Timeline of largest passenger ships

This is a timeline of the world's largest passenger ships based upon internal volume, initially measured by gross register tonnage and later by gross tonnage. This timeline reflects the largest extant passenger ship in the world at any given time. If a given ship was superseded by another, scrapped, or lost at sea, it is then succeeded. Some records for tonnage outlived the ships that set them - notably the SS Great Eastern, and RMS Queen Elizabeth.

"Largest ship" redirects here. For other uses, see Largest ship (disambiguation).

Timeline

19th century

Year completed	Ship	Tonnage	Length	Title held	Image
1831	SS Royal William	1,370 GRT[1]	49 m (160 ft)	1831 – 1839[2]
1837	SS Great Western	1,340 GRT(as built) 1,700 GRT[3](post-1839)	76.8 m (252 ft)	1839[4]
1839	SS British Queen	1,850 GRT[5]	75 m (245 ft)	1839 – 1840[6][7] 1841 – 1843
1840	SS President	2,366 GRT[8]	74 m (243 ft)	1840 – 1841[9] (Lost at sea in 1841)
1843[lower-alpha 1]	SS Great Britain	3,270 GRT[10]	98 m (322 ft)	1843 – 1853[11]
1853[12]	SS Atrato	3,466 GRT[13]	110 m (350 ft)	1853 – 1858[14][lower-alpha 2]
1858	SS Great Eastern	18,915 GRT[15]	211 m (692 ft)	1858 – c. 1888 (Scrapped)[lower-alpha 3]
1888	SS City of New York	10,499 GRT[18]	170 m (560 ft)	c. 1888 – 1893[19]
1893	RMS Campania RMS Lucania[lower-alpha 4]	12,950 GRT[20]	190 m (622 ft)	1893 – 1897[21]
1897	SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse	14,349 GRT[22]	200 m (655 ft)	1897 – 1899[23]
1899	RMS Oceanic	17,272 GRT[24]	215 m (704 ft)	1899 – 1901[25]

20th century

Date completed	Ship	Tonnage	Length	Title held	Image
11 July 1901	RMS Celtic	20,904 GRT[26]	214 m (701 ft)	1901 – 1903[27][28]
31 January 1903	RMS Cedric	21,035 GRT[29]	210 m (700 ft)	1903 – 1904[28]
23 June 1904	RMS Baltic	23,876 GRT[30]	222 m (729 ft)	1904 – 1906[30][31]
10 May 1906 (entered service)	SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria	24,581 GRT[32]	206.5 m (677.5 ft)	1906 – 1907[33]
7 September 1907 (entered service)	RMS Lusitania	31,550 GRT[34]	240 m (787 ft)	1907[35][36]
7 November 1907	RMS Mauretania	31,938 GRT[34]	240 m (790 ft)	1907[36][37]
31 May 1911	RMS Olympic	45,324 GRT[38]	269.0 m (882.5 ft)	1911 – 1912[39][40] 1912 – 1913[39][41]
March 31 1912	RMS Titanic	46,328 GRT[42]	269.1 m (882.9 ft)	1912 (Sank)[43]
June 1913	SS Imperator	52,117 GRT[44]	276 m (906 ft)	1913 – 1914[41][44]
14 May 1914 (entered service)	SS Vaterland	54,282 GRT	290 m (950 ft)	1914 – 1922[45][46]
12 May 1922 (entered service)	RMS Majestic	56,551 GRT	291 m (956 ft)	1922 – 1935[46][47]
29 May 1935 (entered service)	SS Normandie	79,280 GRT (as built) 83,404 GRT (final size)[lower-alpha 5]	314 m (1,029 ft)	1935 – 1936[49] 1936 – 1946[48] (Destroyed by fire)
27 May 1936 (entered service)	RMS Queen Mary	80,774 GRT	310.7 m (1,019.4 ft)	1936[50]
16 October 1946 (entered service)	RMS Queen Elizabeth	83,673 GRT	314 m (1,031 ft)	1946 – 1972 (Destroyed by fire)
3 February 1962 (entered service)	SS France (1962-1980) SS Norway (post-1980)	66,343 GRT(as built) 76,049 GT (post-1990)[lower-alpha 6]	315 m (1,035 ft)	1972 – 1987 1990 – 1995
18 December 1987	MS Sovereign of the Seas	73,529 GT[51]	270 m (880 ft)	1987 – 1990 (Surpassed by SS Norway)
26 June 1995	Sun Princess	77,499 GT	261 m (857 ft)	1995 – 1996
24 November 1996 (entered service)	Carnival Destiny	101,353 GT	272 m (893 ft)	1996 – 1998
27 May 1998 (entered service)	Grand Princess	109,000 GT	290 m (951 ft)	1998 – 1999
29 October 1999	Voyager of the Seas	137,276 GT	310 m (1,020 ft)	1999 – 2000
28 September 2000	Explorer of the Seas	137,308 GT	310 m (1,020 ft)	2000 – 2002

