biggest cruise ship whale

Cruise ship sails into New York City port with 44-foot dead whale across its bow

A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said.

The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.

“We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale,” officials with the cruise line said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” the officials said, adding that the Geneva-based MSC Cruises follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting the animals.

The dead whale was relocated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore there to allow for better access to equipment and to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.

The necropsy, an autopsy on an animal, was conducted on Tuesday, Gomez said. Samples collected from the whale will help biologists determine whether it was already dead when it was struck by the ship, she said.

Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.

The Associated Press

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Cruise ship arrives in NYC port with 44-foot dead endangered whale caught on its bow

Updated on: May 9, 2024 / 11:41 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said.

The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale , was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said. A necropsy conducted later confirmed the whale's species and determined that the creature was a mature female, said the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, a nonprofit organization that conducted the exam on an marine mammal.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.

"We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale," officials with the cruise line said in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life," the officials said, adding that the Geneva-based MSC Cruises follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting the animals .

The dead whale was relocated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore there to allow for better access to equipment and to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.

The necropsy, an autopsy on an animal, was conducted on Tuesday, Gomez said. Samples collected from the whale will help biologists determine whether it was already dead when it was struck by the ship, she said.

Basic results of that exam showed evidence of tissue trauma in the area of the whale's right shoulder blade and a fractured right flipper, said the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society. In a post shared Wednesday to its Facebook page, the organization also said those tests revealed the whale's gastrointestinal tract was "full of food." Samples of its organs will undergo toxicology reviews and analyses to identify any potential tissue diseases.

"The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem," said the conservation society.

Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation , sei whales eat 2,000 pounds of fish and plankton per day. They can grow up to 60 feet long, weigh as much as 50 tons and live on average between 50-70 years.

The incident marks the latest endangered whale to be found dead along the East Coast.  Last month, federal authorities said a North Atlantic right whale that was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was killed in a collision with a ship .

In March, NOAA said the first  North Atlantic right whale  baby born this season had  died after being hit by a vessel .

Environmental groups have called for tighter regulations on commercial fishing and shipping to try to save the whales.

In Massachusetts, there's a proposal to put  speed limits on fast ferries  to Cape Cod and the Islands to protect whales. The ferry companies counter that this would drastically reduce service, and say their captains have never seen a right whale on the job. 

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Watch footage of 1,000 baleen whales in record-breaking feeding frenzy in Antarctica

Cruise ship passengers near Antarctica witnessed the massive group, which mainly consisted of fin whales, feeding on an overabundance of krill in 2022.

Last year, passengers on board a cruise ship near Antarctica were treated to an extremely rare and spectacular sight: a giant congregation of baleen whales feeding on a gargantuan volume of krill for as far as the eye could see. Although initially estimated at several hundred individuals, the true number of whales in the feeding frenzy may have been closer to 1,000, according to a new study that analyzed footage captured by the lucky whale watchers. 

The incredible spectacle was witnessed Jan. 13, 2022, by guests on board the National Geographic Endurance, a polar exploration cruise ship run by Lindblad Expeditions, which is partnered with National Geographic. The ship was around 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) north of Coronation Island, the largest of the South Orkney Islands, when it came across the feeding frenzy, National Geographic reported. The aggregation mainly comprised fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus ), which can grow to around 85 feet (26 meters) long and are second in size only to the blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ).

A video of the massive feeding event, which shows fin whales lunging for food at the surface and filling the air with jets of water ejected from their blowholes, was released on the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic YouTube channel on March 8, 2022. 

"We are absolutely surrounded by them," Conor Ryan , a resident zoologist on board the vessel, said in the video. "They are literally bumping into each other because there are so many of them." There were so many whales that you could even smell the whales' breath, which had an odor similar to "rotten broccoli," he added.

Related: Extremely rare gray whale birth captured on camera, possibly for the first time

Ryan initially estimated that there were between 200 and 400 individuals in the aggregation. But it was hard to tell exactly how many there were, because you could see only the whales that were at the surface and not those feeding below, he noted.  

In a new study, published Feb. 20 in the journal Ecology , Ryan and colleagues reanalyzed photos and videos from the event to better estimate how many whales were present. The researchers determined that there were around 970 fin whales in the "supergroup," which makes it the largest aggregation of the species ever recorded. There was also at least one blue whale and a pair of humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in the area, as well as Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella ) and thousands of seabirds, including petrels, penguins and albatrosses.

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All of the hungry marine animals were feeding on Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ), tiny swimming crustaceans that form massive swarms, as well as the smaller fish that were also feeding on the shrimp-like critters.

This area of the Scotia Sea, which surrounds the South Orkney Islands, is a massive upwelling zone, meaning ocean currents force nutrient-rich waters from the deep to the surface. The feeding event occurred at the end of "a large spring phytoplankton bloom," which provided the necessary food for a rapid explosion in the population of krill, the researchers wrote in the paper.

"There must be millions, if not billions, of tons of krill below us," Ryan said in the video.

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Fin whale numbers are on the rise again after historic whaling almost decimated the species in the mid-20th century. There are now around 100,000 individuals worldwide, but they are still considered "vulnerable" to extinction due to pressures such as climate change, plastic pollution and overfishing of krill by humans, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species .

Nevertheless, the sight of such a large group provides hope for conservationists about the species' future.

"A little more than a hundred years ago, seeing something like this probably wouldn't have been that uncommon," study co-author Matthew Savoca , a marine ecologist at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, told National Geographic. This is a sign that we are heading in the right direction, he added.

Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology. His feature on the upcoming solar maximum was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence in 2023. 

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Officials begin investigation after cruise ship arrives at harbor with endangered whale corpse across bow: 'We are deeply saddened'

The arrival of a cruise ship in New York led to an investigation after authorities spotted an endangered whale across its bow. 

What happened?

The Associated Press reported that the Meraviglia, a ship owned by Swiss-Italian line MSC Cruises, pulled into the Port of Brooklyn on May 5 with a dead 44-foot sei whale across its bow, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez.

"We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale," cruise line officials said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life." 

Gomez told the AP that officials transferred the whale to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and performed an autopsy on May 7. The results have not yet been revealed.  

Why is this concerning?

According to NOAA Fisheries , vessel strikes and net entanglement are now the biggest threats to sei whales after the International Whaling Commission issued an edict to halt commercial whaling practices in the 1980s. 

Rising global temperatures may be playing an interconnected part. The organization notes that sea traffic is expected to increase as new routes open because of melting sea ice . Additional noise pollution can also impact the ability of certain marine species to navigate their habitats. 

Watch now: What would Alex Honnold do as dictator for a day?

As for the nets, "hundreds of millions of marine animals" are killed or hurt every year by these nonbiodegradable entities, as detailed by Plastic Soup Foundation. 

Many modern fishing nets contain plastic, a material overwhelmingly made from dirty fuels, like motor oil and gasoline . These nets then leach toxins into our environment. 

One investigation found that a group of stranded marine mammals had high levels of PCBs, a now-banned harmful chemical that used to be used in many plastics . 

Should cities be allowed to ban cruise ships from visiting their ports?

That's not to mention the 12.1 million tons of plastics that enter our oceans, per the Ocean Conservancy. Other animals have starved from the inside out after ingesting the material . 

While it's unclear if the whale was alive before ending up on the ship's bow, its death is an unfortunate reminder of how our activities can negatively impact other creatures — and ultimately contribute to a less healthy planet for everyone who calls Earth home. 

What can be done about this? 

The AP notes that sei whales are an internationally protected species, and officials with MSC Cruises indicated that they adhere to all regulations intended to protect whales, including altering routes as needed to avoid collisions. 

If a collision was indeed a factor in the whale's death, authorities will likely study the data and formulate a plan to limit the possibility of this happening again. 

As far as plastic nets are concerned, some governments have already banned bottom trawling , a practice that can result in broken and abandoned gear.

You can help keep our planet and oceans healthy by participating in local cleanup efforts and swapping single-use plastic products, like grocery bags and razors , for reusable items made from less toxic and more durable materials.  

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.

Officials begin investigation after cruise ship arrives at harbor with endangered whale corpse across bow: 'We are deeply saddened' first appeared on The Cool Down .

Record-Breaking 1,000 Baleen Whales Seen in Largest Feeding Frenzy in Antarctica, Marking Their Historic Return to the South

Passengers on a cruise ship in Antarctica were treated to an exceptionally uncommon and beautiful sight last year. There they saw a massive crowd of baleen whales feeding on a massive amount of krill for as far as the eye could reach.

According to recent research, titled " Commercial Krill Fishing Within a Foraging Supergroup of Fin Whales in the Southern Ocean " published in the journal Ecology,  that evaluated film obtained by the lucky whale watchers, the real number of whales in the feeding frenzy may have been closer to 1,000, rather than several hundred.

Largest Feeding Frenzy of Fin Whales

Like other baleen whales, fin whales extract their food from the water using baleen plates. The fin whale is the world's second biggest animal, behind the blue whale.

Guests onboard the National Geographic Endurance, a polar exploration cruise ship operated by Lindblad Expeditions in partnership with National Geographic, witnessed the incredible spectacle in Antarctica on January 13, 2022. As per National Geographic , the ship was about 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) north of Coronation Island when it came across the largest feeding frenzy of whales.

The group was mainly composed of fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus ), a baleen whale that can grow up to 85 feet (26 meters) long, second only to blue whales ( Balaenoptera   musculus ).

The video  of the feeding event posted on the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic YouTube channel on March 8, 2022, shows fin whales lunging for food at the surface and filling the air with jets of water ejected from their blowhole.

Zoologist Conor Ryan, who is also a resident naturalist aboard the cruise ship, said that the congregation of baleen whales they found north of Coronation Island was beyond belief.

An estimated 830 to 1,153 fin whales, as well as a few humpback and blue whales, had collected to feast on a rich area of krill off Coronation Island, which is located north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Stanford University scientists reviewed images and recordings of the event and said this vast gathering of baleen whales may be the largest witnessed since the cessation of industrial whaling in the late 20th century. The previous greatest documented assemblage of fin whales was only 300 animals .

Matthew Savoca, a marine biologist at Stanford and co-author of a new paper, said that such an event would not have been so unusual a little more than a hundred years ago when hunting whales did not threaten their population yet.

READ ALSO: Aerial Survey Revealed an Endangered Whale Giving Birth While Being Entangled in a Fishing Rope

Fin Whale Population on the Rise Again

 All the baleen whales were feeding on the Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superb ). These tiny swimming crustaceans form massive swarms and attract smaller fish who were also feeding on them.

Live Science  reported that the area is a massive upwelling zone where ocean currents force nutrient-rich waters from the deep to go up the surface, allowing a feeding event and providing the necessary food for a rapid explosion of the population of krill.

Ryan said in the video that there must be millions, perhaps even billions, of tons of krill below the surface where the baleens are feeding. Nonetheless, they are glad that fin whale populations are rising again after the historic whaling almost decimated them in the mid-20th century.

Check out more news and information on Whales  in Science Times.

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78 pilot whales were slaughtered near a cruise ship carrying marine conservationists

Emily Olson

A group of fisherman drive pilot whales towards the shore during a hunt in the Faroe Islands in May 2019. Andrija Ilic/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A group of fisherman drive pilot whales towards the shore during a hunt in the Faroe Islands in May 2019.

A cruise line is apologizing to passengers who witnessed the killing of dozens of pilot whales near their docked ship this week in the Faroe Islands.

Passengers aboard the cruise ship Ambition, owned by the U.K.-based Ambassador Cruise Line, had just arrived Sunday in the port of Tórshavn in the Danish territory when they caught the spectacle, part of a long-standing and highly scrutinized local tradition.

Among those passengers were conservationists with ORCA, a marine life advocacy group that seeks to protect whales and dolphins in European waters. Since 2021, Ambassador has paid for ORCA staff to join their cruises in order to educate tourists on marine wildlife and collect data on the animals.

