Royal Caribbean ships by size
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The largest Royal Caribbean cruise ships are almost five times the size of the smallest in the fleet. So, when you’re choosing a ship for your next cruise, it can be helpful to compare all Royal Caribbean ships by size with a list of the biggest Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
Below is a list of all Royal Caribbean ships by size, ordered from largest to smallest in terms of weight and length.
What are the biggest Royal Caribbean ships?
| Ship Name | Class | Year | Total Guest Capacity | Gross Tonnage | Length (feet) |
| Wonder of the Seas | Oasis | 2021 | 6,360 | 230,000 | 1,188 |
| Symphony of the Seas | Oasis | 2018 | 6,680 | 228,081 | 1,184 |
| Harmony of the Seas | Oasis | 2016 | 6,687 | 226,963 | 1,188 |
| Allure of the Seas | Oasis | 2010 | 6,780 | 225,282 | 1,187 |
| Oasis of the Seas | Oasis | 2009 | 6,780 | 225,282 | 1,187 |
| Odyssey of the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 2020 | 4,819 | 169,379 | 1,142 |
| Spectrum of the Seas | Quantum | 2019 | 5,622 | 169,379 | 1,139 |
| Anthem of the Seas | Quantum | 2015 | 4,905 | 168,666 | 1,141 |
| Ovation of the Seas | Quantum | 2016 | 4,905 | 168,666 | 1,138 |
| Quantum of the Seas | Quantum | 2014 | 4,905 | 168,666 | 1141 |
| Freedom of the Seas | Freedom | 2006 | 4,515 | 154,407 | 1,112 |
| Independence of the Seas | Freedom | 2008 | 4,560 | 154,407 | 1,112 |
| Liberty of the Seas | Freedom | 2007 | 4,960 | 154,407 | 1,112 |
| Navigator of the Seas | Voyager | 2002 | 4,000 | 139,999 | 1,020 |
| Mariner of the Seas | Voyager | 2003 | 4,000 | 139,863 | 1,020 |
| Explorer of the Seas | Voyager | 2000 | 4,290 | 137,308 | 1,020 |
| Adventure of the Seas | Voyager | 2001 | 3,807 | 137,276 | 1,020 |
| Voyager of the Seas | Voyager | 1999 | 4,269 | 137,276 | 1,020 |
| Brilliance of the Seas | Radiance | 2002 | 2,543 | 90,090 | 962 |
| Jewel of the Seas | Radiance | 2004 | 2,702 | 90,090 | 962 |
| Radiance of the Seas | Radiance | 2001 | 2,466 | 90,090 | 962 |
| Serenade of the Seas | Radiance | 2003 | 2,476 | 90,090 | 965 |
| Enchantment of the Seas | Vision | 1997 | 2,730 | 82,910 | 989 |
| Rhapsody of the Seas | Vision | 1997 | 2,416 | 78,491 | 915 |
| Vision of the Seas | Vision | 1998 | 2,514 | 78,340 | 915 |
| Majesty of the Seas | Sovereign | 1992 | 2,767 | 74,077 | 880 |
| Grandeur of the Seas | Vision | 1996 | 2,440 | 73,817 | 916 |
| Empress of the Seas | Empress | 1990 | 2,270 | 48,563 | 692 |
Royal Caribbean’s biggest ship
Many people want to know ‘what is the largest Royal Caribbean cruise ship?’ Royal Caribbean’s largest ship is Symphony of the Seas. This ship is the biggest cruise ship in the world in 2020.
However, a new ship, Wonder of the Seas is currently under construction and is scheduled to launch in the autumn of 2021. Wonder of the Seas will be almost 2,000 tonnes heavier than Symphony of the Seas and become the new biggest cruise ship in the world. However, Wonder of the Seas will have a slightly lower maximum guest capacity than sister-ship Symphony of the Seas.
Photo credit: Royal Caribbean
The Royal Caribbean cruise ships with the largest maximum guest capacity are Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, which each carry up to 6,780 passengers.
Largest Royal Caribbean ships on order
Royal Caribbean has several new cruise ships on order. These are either under construction in the shipyards or have agreements to be built in place.
Wonder of the Seas is the fifth ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class. A sixth, as yet unnamed, ship is scheduled to launch in 2023 which is expected to be around 1,000 tonnes larger than Wonder of the Seas. This ship will become the biggest cruise ship in the world when she sets sail.
List of Royal Caribbean ships on order
| Ship Name | Class | Year | Gross Tonnage |
| Odyssey of the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 2020 | 169,379 |
| Wonder of the Seas | Oasis | 2021 | 230,000 |
| To be announced | Icon | 2022 | 200,000 |
| To be announced | Oasis | 2023 | 231,000 |
| To be announced | Icon | 2024 | 200,000 |
| To be announced | Icon | 2025 | 200,000 |
Royal Caribbean ship classes by size
Royal Caribbean International has ten classes of ship. Each class has between one and five sister-ships. Each of the sister-ships are very similar in design, although they may have different amenities on board, which is why some ships are heavier than their sisters.
List of Royal Caribbean ship classes by size
| Class | Average Gross Tonnage |
| Oasis | 228,000 |
| Icon (coming soon) | 200,000 |
| Quantum Ultra | 169,000 |
| Quantum | 169,000 |
| Freedom | 154,000 |
| Voyager | 138,000 |
| Radiance | 90,000 |
| Vision | 78,000 |
| Sovereign | 74,000 |
| Empress | 49,000 |
Are the bigger ships better than the smaller ships?
Whether you prefer the larger ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet or the smaller ships is all a matter of personal preference. Some people love large ships because there is so much to do on board. We cruised on Allure of the Seas for seven nights and didn’t get time to see or do everything on board. However, others might find the biggest ships a little too over facing, preferring something a little more serene.
The biggest ships tend to be more expensive than the smaller, older ships. This means that in effect, you’re paying extra for the facilities that larger ships have. If you plan to spend most of your time relaxing by the pool or exploring ashore, then there’s no point paying more for a ship with facilities that you won’t use.
Even the small to medium size ships are still pretty big. We cruised on Mariner of the Seas for four nights and were never short of activities on board. For a short sailing like this, the mid-sized ships on the fleet are ideal.
What do you think? Do you tend to go for big or small cruise ships? Let me know in the comments below.
