the largest ship.
The Wonder of the Seas, which was delivered in January 2022, is a massive 1,188-foot-long cruise ship. It will begin operating in March 2022. It can accommodate 6,988 passengers and over 2,300 crew members. It is also equipped with four bow thrusters, allowing it to reach 22 knots. Unlike its sister ships, the Wonder of the Seas is designed differently and boasts suite-neighbourhoods, fully renovated pool decks, and an all-new Aquatheatre.
The second largest cruise ship is the AIDAcosma, a sister ship of AIDAnova. It has an incredible capacity of 5,200 passengers and 1,500 crew members. The ship is a hybrid ship, utilizing LNG for fuel. AIDAnova has a renowned AIDA Cruises design. It features a bold red lip at the bow and huge yellow and blue eyes on the port and starboard sides. It also has a running track.
