World’s Biggest Cruise Ships

These days, the operative word in cruise ships is big. And getting bigger as cruise lines order up bigger ships with more amenities. Here’s a look at some that are already sailing as well as a preview of what’s to come.

Carnival Dream

The largest of the line’s “Fun Ships,” the 130,000-ton Dream will launch in late 2009. The ship features a half-mile, open-air promenade encircling the ship on Promenade Deck 5; the Piazza, an indoor/outdoor café and live music venue; enhanced children’s facilities, including a waterpark; and a two-level miniature golf course.Some staterooms on the new ship can accommodate five passengers as well as 65 spa staterooms and suites that will offer guests exclusive amenities and privileges. Photo credit:

Oasis of the Seas

Central Park takes to the seas when Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas sets sail late 2009. The 220,000 gross tons of Oasis will feature a park a football-field long complete with formal gardens. Known as Central Park, the area will include three themed gardens, bars, restaurants and boutiques as well as 300 staterooms that rise six-decks high and overlook the park.

Solstice

Celebrity’s newest ship features the first-ever top deck lawn, featured in an environment known as the Lawn Club where passengers can play bocce or croquet or kick back and have a picnic in the grass.Solstice and her sisters will offer over seven different stateroom categories. The ship’s new Aqua Class staterooms, located on the same deck as the Aqua Spa Relaxation Room, bring spa elements such as five-head showerheads, mood lighting and relaxing scents into the stateroom. Guests in this class get exclusive access to the Blu Restaurant, a specialty restaurant serving healthy fare in a soothing atmosphere. The Family Veranda stateroom, measuring 753 square feet, features a bedroom is separate from the living room, which will be equipped with fold-out couches; there’s also an extra alcove, just big enough for twin bunks.Guests can choose from among 10 different options for dining, not including room service.

Queen Mary 2

The QE2’s replacement, the Queen Mary 2, weighs in at 150,000 gross tons and carries 2,620 passengers and 1,253 crew members. She is the largest ocean liner ever built, although she was surpassed in gross tonnage with the construction of the Freedom of the Seas. A throwback to the golden age of ocean travel, the QM2 boasts a Grand Lobby more than three decks high with two sweeping grand staircases. The ship has the largest library at sea, with more than 8,000 books and the sea’s only planetarium. Five swimming pools, an art gallery with works by Dali, Chagall, Erte and Picasso, a 2,000-square-foot spa and a casino are among the QM2’s amenities.

Carnival Destiny

Destiny underwent renovations in 2008 and now boasts a new theater as well as renovated cabins with balconies. Carnival Destiny is the first of Carnival Cruise Lines’ five Destiny-class liners. At just over 101,000 tons, Destiny carries 3,360 passengers. Three football fields long, Destiny features two-level dining halls, a two-tiered dance club, a three-story show lounge, four pools and a nine-story glass-domed atrium provides.MSC Fantasia

Independence of the Seas

The sister ship of Freedom of the Seas, is the first of the new sailing behemoths to have her headquarters in Europe.The 160,000-ton liner, boasts a central promenade lined with shops, bars and restaurants and the Skylight Chapel, a wedding chapel with room for 40 guests. To make British passengers feel at home, kettles have been installed in all cabins so they can brew their own tea.

Freedom of the Seas

The 160,000-ton Freedom of the Seas first set sail in 2006 with more than 1,800 rooms for up to 4,375 passengers. It is more than 1,112 feet long. Featured among the ship’s amenities are:The first-ever shipboard surf parkWater park, featuring geysersDedicated sports and lap poolsAdults-only solarium with two cantilevered whirlpoolsRock-climbing wall and ice-skating rinkA full-size, flat-screen TV in every stateroomA boardwalk with the sea’s first ever carousel and other amusement park featuresA youth zone with a theater, art studio and science labA pool zone with four swimming pools, six whirlpools and a solariumA sports deck offering guests a chance to play basketball, volleyball, ping pong and miniature golf

Yangtze Angel

Ship Specifications :Year Built: 1995Rebuilt: 2003Length: 91.5M Beam/Width: 16.4MSpeed: 32km/hPassenger Decks: 4Total Cabins: 76Standard Cabin: 26, Area(sqm): 17Veranda Twin: 36, Area(sqm): 21.60Single Room: 6, Area(sqm): 17.00Deluxe Suite: 6, Area(sqm): 34.00Presidential Suite: 2, Area(sqm): 42.00Passengers Capacity(p): 150

East King

Ship Specifications :Year built: Sep.1994Rebuilt: Mar 2004Length(m): 91.5Width(m): 16.4Speed: 28km/hTotal Cabins: 96Royal Suite: 2 Area(sqm): 35.20Passenger Capacity: 192Superior Cabin: 92 Area(sqm): 17.60Executive Suite: 2 Area(sqm): 35.20

