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The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth

The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth

Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian dominate the list of the largest recreational boats currently sailing the seas.

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Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Royal Carribean

This week, we brought you the story of the world’s largest cruise ship, which, due to some strange global circumstances, seems doomed to be dismantled for scrap before it ever sets sail. It’s not the only massive cruise ship in the world, though — there are plenty that have made their way out onto the high seas.

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Right, yeah, boats. Since that cruise ship is being destroyed and no longer counts, what are the biggest boats you can actually purchase a ticket to ride? Here are the top fifteen, because fifteen just seems like a nice, round number.

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2 / 17

Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Royal Carribean
  • Length: 1,188 feet
  • Width: 210 feet
  • Weight: 236,857 gross tons
  • Speed: 22 knots
  • Guests: 6,988
  • Features: 18 decks, eight “neighborhoods,” nine restaurants, climbing walls, arcade, Wonder Playscape, and more
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The Wonder of the Seas is the current Biggest Boat in the world. It’s actually even longer than the Global Dream II, measuring in at 1,188 feet from bow to stern, and it’s very wide at 210 feet. These are boat words, you see.

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3 / 17

Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Royal Carribean
  • Length: 1,188 feet
  • Width: 215 feet
  • Weight: 228,081 gross tons
  • Speed: 22 knots
  • Guests: 6,680
  • Features: 18 decks, seven “neighborhoods,” four pools, 23 restaurants, 42 bars, robotic bartenders, water park, arcade, rock climbing
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Royal Caribbean is really creative with its names. Everything is “of the Seas,” preceded by a seemingly random noun that sounds Nice. Yeah, I don’t get it either.

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4 / 17

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Royal Carribean
  • Length: 1,188 feet
  • Width: 215 feet
  • Weight: 226,963 gross tons
  • Speed: 25 knots
  • Guests: 6,687
  • Features: 18 decks, eight dining venues, nine specialty restaurants, waterslides, water parks, multiple neighborhoods
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Hey guess what: It’s another Of The Seas. Royal Caribbean really likes big boats, apparently, like you all do.

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5 / 17

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Royal Carribean
  • Length: 1,187 feet
  • Width: 215 feet
  • Weight: 225,282 gross tons
  • Speed: 22.6 knots
  • Guests: 5,492
  • Features: 18 decks, seven neighborhoods, four pools, 10 whirlpools, 24 dining venues, a water park, a zip line, ice skating rink, and more
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Has the allure of these big boats drawn you in?

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6 / 17

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Royal Carribean
  • Length: 1,187 feet
  • Width: 154 feet
  • Weight: 220,000 gross tons
  • Speed: 24.5 knots
  • Guests: 5,606 guests
  • Features: 16 decks, water slides, sports bar, arcade, seven neighborhoods, video walls, and more
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Okay, how can you have an oasis in the sea? An oasis is a body of water in the desert, a watering hole of sorts. Seas, notably, have water. You see where I’m going with this.

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7 / 17

MSC World Europa

MSC World Europa

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: MSC Cruises
  • Length: 1,092 feet
  • Width: 154 feet
  • Weight: 205,700 gross tons
  • Speed: 23 knots
  • Guests: 6,774
  • Features: Themed districts, adult-only pool, bumper cars, waterparks, entertainment venues, 12 restaurants, and more
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Oh hey, this one’s not a Royal Caribbean Of The Seas! Instead, it’s both Europe and The World, which is admittedly how many people in the U.S. and Western Europe see the globe.

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8 / 17

Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Costa Cruises
  • Length: 1,106 feet
  • Width: 138 feet
  • Weight: 185,000 gross tons
  • Speed: 21.5 knots
  • Guests: 6,554
  • Features: 11 restaurants, 19 bars, 19 pools and hot tubs, a water park, a spa, and piazzas
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Okay, wait, can we go back to the Of The Seas names? “Smerelda” feels bad, acrid, rolling off my tongue. “SMER” is just a bad combination of letters.

