A Comprehensive Guide To Major Cruise Ships

A Listing Of Most Cruise Ships In Service Today

As the travel industry entered the twenty-first century an amazing thing happened. The popularity of cruising was growing rapidly and cruise line companies reacted by launching a whole new generation of mega-ships. To attract passengers they added amusement parks, dozens of gourmet  restaurants, water features, nightclubs, sports facilities, spas and more. They are marvels of engineering and have become actual floating cities.

In the last century the aircraft carrier was the unchallenged behemoth of the seas but now in comparison they are shorter and while still wider, the new class of cruise ships have significantly more length, mass, and total displacement.

Not only are these wonders a total, all inclusive resort experience that put most land based resorts to shame. They also take their guests on an adventure, visiting countries and wonders all around the world. I don’t know any other experience that comes close.

Not sure what cruise line to explore and ships to consider? Her we offer the most complete list of current cruise ships anywhere. Each ship listing includes date launched, size, number of passengers and most recent refurbishment. Each ship listing is also a link to its cruise line description page for additional information. Our plan is to add to and update this list every three to four months.

The following listings include key information for understanding what the cruise ship offers, including:

Date the Ship Entered Service– How old a ship is matters. Each new generation incorporates new features that older ships normally didn’t include.

GT or Gross Tons – Just like age, size matters too and GT is a good indication of how big the ship is. The bigger the ship the more things are included onboard.

Number of Passengers – Like gross tons the number of passengers is something to consider. Consider your taste. Small and intimate or big and bold.

Refurb (refurbishment) – At the least that means new furniture and upgraded decor but major refurbishments can add major redesigns adding features like more restaurants and lounges.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line is a The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited

Disney Magic 1998 • 83,000 GT  •  2,713 passengers

Disney Wonder 1999 • 83,000 GT  • 2,713 passengers • Refurb September 2019

Disney Dream 2011 • 130,000 GT  •  3,500 passengers

Disney Fantasy 2012  •  130,000 GT  •  3,500 passengers

Princess Cruise Line

Princess Cruises is owned by Carnival Corporation and is incorporated in Bermuda with headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California. It is the second largest cruise line by revenue.  It was previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, and is managed by Holland America Group, which controls the Princess Cruise brand.

Royal Class 3,600 passengers

Royal Princess 2013  •  141,000 GT

Regal Princess 2014 • 141,000 GT  – Featuring more than 1,400 balconies and the SeaWalk®, a glass-floor walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship! From the tranquil Sanctuary, a retreat reserved for adults, to the dazzling Princess WaterColor Fantasy light and water show and more, you’ll find something for everyone on the Regal Princess.

Majestic Princess 2017 • 143,000 •  GT

Grand Class 2,600 passengers and 1,150 crew

Grand Princess 1998 • 107,517 GT • refurb in December 2016

Golden Princess 2001 • 108,865 GT •  refurb in 2015

Star Princess 2002 • 108,977 GT • refurb in 2017

Diamond Princess 2004 • 115,875 GT

Sapphire Princess 2004 • 115,875 GT

Caribbean Princess 2004 • 112,894 GT •  Last refurb in 2017

Crown Princess 2006 • 113,561 GT

Emerald Princess 2007 • 113,561 GT

Ruby Princess 2008 • 113,561 GT •  Last refurb October 2018

Panamax-Class 1,970 passengers and 895 crew

Coral Princess 2003 • 91,627 GT

Island Princess 2003 • 91,627 GT

Sun Class 1,990 passengers and 924 crew

Sun Princess 1995 • 77,499 GT •  Last refurbished in April, 2016

Sea Princess 1998–2003 and 2005–present • 77,690 GT •  Sailed as P&O Adonia from 2003 to 2005

R Class    680 passengers and 373 crew

Pacific Princess 1999 • Princess ship 2003–Present • 30,277 GT

Future Fleet

Sky Princess Royal class 2019 143,700 GT

Enchanted Princess Royal class 2020 143,700 GT

TBA Royal class 2022 143,700 GT

TBA 2023 175,000 GT

TBA 2025 175,000 GT ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas

Holland America Line

Holland America Line is a British/American-owned line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Holland America Line was founded in the Netherlands and from 1873 to 1989, it operated as a Dutch shipping line, a passenger line, a cargo line and a cruise line, operating mostly between the Netherlands and North America.

