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Large Ship Line #9: Norwegian Cruise Line
Things escalated quickly for Norwegian: the cruise line jumped from medium-size ships to mega-ships practically overnight (okay, over eight years), with just three ships in its current fleet sized somewhere in between. But that’s soon about to change. Norwegian currently has six ships on order as part of Project Leonardo, each of which will hold about 3,300 passengers. It’s interesting to see a cruise line scale back from its mega-ships and opt for a more manageable size for such a large order. The first, Norwegian Prima, is expected to launch in 2022; some of its highlights include the fastest slides at sea (including the world's first free-fall dry slide), a three-level go-kart racetrack, and a three-story theater that transforms into a nightclub after the evening's show.

Large Ship Line #8: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Lines is all about good family fun at a pretty affordable price point. The largest cruise line in the world in terms of number of annual passengers (more than five million) as well as fleet count, it has 25 ships that sail North America and Europe, with about half of them having a capacity between 2,500 and 3,900 guests. Carnival is known for its fun upper decks that are akin to an amusement park at sea, with water slides, ropes courses, mini-golf, and attractions like SkyRide, where guests pedal a hanging vehicle around a suspended track.

Large Ship #6: MSC Cruises
Nearly half of MSC’s fleet—namely those ships in the Musica and Fantasia classes—falls into the large cruise category, with most of its newer builds firmly taking a “bigger is better” stance. The eight large vessels primarily sail in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, though they do offer itineraries in North and South America, Asia, and Northern Europe, too. The family-friendly ships skew toward the upscale side, and they’re known for their incredibly international crowds.

Large Ship Line #10: P&O Cruises
The United Kingdom’s premier cruise line—and the world’s oldest, having commenced passenger operations in 1837—P&O sails Europe, North America, and the Caribbean with a crowd made up primarily of British nationals. As such, prepare for the ship’s amenities to have a British bent (yes, there’s a pub on board!). Three of the fleet’s six current ships fall into the large category, while its two adults-only ships, MS Aurora and MS Arcadia, are medium-sized. P&O's newest ship, MS Iona is a mega-ship, as will be her sister, MS Arvia, due to sail in 2022.

Large Ship #11: Costa Cruises
Italian cruise line Costa Cruises, which operates under parent company Carnival, has quite a history: it was founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping company, transporting olive oil and textiles around the world. Transferring to the leisure cruise side of the business in 1959, Costa currently operates 11 ships—the majority of which accommodate between 2,800 and 5,300 passengers—that sail all over the world. Its next ship, Costa Toscana, will debut in December 2021.

Mega Ship Line #1: Norwegian Cruise Line
Known for its colorful ships, Norwegian Cruise Line first broke into the mega-ship category in 2010 with the launch of Norwegian Epic, which can carry just over 5,000 passengers at full occupancy, and the company has since introduced five others in the Breakaway and Breakaway-Plus classes. The crowd aboard these vessels, which primarily sail in North America, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, often consists of families who take advantage of amenities like waterparks, virtual-reality gaming, and go-kart racing, though the cruise line’s newest ship, Norwegian Bliss, has a decidedly more mature atmosphere. In November 2019, Norwegian launched the newest member of its fleet, Norwegian Encore, which is the most luxurious of its mega-ships.

Mega Ship Line #2: Royal Caribbean International
If you truly want to feel like you’re living in a floating city, Royal Caribbean is the cruise line for you, given that it has the four largest cruise ships in the world. Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas top the lists in terms of passenger count (about 6,700 at full capacity), length (nearly 1,200 feet long), and gross tonnage (more than 225,000 tonnes). Given their size, these ships provide every amenity you can think of—and plenty you can’t even imagine—from waterparks to world-class musical productions to autonomous bars staffed by robots to double-decker suites with slides for the kids. You’ll find these behemoths sailing the Caribbean and Mediterranean throughout the year, but with so many activities on board, you might not even want to leave the ship.

Mega Ship Line #3: MSC Cruises
Though MSC is headquartered in landlocked Switzerland, this cruise line has mastered the art of mega-ships, building five of the 15 largest in the world: MSC Grandiosa, MSC Bellissima, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Virtuosa, and MSC Seashore. Each can hold between 5,300 and 6,300 passengers at maximum capacity. MSC Seashore, a New York City–themed ship, is the newest of the five, setting sail in November 2021. It's the longest vessel in the fleet at 1,100 feet, allowing for more than 140,000 square feet of outdoor space, plus 7,500 square feet of dedicated space for kids, including the Pirates Cove Aquapark. MSC has some plans for mega-growth, too: it has four World-class mega-ships in the pipeline, each with a capacity between 5,800 and 6,850 passengers.

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