Cruise lines
These are the largest ocean ships. They sail Caribbean cruises that depart from Florida, and some of them spend a season on a Mediterranean cruise. Quantum-class ships also sail an Alaska cruise from Seattle.
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.
Ranges are per person, two to a cabin. They move with the month and the cabin. On the large ships, taxes, port charges, and gratuities are usually extra. On river ships, expedition ships, luxury ships, and yachts, more of that is already in the fare.
Every ship in this group has several pools. The water park is not on all of them. Royal Caribbean’s Icon and Oasis ships have the largest, with slides and a surf simulator. Carnival’s Excel class and MSC’s World class have water parks too. Some Norwegian ships add slides and, on the Encore class, a go-kart track. Princess, Celebrity, and Disney have large pool decks. They do not have a water park on that scale.
A ship this size has a main dining room plus a dozen or more other places to eat. The main dining room and the buffet are in the fare. Steak, sushi, and the other specialty rooms are usually an extra charge, or a package. Norwegian does not assign a dining time. Disney rotates restaurants, and the characters are part of that.
The theater, the kids’ club, a sports court, and a casino are on these ships. On a day at sea you use those, rather than waiting for a port.
Getting off takes longer, some harbors cannot take a ship this size, and you will not know the other passengers.
Each card is one line. The table is on a wider screen.
Passengers. Edge class about 3,200.
Where they go. Caribbean cruises, Mediterranean cruises, and some Alaska cruises.
Price range. Balcony often $1,300–$2,800.
Passengers. Royal class about 3,560. Sphere class, including Sun Princess, about 4,300.
Where they go. Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises.
Price range. Balcony often $1,200–$2,600.
Passengers. Prima class about 3,100–3,600. Encore and Breakaway classes about 4,000.
Where they go. Caribbean cruises from Florida and the Northeast. Prima-class ships also sail some weeks from San Juan, and in winter 2027–28 Prima and Viva are scheduled to start there. Encore-class ships also sail an Alaska cruise from Seattle.
Price range. Interior often $500–$1,300. Balcony often $900–$2,200.
Passengers. Wish class and Dream class, about 4,000.
Where they go. Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral. Wish-class ships also sail Europe in some seasons.
Price range. The fare for about a week is often $2,000–$4,500 a person. The fare is not comparable to Carnival’s.
Passengers. Vista class about 4,000. Excel class, including Mardi Gras and the newer sisters, about 5,200–6,500.
Where they go. Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Florida and other East Coast ports. A smaller European season.
Price range. Interior often $400–$1,100. Balcony often $800–$1,800.
Passengers. Seaside class about 4,100–5,400. Meraviglia class about 4,500–6,300. World class about 6,700.
Where they go. Caribbean cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral. Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Rome, and other summer ports.
Price range. Interior often $400–$1,100. Balcony often $800–$1,900. Drinks and gratuities are sometimes bundled.
Passengers. Freedom and Voyager classes about 3,100–4,300. Quantum class about 4,100–4,900. Oasis class about 5,600–6,700. Icon class about 5,600–7,600.
Where they go. The largest ships depart from Florida. A cruise that starts in San Juan uses a smaller Royal Caribbean ship, about 2,000 to 2,400 guests. Some Oasis-class ships sail a Mediterranean season. Quantum-class ships sail an Alaska cruise from Seattle.
Price range. Interior often $500–$1,400. Balcony often $900–$2,400. The fare during a holiday week can be well above that.
Costa also sails ships of this size in Europe. Ask if that itinerary is the one you want.
A Caribbean cruise that departs from the Northeast on one of these ships adds sea days. Those sea days are on the itinerary.