Bigger isn’t necessarily better, but when it comes to cruise ships, it certainly helps.
The biggest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, carries a mind-boggling 8000 people when you add crew and passengers – that’s more than the population of many New Zealand country towns.
But the size of a cruise ship isn’t just measured by how many people it accommodates, or how long or wide or tall it is – it’s all about tonnage.
In a nutshell, tonnage is not how much a ship weighs – it’s the volume inside it. On cruise ships, the volume, or interior space, determines how many people the ship can accommodate; some ships may be of similar tonnage but carry more or fewer people, depending on the style of the ship.
Here’s a look at the highlights of today’s modern mega ships.
10.MSC Divina
Vital statistics:Â
Cruise Line – MSC Cruises
Maximum passenger capacity  – 3,959
Length – 333 m
Tonnage – 139,400 GT
Speed – 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Launched – May 19, 2012
Cruising grounds -Â MSC Divina in Istanbul, Turkey
9.Norwegian Escape
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Norwegian Cruise Line
Maximum passenger capacity  – 5400
Length – 334.6 m
Tonnage – 164,600 GT
Launched – November 2015
Cruising grounds – Eastern Caribbean
8.Liberty of the Seas
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
Maximum passenger capacity  – 3634
Length – 338.91 m
Tonnage – 154,407 GT
Speed – 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph)
Launched – 2007
Cruising grounds – Southampton
7.Freedom of the seas
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
Maximum passenger capacity  – 3634
Length – 338.94 m
Tonnage – 154,407 GT
Speed – 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph)
Launched – 2006
Cruising grounds – Cozumel, Mexico in its maiden voyage
6.Independence of the seas
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
Maximum passenger capacity  – 4370
Length – 338.95 m
Tonnage – 154,407 GT
Speed – 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph)
23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) (maximum)
Launched – 2008
Cruising grounds – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
5.Rms queen mary 2
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Cunard
Maximum passenger capacity  – 2620
Length – 345 m
Tonnage – 148,528 GT
Speed – 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Launched – 2004
Cruising grounds – World cruises, transactic crossings
4.Anthem of the seas
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
Maximum passenger capacity  – 4905 maximum
Length – 348 m
Tonnage – 167,800 GT
Launched – February 2015
Cruising grounds -Â Southampton to the Mediterranean
3.Quantum of the seas
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
Maximum passenger capacity  – 4905 maximum
Length – 347.1 m
Tonnage – 168,666 GT
Speed – 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Launched – August 2014
Cruising grounds – Elbe River near Wedel in Schleswig-Holstein,Germany
2.Oasis of The Seas
Vital statistics:
Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
Maximum passenger capacity  – 6296 maximum
Length – 361.6 m
Tonnage – 225,282 GT
Speed – 22.6 knots (41.9 km/h; 26.0 mph)
Launched – November 2008
Cruising grounds – Oasis of the Seas at Nassau, Bahamas
1.Allure of the Seas
Vital statistics:
