Over the years, cruise ships have gotten bigger and bigger, and have dominated much of the travel industry since the Titanic. But sipping champagne on a cruise ship while sailing under the stars and fireworks, soaking up the sights, sounds and fragrances of the waters and ports along the way, is by far the most enjoyable way to travel abroad.
Here are the 16 largest cruise ships in the world for you to enjoy.
Plan an escape from the monotony of everyday life and sail on the Norwegian Escape Cruiser in the coming year. This cruise ship is the second Breakaway Plus class cruise ship owned and operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. Built by Meyer Werft of Papenburg, Germany, the ship first sailed in 2015, traveling from Hamburg to Southampton. Weighing about 165,157 gross tons, the cruiser is lighter and smaller than her sister cruiser, Joy, and therefore less suited to long trips. Her first transatlantic voyage through Miami lasted a full year, and could arrange for guests to stay seven nights in the Caribbean islands.
Escape's home port is in Miami, and from there she plans to venture to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. St. Thomas and Nassau in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. The frame, although much smaller, is designed in a similar way to its sisters Bliss and Joy. There are more than 2,000 staterooms that can easily accommodate more than 4,000 guests. In addition, there are clubs, bars, restaurants, pools, theaters, decks, and balconies throughout the ship, providing a wealth of entertainment for residents.
The Joy is part of the Breakaway Plus class of Norwegian Cruise Line, a leading company in the industry. Both the Joy and her sister, the Escape, are part of the same cruise line and were launched sometime in 2015. The Joy weighs approximately 167,725 gross tons, is 333.46 feet long and can accommodate nearly 3,880 passengers at a time. The cruise ship was designed by Meyer Werft, based in Papenburg, Germany, to specifically cater to the Chinese market. One of the main reasons for this is that Joy has a patron, Chinese singer Wang Leehom, and Joy is about to relocate to new homeports in Tianjin and Shanghai.
There's also another cruise ship called Norwegian Bliss set to launch in 2019, following in the footsteps of her sister Joy and the Escape. There are reports that the cruise ship will be repositioned to Dubai. However, other ports for this maiden voyage have yet to be announced.Joy is very spacious and powerful, with five main engines propelling her at sea. The framework contains more than a thousand staterooms, theaters, spas, pools, bars, nightclubs, gyms, decks and dining venues where you can spend your time.
Carnival of the Seas is the third and final ship in the Quantum of the Seas class series, and is nearly 14,000 taller than the Freedom-line cruise ships. It is the second largest passenger ship, weighing 168,666 gross tons, built by Royal Caribbean after Oasis. Carnival of the Seas begins her journey from Tianjin in the summer and lands in Sydney in the southern summer. The entire framework of the cruise is very similar to that of the other Quantum of the Seas class ships, except that Carnival of the Seas is slightly smaller (by a few meters) than the other two. Carnival of the Seas is also part of the Sunshine program, with more than 1,000 staterooms, some of which have decks and balconies, while others are equipped with huge windows and wheelchairs for the elderly or disabled. There's no shortage of entertainment here as you can check out the theater, spa, bars, casino, nightclubs, swimming pools, sports centers, art galleries, observation decks, restaurants and more.
Carnival of the Seas began its 52-day Global Odyssey cruise from Southampton sometime in 2016, with its final destination being Tianjin, China. in early 2019, the cruise ship is scheduled to reposition itself in Sydney before embarking on a seven-day trip to Alaska.
Anthem of the Seas is the second-largest ship in the Quantum Class of cruises, outpacing Freedom Cruises by nearly 14,000 gross tons.Owned by Royal Caribbean International, Anthem was built on April 10 and named on April 20, 2015.The ship is the second-largest in the Quantum Class of cruises, outpacing Freedom Cruises by nearly 14,000 gross tons. She was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and delivered in the fall of 2014 under Project Sunshine. Anthem first set sail from her home port in Southampton, UK in 2015 in preparation for her European summer voyage. It was on this trip that she was officially named by British travel agent Emma Wilby. The maiden voyage was an eight-night cruise to Spain and France. From there, the ship traveled to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Canary Islands.During November, the cruiser operated a 7- to 12-night itinerary to the Caribbean and the Bahamas from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, N.J., USA.
With a gross tonnage of 168,666 gross tons, Song of the Seas is very similar in construction to Quantum. There are 16 staterooms, eight of which have open balconies. The staterooms cater to all the needs of the guests; some of them are even equipped with wheelchairs to support people with some impairments. On top of that, there are sports courts, an observation tower, a wave pool, a bar, a theater, a casino, a restaurant, and plenty of lounges to relax in.
Royal Caribbean Cruises has launched quite a number of cruises sailing the Atlantic and Caribbean belts. We've already discussed the Oasis line and mentioned the Freedom Class cruises (albeit briefly). Quantum of the Seas is the lead ship in the Quantum Class of cruises beyond the Freedom Line. It is the second largest passenger ship, weighing 140,00 gross tons more than the previous cruise ship. Quantum of the Seas weighs 168,666 and is part of Project Sunshine, built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Quantum of the Seas spent her first few years sailing at Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA, eventually returning in May 2015 to her home port of China. However, after 2015, the cruise ship ventured into deeper routes, sailing three to eight year-round itineraries from Shanghai to Japan and South Korea. She arrived sometime on June 10, 2015 in Hong Kong.
Quantum of the Seas was named on November 14, 2014 by American actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth. The cruise ship features 16 passenger decks, eight of which have balconies overlooking the sea. In addition to this, the pool deck has 2,090 staterooms, two-story penthouse suites, studios, restaurants, casinos, bars, concert halls, and even a kung fu-themed noodle shop.
MSC Meraviglia, which only debuted in June 2017, is the lead ship of the Vista Project ships owned and operated by MSC Cruises. It was built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. Weighing in at approximately 171,598 gross tons, Meraviglia is considered the fourth largest cruise ship in Royal Caribbean after the Oasis class. Initially limited to sailing in the Mediterranean, the ship covers Malta, Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Messina, Civitavecchia and Palermo during her inaugural season.
MSC Meraviglia can accommodate around 4,500 guests at a time, although news of an expansion of the ship's design has been circulating in the tabloids. The MSC Meraviglia is large enough to provide a complete vacation experience for cruise ship passengers. The promenade features an LED roof, followed by a water park, 3-4 water slides, a Himalayan ropes course, two theaters (one aft), more than 10 restaurants and a luxury spa.
Owned by MSC Cruises and built in France, MSC Magnifica is one of three Meraviglia Plus-class cruise ships with a capacity of more than 6,000 passengers. She completed sea trials and entered service in the fall of 2019. Named by legendary actress Sophia Loren of yesteryear, MSC Magnifica has already traveled across the Mediterranean, calling at Genoa, Barcelona, Marseille and Rome.
In 2020 she was due to be transferred to Brazil for a South American tour, but those plans were put on hold for the time being.
In the late summer of 2020, MSC Magnifica became the first major cruise ship to return to the sea after a five-month hiatus. However, shore excursions are authorized by MSC and under their strict supervision.