21st century

Date completed	Ship	Gross tonnage	Length	Title held	Image
18 November 2002	Navigator of the Seas	139,999 GT[52]	311 m (1,020 ft)	2002 – 2003
22 December 2003	RMS Queen Mary 2	148,528 GT[53]	345.03 m (1,132.0 ft)	2003 – 2006
24 April 2006	MS Freedom of the Seas	154,407 GT[54]	338.774 m (1,111.46 ft)	2006 – 2007[lower-alpha 7]
19 May 2007	Liberty of the Seas	155,889 GT[55]	338.92 m (1,111.9 ft)	2007 – 2009
28 October 2009	Oasis of the Seas	225,282 GT[56] (Initially)	360 m (1,180 ft)	2009 – 2016[lower-alpha 8]
13 May 2016	Harmony of the Seas	226,963 GT[60]	362.12 m (1,188.1 ft)	2016 – 2018
23 March 2018	Symphony of the Seas	228,081 GT[61]	361.011 m (1,184.42 ft)	2018[lower-alpha 9] –

See also

• List of largest cruise ships
• List of largest ships by gross tonnage
• List of longest ships
• List of longest wooden ships
• List of large sailing vessels
• Ocean liners

Notes

1. Sources have the "Great Britain" as the "world's largest" ship from her launch year.
2. While the Great Republic was concurrently larger (at 4,555 GRT), she was not a passenger ship.
3. "Great Eastern" was sold for scrap in 1888 but the breaking up was not completed until 1891.[16][17]
4. The Campania and Lucania had the same GRT.
5. The tonnage was increased on Normandie in August 1936 to reclaim the title of "largest ship" from the Queen Mary.[48]
6. In 1990, the ship's new owner refurbished the former ocean liner into a cruise ship, increasing tonnage. In a second refurbishment in 1990, the tonnage was increased again to 76,049 GT.
7. "Freedom of the Seas" never held the title of "largest passenger ship" after 2007. While she was later extended to match her sister ship "Liberty of the Seas" (in 2015), by this time the title had passed on to "Oasis of the Seas".
8. Oasis was initially launched at 225,282 GT.[57] This was tied a year later by Allure of the Seas, although the latter was 50 mm (2.0 in) longer.[58] Oasis of the Seas was expanded to 226,838 GT in November 2019.[59]
9. This record is expected to be broken sometime in 2021 by another "Oasis class" ship.