MS Maasdam 1993 • 55,575 GT •  1,258 passengers

MS Veendam 1996 • 57,092 GT •  1,350 passengers

MS Rotterdam 1997 • 61,849 GT • 1,404 passengers

MS Volendam 1999 • 61,214 GT • 1,432 passengers

MS Zaandam   2000 • 61,396 GT •  1,432 passengers

MS Amsterdam 2000 • 62,735 GT •  1,380 passengers

Vista Class

MS Zuiderdam 2002 •  82,305 GT • 1,916 passengers

MS Oosterdam 2003 • 82,305 GT • 1,916 passengers

MS Westerdam 2004 • 82,305 GT • 1,916 passengers

MS Noordam 2006 • 82,318 GT • 1,924 passengers • Refurb September 2019

Signature Class

MS Eurodam 2008 • 86,273 •  2,104 passengers – The Eurodam recently received many exciting updates. Guests on this graceful ship can enjoy the full Music Walk™ experience, including Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Billboard Onboard. Explore onboard at a cooking class or hands-on workshop with America’s Test Kitchen, BBC Earth Experiences and a Digital Workshop Powered by Windows®. Dine in your choice of specialty restaurants.

MS Nieuw Amsterdam 2010 • 86,700 GT • 2,106 passengers

Pinnacle Class

MS Koningsdam  2016 • 99,863 • 2,650 passengers – at 975 ft. long and a width of 114.8 ft. The first of Holland America Line’s Pinnacle-class ships, Koningsdam inspired by music, her design features innovative, new dining and entertainment venues, with the dazzling, two-story World Stage to Music Walk™, Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Billboard Onboard.

MS Nieuw Statendam Nov 2018 • 99,863 GT • 2,650 passengers

MS Nieuw Amsterdam  Nov 2018 • 99,863 GT • 2,650 passengers

Future Fleet

MS Ryndam May 2021 • 99,863 GT • 2,650 passengers

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise company with headquarters in Doral, Florida. Its logo is the funnel found on their ships, with red, white and blue colors. The funnels are shaped like a whale’s tail. Currently, Carnival is the largest cruise line in the world, based on passengers carried annually, and total number of ships in fleet. Carnival is one of ten cruise line brands owned by the world’s largest cruise ship operator, the American-British Carnival Corporation.

Vista Class

Carnival Horizon 2018 • 133,500 GT • 3,960 passengers – Horizon features lots of fabulous restaurants, a popular pub and brewery, a thrilling bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction, an IMAX movie theatre and a huge water park with an exhilarating 455-foot-long water tube slide.

Carnival Vista 2016 • 133,500 GT • 3,934 passengers

Dream Class

Carnival Breeze 2012 • 128,000 GT • 3,690 passengers

Carnival Magic 2011 • 128,000 GT • 3,690 passengers

Carnival Dream 2009 • 128,000 GT • 3,646 passengers

Splendor Class

Carnival Splendor 2008 • 113,300 GT • 3,012 passengers

Conquest Class

Carnival Freedom 2007 • 110,000 GT • 2,980 passengers

Carnival Liberty 2005 • 110,000 GT • 2,980 passengers

Carnival Valor 2004 • 110,000 GT • 2,980 Passengers – Onboard are food spots like Blue Iguana Cantina and Guy’s Burger Joint, Scarlett’s Steakhouse. Let yourself be swept away to RedFrog Pub or Alchemy Bar, or get a little carried away in SkyBox Sports Bar. Kids get caught up in the excitement of being kids, hanging with others their age at Carnival Valor’s three supervised youth venues.

Carnival Glory 2003 • 110,000 GT • 2,980 passengers

Carnival Conquest 2002 • 110,000 GT • 2,980 passengers

Spirit Class

Carnival Miracle 2004 • 88,500 GT • 2,124 passengers

Carnival Legend 2002 • 88,500 GT • 2,124 passengers

Carnival Pride 2002 • 88,500 GT • 2,124 passengers

Carnival Spirit 2001 • 88,500 GT •  2,124 passengers

Destiny/Sunshine Class

Carnival Victory 2000 • 101,509 GT • 2,754 passengers

Carnival Sunrise 1999–2019 as Carnival Triumph • 101,509 GT • 2,754 passengers

Carnival Sunshine 1996-2013 as Carnival Destiny • 102,853 GT • 3,002 passengers

Fantasy Class

Carnival Paradise 1998 • 71,909 GT •  2,124 passengers

Carnival Elation 1998 • 71,909 GT •  2,130 passengers

Carnival Inspiration 1996 •  70,367 GT •  2,056 passengers

Carnival Imagination 1995 •  70,367 GT •  2,056 passengers

Carnival Fascination 1994 • 70,367 GT • 2,056 passengers

Carnival Sensation 1993 • 70,367 GT •  2,056 passengers

Carnival Ecstasy 1991 • 70,367 GT • 2,056 passengers

Carnival Fantasy 1990 • 70,367 GT • 2,056 passengers

Future Ships

Carnival Panorama 2019 135,500 GT

Mardi Gras 2020 185,000 GT

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean International (RCI), also known by its former name Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. since 1997. Based in Miami, Florida, United States, it is the largest cruise line by revenue and second largest by passengers counts.

