Cruise lines
Ship size, from the smallest to the largest.
Select a card. The heading is the passenger count. The line above it is the type of ship.
A cruise can depart from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Seattle, or Vancouver. A resort does not. You fly to the resort and stay. Miami, Vancouver, and Barcelona are also worth a few days before or after a cruise. See the departure ports.
Choose by size
These four bands do not overlap. The cards below are the ships that sail a region, so one line can appear in more than one card.
Under 1,000 guests
River ships, expedition ships, and yachts. They dock in small harbors.
1,000 to 2,500 guests
Luxury ocean ships. More dining, and a harbor closer to town.
2,500 to 5,000 guests
Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, and many Norwegian ships. Pools, shows, and a full dining room.
5,000 guests and up
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Icon ships, and MSC’s largest ships. Water parks, surf simulators, and a boardwalk.
River and expedition ships
About 100 to 400 passengers
A river ship is about 150 to 190 passengers. An expedition ship is often 100 to 400.
Learn more
Yachts
About 100 to 450 passengers
A yacht in this group carries about 100 to 450 passengers. Windstar’s largest ships are about 340. Four Seasons I carries about 220.
Learn more
Luxury ocean ships
About 450 to 1,250 passengers
These ships run from about 450 passengers to about 1,200. Explora is about 922. Oceania’s larger ships are about 1,200.
Learn more
Mid-size ocean ships
About 1,800 to 4,200 passengers
These are mid-size ocean ships. Most carry about 1,800 to 4,200 passengers. One ship in this group is smaller and stays among the islands.
Learn more
Mid-size and large ocean ships
About 1,500 to 6,000 passengers
This group mixes mid-size and large ocean ships. Some carry about 1,500 to 3,500 passengers. Others carry 4,000 to 6,000.
Learn more
Large ocean ships
About 2,000 to 7,000 passengers
These are large ocean ships. Many carry 4,000 to about 7,000 passengers. Some of the ships on the shorter cruises carry about 2,000 to 4,000.
Learn more
The largest ocean ships
About 3,000 to 7,600 passengers
Passenger counts are the line’s double-occupancy figure. Icon-class ships are about 5,600 to 7,600. Oasis-class ships are about 5,600 to 6,700.
Learn more