Over roughly the 20 years cruise ships have gotten big… real big. As one line makes a ship that’s larger, carries more passengers, and offers eye-catching activities, others then play catch-up in the “arms race” to build ships that everyone is talking about.
Large ships offer several advantages over smaller ones. For one, larger ships carrying more passengers mean that each trip can generate more revenue for the cruise line.
And it’s not just cruise fare. With larger ships also packing more onboard, there is an opportunity to increase the spending of those passengers on the ships with more restaurants and for-pay activities.
Today’s mega ships also can increase the economies of scale, creating more efficiency for the cruise line. Last but not least, rolling out a ground-breaking new ship also serves as a marketing device as the vessels get major coverage, which can lead to increased buzz and bookings.
So it’s no surprise that in recent years ships have only gotten larger. Of the major cruise lines listed below, all of their largest ships were built within the last three years. With that in mind, here are the current largest ships in each fleet, as of the time of this writing.
Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Celebration/Carnival Jubilee (Tie)
Officially listed by Carnival Cruise Line at 183,521 gross tons, Carnival Celebration — built in 2022 — and Carnival Jubilee — built in 2023 — take the crown as the largest ships in the fleet. The two sister ships are just slightly larger than sister-ship Mardi Gras, which comes in at 180,800 gross tons.
So what do you get for that sort of size? The ships measure 1,130 feet long and carry 2,687 staterooms. That gives a capacity of roughly 6,500 passengers when at full occupancy.
Across the 17 passenger decks there are roughly 20 different places to grab a bite to eat. Activities include a complete waterpark with three slides, sport court, and even an 800′ long roller coaster that goes up to 40 mph. There are also live versions of game show classics like Deal or No Deal and Family Feud.
- Year Built: 2022/2023
- Gross Tonnage: 183,521
- Length: 1,130 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 6,465
Royal Caribbean: Icon/Legend/Star of the Seas (Tie)
When it comes to the largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean takes the crown. Their Icon-class ships are currently the biggest on the planet, with all three tying to take the mark of number one of the list.
Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, and Legend of the Seas all come in at 248,663 gross tons and measure 1,196 feet. Based on gross tonnage alone, the ships are about 35% larger than Carnival’s biggest.
As for passengers, these behemoths can carry a staggering 7,600 when completely full in all of its 2,805 cabins. And those passengers have no shortage of things to see, do, and eat. The ships have more than 25 places to eat or snack, feature activities like the Flowrider standing wave, a complete waterpark, the most pools at sea, and an AquaTheater for performances utilizing high-divers.
- Year Built: 2024-2026
- Gross Tonnage: 248,663
- Length: 1,196 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 7,600
Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian Encore
Norwegian Cruise Line is an outlier of the major cruise lines in that its newest ships are actually going smaller. The current newest ship is Norwegian Luna, which first started sailing in 2026. But the largest ship in the fleet is Norwegian Encore, which debuted in 2019.
Encore is part of the cruise line’s Breakaway-Plus class. The ship measures 169,116 gross tons, or about 70% of the tonnage of Icon-class ships from Royal Caribbean. The ship measures 1,094 feet and carries 3,958 at double occupancy. (Note that NCL provides a double occupancy figure, which is typically smaller than a full capacity figure.)
While the ship may not be the biggest in the world, it does stand out when it comes to amenities onboard. For one, it’s built with an outdoor focus, including The Waterfront — a quarter-mile outdoor promenade that brings you closer to the ocean.
Then there is Ocean Loops, an intense waterslide that takes you out over the edge of the ship (complete with clear tubes) before bringing you back in. Perhaps the most eye-catching feature is the Encore Speedway, an actual go-karting track at the top of the ship.
- Year Built: 2019
- Gross Tonnage: 169,116
- Length: 1,094 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 3,958 (double occupancy)
Princess: Sun Princess
Princess is well-known for offering a more luxurious experience than mass-market lines, and that typically means smaller ships. In fact, most ships in the fleet are smaller than what you see from other major cruise lines, but its largest can compete with the biggest anywhere..
In this case, Sun Princess comes in at 177,882 gross tons, which is actually a near tie with sister-ship Star Princess (177,800 GT). Sun is 1,133 feet long and boasts 2,157 cabins. At double occupancy, the ship carries 4,300 passengers, although that figure would rise when three or more are put in a cabin.
Typically, luxury-focused line operate on a smaller scale than the mass-market lines. Smaller ships provide a more “boutique” feel but the larger ships offer more things to see, eat, do, and experience. With Sun Princess, you get the best of both worlds: a luxury ship but with the amenities of a larger one.
- Year Built: 2024
- Gross Tonnage: 177,882
- Length: 1,133 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 4,330 (double occupancy)
Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Beyond/Ascent/Xcel (Tie)
Celebrity is known for being a mix of luxury combined with still offering large ship with lots to experience. Its largest ships, Celebrity Beyond, Ascent, and Xcel, capture that perfectly.
These vessels, part of the cruise line’s Edge class, measure 141,420 gross tons and boast a length of 1,071 feet. Onboard, they each hold about 3,260 guests at double occupancy meaning you have a lot of room per passengers.
To give some sense of just how large cruise ships are today, Celebrity Beyond and its sister ships would have to increase in tonnage by about 76% to match Icon-class ships from Royal Caribbean — the largest cruise ships at the moment.
- Year Built: 2022, 2023, 2025
- Gross Tonnage: 141,420
- Length: 1,071 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 3,260-3,292 (double occupancy)
MSC Cruises: MSC World America
Stateside, MSC is still making inroads, but it’s a major brand globally. And it also takes a special position in having the largest cruise ship in the world outside of Royal Caribbean.
The title of MSC’s largest ship goes to MSC World America. This massive vessel comes in at a staggering 216,638 gross tons and was launched in 2025. It features 2,626 staterooms onboard across its 1,094 feet of length. (Sister ship MSC World Europa is the same size, but has a slightly smaller gross tonnage of 215,863.)
At full occupancy, World America can carry 6,762 passengers, putting it just shy of the 7,000 guest mark.
Of course, on a ship that large there can be no shortage of things to do. This includes a massive promenade indoors, an 11-deck slide that takes passengers spinning down on a thrill ride, ropes course, bumper cars, and 20 different swimming pools and whirlpools. Don’t forget the Cliffhanger, a massive swing that takes you out over the edge of the ship above the ocean.
- Year Built: 2025
- Gross Tonnage: 216,638
- Length: 1,094 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 6,762
Disney Cruise Line: Disney Adventure
Disney Cruise Line has never been thought of as having large ships… until now. It’s new Disney Adventure is among the largest cruise ships on the planet and one of only about a dozen that come in at more than 200,000 gross tons. That makes it larger than anything outside of a MSC and Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships.
All told, Adventure measures 1,118 feet and can carry up to 6,700 passengers when completely full. Those passengers stay in a staggering 2,100+ cabins and the ship measures a massive 208,108 gross tons.
This ship wasn’t exactly on the plan for Disney. It took over the construction of an unfinished ship for Dream Cruises in Asia in 2022.
- Year Built: 2025
- Gross Tonnage: 208,108
- Length: 1,124 feet
- Passenger Capacity: 6,700
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