References

1. Boileau, John (2006). Samuel Cunard: Nova Scotia's Master of the North Atlantic. Formac Publishing Company Limited. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-88780-712-1.
2. John Wilton Cuninghame Haldane (1905). Life as an engineer: its lights, shades and prospects. E. & F. N. Spon. p. 27. Royal William largest launched 1831.
3. Freeman Hunt. Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review, Volume 10. New York City: 142 Fulton Street. p. 383.
4. Anchor Line (1872). A Souvenir of the Anchor Line Agents Excursion on the Steamer California, 14 August 1872. D. Appleton & Company. p. 87.
5. Corlett, Ewan (1975). The Iron Ship: the Story of Brunel's ss Great Britain. Conway.
6. Hereward Philip Spratt (1951). Transatlantic Paddle Steamers. Brown, Son & Ferguson. p. 36. At the time of her launch, the "British Queen" was the largest vessel afloat
7. International Marine Engineering, Volume 15. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Company. 1910. p. 418.
8. Gerhard Falk (2013). Twelve Inventions which Changed America: The Influence of Technology on American Culture. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 8.
9. Robinson, Robb (January 2009). "The Cookman Story: Reform in Hull and the United States" (PDF). FAR HORIZONS – to the ends of the Earth. Maritime Historical Studies Centre, University of Hull. Retrieved 27 December 2009. In March 1841 the liner, SS President, then reputedly the largest steamship in the world, disappeared without trace in the vast tracts of the still wintry Atlantic, sometime after leaving New York en route for Liverpool. The SS President was the first steamship to founder on the transatlantic run and there was universal lamentation for the 136 crew and passengers.
10. William L. Garrison & David M. Levinson (2005). The Transportation Experience: Policy, Planning, and Deployment. Oxford University Press. p. 210.
11. Wynford Davies (2012). SS Great Britain: Transatlantic Liner 1843. Seaforth Publishing. p. 10.
12. "Atrato (1013926)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
13. "Atrato". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
14. “The” Illustrated London News. Elm House. 1853. p. 352.
15. Dawson, Philip S. (2005). The Liner. Chrysalis Books. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-85177-938-6.
16. Gillian Dale (2005). BTEC National Travel and Tourism. Heinemann. p. 2.
17. Frank Braynard & Robert Hudson Westover (2002). S.S. United States. Turner Publishing Company. p. 13.
18. "City of New York". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
19. "S/S City of New York (3), Inman Line". www.norwayheritage.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019. At the time of her launch the City of New York was the largest passenger steamer afloat.
20. Mark Chirnside (2015). RMS Olympic: Titanic's Sister. The History Press. p. 9.
21. Neil McCart (1990). Atlantic Liners of the Cunard Line: From 1884 to the Present Day. Stephens. p. 22.
22. Congressional Edition, Volume 5796. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1909. p. 114.
23. Marine Engineering/log, Volume 1. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Company. 1897.
24. William H. Miller (2001). Picture History of British Ocean Liners, 1900 to the Present. Courier Corporation. p. 8.
25. "R.M.S. Oceanic (II)". Jeff Newman. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
26. "Celtic (1113476)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
27. Roberts, Chalmers (August 1901). "The Biggest Ship". The World's Work: A History of Our Time. II: 1176–1179. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
28. Wade Sisson (2011). Racing Through the Night: Olympic's Attempt to Reach Titanic. Amberley Publishing Limited.
29. "Cedric (1115354)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
30. Paul Oldfield (2017). Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Third Ypres 1917: 31 July 1917 – 6 November 1917. Pen and Sword.
31. Mark Chirnside (2015). RMS Olympic: Titanic's Sister. The History Press.
32. Anne Sinkler Whaley LeClercq (2012). Elizabeth Sinkler Coxe's Tales from the Grand Tour, 1890-1910. Univ of South Carolina Press.
33. Labor Unions (1906). The American Marine Engineer, Volumes 1-2. p. 24.
34. Hugh Chisholm (1911). The Encyclopaedia Britannica. 24. Encyclopaedia Britannica Company. p. 885.
35. J. Kent Layton (2010). Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography. Amberley Publishing Limited.
36. Engineering News. The Cunard Liner "Aquitania". 71. McGraw-Hill. p. 1317.
37. William H. Miller (1981). The Great Luxury Liners, 1927-1954: A Photographic Record. Courier Corporation.
38. Chirnside, Mark (2011). The 'Olympic' Class Ships. The History Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7524-5895-3.
39. Chirnside, Mark. "RMS Olympic Specification File". Retrieved 19 June 2020.
40. Caroline Rochford (2016). Titanic's Big Sister... and how she nearly sank. Forgotten Songs and Stories of the Sea: A Treasury of Voices from our Maritime Past. Pen and Sword. p. 106.
41. Adam Scott (1913). Some Notes On The Increase In Size. Cassier's Engineering Monthly. 44. Wendell Lansing Company. p. 115.
42. Proceedings - Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 1912. p. 553.
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45. The Steamship Vaterland. Electrician and Mechanic. 28. Modern Publishing. 1914. p. 729.
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47. The Floating Palace from France. American Architect and Architecture. 147. American Architect. 135. p. 29.
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49. Normandie's End. Life Magazine. 21. Time Incorporated. 1946. p. 38.
50. Peter Plowman (2003). The Third Convoy. Across the Sea to War. Rosenberg Publishing. p. 114.
51. "Sovereign (G107405)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Germanischer Lloyd. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
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53. The Motor Ship, Volume 85. IPC Industrial Press Limited. 2004. p. 9.
54. "2016-2017 Royal Caribbean Fleet Guide" (PDF). Royal Caribbean International. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
55. "Liberty of the Seas (26180)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
56. Sam Dodge, Ana Franca, and Mark Oliver. "Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, in numbers". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 March 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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58. Goldstein, Adam (1 November 2010). "Is a Small Difference a Big Deal?". Sea Views. Royal Caribbean International. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
59. "Oasis of the Seas (27091)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
60. "Harmony of the Seas (33249)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
61. "Symphony of the Seas (34719)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 15 March 2020.