Empress of the Seas     1990 • 48,563 GT • 1,840 passengers

Majesty of the Seas       1992 • 74,007 GT • 2,350 passengers

Vision Class

Grandeur of the Seas 1996 • 73,817 GT • 2,440 passengers

Rhapsody of the Seas 1997 • 78,491 GT • 2,416 passengers

Enchantment of the Seas 1997 • 82,910 GT • 2,730 passengers

Vision of the Seas   1998 • 78,340 GT • 2,514 passengers

Voyager Class

Voyager of the Seas 1999 • 137,276 GT • 3,840 passengers •   Refurb October 2019

Explorer of the Seas 2000 • 137,308 GT • 3,840 passengers • Refurb April 2020

Adventure of the Seas 2001 • 137,276 GT •  3,807 passengers

Navigator of the Seas 2002 • 139,999 GT •  4,000 passengers

Mariner of the Seas 2003 • 138,279 GT • 3,807 passengers

Radiance Class

Radiance of the Seas 2001 • 90,090 GT • 2,466 passengers

Brilliance of the Seas 2002 • 90,090 GT • 2,543 passengers

Serenade of the Seas 2003 • 90,090 GT • 2,476 passengers

Jewel of the Seas 2004 • 90,090 GT • 2,502 passengers

Freedom Class

Freedom of the Seas 2006 • 154,407 GT • 4,515 passengers • Refurb March 2020- To be refurbished in 2020 – Freedom Class features an interior promenade with food and drink venues, dual racer water slides the Typhoon℠ and Cyclone℠, 40-foot-long FlowRider® surf simulator and completely reimagined restaurants, onboard games for all ages and Broadway quality stage shows.

Liberty of the Seas 2007 • 155,889 GT • 4,960 passengers

Independence of the Seas 2008 • 154,407 GT • 4,375 passengers

Oasis Class

Oasis of the Seas 2009 • 225,282 GT • 6,360 passengers • Refurb December 2019

Allure of the Seas 2010 • 225,282 GT • 6,410 passengers • Refurb April 2020

Harmony of the Seas 2016 • 226,963 GT • 6,687 passengers

Symphony of the Seas 2018 • 228,081 GT • 6,680 passengers

Quantum Class

Quantum of the Seas 2014 • 168,666 GT • 4,905 passengers Features the “Sports Court” on deck 15 with the Wave Loch Flowrider surf simulator a rock-climbing wall and new a feature on the Quantum class the “RipCord by iFLY”, a skydiving simulator. The “North Star” observation tower a glass-walled capsule on the end of a 41-meter-long crane arm lifts groups of up to 14 guests over the edge of the ship, reaching heights of up to 91 meters above sea level.

Anthem of the Seas 2015 • 168,666 GT • 4,905 passengers

Ovation of the Seas 2016 • 168,666 GT • 4,905 passengers

Spectrum of the Seas 2019 • 169,379 GT • 4,246 passengers

Future Ships

Odyssey of the Seas 2020 •  169,379 GT • 4,200 passengers Quantum Ultra-class cruise ship

TBA Oasis class 2 021 230,000 GT Under construction

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is a cruise line founded in 1966 and based in the United States. It is the third-largest cruise line in the world by passengers.

Norwegian Spirit Launched 1998 Joined Norwegian in 2004  • 75,904 GT • Refurb February 2020

Norwegian Sky 1999 • refurb in 2019

Norwegian Sun 2001 • 77,104 GT • refurb in 2018

Norwegian Star 2001• 91,740 GT • refurb in 2018

Norwegian Dawn 2002• 92,250 GT• refurb in 2016

Pride of America 2005 •80,439 GT • refurb in 2016

Jewel Class

Norwegian Jewel 2005 •93,502 GT • refurb in 2018

Norwegian Jade 2006 •93,558 GT • refurb in 2017

Norwegian Pearl 2006 • 93,530 GT • refurb in 2017

Norwegian Gem 2007 • 93,530 GT •  refurb in 2015

Epic Class

Norwegian Epic 2010 • 155,873 GT • refurb in 2015

Breakaway class

Norwegian Breakaway 2013• 145,655 GT • refurb in 2018

Norwegian Getaway 2014 • 145,655 GT • refurb scheduled in 2019  – Stroll The Waterfront, an innovative, industry-first open-air promenade designed to connect guests with the ocean like no other cruise line. Explore more than 28 dining options, experience the thrill of five water slides, and three levels of action-packed activities in the sports complex. The excitement and entertainment continues with Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet.

