The biggest cruise ship in the world is a three-way tie. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas are identical sisters, each measuring 248,663 gross tonnage, about 365 metres long, with room for up to 7,600 guests. Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas round out the top five.
All five belong to Royal Caribbean. In fact, the nine biggest cruise ships afloat are all Royal Caribbean ships, and you have to go down to number ten, MSC World America, before another cruise line appears.
Key takeaways
- Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas share the title of biggest cruise ship in the world at 248,663 gross tonnage each. Legend is the newest, delivered in June 2026.
- Each Icon class ship is about 365 metres long and can carry 7,600 guests plus around 2,350 crew. That is more than five times the tonnage of the Titanic.
- Royal Caribbean owns the nine biggest cruise ships in the world. MSC World America is the largest ship from any other line, at 216,638 gross tonnage.
- A fourth Icon class ship, Hero of the Seas, is due in 2027. Carnival and Norwegian have bigger ships on order, but none of them will be as large as the Icon class.
The five biggest cruise ships at a glance
| Rank | Ship | In service | Gross tonnage | Length | Guests (double / max) | Home port in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icon of the Seas | 2024 | 248,663 GT | 365 m | 5,610 / 7,600 | Miami |
| 2 | Star of the Seas | 2025 | 248,663 GT | 365 m | 5,610 / 7,600 | Port Canaveral |
| 3 | Legend of the Seas | 2026 | 248,663 GT | 365 m | 5,610 / 7,600 | Barcelona and Rome, then Fort Lauderdale |
| 4 | Utopia of the Seas | 2024 | 236,473 GT | 361 m | 5,668 / n/a | Port Canaveral |
| 5 | Wonder of the Seas | 2022 | 235,600 GT | 362 m | 5,734 / 6,988 | Miami |
Ranked by gross tonnage, the standard way cruise ships are measured. Guest numbers are at two per cabin, then at full capacity with every bunk and sofa bed used.
1. Icon of the Seas
Size 248,663 GT | Length 365 m | Guests up to 7,600 | Built Meyer Turku, Finland
Icon of the Seas took the record when she sailed her first cruise from Miami in January 2024. She has 20 decks, seven pools and Thrill Island, which Royal Caribbean calls the largest water park at sea, with six waterslides. Other highlights include the AquaDome, a glass-domed venue at the front of the ship with high-diving shows, the Hideaway beach club with the first suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship, an ice rink and a dedicated family neighbourhood called Surfside.
She was also Royal Caribbean’s first ship able to run on liquefied natural gas, and at around US$2 billion she was one of the most expensive cruise ships ever built. See how much does a cruise ship cost to build for the full breakdown.
2. Star of the Seas
Size 248,663 GT | Length 365 m | Guests up to 7,600 | Built Meyer Turku, Finland
Star of the Seas is the second Icon class ship. She joined the fleet in August 2025 and sails from Port Canaveral in Florida, which puts her within easy reach of Orlando for families combining a cruise with the theme parks. Her layout and attractions closely follow Icon of the Seas, so the choice between them mostly comes down to the departure port and itinerary.
At a reported €2.12 billion she is the most expensive cruise ship built so far.
3. Legend of the Seas
Size 248,663 GT | Length 365 m | Guests up to 7,600 | Built Meyer Turku, Finland
Legend of the Seas is the newest of the three. Royal Caribbean took delivery in June 2026, and she is spending her first season in the western Mediterranean, sailing from Barcelona and Rome, before moving to Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean cruises. If you want to try an Icon class ship in Europe, she is currently the only option.
The name has history. An earlier, much smaller Legend of the Seas sailed for Royal Caribbean from 1995 and spent several summers in Australia before leaving the fleet.
4. Utopia of the Seas
Size 236,473 GT | Length 361 m | Guests 5,668 at double occupancy | Built Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France
Utopia of the Seas is the sixth and largest Oasis class ship. She arrived in July 2024 and sails short three and four night getaways from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas, including a stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. The short itineraries make her popular for first-timers and for weekend trips.
Like her Oasis class sisters, she is built around themed neighbourhoods, including Central Park and the Boardwalk, and has a FlowRider surf simulator. See which cruise ships have FlowRider for the full list.
5. Wonder of the Seas
Size 235,600 GT | Length 362 m | Guests up to 6,988 | Built Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France
When Wonder of the Seas launched in March 2022 she was the biggest cruise ship in the world, a title she held for nearly two years. She was originally meant to sail from Shanghai and Hong Kong, but the pandemic changed those plans and she debuted from Port Everglades in Florida instead. Since August 2025 she has been based in Miami, sailing three and four night cruises to Nassau and CocoCay.
She has the usual Oasis class attractions, including a zip line, two rock climbing walls, an ice rink, a 1,400-seat theatre and the AquaTheater, an outdoor stage with high-diving platforms.
