The World’s Biggest Cruise Ships Compared To Cars, Buildings – And Even Capybaras

Cruise ships seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Royal Caribbean, MSC and Norwegian seem to be launching massive new ships almost on an annual basis.

The ships are like floating resorts, with varied entertainment, many eating options, water parks, sports courts and family-friendly activities. They certainly are a big hit with the family cruise market.

Others don’t like these huge ships. They say they feel overwhelming, they can’t dock at smaller cruise ports, and they find crowds and lines/queues are an issue.

I struggle when I look at cruise ship statistics to imagine how big these ships really are.

In this article, we take a (rather silly) look at how big these enormous cruise ships actually are.

Which Ships Are The Largest?

Let’s look at the top ten biggest cruise ships in the world.

Nine of the ten biggest cruise ships in the world sail for Royal Caribbean. MSC just make it in at number ten, with their largest ship, MSC World America.

Have you ever wondered how big these ships actually are?

To me, the figures are just massive, unimaginable numbers! In this article, we try to compare the ships to the heights of things I can actually recognise.

#1.Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
#2.Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas
#3.Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas

All these ships belong to Royal Caribbean’s Icon class.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class ships have eight distinct “neighbourhoods” onboard. These neighbourhoods are:

• Thrill Island Located at the top of the ship. This area features the largest waterpark at sea, with six waterslides, including the tallest drop slide at sea.
• Chill Island is a tranquil, three-deck oasis featuring four of the ship’s seven pools.
• Surfside is designed specifically for young families, featuring a carousel, splash zones, and dining options.
• The Hideaway situated at the aft, is an adults-only area with the first suspended infinity pool at sea.
• The AquaDome is a tranquil oasis during the day that transforms to an entertainment venue at night, with cutting-edge technology, robotic arms, and high-dive aqua shows.
• Central Park is a returning favourite. An open-air park featuring thousands of real plants, dining venues, and live music.
• Royal Promenade is another old favourite. This area at the heart of the ship has over 15 restaurants, cafes, bars, and lounges, along with floor-to-ceiling ocean views.
• The Suite Neighbourhood offers a four-deck exclusive area for suite guests, featuring a private sundeck, pool, whirlpool, and upmarket dining at “Coastal Kitchen.”

Examples of the Statistics for these huge ships are as follows:

Icon of the Seas statistics at a glance: Gross Tonnage: 250,800 GTs – Height – 75.6m (248ft) – Length: 1,198 feet – Width: 213 feet – Passenger Maximum Capacity 7,600 – 18 guest accessible decks.

• That is around 541 Captain Hudson Plushies stacked on top of each other.
• Over 17 London double-decker buses in a pile.
• Around 151 Capybaras in a big stack.
• 12 Adult (6-metre) Giraffes standing on each other’s heads (if that were even possible!)
• Around one and a half times as high of the Colosseum in Rome.

#4.Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas
#5.Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas
#6.Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas
#7.Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
#8.Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas
#9.Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas

These six ships are all known as Oasis-Class ships.

They also have distinct neighbourhoods, including:

• Central Park: An open-air neighbourhood with thousands of live plants, speciality restaurants, and quiet walkways.
• The Boardwalk: Family-focused area featuring a handcrafted carousel, arcade, and casual dining.
• Entertainment Place: A centralised hub for shows, including a comedy club, jazz club, and casino.
• Ultimate Abyss: A thrilling 10-story dry slide plunging from the pool deck to the Boardwalk.
• AquaTheater: A pool amphitheatre at the stern featuring high-diving, acrobatics, and synchronised swimming performances.
• Pool & Sports Zone: Features twin FlowRider surf simulators, ziplining, and Splashaway Bay kids’ water park.

Have a look at my cruise on Symphony of the Seas, an Oasis-class ship, here:

Utopia of the Seas statistics at a glance: Gross Tonnage: 236,860 GTs –  Height: 65m (213ft) – Length: 1,188 feet – Width: 211 feet – Passenger Maximum Capacity: 6,509 – 16 guest accessible decks.

• That is around 464Captain Hudson Plushies in a big pile.
• Over 14 London double-decker buses on top of each other.
• 130 Capybaras in a big tower.
• 10 adult (6 metre) giraffes balancing carefully on each other’s heads.
• That’s one and a half times the height of the Statue of Liberty ( statue only, without the pedestal!)

#10. MSC World America

This LNG-powered cruise ship is tailored for the American market. She sails from Miami to the Caribbean,

She has 2,614 cabins and seven distinct districts onboard. Highlights include an 11-deck dry slide, the Cliffhanger over-water swing, and 19 different restaurants.

MSC World America has a massive water park in its “Harbour District” located on the ship’s top decks.

It is the largest water park in the MSC fleet, and the area changes from a lively family zone during the day to a area with live music at night

World America statistics at a glance: Gross Tonnage: 216,683 GTs – Height – 68m (223ft) – Length: 1,093 feet – Width: 154 feet – Passenger Maximum Capacity 6,764 – 16 guest accessible decks.

• That is around 486 Captain Hudson Plushies carefully put on top of each other.
• Over 15 London double-decker buses in a big stack.
• 136 Cabybaras standing carefully on top of each other.
• 11 (6 metre) Adult Giraffes in a very big pile!
• Over two and a half times the Tower of London’s in height (white tower)

I haven’t been on MSC World America, but was lucky enough to sail on her sister ship, MSC World Europa. (She is number 11 on the biggest ships list!)

See what I thought of that ginormous ship here:

Obviously, this is just a bit of fun, and heights and measurements are approximate. Some Capybaras are bigger than others…

Whether cruise ships will continue to get larger and larger is anyone’s guess.

The cruise lines like them, because of economies in scale – increasing ship size to reduce the average passenger costs for them.

Getting more passengers on board, with more amenities, creates greater onboard spending – while requiring proportionally fewer crew members.

There are many ports that these huge ships can’t sail to – so if the cruise is all about the destinations, they may not suit you well.

If, however, the ship is the destination for you, you will find plenty to keep the whole family entertained.

Before You Go:

Find out whether biggers ships really mean longer lines/queues here:

Do Bigger Cruise Ships Mean Longer Lines?

Have a look at the difference between MSC’s and Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships below. MSC’s are far cheaper to sail on…

MSC vs Royal Caribbean – I Cruised on The Biggest Ships: (Differences)