Breakaway Plus class

Norwegian Escape 2015• 164,600 GT

Norwegian Joy 2017• 167,725 GT • refurb in 2019

Norwegian Bliss 2018 •168,028 GT

Norwegian Encore 2019 •169,145 GT

Celebrity Cruise Line

Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line which was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to form Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the latter since then. The company has its headquarters in Miami, Florida. Celebrity’s signature logo is an “Χ” displayed on the funnel of Celebrity ships, and is the Greek letter chi, for “Chandris”.

Celebrity Millennium 2000 •91,000 GT •2,137 passengers • refurb in 2019

Celebrity Infinity 2001 • 91,000 GT 2,170 • passengers • Refurb November 2020

Celebrity Summit 2001 • 91,000 GT • 2,158 passengers • refurb in 2019

Celebrity Constellation 2002 • 91,000 GT •  2,170 passengers • Refurb April 2020

Solstice Class

Celebrity Solstice 2008 • 121,878 • GT 2,850 passengers • Refurb October 2021 – Celebrity Solstice is one of our most decorated ships at sea with a world of innovations. The first Lawn Club at sea. The first cruise line to have five women redesign its staterooms. Outstanding cuisine takes dining to a whole new level. Celebrity Solstice® also features Canyon Ranch Spa® and fitness center. Pamper yourself with spa treatments.

Celebrity Equinox 2009 •121,878 GT •2,850 passengers• refurb in 2019

Celebrity Eclipse 2010 •121,878 GT• 2,850 passengers• Refurb November 2020

Celebrity Silhouette 2011 • 122,210 GT• 2,886 passengers • Refurb January 2020

Celebrity Reflection 2012 •125,366 GT •3,046 passengers • Refurb February 2023

Edge Class

Celebrity Edge 2018 •130,818 GT • 2,918 passengers – The Edge Class of ships was designed to shatter expectations. Featuring luxuriously designed rooms that erase the boundary between indoors and out, a cantilevered Magic Carpet SM soaring above the sea, and a collection of 29 world-class restaurants, bars, and lounges, Celebrity Edge has been voted Best New Ship by the editors of Cruise Critic.

Galapagos Expeditions Ships

Celebrity Xpedition 2001 •2,842 GT •96 passengers • refurb in 2015

Celebrity Xperience 2017 • 1,610 GT • 48 passengers

Celebrity Xploration 2017 • 319.5 GT

Celebrity Flora 2019 •5,739 GT •  100 passengers

Future Ships

Celebrity Apex (Edge class) 2020 129,500 GT 2,918 passengers

Cunard Line

Cunard Line is a British–American cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation. Since 2011, Cunard and its ships have been registered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Queen Mary 2 2004 • 149,215 GT

Queen Victoria 2007 • 90,049 GT

Queen Elizabeth 2010 • 90,901 GT

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In addition to the major lines listed above there are a number of smaller and often luxury cruise companies in the marketplace. They include:

• Viking
• Silver Seas

• Seabourn. Who doesn’t love a ship on which your private minibar is pre-stocked with all your favorite brands of water, wine and spirits prior to your arrival?
• SeaDream Yacht Club’s
• Regent Seven Seas

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Additional cruise lines include Azamara Cruises,  P&O Cruises (America)  and Costa Cruise Line  that are European based cruise lines. P&O is based in England and is owned by Carnival Corp. Founded in 1977 as a subsidiary of a shipping line  which was founded in 1837 and first operated a cruise ship in 1844 making P&O Cruises, along with its sister company in Australia the oldest cruise line in the world.

MSC Cruise Line  Founded in 1970 MSC the Mediterranean Shipping Company, is now the 2nd largest ocean container carrier in the world. A European based company MSC Cruises launched in 1988 and has become one of the fastest growing cruise companies in the world, with a fleet of 16 ships currently in service. More and more MSC cruises are being offered out of U.S. ports primarily for trips to the Caribbean.

Individual Cruise Ships Ratings ★★★★★

In comparing one ship with another, generally it is a competition between superlatives. The following is a cruise ship rating list compiled in 2019 using three different rating articles and as you’ll see 4 and 5+ stars predominate. Lower priced lines and older cruise ships usually have slightly lower ratings but even those are excellent values with above average appointments and quality of service.