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In an account shared by ORCA and confirmed by Ambassador, the conservationists said over 40 small boats and jet skis herded the whales to a beach where 150 people worked to haul the animals ashore with hooks and slaughter them with lances.

In total, the hunt lasted about 20 minutes, ORCA said. Some of the animals, which included nine calves, took over 30 seconds to die.

Ambassador Cruise Line said it was "incredibly disappointed" that the hunt unfolded near the ship and that it continues to "strongly object to this practice." The company asks their guests not to support the hunters by purchasing local whale and dolphin meat.

"We fully appreciate that witnessing this local event would have been distressing for the majority of guests onboard," Ambassador said in a statement to NPR. "Accordingly, we would like to sincerely apologise to them for any undue upset."

A representative for the Faroe Islands government did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on Sunday's hunt.

Where are the whales? Scientists find clues thousands of miles away

Long-finned pilot whales , which are technically a species of dolphin, are a medium-sized marine mammal that dwells in the North Atlantic, known for their bulbous head and sickle-shaped flippers. They're not currently listed as an endangered species, but as a sign their population may be on the decline due to human activity, the species is listed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the U.S..

The mammals live in social pods of up to 20 individuals, organized into a larger school of hundreds of animals — a social structure that makes them easy targets for whalers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In the Faroe Islands, the hunting of pilot whales is known as the "grindadrap" or "grind." The Faroese view the tradition as central to their cultural identity and a sustainable way to gather food, according to a local government website.

The government says the killing is not highly commercialized. Each catch is "distributed for free in the local community" but "in some supermarkets and on the dockside, whale meat and blubber is occasionally available for sale."

Toothed whales use 'vocal fry' to hunt for food, scientists say

Multiple hunts can occur throughout the year, and each is carried out by people with a required license and supervised by elected officials. Local legislation stipulates the killing must be carried out as "quickly and efficiently as possible."

The government says the average catch is around 800 animals, an insignificant impact on the overall pilot whale population, which it says is around 778,000 animals.

But a record single-day killing of more than 1,400 white-sided dolphins in 2021 brought the practice into intensified scrutiny. The chairman of the Faroese Whalers Association told the BBC that the size of that killing was purely accidental.

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What a living whale is worth in the fight against climate change.

That Sunday's slaughter unfolded near the cruise ship made it seem as if the whalers were "flaunting the hunt and taunting the tourists," many of whom were hoping to catch a glimpse of marine life in the wild, ORCA CEO Sally Hamilton said.

"It defies belief that the Faroese authorities allowed this activity to take place in clear sight of a cruise ship packed with passengers," she wrote in a statement shared with NPR. "At some point, the Faroese authorities will have to decide if its marine life is a more attractive tourist proposition when it is alive than when it is being killed."

The cruise ship was docked for a stop in Tórshavn, the main harbor of the 18-island territory between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. While the local government has invested more into its tourism sector, fishing and marine-related industries still remain the region's top economic driver .

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• pilot whales

How Big Is A Blue Whale Compared To A Cruise Ship?

How Big Is a Whale Compared to a Cruise Ship?

When you think of a whale, you probably imagine a massive creature that towers over everything else in the ocean. But just how big are whales, really? And how do they compare to other large objects, like cruise ships?

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the size of whales and see how they stack up against other sea creatures and man-made objects. We’ll also discuss some of the factors that contribute to a whale’s size, and we’ll explore the implications of whale size for the animals themselves and for the environment.

So if you’re ever wondered just how big a whale is, read on!

| Species | Length (feet) | Weight (tons) | |—|—|—| | Blue Whale | 100-120 | 190-220 | | Fin Whale | 80-90 | 100-120 | | Humpback Whale | 45-50 | 30-40 | | Sperm Whale | 60-70 | 45-55 | | Killer Whale | 30-35 | 10-12 | | Minke Whale | 20-25 | 10-12 |

Size Comparison

When it comes to sheer size, whales dwarf cruise ships. The largest whales, the blue whale and the fin whale, can reach lengths of up to 100 feet and weigh up to 200 tons. In comparison, the largest cruise ships are only about 1,000 feet long and weigh around 100,000 tons.

The blue whale is the longest animal on Earth, with a maximum recorded length of 108 feet. The fin whale is the second-longest animal, with a maximum recorded length of 85 feet. The largest cruise ships are only about 1,000 feet long, which is less than half the length of the blue whale.

The blue whale is also the heaviest animal on Earth, with a maximum recorded weight of 200 tons. The fin whale is the second-heaviest animal, with a maximum recorded weight of 150 tons. The largest cruise ships weigh around 100,000 tons, which is only about half the weight of the blue whale.

Other measurements

In addition to their length and weight, whales also have other impressive measurements. For example, the blue whale’s heart is the size of a small car, and its tongue weighs as much as an elephant. The largest cruise ships have a maximum capacity of around 6,000 passengers, while the blue whale can hold up to 90 tons of krill in its stomach.

Habitat and Distribution

Whales are found in all of the world’s oceans, but they are most common in the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. Cruise ships, on the other hand, travel all over the world, but they are most common in warm, tropical waters.

Where do whales live?

Whales are found in all of the world’s oceans, but they are most common in the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. This is because whales are warm-blooded animals, and they need to live in water that is cold enough to keep their body temperature regulated.

The Arctic and Antarctic are also home to some of the richest food sources for whales, such as krill and fish. Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that are a major food source for whales. Fish are also a major food source for whales, and they can eat a variety of different types of fish, including salmon, herring, and mackerel.

Where do cruise ships travel?

Cruise ships travel all over the world, but they are most common in warm, tropical waters. This is because cruise ships are designed to offer passengers a comfortable and relaxing experience, and warm, tropical waters provide the perfect climate for this.

Cruise ships typically travel to popular tourist destinations, such as the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and Alaska. They also offer a variety of different itineraries, so passengers can choose a cruise that fits their interests and budget.

Whales and cruise ships are two of the most impressive and awe-inspiring creatures on Earth. While they may seem like they have nothing in common, they both play an important role in the marine ecosystem. Whales are a keystone species, meaning that they play a vital role in the food chain. Cruise ships provide a unique travel experience for millions of people each year.

Whales and cruise ships have very different diets. Whales are carnivores that eat fish, squid, and other marine animals. Cruise ships, on the other hand, are omnivores that eat a variety of foods, including meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits.

What do whales eat?

Whales are filter feeders, meaning that they use their baleen plates to strain food from the water. Baleen is a series of keratinous plates that hang from the roof of a whale’s mouth. When a whale swims through the water, the water passes through the baleen plates, and the food is trapped on the plates. The whale then uses its tongue to push the food back into its mouth and swallow it.

The type of food that a whale eats depends on its species. Baleen whales, such as blue whales, fin whales, and humpback whales, eat krill, which are small shrimp-like creatures. Toothed whales, such as sperm whales, orcas, and dolphins, eat a variety of fish, squid, and other marine animals.

What do cruise ships eat?

Cruise ships typically have a variety of restaurants on board, which serve a variety of foods. The main dining room typically serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there may also be a buffet restaurant, a specialty restaurant, and a coffee shop. Cruise ships also typically have a poolside grill, which serves burgers, hot dogs, and other fast food items.

The type of food that is served on a cruise ship depends on the cruise line and the itinerary. Some cruise lines offer more upscale dining options, while others offer more casual dining options. The itinerary also plays a role in the type of food that is served, as cruise ships that visit ports in different countries may offer more local cuisine.

Threats to Whales and Cruise Ships

Whales and cruise ships face a number of threats. Some of these threats are the same, while others are unique to each species.

What threats do whales face?

Whales face a number of threats, including:

• Hunting: Whales have been hunted for centuries for their meat, oil, and other products. Hunting has reduced the populations of some whale species to the point of endangerment or extinction.
• Bycatch: Whales are often caught as bycatch in fishing operations. Bycatch occurs when a non-target species is caught in a fishing net or other gear. Whales can be injured or killed by bycatch.
• Pollution: Whales are exposed to a variety of pollutants, including oil spills, plastics, and chemicals. These pollutants can harm whales’ health and reproduction.
• Climate change: Climate change is causing the oceans to warm, which is leading to changes in the distribution and abundance of food for whales. Climate change is also causing the sea ice to melt, which is reducing the habitat for some whale species.

What threats do cruise ships face?

Cruise ships face a number of threats, including:

• Collisions with whales: Cruise ships can collide with whales, which can injure or kill the whales.
• Pollution: Cruise ships produce a lot of pollution, including wastewater, air pollution, and noise pollution. This pollution can harm marine life and damage the environment.
• Climate change: Climate change is causing the oceans to rise, which is making it more difficult for cruise ships to dock at ports. Climate change is also causing the weather to become more extreme, which can damage cruise ships.

Whales and cruise ships are two very different creatures, but they both face a number of threats. It is important to work together to protect these important species.

Q: How big is a whale compared to a cruise ship?

A: The largest whales, blue whales, can reach lengths of up to 100 feet and weigh up to 200 tons. The largest cruise ships, such as the Oasis of the Seas, have a length of 1,188 feet and a gross tonnage of 225,282. This means that a blue whale is about the same length as two Oasis of the Seas cruise ships put together, and weighs about the same as 10 Oasis of the Seas cruise ships.

Q: Which is bigger, a blue whale or a cruise ship?

A: A blue whale is bigger than a cruise ship.

Q: How many blue whales would it take to fill a cruise ship?

A: It would take about 10 blue whales to fill an Oasis of the Seas cruise ship.

Q: What is the difference between a blue whale and a cruise ship?

A: Blue whales are marine mammals, while cruise ships are human-made vessels. Blue whales are filter feeders, while cruise ships are powered by engines. Blue whales live in the ocean, while cruise ships can travel on both land and sea.

Q: Why are blue whales so big?

A: Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on Earth. Their size is thought to be due to a combination of factors, including their diet, their environment, and their evolutionary history. Blue whales eat krill, which are small, shrimp-like creatures that live in the ocean. Krill are very abundant, and blue whales can eat up to 4 tons of krill per day. This large amount of food allows blue whales to grow to their enormous size. Blue whales also live in cold water, which helps to conserve their body heat. This cold water also provides a lot of food for krill, which in turn helps to support the large population of blue whales.

Q: Are blue whales endangered?

A: Yes, blue whales are endangered. The main threats to blue whales include hunting, pollution, and climate change. Hunting has been a major threat to blue whales for centuries. In the 19th and 20th centuries, whalers killed millions of blue whales for their meat, oil, and baleen. Although commercial whaling of blue whales was banned in 1966, some illegal whaling still occurs. Pollution is another major threat to blue whales. Pollution can harm blue whales’ health and their ability to reproduce. Climate change is also a threat to blue whales. Climate change is causing the ocean to warm, which is changing the distribution of krill. This could make it harder for blue whales to find food.

Q: What can we do to help save blue whales?

A: There are a number of things we can do to help save blue whales. We can:

• Reduce our consumption of seafood. Eating less seafood will help to reduce the demand for whale meat and other products.
• Support organizations that are working to protect blue whales. There are a number of organizations that are working to protect blue whales, such as the World Wildlife Fund and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. You can support these organizations by donating money, volunteering your time, or spreading the word about their work.
• Educate ourselves and others about blue whales. The more people know about blue whales, the more likely they are to support efforts to protect them. You can educate yourself and others about blue whales by reading books, watching documentaries, and visiting zoos and aquariums.

By working together, we can help save blue whales from extinction.

whales are truly massive creatures that can dwarf even the largest of cruise ships. They are an important part of the marine ecosystem and play a vital role in regulating the food chain. While it is important to respect these animals from a distance, we can also learn a lot from them about resilience and adaptability.

