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This article was first published 13 years ago

World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Last updated on: October 19, 2011 11:45 IST

Image: These are not only big, but also well designed.

These days, the oceans are full of beautiful and massive cruise liners and some are so big that even the Titanic looks small in front of them.

Let us take a look at the world's 10 largest cruise ships. These are not only big, but also well designed, complete with luxurious facilities and premium price tickets.

Click NEXT to see the world's biggest cruise liners...

World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: She holds the record for the largest passenger ship ever constructed.

MS Allure of the Seas

MS Allure of the Seas is a cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International.

She holds the record for the largest passenger ship ever constructed.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: She was named in May 2008.

Designed under the name "Project Genesis", she was ordered from Aker Finnyards in February 2006 and her construction began at the Perno shipyard in Turku, Finland, in February 2008.

She was named in May 2008 after a contest was held to name her.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The cost of the liner was $1.2 billion.

The ship features a two-deck dance hall, a theatre with 1,380 seats, and an ice skating rink.

The cost of the liner was $1.2 billion.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: She set a new record of carrying over 6,000 passengers.

2. MS Oasis of the Seas

MS Oasis of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship in the fleet of Royal Caribbean International.

The first of her class, she was joined by her sister ship Allure of the Seas in December 2010.

Both vessels cruise the Caribbean from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

She set a new record of carrying over 6,000 passengers.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: Oasis offers loft and luxury suites.

Oasis of the Seas offers features such as two-storey loft and luxury suites measuring 1,600 sq ft with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades.

The ship features a zip-line, a casino, a mini-golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, five swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts and theme parks and nurseries for children.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: Norwegian Epic is the third-largest cruise ship in the world.

3. Norwegian Epic

Norwegian Epic is the third-largest cruise ship in the world, owned by the Norwegian Cruise Line and built by STX Europe (previously Aker Yards) Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The ship has 4,100 passenger berths.

The ship has 4,100 passenger berths, with 100 per cent of outside cabins having balconies.

The sea trial of Norwegian Epic occurred over four days beginning on February 10, 2010.

During the sea trials, 300 technicians and engineers from Aker Yards France, along with 30 Norwegian Cruise Line representatives, checked more than 60 aspects of the ship's performance by running trials of the ship's speed, hydrodynamics and propulsion in the Atlantic Ocean.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: It can accommodate 3,634 passengers.

4. MS Freedom of the Seas

MS Freedom of the Seas is a cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International.

It is the namesake of Royal Caribbean's Freedom class cruise ships, and can accommodate 3,634 passengers and 1,300 crew on 15passenger decks.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The ship has all kinds of facilities.

The ship has three swimming areas: an interactive water park, a dedicated adult pool and the main pool.

There are two adults-only whirlpools cantilevered out from the ship's sides, the Royal Promenade sports, a coffee shop, Sorrento's Pizzeria, a Ben and Jerry's ice-cream shop, Vintage's winery, the Bull and Bear Irish pub, and many Duty-free shops.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: It entered regular service in May 2007.

5. MS Liberty of the Seas

MS Liberty of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean International Freedom class cruise ship which entered regular service in May 2007.

It was initially announced that she would be called Endeavour of the Seas, however this name was later changed.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: It is a 15-deck ship.

The 15-deck ship accommodates 3,634 passengers served by 1,360 crew. She was built in 18 months at the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland.

Liberty of the Seas features extensive sports facilities, including the FlowRider onboard wave generator for surfing, an interactive 'H20 Zone' water play area for children, a full-sized volleyball/basketball court, an ice skating rink, a boxing ring, and a large fitness centre.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: It can accommodate 4,370 passengers.

6. MS Independence of the Seas

MS Independence of the Seas is a Freedom-class cruise ship operated by the Royal Caribbean cruise line that entered service in April 2008.

The 15-deck ship can accommodate 4,370 passengers served by 1,360 crew. She was built in the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: It features extensive facilities.

Like the other Freedom-class vessels, Independence of the Seas features an interactive water park, the H2O Zone, a dedicated sports pool for volleyball and basketball, and whirlpools which extend from the ship's sides.

It houses an internal shopping 'street', the Promenade lined with shops, pubs and wine bars, with a 'bridge', which can be lowered from the ceiling void to provide a performance space above the crowds.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner.

7. RMS Queen Mary 2

RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The ship's final cost was $300,000 per berth.

Queen Mary 2 was intended primarily to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and was therefore designed differently from many other passenger ships.

The ship's final cost was $300,000 per berth, nearly double that of many contemporary cruise ships.

This was due to the size of the ship, the high quality of materials, and that, having been designed as an ocean liner, she required 40 per cent more steel than a standard cruise ship.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The ship measures 138,279 gross tonnes.

8. MS Navigator of the Seas

MS Navigator of the Seas is fourth out of Royal Caribbean International's five Voyager-class cruise ships.

She was once one of the largest in the fleet and still ranks among the largest passenger ships in the world.

Constructed at Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland, the ship measures 138,279 gross tonnes and can carry 3,114 passengers, plus crew.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: Her length is 1,020 feet and with a beam of 157.5 feet.

Her length is 1,020 feet and with a beam of 157.5 feet.

As of April 2007, she began departing exclusively from Southampton, the United Kingdom, on cruises throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.

Currently, the Navigator spends winters sailing four and five night cruises from Florida, and spends the summers sailing from Civitavecchia, Italy to the Eastern Mediterranean.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: It was constructed at Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland.

9. MS Mariner of the Seas

MS Mariner of the Seas is one of five Voyager-class cruise ships from Royal Caribbean International; it is one of the largest in its fleet and among the largest passenger ships in the world.

It was constructed at Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland, and had her maiden voyage in 2003.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The kitchen staff prepares over 105,000 meals every week.

Currently the ship sails alternating 13 and 14 night round-trip cruises from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy throughout the Mediterranean to ports in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel.

The kitchen staff prepares over 105,000 meals every week to feed both crew and staff.

As part of this, 300,680 desserts, 234,000 appetizers, and 69,000 steaks are consumed per week.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: She can accommodate over 3,100 guests.

10. Explorer of the Seas

Explorer of the Seas is one of five Voyager-class cruise ships from Royal Caribbean International.

She can accommodate over 3,100 guests, including scientists making use of a built-in atmospheric and oceanographic laboratory operated by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The bridge crew heard a faint mayday over the radio.

On February 16, 2008, while on-route from Bayonne, New Jersey, for a nine day cruise to the Caribbean, the bridge crew heard a faint mayday over the radio.

This turned out to be the crew from Tumbleweed, a 39 foot sailboat, who had a planned sail from Baltimore to the Florida Keys.

The crew apparently had a mechanical breakdown of both engine and sails.

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World's 10 biggest cruise ships

Image: The crew of Explorer of the Seas located the craft and rescued the three men aboard.

They drifted for 11 days to the location N32.35 W 72.49–roughly 275 miles southeast of North Carolina.

The crew of Explorer of the Seas located the craft and rescued the three men aboard.

The rescued men departed the ship in Puerto Rico on February 21, 2008.