President No.1

Ship Specifications :Year Built: July.1995Rebuilt: Mar. 2004Length(m): 90Beam(m):16.8Gross Tonnage:4924TPassenger Decks: 5Total Cabins: 94Passenger Capacity: 188Standard Room:32 Area(sqm): 16.00Veranda Twin:42 Area(sqm): 17.60Executive Suite:16 Area(sqm): 17.60Deluxe Suite: 2 Area(sqm): 35.20President Suite: 2 Area(sqm): 45.40

Princess Jeannie

Ship Specifications :Year Built: Nov. 1993Rebuilt: Mar 2004Length: 91.5mWidth: 16.4mSpeed 28km/hGross Tonnage: 5936TPassenger Decks 4Total Cabins 146Twin Cabin:122 Area(sqm): 10.00Single Cabin:14 Area(sqm): 8.00Deluxe Suite:10 Area(sqm): 20.00Passengers Capacity(p): 278

Dragon (Qian Long)

Ship Specifications :Year Built: Nov. 1996Rebuilt: 2003Length(m): 92Width(m): 18Beam(m):18Total Cabins: 89Passengers Capacity(p): 178Standard Cabin:87 Area(sqm): 17.10Emperor Deluxe Suite:2 Area(sqm): 47.00

Victoria Katarina

Ship Specifications :Year Built 2004Length 98.6mBeam/Width 15.2mDraft 2.5mSpeed 28km/hGross Tonnage 5780TPassenger Decks 4Total Cabins 133Standard Cabins 119 Area(sqm): 19.11Junior Suites 6 Area(sqm): 30.42Deluxe Suites 6 Area(sqm): 37.80Shangri-La Suites 2 Area(sqm): 60.03Passengers Capacity(p): 266

Yangtze Explorer

Ship Specifications :Year built: May, 1995Rebuilt: Mar 2006Length(m): 91.5Width(m): 16.4Speed: 28km/hTotal Cabins: 96Royal Suite: 2 Area(sqm): 35.20Passenger Capacity: 192Superior Cabin: 92 Area(sqm): 17.60Executive Suite: 2 Area(sqm): 35.20

Snow Mountain

Ship Specifications :Year built: Mar.1996Rebuilt: 2005Length(m): 76.1Beam(m):13.8Cruising Speed (km/hr): 30Total cabins: 52Deluxe suites: 2 Area(sqm): 30.00Passenger Capacity (p): 104Standard twin cabins: 49 Area(sqm): 15.00Presidential suites: 1 Area(sqm): 60.00

Victoria Prince

Ship Specifications :Year Built 1994Refurbished 2001Rebuilt 2004Length 89.4mBeam/Width 16.4mDraft 2.7mSpeed 28km/hGross Tonnage 4587TPassenger Decks 4Total Cabins 103Passengers Capacity(p): 266Standard Cabins 93 Area(sqm): 19.60Junior Suites 6 Area(sqm): 27.34Deluxe Suites 2 Area(sqm): 42.53Shangri-La Suites 2 Area(sqm): 57.80

Sunshine China

Ship Specifications :Year Built: 1995Rebuilt: 2005Length: 87.2mBeam/Width: 16.4mSpeed: 28km/hPassenger Decks: 4Total Cabins: 73Gross Tonnage:4924TStandard Room:57, Area(sqm): 16.90Single Room:8, Area(sqm): 20.80Deluxe Suite:6, Area(sqm): 40.34President Suite:2, Area(sqm): 75.30Passengers Capacity(p): 136

Changjiang NO.1

Ship Specifications :Year built: July, 2006Length (m): 103Beam (m): 16Total cabins: 101Passenger Capacity: 218Internet: Yes

Galaxy NO.1

Ship Specifications :Year built: 2002Length(m): 75.6mBeam(m): 13mCruising Speed (km/hr): 29Passenger Decks: 5Total cabins: 63Passenger Capacity: 126Standard Twin Cabin:61 Area(sqm): 12.00Deluxe Standard Cabin: 2 Area(sqm): 21.00

Emperor

Ship Specifications :Year Built: Jan 2003Width (m): 16.8Length(m): 92 / 91.5Passenger Decks: 5Total Cabins: 95Standard Cabin:83 Area(sqm): 20.004-pax Cabin:3 Area(sqm): 20.00Executive Cabin:3 Area(sqm): 20.00Deluxe Cabin:2 Area(sqm): 17.60Executive Suite:2 Area(sqm): 31.30President Suite B:1 Area(sqm): 62.60President Suite A:1 Area(sqm): 42.00Passengers Capacity(p): 192