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9 / 17

Costa Toscana

Costa Toscana

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Costa Cruises
  • Length: 1,106 feet
  • Width: 138 feet
  • Weight: 185,000 gross tons
  • Speed: 17 knots
  • Guests: 6,554
  • Features: Live entertainment, themed bars, 11 restaurants, 19 bars and lounges, and more
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This is better, at least. Toscana, like Tuscany. That’s Italy, and Italy is good, so the boat is good.

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10 / 17

P&O Cruises Iona

P&O Cruises Iona

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: P&O Cruises
  • Length: 1,129 feet
  • Width: 125 feet
  • Weight: 184,700 gross tons
  • Speed: 17 knots
  • Guests: 5,200
  • Features: Gin distillery, 30 restaurants and bars, theaters, and more

This boat has a big British flag on the side, which means it should have all its sails at half-mast for the Queen’s death. But, it’s a motor boat, not a sailboat, so we move on.

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11 / 17

AIDAnova

AIDAnova

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: HenSti, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Length: 1,106 feet
  • Width: 138 feet
  • Weight: 183,900 gross tons
  • Speed: 17 knots
  • Guests: 5,200
  • Features: 20 decks, 17 restaurants, spa, hot tubs, private pools

Oh this is bad. This is very bad. I don’t like this at all. Take the lips off the boat please. TAKE THE LIPS AND EYES OFF THE BOAT PLEASE.

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12 / 17

AIDAcosma

AIDAcosma

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Siro 24, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Length: 1,106 feet
  • Width: 138 feet
  • Weight: 183,200 gross tons
  • Speed: 17 knots
  • Guests: 5,228
  • Features: Pools, waterslides, infinity pool climbing wall, running track, indoor playground, 20 decks
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NO DON’T PUT THEM ON MORE BOATS. GET IT AWAY, NEXT SLIDE.

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13 / 17

MSC Virtuosa

MSC Virtuosa

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: MSC Cruises
  • Length: 1,087 feet
  • Width: 141 feet
  • Weight: 181,541 gross tons
  • Speed: 22.3 knots
  • Guests: 6,334
  • Features: the sea’s largest shopping area, restaurants, cocktail bars, robotic bartenders, water parks, five pools
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Oh thank god they’re back to normal. Just a regular name, on a regular boat, without any eyes or seas. This boat is the palate cleanser boat, and for that I thank it.

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14 / 17

Carnival Mardi Gras

Carnival Mardi Gras

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: kees torn, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Length: 1,130 feet
  • Width: 138 feet
  • Weight: 180,000 gross tons
  • Speed: 23 knots
  • Guests: 6,465
  • Features: Six themed areas, jazz, roller coaster

You ever notice how Carnival cruise ships have the same livery as Delta aircraft? Have you ever seen Delta and Carnival in the same place at the same time?

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15 / 17

MSC Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: MSC Cruises
  • Length: 1,036 feet
  • Width: 141 feet
  • Weight: 171,598 gross ton
  • Speed: 22.7 knots
  • Guests: 5,655
  • Features: 19 decks, 20 bars, 11 restaurants, live entertainment, F1 simulator, flight simulator, LEGO play areas, water park, spa
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This boat is the Merovingian, that French guy from the second two Matrix movies who talks about determinism. He’s into weird food stuff, but cruise ships have a lot of food on them, so I guess it kinda fits.

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16 / 17

Norwegian Encore

Norwegian Encore

Image for article titled The 15 Largest Cruise Ships on Earth
Photo: Ein Dahmer, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Length: 1,094 feet
  • Width: 136 feet
  • Weight: 169,116 gross tons
  • Speed: 22.5 knots
  • Guests: 3,998
  • Features: 11 bars and lounges, a race track, ship within a ship, and more

Oh, what brand is this boat? It’s from Norway, and that’s all you need to know. Anything above that is privileged information.

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