Big isn’t always better. However, if it is your thing, you might want to know where to find the three largest cruise ships over the next year.
Allure of the Seas – Royal Caribbean
The largest cruise ship by a whopping 50 millimetres, or two inches. When she made her maiden voyage on December 1, 2010, the Allure became the largest cruise ship at sea, taking over from her sister, Oasis of the Seas.
The Allure and Oasis are the two ships the comprise the Oasis Class of ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. The Allure is 362 metres (1,187 feet) long and stands 72 metres (236 feet) above the water level. She has a gross tonnage of 225,282.
The Allure has a capacity for 6,296 passengers and carries 2,384 crew. The vessel was built by STX Europe in Turku, Finland and cost $1.2 billion in U.S. dollars. She is registered out of the Bahamas.
The Allure of the Seas stays at Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale), Florida year round. The ships schedule is uncomplicated, alternating seven day Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries.
A typical seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Allure will stop at:
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
A typical seven night Western Caribbean cruise on the Allure will stop at:
- Labadee, Haiti
- Falmouth, Jamaica
- Cozumel, Mexico
Oasis of the Seas – Royal Caribbean
Except for the two inches in length, the dimensions of the Oasis are pretty much identical to her younger sister, the Allure. The Oasis was also built by STX Europe at a cost of $1.4 billion U.S. dollars and made her maiden voyage on December 5, 2009.
The schedule and destinations of the Oasis are also the same as the Allure. She calls Port Everglades home 12 months a year.
Norwegian Epic – Norwegian Cruise Line
Yet another ship built by STX Europe, the Epic has been in service since the summer of 2010. She’s 329 metres (1,081 feet) long and has a gross tonnage of 155,876. The passenger capacity on the Epic is 4,100 with a crew of 1,708.
Currently, the Norwegian Epic is running seven night cruises in the Mediterranean out of Civitavecchia, Italy; Marseille, France and Barcelona, Spain. She will continue to run these itineraries until midway through October, 2013.
The Epic will do a thirteen night Trans Atlantic Repositioning cruise, running from October 20 to November 2. She leaves Barcelona, Spain and arrives at her winter home in Miami, Florida. Along the way, the Epic will make port calls at Funchal, Madeira, Portugal and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
From November until April, 2014, the Epic will cruise the Caribbean on seven night itineraries out of Miami. She’ll do the Eastern Caribbean from November to February and the Western Caribbean from February until April. A typical Eastern Caribbean cruise will stop in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten and Nassau, Bahamas. The Western Caribbean cruises will stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Costa Maya, Mexico and Cozumel, Mexico.
On April 27, 2014, the Norwegian Epic will depart Miami to return to the Mediterranean for the summer months. She will leave Miami and take eleven nights before arriving in Barcelona, Spain on May 8. The only stop along the way will be at Funchal.
Interested in Booking?
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