The cruise industry is ever-evolving and one of the most obvious ways is the rollout of larger and larger ships each year.

Looking at gross tonnage (GT), which is defined as a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume, we see that one cruise line dominates the list of the 10 largest cruise ships in operation in 2025.?

Three of the 10 debuted as recently as 2024. That's a promising trend for travelers in search of bigger and bolder cruise ships.?

Here are the 10 largest passenger vessels in operation as of May 2025.

Costa Cruises' Costa Toscana, debuting in 2021, rounds out the list of the 10 largest cruise ships in the world, boasting more than 2,600 staterooms and a maximum passenger capacity of over 6,550.?

MSC Cruises' first World-class ship, MSC World Europa made its debut nearly three years ago, serving as a floating hotel in Doha, Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At 215,863 GT, MSC World Europa is currently the world's ninth-largest cruise ship.

MSC Cruises' MSC World America has been one of the defining ships of 2025, making its debut this past spring with the help of Godmother Drew Barrymore. The ship boasts a gross tonnage of 216,638, which edges out sister ship MSC World Europa.

Allure of the Seas kicks off Royal Caribbean International's dominating performance as the line boasts the seven largest cruise ships on the planet.

Debuting as far back as 2010, Allure of the Seas checks in with a gross tonnage of 225,282 and an overall length of 1,180 feet. While it has been surpassed in terms of size since its initial launch, Allure is still among the world's most-awarded cruise ships.??

Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class cruise ships remain among the largest passenger vessels in service and it all started with the debut of Oasis of the Seas in 2009. She set a new capacity record of carrying over 6,000 passengers at construction.

With an overall length of 1,188.1 feet¡ªjust under a quarter of a mile¡ªHarmony of the Seas temporarily held the title of the world's longest cruise ship. This impressive vessel, which can accommodate nearly 6,700 people at maximum capacity, will celebrate a decade in service next May.?

Like Oasis and Harmony before her, Symphony of the Seas held the title of the world's largest cruise ship before ultimately being surpassed by another Royal Caribbean vessel. Despite being 3.5 feet shorter than Harmony of the Seas, Symphony edges out its sister ship with a gross tonnage of 228,081.

Billed as the "boldest and biggest ship in the world," Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas briefly became the world's largest cruise ship when it debuted in 2022. Nonetheless, her reign at the top was short-lived, with Royal Caribbean wasting no time in raising the bar.??

Debuting in 2024, Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis-class vessel, Utopia of the Seas, surpassed sister ship Wonder of the Seas in terms of gross tonnage, coming in at 236,473 versus 235,600. Interestingly, Utopia measures three feet shorter than Wonder but has a slightly higher waterline at 155.7 feet.

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas made its highly anticipated debut as the world's largest cruise ship in early 2024, ushering in a new era for the popular cruise line. Measuring nearly 1,200 feet in length and boasting a jaw-dropping maximum passenger capacity of 7,600, Icon will soon have company when she's joined by Star of the Seas later this year and Legend of the Seas in 2026.