The largest Royal Caribbean cruise ships are more than three 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 volume (in gross tonnage) and length (in feet).
What are the biggest Royal Caribbean ships?
| Ship Name | Class | Year | Total Guest Capacity | Gross Tonnage | Length (feet) |
| Wonder of the Seas | Oasis | 2022 | 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 | 2021 | 4,819 | 169,379 | 1,142 |
| Spectrum of the Seas | Quantum Ultra | 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 |
| Grandeur of the Seas | Vision | 1996 | 2,440 | 73,817 | 916 |
Royal Caribbean’s biggest ship
Royal Caribbean makes the biggest cruise ships in the world and so many people want to know what is the largest Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean’s largest ship is Wonder of the Seas. This Oasis-class ship is the biggest cruise ship in the world in 2022. It’s 1,188 feet long, 236 feet high and has the capacity for 6,360 guests.
New cruise ship Wonder of the Seas is larger than the previous record-holder Symphony of the Seas as the internal volume of the ship is almost 2,000 Gross Tonnes larger.
However, Wonder of the Seas will have a slightly lower maximum guest capacity than sister-ship Symphony of the Seas with space for 6,360 guests on Wonder versus 6,680 on Symphony.
Suggested read: How big is a cruise ship?
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.
For 2023, Royal Caribbean will launch a new class of ships – Icon-class. However, these will not be as large as the record-breaking Oasis-class ships.
Suggested read: Everything you need to know about Oasis-class Cruise Ships
List of Royal Caribbean ships on order
| Ship Name | Class | Year | Gross Tonnage |
| Wonder of the Seas | Oasis | 2022 | 230,000 |
| To be announced | Icon | 2023 | 200,000 |
| To be announced | Oasis | 2024 | 231,000 |
| To be announced | Icon | 2025 | 200,000 |
| To be announced | Icon | 2026 | 200,000 |
Royal Caribbean ship classes by size
Royal Caribbean International has ten classes of ships. 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 |
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.
How To Book Your Royal Caribbean Cruise For Less
The price of your cruise will be different depending on who you book it with. It’s always cheaper to use a travel agent with access discounted rates.
See the best Royal Caribbean deals from all travel agents in one place.
Of course, not all travel agents are equal in terms of the service that they provide, and a great travel agent is worth their weight in gold.
I’ve booked 21 cruises with Cruise118 and I recommend them 100%. They offer a best price guarantee so they’ll match any price you find elsewhere.
Royal Caribbean ship size FAQs
In terms of physical size, the largest Royal Caribbean ship is the Symphony of the Seas. However, for maximum passenger capacity, the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas can carry almost 100 more than Symphony, at a total of 6,780 guests each.
The smallest Royal Caribbean ship currently operating, both in terms of gross tonnage and passenger capacity, is Grandeur of the Seas, which is also the oldest ship in the fleet. It can carry 2,440 passengers at max capacity and measures 73,817 tonnes.
Symphony of the Seas is physically larger than Oasis of the Seas. At 361m long, Symphony of the Seas is one metre longer, and also 1,200 tonnes larger in terms of volume. However, Oasis of the Seas can carry almost an additional 100 passengers at maximum capacity.
The largest cruise ship ever built is Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, at 361 metres long and measuring over 228,000 tonnes. It will be surpassed when the Wonder of the Seas is launched in 2022, which will be almost 9,000 tonnes more.