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Discover the Mind-Blowing Blue Whale Size Comparison to Cruise Ship

• seaoceaninfo
• A November 12, 2023

A Blue Whale can measure up to 100 feet long, while a typical cruise ship can range between 900 to 1,100 feet in length. These massive marine creatures dwarf even the largest ships on the water.

Cruise ships are marvels of modern engineering, designed to accommodate thousands of passengers in luxurious surroundings. But when it comes to size, they are no match for the world’s largest animal—the Blue Whale. These magnificent creatures can reach lengths of up to 100 feet, making them significantly larger than any cruise ship afloat.

To put it into perspective, a typical cruise ship measures between 900 and 1,100 feet long, making the Blue Whale seem truly colossal in comparison. With its sleek, streamlined body and enormous size, this mighty mammal reigns supreme as the largest known animal to have ever existed. Let’s delve deeper into the incredible dimensions of Blue Whales and explore some mind-boggling size comparisons with cruise ships.

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The Astonishing Measurements Of Blue Whales

The, largest creature on Earth, reaches staggering lengths of up to 98 feet – longer than most cruise ships. These astonishing measurements highlight the immense size of these magnificent marine giants.

Length: Blue whales, recognized as the largest animals on Earth, boast an astonishing average length ranging from 82 to 105 feet. This colossal size places them in a category of their own, surpassing any other creature in the animal kingdom. To fully grasp the magnitude of their dimensions, one can draw a comparison to the height of a 10-story building. This analogy highlights the sheer enormity of these magnificent marine mammals, emphasizing the awe-inspiring scale on which they exist. Delving into the specifics of their size, the lower end of the blue whale’s length spectrum, at 82 feet, already exceeds the length of two standard school buses parked end to end. As they approach the upper limit of 105 feet, their sheer mass becomes truly remarkable, dwarfing many of the largest creatures on land. This colossal length serves a practical purpose in their survival, enabling them to efficiently navigate and cover vast distances across the world’s oceans in search of food and suitable breeding grounds. Beyond the mere measurement of their length, it’s essential to appreciate the profound significance of the blue whale’s colossal size. Their unparalleled dimensions have rightfully earned them the title of being the largest animal to have ever graced the planet. This distinction places them in a league of their own in terms of both biological marvels and ecological importance. Their enormity is not merely a testament to their physical prowess but also a testament to the intricacies of the marine ecosystems they inhabit and influence. In conclusion, the blue whale’s length, ranging from 82 to 105 feet, is a marvel that transcends the boundaries of typical biological proportions. Comparing their size to a 10-story building or the length of multiple school buses provides a tangible perspective on their colossal stature. As the reigning champions of Earth’s largest creatures, blue whales stand as living testaments to the wonders of the natural world and the extraordinary diversity that exists within it. Weight: The awe-inspiring size of blue whales is not limited to their remarkable length; their weight is equally astonishing, ranging from an incredible 140 to 200 tons. To put this into perspective, envision the combined weight of 25 adult elephants – a staggering comparison that underscores the sheer massiveness of these marine behemoths. This exceptional weight is a testament to the blue whale’s status as the heaviest animal on the planet, far surpassing the weight of even the largest land-dwelling creatures. What makes the blue whale’s weight even more remarkable is the fact that, despite their colossal size, they sustain themselves primarily on a diet of small marine organisms known as krill. This dietary choice is a testament to the intricacies of the marine food chain, as these gigantic creatures navigate the world’s oceans with a diet consisting mainly of tiny, shrimp-like creatures. It underscores the efficiency of their feeding strategies and the delicate balance that exists within the oceanic ecosystem. The comparison to 25 elephants not only emphasizes the extraordinary weight of blue whales but also serves as a visual cue to the impact these creatures have on our understanding of the natural world. Their massive bodies are a result of evolution’s unique adaptations to life in the oceans, allowing them to thrive in an environment where size often translates to survival. The blue whale’s weight, like its length, serves as a testament to the wonders of the natural world, showcasing the diversity and adaptability of life on Earth. In summary, the weight of blue whales, ranging from 140 to 200 tons, is a testament to their status as the heaviest animals on Earth. The comparison to 25 elephants illustrates the enormity of their mass, while their choice of a krill-based diet adds a layer of intrigue to their ecological role. Blue whales, with their extraordinary weight, continue to captivate scientists and enthusiasts alike, serving as a symbol of the vast and intricate wonders of the marine realm. Body Shape: The distinctive body shape of blue whales is a marvel of evolution, finely tuned for their life in the oceans. Characterized by its long and slender form, the streamlined design of a blue whale is a key adaptation that facilitates efficient movement through the water. This sleek physique enables them to glide effortlessly, reaching impressive speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. The elongated body is not only an embodiment of their evolutionary success but also a testament to their mastery of the aquatic environment. One notable feature of the blue whale’s body is the presence of a dorsal fin, which sits atop its back. While not as prominent as the dorsal fins of some other whale species, it adds to the overall gracefulness of their silhouette. The dorsal fin aids in stability and balance as they navigate the vast expanses of the open ocean. It is a subtle yet crucial component of their body design, contributing to their remarkable agility despite their massive size. Underneath the colossal body of a blue whale lies another fascinating adaptation – a series of pleats or grooves on the underside. These pleats allow the throat area to expand dramatically, creating a cavernous space when the whale opens its mouth. This adaptation is vital for their feeding strategy. When the blue whale lunges toward a swarm of krill, it engulfs massive quantities of water along with its prey, then uses its baleen plates to filter out the water, leaving behind the krill for consumption. The pleats, therefore, play a pivotal role in the blue whale’s ability to consume large volumes of food in a single feeding event. In summary, the body shape of blue whales is a masterpiece of adaptation to their marine habitat. The long and slender form, coupled with a subtle dorsal fin and pleats on the underside, contributes to their unparalleled ability to navigate the oceans with grace and efficiency. As these gentle giants move through the water, their body shape serves as a testament to the wonders of natural selection and the incredible diversity of life that has evolved to thrive in Earth’s vast and dynamic oceans.

Comparing Blue Whales To Cruise Ships

When contemplating the immense size of a blue whale, the largest creature to ever inhabit our planet’s oceans, it’s inevitable to draw comparisons to the dimensions of a modern cruise ship. One of the most striking contrasts lies in their lengths. Blue whales, renowned for their majestic presence, can stretch up to a staggering 100 feet long. This length is awe-inspiring on its own, but when juxtaposed with the typical size of cruise ships, it becomes even more impressive. Most cruise ships span from 900 to 1,200 feet, dwarfing even the largest of blue whales in sheer length.

Moving beyond length, the weight of these colossal creatures adds another dimension to the comparison. Blue whales can weigh up to an astounding 200 tons, equivalent to the combined weight of approximately 33 adult elephants. This weight, while extraordinary, pales in comparison to the sheer massiveness of modern cruise ships. Cruise ships generally tip the scales between 100,000 to 225,000 tons, making them several orders of magnitude heavier than their cetacean counterparts.

Beyond their physical dimensions, the comparison between blue whales and cruise ships extends to their ecological and cultural significance. Blue whales, as keystone species in marine ecosystems, play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of oceanic environments. Their presence influences everything from plankton populations to nutrient cycling, showcasing the interconnectedness of life beneath the waves. In contrast, cruise ships represent a marvel of human engineering and ingenuity, serving as floating cities that traverse the seas, offering luxury and adventure to millions of passengers each year.

However, the environmental impact of cruise ships is a subject of growing concern. From emissions to waste management, the sheer scale of these vessels poses significant challenges to marine conservation efforts. In contrast, blue whales, despite their immense size, rely on the delicate balance of marine ecosystems for their survival, highlighting the importance of sustainable practices in ocean management.

Moreover, the comparison invites reflection on humanity’s relationship with the natural world. While cruise ships symbolize our ability to conquer the seas and explore distant shores, blue whales serve as a reminder of the majesty and fragility of the oceans. As stewards of this planet, we are tasked with preserving its biodiversity and ensuring the coexistence of magnificent creatures like the blue whale alongside our technological achievements.

In conclusion, comparing blue whales to cruise ships illuminates not only the staggering size differences between these entities but also the broader themes of ecological responsibility and human impact on the natural world. It prompts us to consider the implications of our actions on marine ecosystems and inspires a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the ocean and its inhabitants.

Mind-blowing Facts About Blue Whale Size

Blue whales are the largest creatures on earth, and their size is truly mind-blowing. To put it into perspective, a blue whale is even larger than the biggest cruise ship. They can reach lengths of up to 100 feet and weigh around 200 tons, making them several times larger than the average-sized cruise ship.

Not only are blue whales enormous, but they also have a significant impact on the ocean environment. They are filter feeders, consuming massive amounts of krill every day, which helps maintain a balance in the marine ecosystem. By feeding on krill, blue whales help control their population, preventing overgrazing of phytoplankton, which is a crucial part of the ocean food chain.

The size of blue whales in relation to other marine creatures is truly astounding. They are larger than any other animal, even the prehistoric dinosaurs. This enormous size is believed to be the result of evolutionary reasons. Blue whales have adapted over millions of years to grow so large in order to better survive in their environment. Their size allows them to store enough energy to make long migrations and withstand fluctuations in food availability.

Frequently Asked Questions For Blue Whale Size Comparison To Cruise Ship

Are blue whales as big as a cruise ship.

No, blue whales are not as big as a cruise ship. They are the largest animals on Earth, but cruise ships are much larger in size. Blue whales can reach lengths of up to 100 feet, while cruise ships can span over 1,000 feet.

Has A Whale Ever Sunk A Cruise Ship?

No, there has been no documented instance of a whale sinking a cruise ship.

Will I See Whales From My Cruise Ship?

Yes, it’s possible to see whales on your cruise ship. Whales can be spotted in certain areas known for whale sightings. Keep your eyes peeled during your voyage for a chance to witness these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.

In comparison to a cruise ship, the size of a blue whale is truly remarkable. These magnificent creatures are the largest animals to ever have existed on Earth. With their immense length and weight, blue whales demonstrate the awe-inspiring power of nature.

Understanding the vast scale of these creatures helps us appreciate the wonders of our planet’s diverse marine life . Whether viewed from a research vessel or admired from afar, witnessing the grandeur of a blue whale leaves a lasting impression on anyone lucky enough to encounter them.

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Blue Whale Size Comparison: Discover How Big They Really Are

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal on Earth. When you see a blue whale in person or in photos, it’s hard to grasp just how huge these magnificent marine mammals truly are.

So, let’s walk through some size comparisons to everything that most people are familiar with.

Dimensions of a Blue Whale

On average, adult blue whales reach lengths of 80-100 feet and weigh between 100-150 tons – can up to 200 tons. Females are generally larger than males. Newborn calves already weigh 2.5-4 tons, with lengths of about 23 feet.

The biggest blue whale ever recorded was a female that weighed 418,878 pounds or 190 tons in March 1947. To grasp how huge that is, this whale weighed more than 30 adult African elephants. In fact, it was about as heavy as the Statue of Liberty!

Now, let’s break down the actual measurements of various parts of a blue whale’s massive body:

Blue Whale Heart Size

A blue whale’s heart can weigh over 1000 pounds, approximately 5 feet long by 4 feet wide by 5 feet high. For perspective, it’s about the size of a small car.

The blue whale’s heart beats 33 times per minute and pumps about 60 gallons of blood with each beat. A human heart beats 60-100 times per minute and pumps less than 0.018 gallon (2.4 ounces) per beat.

Blue Whale Brain Size

An adult blue whale’s brain weighs around 15 pounds on average. That’s comparable to the size of an adult elephant’s brain. So, its brain accounts for less than 1% of the total body mass.

For perspective, the average adult human’s brain makes up about 2% of their total body weight. So, a blue whale’s brain is quite small relative to its body compared to most mammals.

Blue Whale Eye Size

A blue whale’s eyeball is around the size of a grapefruit, averaging about 4-5 inches in diameter. So, the whale’s eyes are fairly small in comparison to the enormity of their body.

