Royal Caribbean Ships by Size (2024): Comparison Chart

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 cruise ships by size, ordered from largest to smallest in terms of volume (in gross tonnage) and length (in feet).

The Biggest Royal Caribbean Ships

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 Icon of the Seas. This is the biggest cruise ship in the world, and the first of the Icon class of ships. It is 1,198 feet long, has 20 decks in total, and a capacity for 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew.

Icon of the Seas is significantly larger than previous record-holder Wonder of the Seas, with over 13,000 more gross tonnes of space in comparison.

And it’s the longest ship in the world too, though only by around 10 feet.

The previous record holder wasn’t Wonder, but actually Harmony of the Seas – but only by mere inches. Icon’s extra 10 feet makes it comfortably the biggest cruise ship in the world. Though she already has sister ships on order, which will likely break that record.

Generally, the newest Royal Caribbean ships will be the biggest in the world, or at least close to the top.

Suggested read: How big is a cruise ship?

The Smallest Royal Caribbean Ships

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.

Grandeur of the Sea can carry 2,440 passengers at max capacity and measures 73,817 tonnes.

If you love Royal Caribbean but prefer smaller ships, other ones you will enjoy are Vision, Rhapsody, Serenade, Radiance, Jewel and Brilliance. These ships won’t have all the wow-features, but they are much more relaxed, and the cruise tickets are cheaper too.

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.

A sixth Oasis-class ship, Utopia of the Seas, is scheduled to launch in 2024. It is expected to be a similar size to Wonder of the Seas. A seventh will then launch in 2028.

But it’s Icon of the Seas and her new class of ships that will remain the biggest – with two more Icon-class ships on order.

List of Royal Caribbean ships on order

Royal Caribbean Ship Classes By Size

Royal Caribbean International has eight 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

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.

But, who cares what I think? To find out which ships are actually the best, I collated all of the reviews from Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor and Cruiseline.com.

You can read which ships came out top, and bottom, here: Royal Caribbean Ships Ranked From Best To Worst.

I also made this video to demonstrate:

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me