Expensive cruise ships come in two main categories: those that cost a lot to build because they’re gargantuan, and jewel-bespangled boats of a more intimate size. Giant and deluxe cruise ships perfectly serve many population segments, such as people who get bored easily, jaded travelers who have been absolutely everywhere so now choose their trips based on conveyance and those who really want to pretend they’re not on a boat.
Here are the top five most expensive cruise ships in the world:
5.) Norwegian Epic
Price: $1.2 billion
Heavenly Matched Travel
Norwegian Cruise Lines put almost as much into Norwegian Epic, its $1.2-billion, 1,081-foot ship, as Royal Caribbean spent on the Allure and the Oasis (more on those below). This line prides itself on “freestyle cruising,” which means you can eat when and what you want, rather than having preassigned seating. The Epic offers 20-plus places on board to eat. This ship is also part of a new trend to offer studio rooms to solo travelers, without the additional charges cruise lines call “single supplements.” At 100 square feet, the studios are only 28 square feet smaller than regular rooms. The Blue Man Group and other well-known performers entertain guests. A crew of 1,753 cares for the 4,100 passengers on their way to the Caribbean and Europe.
The Epic also has a 24-hour pizza delivery service. It delivers homemade 16″ stone-baked pizza directly to guests’ tables, staterooms or favorite lounge or bar.
Other restaurants on the Norwegian Epic include Le Bistro(French), La Cucina (Italian), Noodle Bar (Chinese), Shanghai’s Chinese Restaurant, Teppanyaki (Japanese), Cagney’s Steakhouse and Wasabi Sushi Bar.
4.) Oasis of the Seas
Price: $1.4 billion
Flickr
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas falls into the honking huge variety. Don’t want to leave your rock-climbing wall at home? Fancy zip-lining across the ship’s boardwalk?
Then this 1,184-foot, $1.4-billion ship might be your home away from home. If you live in a smallish town—say, Saint Paul, Alberta, for example—you could bring your whole population of 5,400 souls for a cruise. The Oasis of the Seas plies the Caribbean from its home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Aside from its height and price, the Oasis is one cool cruise ship, with amazing features like the central park, which has 12,500 plants, 62 vine plants, 56 trees and bamboo.
Not a nature enthusiast?
Then perhaps you will love the Oasis‘s Olympic-size, 17.9-foot swimming pool, called “The AquaTheater pool.” It is one of the biggest pools at sea.
This cruise ship also some weird facts about it. For instance, the ship uses more than 3,000 miles of electrical wiring. Think about that. The wiring could stretch across Americ, coast to coast!
That’s not all.
Passengers can reserve shows before boarding — or once on board, on their stateroom televisions or the box office at the Royal Promenade, and all in high definition.
Also, there are 24 restaurants and 37 bars on board. To control traffic flow, restaurants use technology that measures the headcount so that passengers can see which restaurants are busy from their stateroom televisions and on displays throughout the ship.
On the Oasis, you’re no longer required to don your life jacket for the safety drill, and there’s no name calling to check off passenger participation. Life jackets, in fact, are stored at the muster stations, and not in the staterooms.
3.) Harmony of the Seas
Price: $1.35 billion
The Harmony of the Seas is not only one of the most expensive cruise ships in the world, it is also the second biggest cruise ship in the world.
It has the capacity to hold 5,479 passengers at double occupancy; 6,780 maximum, with a crew of 2,300 to cater for them.
One of the most interesting parts of the Harmony of the Seas is the Ultimate Abyss. It’s not a waterslide; it’s a pair of side-by-side, 216-foot-long slides that run 10 decks, from the Sports Zone (deck 16) to the Boardwalk (deck 6) at the back of the ship. Riders sit on special mats made to ease the glide and ensure they hit the average maximum speed (nine miles per hour). Each slide is a dark tunnel, equipped with flashing lights and an audio system that plays startling sounds all the way through to the finish near the AquaTheater.
Those who prefer more leisurely pursuits won’t be disappointed, either. The ship has three big pools and lounging areas, an adults-only Solarium space, a relaxing spa and live music at every turn.
2.) Symphony of the Seas
Price: $1.35 million
Cruise Industry News
This is the largest cruise ship in the world at 170,000 square feet (as big as three football fields). It has 16 decks with a weight of 230,000 gross tonnes. There are 2,774 guest rooms.
The Symphony has the capacity to accommodate 5,518 passengers up to a maximum capacity of 6,680 passengers, as well as a 2,200-person crew.
Its facilities include a children’s water park, a full-size basketball court, sports bar, ice-skating rink, and two 43-foot rock-climbing walls. There is also a central park which contains over 20,000 tropical plants and a sugar beach.
1.) Allure of the Seas
Price: $1.5 billion
Pixabay
At $1.5 billion to build, the Allure of the Seas beats its sister ship, Oasis of the Seas, by 1/10 billion in price and 2 inches in length, making it the number one out of the top five most expensive cruise ships in the world.
The ship tries so hard to make you feel at home that it even includes the first on-board Starbucks. Don’t worry if you get lost or find yourself with a minute of unfilled time. Each deck sports touch-screen guides with features like “room finder” and “what to do right now.” You can also experience the Caribbean’s famous custom of ice skating onboard the Allure.