These marine mammals rely more on their sense of hearing than vision underwater. Just another intriguing aspect of these magnificent creatures!

Blue Whale Throat Size

The throat of a blue whale is relatively small compared to its enormous body size. It’s only 4 to 8 inches (10.1 to 20.3 cm) in diameter, only about the size of a basketball.

Despite their immense mouths, blue whales cannot swallow large objects. Their narrow throats allow them to filter feed on tiny krill.

Blue Whale Tongue Size

The blue whale’s tongue is around 8,000 pounds (3-4 tons), about the size of a full-grown African elephant. Length around 12 feet long, longer than a shipping container.

Blue Whale Vein Size

The veins of blue whales are enormous, measuring up to 9 inches in diameter. While a human could potentially fit their head inside a blue whale vein. However, the vein’s incredible girth means only the head would fit – not the entire body.

The whale’s pulse also generates tremendous pressure. With each beat, their veins bulge and flex from the pumped blood’s force. The veins’ muscular walls help propel blood throughout the whale’s extensive circulatory network.

Types of Blue Whales

There is still much debate about the classification of blue whales. However, there are five officially recognized subspecies, each with unique characteristics and sizes. They belong to the baleen whale suborder and live in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean.

• Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia)
• North Atlantic and North Pacific blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus musculus)
• Northern Indian Ocean blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus indica)
• Pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda)
• South Pacific Ocean blue whale

Of five subspecies, the Antarctic Blue Whale is the largest. They can grow up to 110 feet, weighing over 330,000 pounds (about 165 tons). The Pygmy Blue Whale is the smallest among them – averaging 79 feet in length and weighing about 170,000 pounds.

Blue Whale Size Comparison to Human

When a human is next to a blue whale, the incredible size difference is mind-boggling. The blue whale absolutely dwarfs people in all dimensions.

The average blue whale spans 80-100 feet (24-30 m) long. In contrast, the average adult human stands around 5-6 feet tall. So, a blue whale is over 16 times longer than a person’s height!

Average adult blue whales weigh 72-135 tons. That means a single blue whale weighs the same as 1,500 adult humans!

If you laid a blue whale lengthwise across a football field, its tail would stick out of one end zone while its head would protrude past the other end zone. That demonstrates how remarkably massive blue whales are compared to a field that feels so immense to humans.

Visitors can climb through replica blue whale hearts at some museums. For instance, the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts has a life-size fiberglass model of a blue whale heart. Guests can explore inside this replica to get a sense of the enormous real whale heart’s scale.

When it comes to speed, an adult human can sprint perhaps 15-20 mph briefly. In contrast, blue whales commonly cruise at 15-20 mph and can reach bursts of speed over 30 mph. So even when swimming, the blue whale can outpace a running human.

Blue Whale Vs. Megalodon Size Comparison

The megalodon shark lived around 3 million years ago. They were the largest sharks ever to exist in the ocean. But how does it compare in size to the blue whale?

Scientists can’t say exactly what Megalodon looked like. However, they have estimated Megalodon’s size by comparing its fossil teeth to the teeth and body size of modern great white sharks which are Megalodon’s close living relatives.

From these comparisons:

Adult Megalodons had an average length of around 33.5 feet, with the largest reaching about 58.7 feet. Their body mass likely ranged from 30 to 65 tons. So, even the biggest Megalodon was only nearly half the length and weight of the average blue whale!

Blue Whale Size Compared to Brontosaurus

Do you know Brontosaurus? They are gentle giant prehistoric dinosaurs. The Brontosaurus had a long neck. It was like the neck of modern-day giraffes. This helped them reach high leaves. They could also bend their necks to eat low plants without walking far.

The brontosaurus was one of the largest land animals that ever existed. But how does the mighty brontosaurus size up against Earth’s biggest animal, the blue whale?

In terms of length, the brontosaurus reached about 70-80 feet long. That’s puny compared to the blue whale’s average length of 80-100 feet. The blue whale surpasses even the longest brontosaurus specimens.

Looking at weight, the brontosaurus weighed around 30-35 tons at full size, based on fossil evidence. The blue whale that at a staggering 100-150 tons, outweighing the brontosaurus by a factor of 3 or more.

While giant during its era, the brontosaurus was still only half the size of Earth’s largest-ever animal, the blue whale. It shows that today’s ocean giants surpass even the mightiest land animals in sheer massive scale and tonnage.

Comparing Blue Whales to Other Large Whale Species

The blue whale dwarfs even its closest rivals in the whale world. Here’s how the blue whale stacks up against other big whale species:

Humpback whale: Adults reach 40-50 feet long on average and weigh around 30-40 tons. Quite large, but not even half the size of a blue whale!

Fin whale: The second largest baleen whale species at around 60-80 feet long and 40-80 tons. Still looks tiny next to a blue whale.

Southern right whale: A stout 43-56 feet long and up to 88 tons makes the southern right whale look petite compared to a blue whale.

Sperm whale: The largest of all toothed whale species. Though males can reach 60 feet long (18 meters), sperm whales are more slender and weigh less around 100 tons than blue whales.

That puts even the largest whales to shame in terms of size and bulk. No wonder the blue whale earned the title of the largest animal on Earth.

Blue Whale Compared to Boat

A typical blue whale can reach lengths of 100 feet, which is longer than most boats. For reference, a 30-foot recreational boat would only reach the tail area of an average-sized blue whale.

For example, here is a video of a blue whale swimming next to a whale watching boat:

Here is another video: a drone shows a blue whale that is larger than an 87-foot boat.

As you can see, the blue whale is much larger than the boat.

In terms of weight, blue whales are also much heavier than boats. A blue whale can weigh up to 150 tons, while a 72-foot whale watching boat weighs about 30 tons.

Blue Whale Size Comparison to Cruise Ship

Blue whales can grow over 100 feet long and weigh over 200 tons. Cruise ships, on the other hand, are massive vessels that can carry thousands of passengers and crew.

The largest cruise ships in the world are over 1,000 feet long and weigh over 200,000 tons. Like Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, can reach over 1,100 feet long, weigh over 222,000 tons, and carry over 5,000 passengers.

As you can see, the blue whale is dwarfed by the cruise ship. The cruise ship is at least 10 times larger than the blue whale in terms of length and weight.

Here is an image that shows the size comparison between a blue whale and a cruise ship:

This image gives us a better sense of the scale of the two animals. The blue whale is still a very large animal, but it looks tiny next to the massive cruise ship.

The size difference between blue whales and cruise ships is a reminder of the power and majesty of nature. Blue whales are incredible animals. We must safeguard them from dangers like ship collisions, pollution, and climate change.

Blue Whale Compared to A Bus

A standard school bus is about 40 feet long. In contrast, the average blue whale spans approximately 100 feet from head to tail. So, it would take two to three lined up school buses to equal the length of a single adult blue whale. Their immensity dwarfs even large vehicles designed for hauling people.

In terms of weight, a typical school bus weighs under 10 tons empty. A blue whale can weigh 15 times as much.

To visualize the scale, picture a standard yellow school bus parked beside a swimming blue whale. The bus’s height would reach just halfway up the whale’s body. If stacked on top of each other, it would take 4-5 full school buses to equal the blue whale’s height when vertical.

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Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Whales can reach lengths of up to 100 feet, while the largest cruise ships can measure around 1,188 feet long.
• Whales can weigh over 200 tons, whereas the largest cruise ships weigh approximately 225,000 tons.
• Whales are the largest creatures on Earth, while cruise ships are colossal vessels.
• The comparison between whale dimensions and cruise ship dimensions is mind-boggling, as a whale could fit within the length of a cruise ship with plenty of space left.

The Size of Whales: A Comparison to Cruise Ships

Understanding the Massive Scale of Whales in Relation to Cruise Ships

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How Big Is a Whale Compared to a Cruise Ship?

By Alice Nichols

When one thinks of the largest creatures in the world, whales are usually at the top of the list. Whales can range in size from a few feet long to almost 100 feet long, making them some of the largest living animals on earth. But how do these massive creatures compare to something like a cruise ship, which are typically around 1,000 feet long?

The answer is that whales are still much smaller than cruise ships. Even the largest whale species, such as the blue whale, typically only reach lengths of around 100 feet. That’s still quite large compared to most other animals, but it’s nothing compared to a massive ocean-going cruise ship. Cruise ships can be up to four times as long as a blue whale and weigh many times more than any whale species.

In addition to their size difference, whales and cruise ships also have very different shapes. Whales have streamlined bodies that allow them to move quickly through the water while cruise ships have flat bottoms and large superstructure above their decks. This makes them better suited for leisurely travel through calm waters than for swimming in open oceans like whales do.

Another way that whales and cruise ships differ is in their power sources. Whales rely on their muscles for propulsion while modern cruise ships use engines or turbines that generate electricity or propel the ship forward using water jets or propellers. The power generated by these engines is much greater than what a whale can produce with its muscles, making them much faster and able to travel across larger distances with ease.

Conclusion:

When comparing a whale’s size versus that of a cruise ship, it’s clear that whales are much smaller than these gigantic vessels. While they may both inhabit oceans and seas around the world, their shapes and power sources make them very different from each other.

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The top 10 biggest cruise ships in the world

Cruise ships have evolved into giant vessels, even eclipsing aircraft carriers. So, what are the top 10 biggest cruise ships in the world?

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Modern cruise ships continue to grow in size, with the biggest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas , launching at the start of this year, and her sister ship the Star of the Seas expected to surpass her in size.

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Both of these ships are operated by Royal Caribbean International, which operates five of the ten largest cruise ships in the world. Carnival Corporation, arguably the biggest cruise company in the world, features three times on the list through its subsidiaries P&O Cruises and Costa Cruises.

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All of the heaviest cruise ships in the world were built within the last 20 years, although the majority – six of the ten – were built within the last five years.

So, here are the top ten biggest cruise ships in the world, by gross tonnage. 

10. P&O Cruises MS Arvia : 185,581 gross tonnes

The MS Arvia is P&O Cruises’ fourth ship to be built by German shipyard Meyer Werft. Weighing in at 185,581 gross tonnes, the 345m (1,130-foot) Arvia is slightly larger than her sister ship, the MS Iona . The 20-deck ship is the largest ship commissioned for the British cruise market and has a maximum passenger capacity of 6,264 passengers, with 1,800 crew onboard. 

The ship is the second liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered Excellence-class vessel for P&O, following the Iona . Arvia is powered by a 61,760kW LNG drive system, with a propulsion power of 37 megawatts. The LNG-powered propulsion system allows the vessel to sail at a maximum speed of 21.5 knots.

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After being floated out in August 2022, the Arvia mainly operates itineraries around the Caribbean or the Mediterranean.

9. Costa Cruises – Costa Smeralda : 185,010 gross tonnes

The Costa Smeralda is the first LNG-powered vessel in the Costa Cruises fleet. With a gross tonnage of 185,010gt, the 20-deck Excellence-class ship measures 337m (1,106 feet) in length. The second LNG-powered cruise ship to enter operation in the world, she has a maximum capacity of 6,554 passengers with 1,646 crew and a service speed of 21.5 knots.

Construction of the Costa Smeralda began at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, in September 2017. Meyer Turku collaborated with the Meyer Werft Papenburg shipyard to develop and integrate the LNG propulsion plant for the ship. She is fitted with four 16-cylinder, Caterpillar MaK 16VM46DF engines, with 15.4 megawatts (20,710 horsepower) output per engine, resulting in a maximum power of  37 megawatts (50,000 horsepower).

The ship, which was named after the Emerald Coast of Sardinia, entered service in December 2019 , departing Savona on its maiden voyage in the Mediterranean, where it has sailed since.