The next five: biggest cruise ships ranked 6 to 10
The rest of the top ten is made up of the older Oasis class ships, plus MSC’s newest flagship.
| Rank | Ship | Cruise line | In service | Gross tonnage | Guests (double / max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2018 | 228,081 GT | 5,518 / 6,680 |
| 7 | Harmony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2016 | 226,963 GT | 5,494 / 6,687 |
| 8 | Oasis of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2009 | 226,838 GT | 5,484 / 6,771 |
| 9 | Allure of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2010 | 226,637 GT | 5,484 / 6,780 |
| 10 | MSC World America | MSC Cruises | 2025 | 216,638 GT | 5,231 / 6,762 |
Oasis of the Seas was the biggest cruise ship in the world when she launched in 2009, and the Oasis class held that title until Icon of the Seas arrived in 2024.
How big is the biggest cruise ship, really?
Gross tonnage figures are hard to picture, so here are a few comparisons.
- Against the Titanic. The Titanic measured 46,329 gross register tons and was about 269 metres long. Icon of the Seas is more than five times her size by tonnage and around 96 metres longer. The Titanic carried about 3,300 passengers and crew, while an Icon class ship can carry close to 10,000 people when full.
- Against a sports field. At 365 metres, an Icon class ship is longer than three and a half football fields laid end to end.
- Against older cruise ships. Even the biggest ships of the late 1990s, like Grand Princess, came in at just over 100,000 gross tonnage. The Icon class is well over twice that.
How cruise ship size is measured
Cruise ships are ranked by gross tonnage (GT), which measures a ship’s total enclosed volume rather than its weight. That can be confusing, because the figure sounds like a weight. For what a ship actually weighs, see how much does a cruise ship weigh.
You will sometimes see the Icon class described as 250,800 gross tons, which is the figure Royal Caribbean uses in its marketing. The registered figure for each ship is 248,663 GT. Both refer to the same ships, and either way they are the largest afloat.
Length is another way to compare ships, but it gives a slightly different order. MSC World America, for example, is shorter than the Oasis class ships by around 28 metres, but carries a similar number of guests.
The biggest ship from each major cruise line
If you are loyal to a cruise line other than Royal Caribbean, these are the biggest ships you can sail on.
| Cruise line | Biggest ship | In service | Gross tonnage | Max guests |
| MSC Cruises | MSC World America | 2025 | 216,638 GT | 6,762 |
| Disney Cruise Line | Disney Adventure | 2025 | 208,108 GT | 6,700 |
| Costa Cruises | Costa Toscana | 2021 | 186,364 GT | 6,554 |
| P&O Cruises (UK) | Arvia | 2022 | 185,581 GT | 6,685 |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Carnival Celebration | 2022 | 183,521 GT | 6,631 |
Disney Adventure is based in Singapore, so she is the closest of these to Australia.
Bigger ships on the way
Royal Caribbean has a fourth Icon class ship, Hero of the Seas, due in 2027, with more ships of the class planned up to 2030. Other cruise lines are catching up, but none of the ships on order will be bigger than the Icon class.
| Ship | Cruise line | Due | Gross tonnage | Guests |
| Hero of the Seas (Icon class) | Royal Caribbean | 2027 | about 248,663 GT | 5,610 double |
| Seventh Oasis class ship | Royal Caribbean | 2028 | about 231,000 GT | 5,714 double |
| First Project Ace ship | Carnival Cruise Line | 2029 | about 230,000 GT | up to 8,000 |
| New class ship | Norwegian Cruise Line | 2030 | about 226,000 GT | 5,100 |
Figures for ships on order are announced estimates and may change before delivery.
Is a bigger ship better?
It depends on what you want from a cruise. The biggest ships have more pools, waterslides, shows and restaurants than you could try in a week, which is why they are so popular with families and groups. The trade-offs are busier pools, longer queues at peak times and boarding and disembarking with thousands of other guests. Most of them also stick to a few big ports in Florida and Europe.
Smaller ships can visit ports the mega ships cannot reach and usually feel more relaxed. If you are sailing from Australia, none of the top five are based here, but plenty of large ships are. See our guides to cruises from Brisbane, cruises from Melbourne and cruises from Fremantle for what is sailing locally.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest cruise ship in the world in 2026?
Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas share the title. All three are Royal Caribbean Icon class ships measuring 248,663 gross tonnage, and Legend of the Seas is the newest, delivered in June 2026.
How many people can the biggest cruise ship carry?
An Icon class ship carries 5,610 guests at two per cabin and up to 7,600 when every berth is full. With around 2,350 crew, that is close to 10,000 people on board.
How does the biggest cruise ship compare to the Titanic?
Icon of the Seas is more than five times the Titanic’s size by gross tonnage and about 96 metres longer. She carries roughly three times as many people.
What is the biggest cruise ship not owned by Royal Caribbean?
MSC World America, at 216,638 gross tonnage, is the biggest cruise ship from any other line. Her sister MSC World Europa is almost exactly the same size.
Will there be a bigger cruise ship than Icon of the Seas?
Not in the current order books. Hero of the Seas, due in 2027, will match the Icon class, and the largest ships ordered by Carnival and Norwegian are expected to come in at around 226,000 to 230,000 gross tonnage.
