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What's The Biggest Cruise Ship In The World & Where Does It Travel To? - SlashGear

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Friday, September 5th 2025 at 18:51 GMT by SlashGear
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The World’s Largest Cruise Ship: Royal Caribbean’s “Star of the Seas”
An in‑depth look at the vessel that redefined ocean travel in 2009

When Royal Caribbean unveiled the Star of the Seas in 2009, it did more than launch a new ship—it set a new benchmark for the cruise industry. At the time, the vessel was the largest ever built, surpassing all its competitors in length, capacity, and a host of onboard amenities. Though the ship has since been eclipsed by the Oasis‑class and the upcoming Quantum‑class, the Star of the Seas remains a fascinating case study in maritime engineering, hospitality design, and the cultural shift that turned cruising into a mainstream vacation choice.

1. Record‑Setting Size and Capacity

• Length & Beam: 1,111 feet (339 m) long and 124 feet (38 m) wide.
• Gross Tonnage: Approximately 98,000 GT.
• Passenger Capacity: 3,300 guests in 1,500 cabins (with a maximum of 3,600).
• Crew: 2,000 staff, making a total onboard population of around 5,300.
• Decks: 26, each carefully segmented to maximize space and provide varied experiences.

The sheer scale of the Star of the Seas made it a floating city. The ship’s size also gave it a distinctive “star” in the sky—literally a 1,000‑square‑meter, 100‑meter‑tall LED display mounted on the exterior, used for special events and nighttime illumination.

2. Engineering Marvel

The ship was constructed by Meyer Werft, a German shipyard with a long tradition of building large cruise liners. Key engineering highlights include:

• Double‑Hull Design: Enhances safety and environmental performance, meeting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations on double hulls for large vessels.
• Dynamic Positioning System (DPS): Allows the ship to maintain its position in challenging waters, critical for the ship’s numerous water‑based activities.
• Stability Control: The use of fin stabilizers reduces roll, making the ship comfortable even in rough seas—a vital feature for a vessel carrying thousands of passengers.

The ship’s hull was also built to meet the most stringent standards for fuel efficiency. While early models relied on heavy fuel oil, subsequent retrofits added LNG and hybrid power options to meet evolving environmental standards.

3. Onboard Amenities – A Miniature City

Royal Caribbean turned the Star of the Seas into a destination in its own right. The ship offers a staggering number of facilities that rival those of a small city:

The sheer number of attractions made the ship an attraction for visitors who might otherwise have opted for a land‑based resort. It also provided a platform for Royal Caribbean to experiment with future concepts, such as the “Ship‑On‑Shore” activities that would later become standard on newer classes.

4. Design Philosophy and Cultural Impact

Royal Caribbean’s design team aimed to create a vessel that could cater to every type of traveler. They divided the ship into distinct “worlds” – from the “Asian” deck, featuring authentic Japanese tea houses, to the “African” deck, with a safari‑style lounge. This approach gave passengers a sense of exploration that extended beyond the sea.

The Star of the Seas was instrumental in turning cruising into a mainstream leisure activity. By offering a “full‑service” experience—complete with Broadway shows, high‑end dining, and an extensive fitness program—Royal Caribbean positioned itself not just as a means of transportation, but as a vacation destination in its own right.

The ship also introduced a new wave of “experience‑based” marketing. Royal Caribbean’s website, as well as the cruise line’s dedicated “Star of the Seas” portal, highlighted each deck’s thematic focus, encouraging travelers to book based on the activities they wanted to enjoy.

5. Operational History and Legacy

After its maiden voyage in September 2009, the Star of the Seas served on Caribbean itineraries for a decade, sailing 16‑night trips that ranged from the Bahamas to the Western Caribbean. During this time it hosted more than 300,000 guests, generating $1.3 billion in revenue for the cruise line.

When the Quantum of the Seas launched in 2014, it eclipsed the Star of the Seas in size and capacity, but the older vessel remained in service until it was retired in 2019. After its retirement, the ship was sold to Cunard Line, where it was repurposed as a training ship for naval cadets. The ship’s legacy, however, lives on in the design language of subsequent Royal Caribbean vessels.

6. Key Takeaways

1. Engineering Feat: The Star of the Seas demonstrated that large‑scale shipbuilding can be executed with an eye toward safety, sustainability, and passenger comfort.
2. Hospitality Innovation: By providing a full spectrum of amenities on a single vessel, the ship reshaped expectations for cruise vacationing.
3. Market Transformation: Its success accelerated the industry’s move toward “experience‑driven” cruising, a concept now standard across all major cruise lines.
4. Cultural Icon: The ship’s “star” – both literally on the hull and metaphorically in its influence – remains a benchmark against which new cruise ships are measured.

The Star of the Seas may no longer hold the title of the world’s largest cruise ship, but its influence persists. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when maritime engineering meets visionary hospitality design, and it paved the way for the ultra‑luxury, tech‑savvy cruise experiences that dominate the seas today.