8. Costa Cruises – Costa Toscana : 186,364 gross tonnes

The Costa Toscana is the sister ship of the Costa Smeralda and is also powered by LNG . measuring 337m (1,106 feet) long and weighing in at 186,364 gross tonnes, the Toscana has a maximum capacity of 6,338 passengers and 1,678 staff across her 20 decks.

Like her sister ship, the Toscana was also built at the Meyer shipyard in Finland, with construction completed in 2021. She is also powered by four MaK-Caterpillar engines, with a total power of 57.2 megawatts (76,706 horsepower), and two ABB Azipod motors , resulting in a service speed of 17 knots.

Named in homage to the Tuscany region of Italy, Costa Toscana mainly sails around the Mediterranean Sea but Costa Cruises has also used the ship to sail itineraries further afield, such as around Brazil and the UAE.

7. MSC Cruises – MSC World Europa : 215,863 gross tonnes

The only entry in the top ten from MSC Cruises, MSC World Europa measures 333m (1,094 feet) in length. With 215,863 gross tonnage, she can house more people than any other ship in the MSC fleet: up to 6,762 passengers across 2,633 cabins spread over 22 decks, in addition to 2,138 crew.

Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, the World Europa ’s LNG-power propulsion system was subcontracted to Finland-based Wärtsilä. Five LNG-powered, 14-cylinder Wartsila 46DF dual-fuel engines power the vessel, with a propulsion power of 44 megawatts ( 59,005 horsepower). She also features nitrogen oxide reduction (NOR) units, two Wartsila LNGPac fuel storage and supply systems, seven thrusters, and two fixed-pitch propellers. 

The MSC World Europa was floated out at the end of 2021 and was initially used as an accommodation vessel for fans attending the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the ship berthed at Doha Port in Qatar during the tournament. Following the competition, the ship subsequently travelled several routes around the UAE, before sailing to the Mediterranean, where it has sailed itineraries since.

6. Royal Caribbean International – Allure of the Seas : 225,282 gross tonnes

The first of many entries on this list operated by Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas weighs in at 225,282 gross tonnes. Measuring 362m (1,187 feet), she is only 50mm (2 inches) longer than her sister ship the Oasis of the Seas . The Allure has a maximum capacity of 6,780 passengers and 2,200 crew across 18 decks.

Built at the Turku Shipyard in Finland, the Allure took two years to build , floating out in 2010. She features six Wärtsilä 46 diesel engines with a total power output of 97 megawatts (130,053 horsepower). It is propelled by three electric Azipod azimuth thrusters. The ship can travel at a cruising speed of 22 knots.

With a homeport of Galveston, Texas in the US, the Allure mainly serves itineraries around the Bahamas but she is scheduled to sail routes around the Mediterranean in 2025.

5. Royal Caribbean International – Oasis of the Seas : 226,838 gross tonnes

The oldest ship on this list, the Oasis of the Seas has been in service for over a decade. She was the biggest cruise ship at the time when floated out in 2009, with a gross tonnage of 226,838gt and a length of 360m (1,181 feet). The Oasis has a maximum capacity of 6,699 passengers and 2,181 staff across 18 decks.

The Oasis took two years to build at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, with the keel laid on 12 November 2007 and the ship arriving at her homeport of Port Everglades in Florida, US, on 13 November 2009.

The Oasis is powered by eight Wärtsilä V12 diesel engines, which generate 5.6 megawatts (7,500 horsepower) each, alongside four bow thrusters. The main propulsion system consists of three 20-megawatt (26,820 horsepower) electric Azipod motors, resulting in a combined propulsion power of 82 megawatts (109,964 horsepower) and a standard cruising speed of 23 knots.

The Oasis mainly operates routes around the Caribbean, but occasionally repositions to offer itineraries in the Mediterranean.

4. Royal Caribbean International – Harmony of the Seas : 226,963 gross tonnes

The third Oasis-class ship built by Royal Caribbean, Harmony of the Seas weighed in bigger than her existing sister ships at launch in 2016, with 226,963 gross tonnage, but she has since been surpassed by newer vessels. With a total length of 362m (1,188 feet), Harmony has a maximum capacity of 6,780 passengers and 2,300 staff across 18 decks.

Royal Caribbean placed an order with STX France for the construction of Harmony of the Seas in December 2012. The first steel for the ship was cut at STX France’s Saint-Nazaire shipyard in September 2013, while the keel-laying ceremony was held in May 2014.

The Harmony is powered by three 18.9-megawatt Wärtsilä 16V46 16-cylinder main generator diesel engines and three Wärtsilä 12V46 12-cylinder engines producing 13.9 megawatts each. The propulsion power is provided by three electric Azipod azimuth thrusters and manoeuvring is assisted by four 5.5-megawatt Wärtsilä CT 3500 tunnel thrusters. The propulsion system results in 82 megawatts (109,964 horsepower) and enables the ship to sail at a standard speed of 23 knots.

Harmony of the Seas embarked on her inaugural seven-night Western Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona, Spain, in June 2016, and currently operates itineraries around the Western Caribbean from her homeport of Galveston, Texas in the US.

3. Royal Caribbean International – Symphony of the Seas : 228,081 gross tonnes

At launch in 2018, the Symphony of the Seas surpassed the Harmony as the biggest cruise ship, weighing in at 228,081 gross tonnes. Measuring 361m (1,185 feet), the Symphony has a maximum capacity of 6,680 passengers and 2,200 staff across 18 decks and was the testing ground for Royal Caribbean’s new muster drill . With a total length of 361m (1,185 feet), She is roughly 30 metres (98 feet) longer than the largest military ships , the US Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and the USS Gerald R. Ford .

The keel-laying ceremony for the Symphony of the Seas was held in October 2015 at STX’s Saint-Nazaire shipyard in France, and the ship sailed out in June 2017. She is powered by six diesel sets, each composed of three Wärtsilä 16V46D engines and three Wärtsilä 12V46D engines, as well as three 20-megawatt electric Azipod main engines – resulting in 82 megawatts (109,964 horsepower) of propulsion power and a standard cruising speed of 22 knots.

The Symphony commenced her seven-day maiden voyage from Barcelona in April 2018, and since then has mainly operated itineraries around the Caribbean from her homeports of Miami, New York, and Fort Lauderdale.

2. Royal Caribbean International – Wonder of the Seas : 235,600 gross tonnes

Royal Caribbean’s flagship, Wonder of the Seas is the fifth Oasis-class cruise ship built for the cruise company. Weighing in at 235,600 gross tonnes, the Wonder was the largest ship in the world when she was completed in January 2022. Measuring 362m (1,187 feet) in length, the 18-deck Wonder has a maximum capacity of 7,084 guests across its 2,867 staterooms, as well as housing 2,369 crew.

Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, Wonder is powered by two Wärtsilä 16V46D engines and four Wärtsilä 12V46D engines; and uses three 20-megawatt electric Azipod engines for propulsion, combining for a propulsion power of 82 megawatts (109,964 horsepower and a standard cruising speed of 22 knots.

The Wonder sailed her maiden voyage in March 2022 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has since served itineraries around the Caribbean from her homeports of Miami and Cape Canaveral.

1. Royal Caribbean International – Icon of the Seas : 248,663 gross tonnes

Weighing 248,663 gross tonnes and measuring 365 metres (1,1967 feet), the Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world. Christened on 23 January 2024, the Icon has a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew across 20 decks. She is the lead ship of the new Icon-class, with a sister ship the Star of the Seas due to be delivered in 2025 and another ship planned for delivery in 2026.

Built by Meyer Turku in Finland, the Icon is the first ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet that can be powered by LNG. It uses three Wärtsilä 14V46DF and three Wärtsilä 12V46DF for its main generator engines, which provide 67.5 megawatts of energy to run the ship. She is propelled by three 20-megawatt Azipod thrusters as well as five 4.8-megawatt Wärtsilä WTT-45 CP bow thrusters, with a cruising speed of 22 knots.

After sailing her maiden voyage on 27 January 2024, the Icon now sails year-round itineraries of seven-night trips around the Eastern and Western Caribbean from her homeport of Miami, Florida.

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Why the journey is the destination when it comes to Alaska cruises

They say getting there is half the fun. Usually, I disagree. When I travel, I want to get to where I’m going as quickly as possible to make the most of my time there. However, sailing Celebrity Edge on its maiden Alaska voyage from Seattle, I was all about the journey.

Staring up at the snow-capped mountains through the ship’s floor-to-ceiling windows and watching for wildlife in the icy waters below, I was mesmerized by the famed Last Frontier. And I realized that on an Alaska cruise , the journey is a destination.

Here’s why and what travelers should know about cruising Alaska.

Why is Alaska a popular cruise destination?

Alaska is a bucket-list destination for many people. Some may wait their whole lives for the trip. While Alaska Airlines and other carriers fly throughout America’s largest state , it isn’t as easy to navigate as the Lower 48.

Cruises allow travelers to visit multiple destinations without taking separate flights, renting a car or moving from hotel to hotel. My Edge itinerary included stops in Ketchikan, which is surrounded by the lush Tongass National Forest ; the state capital of Juneau, which is only accessible by air or sea; and Skagway, home of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park . The ship also carefully navigated the stunning Endicott Arm fjord toward Dawes Glacier, a highlight of the trip.

The easy trip can also be more accessible for people with mobility issues and other disabilities. Like other cruise lines, Celebrity has a team dedicated to accessible cruising . Numerous guests on board my sailing used walkers, canes or wheelchairs. Plus, it’s just nice to be able to take in the dramatic coastlines from the comfort of a cozy cabin or lounge when it’s chilly outside.

Are cruises to Alaska worth it?

They can be. At last check, the lowest price on a seven-night Celebrity Edge Alaska Dawes Glacier sailing, roundtrip from Seattle, for the remainder of this summer is listed at $778 per person on the cruise line’s website, based on double occupancy in an inside stateroom. That does not include travel to or from Seattle nor any taxes or fees, which can balloon the bottom line on any cruise. Nor does it include promotional discounts, which are pretty much always available. After taxes and fees, that works to about $2,212 for two people or $1,106 per person. 

The cheapest seven-night Southbound Glacier sailing on the Edge’s sister ship, Celebrity Summit , is much less at $249 per person, based on double occupancy in an inside stateroom. It’s worth noting the Southbound voyage goes from Seward, Alaska, to Vancouver, British Columbia, not a round trip. Also the Summit is not an Edge-class ship , The Celebrity Edge is the first Edge class ship to sail Alaska; it was also the first ship in Celebrity’s most recent series, which also includes the new Celebrity Ascent . Edge-class ships were designed to bring guests closer than ever to their destinations, with their signature Magic Carpet cantilevered platform that extends beyond the ship’s edge and other features that bring the outside in. After taxes and fees, the Summit sailing adds up to about $1,231 for two people or about $615 a person.

Both are cheaper than flying between cities and staying at hotels for a week in Alaska, but they're also cheaper than other popular vacations. For example, seven nights at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort , a value resort at Walt Disney World , costs $955 for the room alone, including taxes and a summer promo deal. Adding seven days of park tickets, without park hopping, and the total becomes $2,195 for two people or about $1,098 per person, excluding food.

Meanwhile, cruises include all onboard meals – except optional specialty dining and alcohol. There are also a boatload of included activities, like nature talks, tai chi classes, guided arts and crafts, trivia, games and childcare. There’s live music available through the day and nightly stage shows. I sampled a little bit of everything, but for me, the best part of the ship was the views.

Inside Ascent: 3 takeaways from Celebrity Cruises' new ship

Do you see wildlife on an Alaskan cruise?

Yes. I saw whale spouts three times from the ship, though the whales didn’t breach above water. I also saw a handful of harbor seals and a dozen eagles from the ship and from shore. Bald eagles are so common in Alaska that a tour bus driver jokingly called them bald seagulls. There are 30,000 bald eagles in the state, according to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. 

I kept an eye out for bears on an excursion to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. I didn’t see any walking along the paved, wheelchair-accessible Nugget Falls Trail, but I did spot all sorts of spring buds and the most beautiful moss.

The ship’s onboard naturalist gave us a heads-up on what to look for and taught us about various species in presentations in the ship’s theater. She also broadcasted live on the ship’s TV channel and inside speakers while traveling through the Endicott Arm. However, her voice wasn’t carried on outside speakers to avoid potentially disturbing wildlife.

What is the best month to go on a cruise to Alaska?

The Alaska cruise season runs from late April to early October, though dates vary by cruise line. Guests who sail early or late in the season may find lower rates than during the height of the summer, but they may miss out on warmer weather.

It was in the 40s to 50s most days of my May sailing, and it rained on our Juneau day. The onboard naturalist warned that there is no bad weather in Alaska, only poor clothing choices.

How much should I budget for an Alaskan cruise?

You should pad your budget with several hundred extra dollars for excursions and dining off-ship. Both can be pricey but enriching. My Mendenhall Glacier excursion was just under $130, including transportation and an off-site Gold Creek Salmon Bake , with all-you-can-eat fresh salmon cooked over a wood-burning fire.  I’ve never had better fried fish than the local halibut at The Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan, and I will be dreaming of the sweet, plump red king crab at Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau for years to come.  If you want freshly caught Alaska seafood, you’ll want to get it at port.

You may be able to spot whales from the cruise ship, but if you really want to go whale watching, salmon fishing, dog sledding, or get up close to glaciers, that’s generally going to require an excursion. Excursions offered through cruise lines tend to cost more than those booked independently, but booking through the cruise line can streamline payment and ensure that the ship won’t leave without you if the excursion runs late.

One port you can enjoy on the cheap is Skagway. You can explore several exhibits and historic buildings on your own, as part of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. However many visitors splurge on a scenic train ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway up to the Canadian border and back.

Is it worth getting a balcony on a cruise?

Yes and no. The views throughout Alaska are breathtaking, and being able to enjoy them from your cabin any time of day feels luxurious. I loved waking up to mountains, thick with trees, outside my window and scanning the waters for marinelife before bed.

Just over 80% of Celebrity Edge’s staterooms have a balcony. I had an Infinite Veranda , which is unique to Edge-class ships. Rather than a traditional balcony with a sliding glass door, Infinite Verandas incorporate what would be exterior balcony space into the interior of the cabin and have a window that slides halfway down the exterior wall with the push of a button. I loved how much bigger it made the cabin feel and appreciated the extra climate-controlled living space. It was still chilly during my early season sailing, so I rarely put the window down and think I would have enjoyed a non-balcony, oceanview room just as much.

Of course, if you book an inside cabin, you can still enjoy the scenery from public areas of any ship. The Celebrity Edge brings the outside in with tons of windows, including in the buffet restaurant, Oceanview Cafe, where I spotted my first whale spout. In the back of the ship, there’s a relaxing mixed-use space called Eden with three stories of windows that I found myself drawn to daily. The solarium, with its tall windows and rows of lounge chairs, also offered expansive views. 

Do I need a passport for an Alaskan cruise?

Maybe. For a closed-loop cruise that starts and ends in the same U.S. port, like the one I was on, all you need is proof of citizenship. 

“According to U.S. Customs & Border Protection, this includes an Enhanced Driver’s License, which is a state-issued driver’s license that provides proof of identity and U.S. citizenship; a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where the person was born) or passport; and if 16 or older, a government-issued driver’s license or picture ID denoting photo, name, and date of birth,” according to Celebrity.

Of course, not all Alaska cruises are closed-loop cruises. Some start or end in Vancouver, Canada. There are also cruises on several smaller U.S.-flagged cruise lines like Alaska Dream Cruises and Uncruise Adventures , which may not require passports depending on the itinerary.

Can you see the Northern Lights on an Alaska cruise?

It’s possible, but because daylight hours are so long during the summer in Alaska, the best chance to see them would be on a cruise late in the season.

I woke up in the middle of the night a few times to look for Northern Light. I didn’t see any, but I heard passengers on a previous sailing spotted them. Then again, so did people all across the country during the solar storm earlier this month.

The reporter on this story received access from Celebrity Cruises. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of reviews.

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One of world's rarest whales sighted off California coast

by Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News

In an extraordinary sighting, a critically endangered North Pacific right whale was spotted off the Marin County coast on Friday, thrilling scientists.

One of the rarest whales in the world, only an estimated 30 animals are thought to survive.

"It was astonishing," said research ecologist Jan Roletto, who sighted the whale about three miles west of Point Reyes National Seashore while aboard a research vessel for the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies.

Visibility was tough on Friday, with waves and fierce winds that pushed 12 to 14-foot swells. The mission of the research team's weeklong trip, a partnership between Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries and Point Blue Conservation Science, was to survey marine wildlife.

But the whale was unmistakable.

"It came up right in front of us," then lingered for nearly 20 minutes, said Roletto, research coordinator for the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries.

Standing together on the ship's viewing platform, Roletto and marine ecologist Kirsten Lindquist instantly turned to look at each other.

"We both knew immediately what it was," Roletto said. The identification has since been officially confirmed by the NOAA Marine Mammal Lab in Seattle, based on photos and video.

The whale had a distinctive V-shaped blow. Wide and pitch black, it had no dorsal fin. And there was at least one cluster of telltale "callosities" on the head, rough and white skin patches.

"It seemed to be resting," Roletto said. "It wasn't feeding. It wasn't traveling. It would move a little bit, then sink down."

They once numbered in the tens of thousands throughout the North Pacific.

Like other whales, the species was driven nearly to extinction by commercial whaling in the 1800s. Hunters named them the "right" whale to kill because they're easy targets. They swim slowly and near shore, have thick blubber and float when killed, according to Jessica Crance, a research biologist with the Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. It is estimated that between 21,000–30,000 right whales were slaughtered in the North Pacific in a single decade.

By 1900 they were already considered commercially extinct—meaning their numbers were so low they weren't worth the effort of trying to catch.

The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling banned the commercial hunting of right whales in the North Pacific in 1937, and their numbers began to climb.

But illegal Soviet whaling in the 1960s in the northern Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea again pushed the species toward extinction.

They have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. But unlike other species of whales—such as humpbacks, gray whales and blue whales—populations of the North Pacific right whale have been much slower to recover. Its cousin in the Southern Hemisphere is faring somewhat better.

While whaling is no longer a threat, human activity such as entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris, vessel strikes, impacts from climate change , oil and gas development and ocean noise continue to threaten the species.

According to Crance, there are only an estimated 30 individuals left in U.S. waters, and that number was based on data that is more than 15 years old.

"When their historical distribution is in a remote region with notoriously bad weather, finding even a single animal becomes a search for the proverbial 'needle in a haystack," " Crance wrote in the Journal of the American Cetacean Society.

North Pacific right whales are baleen whales, which feed by straining huge volumes of ocean water through their comb-like baleen plates that trap copepods and other zooplankton.

Because they are so rare, very little is known about the movements, migration, breeding or calving of the North Pacific species, said Jim Scarff, an independent whale researcher in Berkeley. Satellite tagging offered detailed movement data when the whales were in the Bering Sea, but all tags fell off before the animals left the region, so their travel routes remain a mystery.

"There is remarkably little understanding about their distribution," said Scarff..

Acoustic surveys offer a new approach to track the whales. Using specialized software, U.S. and Canadian biologists are now collaborating in an acoustic study to detect right whale calls along the British Columbia coast.

But vessel-based surveys are still the best means for obtaining information on an individual animal, according to Crance.

In the past decade, there have been a handful of detections off the coasts of British Columbia, Washington State and California. In March 2023, whale watchers saw one close to shore near Point Pinos in Monterey Bay. In April 2022, a fisherman reported a sighting near San Mateo County's Point Ano Nuevo.

"It's always one individual animal, often in the spring," said Scarff. "And then it's never seen again."

2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Canada's best wildlife encounters on a small-ship cruise of British Columbia

A small-ship cruise around the maze of islands scattered off the remote north coast of Vancouver Island reveals some of British Columbia's most magnificent wildlife.

Vancouver Islanders have a name for the few weeks in late summer when whales can be spotted from ships close to shore: ‘humpback soup’. Like a pot on the boil, the sea churns over this period with heaving, grey muscle, all popping and roiling and slapping the surface with barnacle-crusted flukes, so close you can hear the wind-tunnel roar of air being sucked wetly into gargantuan lungs.

Whale-watching — normally a sedate activity — practically becomes an adrenaline sport, involving many unsteady sprints from port to starboard and back again for a triumphant glimpse of a tail fin or a gut punch of lingering spray.

Cetacean-spotting here offers rich pickings, but the Johnstone Strait — a narrow and, on the surface, completely unremarkable channel cleaving the northeast shore of Vancouver Island from craggy mainland British Columbia — is particularly notable for its high number of humpback sightings. But myriad other species call these shores home, among them galumphing, salt-crusted grizzlies, skulking black bears and rare fish-eating sea wolves, as well as porpoises, dolphins and cougars. Bald eagles also perch imperiously on the island’s coniferous fringes, their white heads starkly contrasting with the green, feathery fronds.

For Canadian wildlife, there are few better places — and for orca, there are few better places in the world. There are three kinds that ply the waters here: the vocal ‘residents’, which feast on the salmon that wash silvery life into the waterways every summer; the ‘transients’ — seal-eating, sneaky and wolf-like in their ‘pack’ behaviour, and silent unless celebrating a meal; and the elusive and mysterious ‘offshores’, which ply deeper waters and are rarely seen.

The only way in or out of this maze of waterways is by seaplane — a wide-angled, often wide-eyed perspective that misses the finer details — or by boat. On a small-ship cruise, those finer details — and the essence of what this stretch of coast is about — come into focus: the cathedral-like hush beneath the rainforest canopy, the heavy scent of sap hanging like incense in the air; the sound of beachcombing grizzly bears crunching mussels like breakfast cereal; the briny tang of nibbled samphire, plucked fresh from the intertidal zone from aboard a rigid inflatable boat. And the sight of a mighty black fin — not glimpsed from above but at eye level — cleaving the waves just beyond the bow.

The journey always begins in Port McNeill, a picturesque community overlooking the water on Vancouver Island’s northeast coast, and from there days are flexible and easygoing, taking the ship wherever the wind and the wildlife sightings lead; time seems to slow, dictated by the turning of the tides. Occasionally, if weather conditions allow, the mighty sails can be unfurled and the engine can be switched off, so the only sounds are the puffing blows of cruising whales and the washing of the waves over the bow.

From the Johnstone Strait, pit stops include West Cracroft Island, where the Pig Ranch Trail is popular for its mighty cedars, which troop like evergreen giants towards the shallows to meet the fiery orange seaweed; the sandy banks of the Otter River, which are crisscrossed with wolf tracks; and Knight Inlet, a lagoon of aquamarine water occasionally traversed by families of swimming bears. This labyrinth of islands is at the centre of a rich natural world, in a place where gradually all lingering thoughts of modern life drift away with the tides.

For Hungry Minds

Related topics.

• MARINE MAMMALS
• WHALE WATCHING
• HUMPBACK WHALE

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The 9 best party cruises for 2024.

The best party cruises have something fun for everyone.

The Best Party Cruises

Getty Images

You won't be bored on a party cruise.

The magic of a cruise vacation is created with culinary delights, exotic ports of call, comfortable accommodations, carefully curated spaces and, of course, parties. These onboard celebrations can take many forms: large dance parties and quiet lounges, family-friendly and adults-only, adrenaline-pumping and relaxing activities, elegant and come-as-you-are events, and entire ships transformed into themed cruises .

Prepare for fun times on the following ships hosting the best party cruises at sea.

Royal Caribbean: Oasis of the Seas

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Explore the eastern and western Caribbean aboard Oasis of the Seas , one of the largest cruise ships in the world. On this 6,771-passenger vessel, 18 decks of fun and 2,109 crew members await your next voyage.

• Bionic Bar: For late-night parties where "mixology meets technology," order cocktails from unexpected bartenders: robots! These two specialized tech creations are well-versed in classic alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails, and they can also mix a bespoke drink designed by you.
• Adrenaline-pumping amenities: Get ready for day and night thrills at four separate venues. Ripcord by iFly is billed as the only skydiving simulator at sea; North Star allows cruisers to snap stunning photos from the tallest viewing deck found on any cruise ship; Sky Pad provides a virtual reality experience while patrons jump on a bungee trampoline; and the Ultimate Abyss, named the tallest slide at sea, plunges 10 stories down.
• Surprise events: Scattered throughout the ship are several surprise activities that pop up among the scheduled itinerary of events. Join a toga party; boogie at a disco brigade; dress for a masquerade party; or transport back in time at an '80s-inspired extravaganza.

Book a  Royal Caribbean cruise on GoToSea, a service of U.S. News.

Carnival: Liberty

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Cruise for two to 14 days through the Caribbean, Bahamas or Panama Canal on the 2,974-passenger Carnival Liberty . In addition to decks of party fun, cruisers can dine at eateries designed by famous chefs, watch live sports and movies under the stars, and enjoy activities with the kids.

• Sailaway Party/Mega Deck Party: Get the party started on launch day at the Sailaway Party, where all passengers can gather for music, dancing, drinks and smiles. Then, see everyone again at the open-air Mega Deck Party under the stars on the Lido Deck, complete with more dancing, games and giveaways.
• RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar: Taste the flavors of the tropics at these two popular venues for drinks, music and good times. Choose from a chill menu of cocktails and specialty beer while you stay cool by the pool.
• Fun and games: If parties with your friends include spirited competition, this is your ship. In addition to showing off your skills on the basketball court and obstacle-filled mini golf course, play cornhole, sign up for the scavenger hunt and compete in art games. Then, try your luck gambling in the casino, playing bingo, and joining the "Deal or No Deal" onboard game show.

Find a Carnival cruise on GoToSea.

Virgin Voyages: Scarlet Lady

Courtesy of Virgin Voyages

Bring your fabulous self aboard Scarlet Lady , the inaugural ship of Virgin Voyages , an adults-only cruise line . Fares include all food, essential drinks, Wi-Fi access, tips, group fitness classes, entertainment and more than 50 onboard events and activities for 2,770 sailors.

• Drag brunch and dance party: Join the ladies in the Razzle Dazzle restaurant for an early meal seasoned with glitz, glam, humor and style. Then, spend an evening in The Red Room, where drag queens bring the party to life with dances and banter.
• Scarlet Night Party: Wear your best scarlet attire and immerse yourself in the saga of a "mysterious goddess of the sea and the sailor who won her heart." The whole vessel becomes part of the story with games, tales, live music, pop-up performances, a red pool and a late-night dance party.
• The Manor: Bring your dancing shoes and enter this two-level nightclub through a hall of glittery mirrors. Inside are drinks, music and the Festival Stage Acts – a collection of rotating comedy acts that change every few weeks.
• Studio 72: Dance to the beats of the '70s and early '80s at this high-energy venue. Live music, light shows and surprises await.

Explore Virgin Voyages deals on GoToSea.

MSC Cruises: Divina

Courtesy of MSC Cruises

This 4,345-passenger ship combines modern comfort with eco-friendly tech in an atmosphere of Golden Age glamour. You'll enjoy lots of party venues on Divina 's two- and three-night cruises in the Caribbean.

• Bars and lounges: Spend time with friends in your choice of 17 themed spaces, including a cigar bar, a jazz bar, a sports bar, indoor/outdoor/poolside bars, Italian lounges and the casino. Then, try your talents at karaoke (available in multiple languages).
• High-tech spaces: A stocked video arcade, cyber cafe and full-size Formula 1 racecar simulator await.
• Get Together parties: Gather with likeminded cruisers from across the world during special events like the Veterans Get Together, Solo Guests Cocktail Party and LGBTQIAP+ Get Together.
• Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve: Book a cruise that includes a stop at this exclusive private island in The Bahamas. Step off the ship and head to the sand for a day of sun, fun and exploration with your shipmates. Scuba dive, climb the lighthouse, rent a cabana, have a spa treatment or sip your favorite beverage by the sea.

Compare MSC Cruises on GoToSea.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Breakaway

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Take a transatlantic voyage or book a cruise in the Caribbean or Mediterranean on this 3,963-passenger ship. Refurbished in 2020, Breakaway offers a quarter-mile oceanfront promenade, unique entertainment venues, and a host of complimentary and specialty dining options.

• Spice H20: Pool party by day; dance party by night. This transformative space, inspired by Ibiza's beach parties, offers cruisers a refreshing dip in the pool, hot tubs and a waterfall when the sun is high. Return after dark to enjoy the venue's dance floor and large video screen.
• Skyy Vodka Ice Bar: Escape the heat in the coolest spot on the ship – a frozen bar. Sip specialty drinks in this adults-only spot inspired by Scandinavian ice hotels. The bar, tables, decor, seats and glasses are all made of ice.
• Syd Norman's Pour House: Step back in time at this classic rock 'n' roll venue built to look like the intimate, gritty clubs of days gone by. Performers bring to life all the top tunes of the '60s, '70s and '80s while the crowd sings along.
• Bliss Ultra Lounge: Stay out on the dance floor all night long at this high energy lounge. The distinctly nightclub vibe is created by DJs spinning up-tempo music, ultraviolet lights, plasma screens and a delicious selection of cocktails.

Book a  Norwegian Cruise Line cruise on GoToSea.

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Celebrity Cruises: Apex

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Elevate your celebrations of important life events aboard the sleek Celebrity Apex . Work with a specialist to plan a luxury wedding, vow renewal or engagement party on a sailing through Europe or the Caribbean. Itineraries include the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean, the Cayman Islands , the Bahamas and more.

• Magic Carpet: Gather with friends and family at this unique venue. The cantilevered, floating platform is perched out over the ocean on the starboard side and can move to different decks during the voyage. Room for 100 guests, a full bar, live music and views up to 13 stories above sea level create a memorable experience.
• Resort Deck: Enjoy multiple locations throughout this architecturally pleasing space decorated with various art installations. Intimate cabanas sit near the swimming pool, bar and two-story martini hot tubs, while the covered adults-only Solarium is a luxurious spot to unwind. Additionally, the Rooftop Garden offers cocktails, dining, comfy seating, live performances and games. This venue can accommodate up to 270 guests for day and night fun.
• Eden: Choose this glass-wrapped, three-story, 11,800-square-foot space for your next party. This popular venue features tranquil gardens, constantly shifting views, cozy seating, fresh air and an array of nightly events.

Find a Celebrity Cruises itinerary on GoToSea.

Disney Cruise Line: Disney Wish

Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Make memories on a multigenerational cruise packed with parties for all the ages aboard the 4,000-passenger Disney Wish . Discover a host of family-friendly sights and sounds to delight everyone on this new Disney Cruise Line ship.

• Oceaneer Club: Entertain cruisers ages 3 to 12 at five Disney-themed spaces: Marvel Super Hero Academy, Star Wars Cargo Bay, Mickey and Minnie Captain's Deck, Imagineering Lab, and Fairytale Hall. The fun includes training as a super hero recruit; an interactive creature challenge; nautical-themed games; hands-on activities; and arts and crafts.
• Edge/Vibe/The Hideaway: Hang out with friends at these three popular clubs for tweens and teens . Counselor-led activities and photo wall backdrops in the chic loft are perfect for cruisers ages 11 to 14. A funky, Parisian art loft awaits those ages 14 to 17, while young adults ages 18 to 20 can plan private parties at The Hideaway.
• Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge/Keg & Compass: Enjoy some adults-only time at two venues created for grown-up gatherings. At night, the ship's Star Wars-themed lounge becomes a destination for signature cocktail tastings. Or, grab a craft beer and cheer on your favorite sports team in the pub space inspired by Viking ships.
• Pirate Night: Dress as your favorite buccaneer for a swashbuckling good time with the whole family. Shows, trivia, dancing with Disney characters, special effects and fireworks with Captain Jack Sparrow create a night to remember.

Explore Disney Cruise Line deals on GoToSea.

Royal Caribbean: Themed Cruises

Sailing on a themed cruise with Royal Caribbean International is a nonstop party. Pick your favorite pastime, hobby or passion and book an immersive experience on a ship full of fun folks who share your interests.

• Star Trek: The Cruise VII, Mariner of the Seas : Explore the Caribbean alongside an impressive list of stars from STNG, DS9, Voyager and more. Hang out in the Star Lounge, Studio B, pubs, bars and night clubs with your fellow Trekkies.
• The '80s Cruise, Mariner of the Seas: Step back in time and get ready to sing and dance on this seven-day, all-inclusive cruise . More than 50 concerts are planned for this voyage, including '80s music star performances by 38 Special, Debbie Gibson, Ray Parker Jr., Wang Chung, Sheena Easton and many more.
• The Old School Cruise 2024, Navigator of the Seas : Rock with the old school bands of the '60s, '70s and '80s on this cruise sailing from California. Kool & the Gang, Club Nouveau, Midnight Star and more provide the music for this retro dance party.
• Super Legends 2024, Navigator of the Seas: Take an epic musical cruise with the timeless legends of old school, Latin soul, freestyle and Tejano, all on one voyage. This three-night concert at sea sails roundtrip from Los Angeles.

Book a Royal Caribbean cruise on GoToSea.

Azamara: Journey

Revel in elegant merriment aboard this mid-sized luxury ship. If stylish celebrations are what you seek, the 690-passenger Azamara Journey is the perfect setting.

• Club Crooner: Enjoy the musical stylings of the great crooners from the past and present at this swanky onboard nightclub. Talented performers channel their inner Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole and others for an evening of songs and cocktails.
• And the Beat Goes On: Join in the songs and dances from the greatest hits through time via a musical journey across genres. Set lists include famous tunes by Madonna, Ricky Martin, Katy Perry, Journey and many more.
• Six Strings: Watch the singers and dancers at this venue of classic rock with an acoustic vibe. Reminisce with tunes from The Beatles, Pat Benatar, Aerosmith, Queen, The Rolling Stones and others.
• Onboard fun: For daytime fun, challenge your shipmates to tournaments in darts, table tennis and trivia. In the evenings, enjoy the tunes of pianists, a quartet, a five-piece band and a DJ spinning dance music – or make your own music with a night of karaoke. Be sure to bring white attire to wear at the signature White Night festivities, which include special food and drinks, live music, and dancing on the pool deck.

Compare Azamara cruises on GoToSea.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Angela Minor fell in love with cruising during her first voyage as a teenager aboard the SS Emerald Seas where she performed on the ship. Her voyages have taken her into the Caribbean, the Atlantic, the Pacific and Alaska, where she once lived on an island. Minor used her extensive travel knowledge and research skills to write this article.

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• Cruise Packing List
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Tags: Travel , Cruises

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Princess Cruises ships ranked by size from biggest to smallest — the complete list

Are you looking for the most venue-packed, resort-like Princess Cruises ships at sea? If so, you'll want to get on one of the biggest Princess cruise ships.

The biggest Princess cruise ships are, by their very nature, the Princess ships with the most onboard restaurants, bars and showrooms, as well as the most sprawling decktop pool and lounge areas. The biggest Princess ships have the biggest casinos and spas among ships in the Princess fleet and the most cabins and suites — as well as the most variation in cabin and suite types.

With room for 4,000 passengers or more, the biggest Princess ships are truly large resorts of the sort you find at the biggest vacation destination on land. If you're in the "bigger is better" camp when it comes to a resort experience, these are the Princess ships for you.

For more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Still, Princess doesn't just operate large vessels. The Los Angeles-based cruise giant — the fifth largest cruise line in the world — also has several relatively small cruise ships in its fleet that carry just 2,000 or 3,000 people and have a more intimate feel. In some cases, these vessels are nearly 50% smaller than the size of Princess Cruises' biggest ships. These smaller ships, notably, have less deck-top pool space and fewer interior venues than the biggest Princess cruise ships. However, with fewer people on board, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The smallest Princess cruise ships are best for vacationers who like a more intimate, less crowded resort experience.

Related: The 4 types of Princess Cruises ships, explained

To make sure you end up on the right Princess ship for you, it pays to study which Princess ships are the biggest and which are the smallest before booking.

Here, every Princess ship currently in operation is ranked from biggest to smallest.

1. Sun Princess

Maiden voyage: 2024 Size: 177,882 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,300

2. Discovery Princess

Maiden voyage: 2022 Size: 145,000 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,660

3 (tied). Enchanted Princess

Maiden voyage: 2020 Size: 144,650 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,660

3 (tied). Sky Princess

Maiden voyage: 2019 Size: 144,650 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,660

5. Majestic Princess

Maiden voyage: 2017 Size: 143,700 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,560

6 (tied). Regal Princess

Maiden voyage: 2014 Size: 142,229 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,560

6 (tied). Royal Princess

Maiden voyage: 2013 Size: 142,229 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,560

8 (tied). Ruby Princess

Maiden voyage: 2008 Size: 113,561 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,080

8 (tied). Emerald Princess

Maiden voyage: 2007 Size: 113,561 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,080

8 (tied). Crown Princess

Maiden voyage: 2006 Size: 113,561 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,080

11 (tied). Sapphire Princess

Maiden voyage: 2004 Size: 115,875 gross tons Passenger capacity : 2,670

11 (tied). Diamond Princess

13. Caribbean Princess

Maiden voyage: 2004 Size: 112,894 gross tons Passenger capacity : 3,149

14. Grand Princess

Maiden voyage: 1998 Size: 107,517 gross tons Passenger capacity : 2,600

15. Island Princess

Maiden voyage: 2003 Size: 92,822 gross tons Passenger capacity : 2,200

16. Coral Princess

Maiden voyage: 2002 Size: 91,627 gross tons Passenger capacity : 2,000

What is the biggest Princess cruise ship?

The biggest Princess cruise ship is the 4,300-passenger Sun Princess , which is also the line's newest vessel. It just debuted in February.

Sun Princess is the first vessel in Princess Cruises' new Sphere Class of ships, which have been designed to be much bigger and more venue-packed than the vessels in the line's last new series of ships, the Royal Class.

Sun Princess measures 177,882 gross tons, which is about 22% bigger than the biggest ship in the Royal Class (the 145,000-ton Discovery Princess). Royal Class ships range in size from 142,229 to 145,000 gross tons.

Note that gross tons is a size measurement referring to interior space, not weight.

A second ship in the Sphere Class series, Star Princess, is under construction at a shipyard in Italy and will debut in October 2025 .

For more details on Sun Princess, including what venues are on board and what it's like to sail on the vessel, see TPG's comprehensive first look at Sun Princess after an early sailing.

What is the smallest Princess cruise ship?

The smallest Princess cruise ship is the 2,000-passenger Coral Princess. Measuring just 91,267 gross tons, it's about 36% smaller than Discovery Princess, making it a significantly smaller vessel.

Coral Princess dates to 2002, a time when cruise ships were built far smaller than they are today and with far fewer venues. At 21 years old, it's also one of the two oldest vessels in the Princess fleet and will probably be phased out sometime in the next decade.

Related: The ultimate guide to Princess Cruises

While significantly smaller than the newest Princess ships, Coral Princess still has many of the signature spaces and venues found on new Princess vessels, including an Italian eatery called Sabatini's and a steakhouse.

Entertainment venues on Coral Princess include a relatively large main theater for production shows, a secondary lounge that offers comedy shows and other entertainment, and a casino. Like other Princess ships, the top deck of the vessel is mostly devoted to pool areas with hot tubs and lounge chairs. There's also a spa.

While smaller and older than the typical Princess ship, Coral Princess has a loyal following among Princess fans who prefer smaller and more intimate ships.

Are bigger Princess cruise ships coming?

It's not clear yet. Princess currently has one new ship on order, Star Princess. But the final size of Star Princess won't be known until the vessel debuts in late 2025.

Star Princess will be the second vessel in the new Sphere Class of ships at Princess. It's likely to be very similar in size to the first vessel in the series, the new Sun Princess. But it's not uncommon for each new vessel in a series to be slightly bigger than the one before.

Star Princess is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard near Monfalcone, Italy.

Note that this isn't the first time Princess has named a ship Sun Princess or Star Princess. Both are recycled names from past Princess ships. Princess operated smaller vessels under the Sun Princess and Star Princess names up until 2020.

Related: Everything to know about Princess cabins and suites

What's the difference between bigger and smaller Princess ships?

The biggest Princess cruise ships have room for more onboard venues and attractions than smaller Princess ships. That makes them more alluring for vacationers who prefer a big resort experience with lots of options as compared to a stay at a smaller resort.

On the biggest Princess vessels, the Sphere Class and Royal Class vessels, you'll find the largest piazza-like central atriums in the Princess fleet surrounded by lots of bars and restaurants; multiple entertainment venues for live shows, comedy acts and more; and expansive pool decks with more space for sunning than you'll find on smaller Princess vessels.

You'll also find some only-on-the-Royal-class-ships extras, including, on some of the Royal Class ships, a glass-floored "SeaWalk" that extends over the side of the vessel.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Princess ship

Princess' smaller cruise ships also are generally its older cruise ships and lack some of the above features, which are more typical of newer ships. These smaller Princess ships have a more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships, and they hold fewer people.

While Sphere Class and Royal Class ships can hold more than 4,500 passengers with every berth full, the line's smaller vessels (particularly the relatively small Island Princess and Coral Princess) often sail with just 2,000 or so passengers on board.

That makes the smaller Princess ships a good choice for someone who wants to try Princess but isn't eager to travel with huge crowds. The smallest ships in the Princess fleet thus appeal to a subset of Princess fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don't mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. They are also often less expensive to sail on, on a per-day basis.

Related: Don't miss out on these Princess loyalty perks

In addition, because of their size, the smallest ships at Princess Cruises are able to operate itineraries to places that aren't as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports in the world can handle a ship the size of Sun Princess.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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• Which cruise brand is best for you? A guide to the most popular lines
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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Widow left ‘crying her eyes out’ after being stuck alone on cruise with ‘vomiting bug’ after husband’s death

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A widow was left in tears after being hit by a ‘vomiting bug’ on a P&O cruise she took alone for the first time since her husband’s death.

The woman in her 70s is one of hundreds of holidaymakers who allegedly became ill after a norovirus outbreak on P&O Cruises Ventura ship.

Being ill and alone on her first solo cruise is ‘soul-destroying,’ she told Metro.co.uk .

Jill Bond, 67, from Coventry, is also on the latest two-week cruise around Canary Islands with her husband Andrew Bond, 59.

She suffers from COPD so the ‘violent’ vomiting left her ‘quite worried’ as she threw up after using her inhaler.

‘If I had the chance I would fly this morning, but I don’t want to give it to anyone else. I don’t want to spread it and sitting on a plane you can easily give it to other,’ she said.

Guests and crew have allegedly been affected for more than a month after a persistent bug that remains on the ship.

More than 150 guests isolated on board the latest cruise that left the UK on May 11, a source has alleged.

They told Metro.co.uk there have been 250 suspected cases of the vomiting bug in the last four days, with guests allegedly ‘throwing up in public spaces’ around the ship.

P&O Cruises said previously it implemented its ‘approved and enhanced’ sanitisation protocols after reports of ‘guests with gastrointestinal symptoms.’

The widow, who asked not to be named, said she isolated in her cabin alone for more than two days after getting ill with the bug on Wednesday, with staff bringing her food and water cans as she struggled with diarrhoea and vomiting.

Her cabin is still full of unsanitary rubbish and sheets unchanged as the cabin has not been cleaned for four days despite end her isolation on Friday, she claims.

She described the moment she was allowed to go out of her cabin: ‘I sat in a corner and cried my eyes out. I feel vulnerable sitting there. You should not feel like that when you’re on holiday.

‘It was my first P&O cruise and last, absolutely.’

The woman said it had been ‘difficult’ for her to make the trip ‘as it’s my first cruise, on my own, since losing my beloved husband in May 2022.’

The couple had been on four cruises and ‘used to fly all over as well.’

She paid around £3,000 for the cruise.

The 14-day voyage from Southampton around the Canary Islands has turned into a nightmare as ‘more and more people get sick,’ the source claimed.

But some guests ‘have left the ship to fly home,’ a source alleged.

Another woman, who is on the cruise with her 85-year-old mum who has underlying health conditions, said the pair are two ‘frightened’ to leave their cabin on the £4,400 trip in case they get ill.

She claimed ‘no one from P&O’ has been in touch and people are let go ‘off the ship to towns and cities spreading this virus.’

Andrew, a personal injury lawyer, said there was no ‘self-service anywhere’ and tables are being sprayed and wiped down after guests.

But he claimed he had seen people ‘refuse’ to use the hand sanitisation units and ‘still be allowed into food service areas so enforcement of the protection measures is poor to say the least.’

He continued: ‘Whatever steps they are taking on the Ventura are clearly not working and they really should have cancelled our cruise and should cancel all future cruises until they are absolutely certain that the norovirus has been eradicated.

‘If it has been on board for the past 4 or 6 weeks, it is clearly a problem with or on the ship and is nothing to do with the passengers because they change every 7 or 14 days but the norovirus is still there.’

While the mid-way of the cruise had been a ‘nightmare,’ Andrew and Jill were determined to make the ‘most of it’ as she was feeling better and slowly able to eat again.

Jill said the staff are ‘lovely’ and everyone is ‘helpful,’ but she could see the ‘look on their faces, they are not happy and cheerful like normally.’

‘They seem very strained,’ she added.

In letter sent on Thursday evening, captain James Brown offered £15 on-board credit to each guest to compensate for leaving the ship in Tenerife while it was cleaned.

The source at the ship said ‘this is a serious outbreak,’ saying the latest cruise was ‘the most we have had sick this time.’

‘We don’t know where it came from, it has been on board for a month maybe 5-6 weeks now and each cruise we think it has gone but more and more people get sick,’ they said.

Guests allegedly face a five-hour wait to call the ship’s medical centre because of ‘so many cases.’

They claimed that passengers have not received compensation.

All guests who contacted Metro said they planned to seek compensation.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said in a statement on Saturday: ‘We are so sorry that these guests have been affected. Obviously it not what we would want for anyone on board as one of our highest priorities is always the wellbeing of everyone.

‘It is though important to note the  UK Health Security Agency  (UKHSA) has reported a current increase in cases across the U.K. as a whole. 

‘We have approved sanitisation protocols and adopt a phased and proven approach . 

‘These wide range of approved protocols include constant and enhanced sanitation across the ship with specialist teams, isolating those affected, serving the buffet (instead of self service), closing the launderettes but offering complimentary washing and pressing and more.’

A two-week cruise on Ventura around the Canaries starts from around £1,129.

When the ship was launched, it was one of the largest cruise ships on the British market, with 1,550 cabins.

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said in a statement: ‘Southampton Port Health Authority has been made aware of elevated figures of acute gastro enteritis (AGE) affecting passengers on board MV Ventura recently.

‘The Authority has been communicating with Carnival UK regarding this incident and we understand the ship continues to sail at a heightened level of response for AGE for the duration of the cruise.

‘We are working with UKHSA to offer assistance to the vessel on its return to Southampton.’

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