The Next 3 Biggest Cruise Ships in the World

In the first part of this series we briefly examined the three largest cruise ships sailing the Caribbean Sea as of 2010. They were in order of size, the Allure of the Seas, its sister ship the Oasis of the Seas and the Norwegian Epic. All three hover around 1100 feet in length, have between 2100 and 2700 staterooms, able to accommodate up to 6300 passengers. Within the 16 to 19 passenger decks the ships have pools, water slides, gardens, an ice rink, a dance hall, boutiques, restaurants and hundreds of other activity venues.

Now we will take a look at the next three largest passenger ships in the world, all owned by Royal Caribbean International and all are exactly the same size. So really, they are all ranked as fourth largest in the world! They are: Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Freedom was launched in 2006 and also has a total length around 1100 feet. However there are just 1817 staterooms, able to hold a maximum of 4375 passengers. There are a total of 18 decks, 15 of which are for the use of passengers. Like the Norwegian Epic, Freedom has a water park in addition to an adult pool and a family pool. The two whirlpools on board are also just for adults, and are cantilevered out from the sides of the ship. The mini gold course is fun, as is the basket ball court, skating rink and other sports activities.

Liberty of the Seas was first set to sail in 2007, and was the first to include the DreamWorks Experience. This new feature was designed to include characters and storylines from popular movies into the cruise experience. Movie characters participate in meet-and-greet events, carnivals, and table visits during meal times. Other ships in the Royal Caribbean cruise line now include DreamWorks Experience, but only the Liberty offers a 3D movie theatre, first-run DreamWorks films and special DreamWorks programming in staterooms.

Independence of the Seas was launched in 2008, and like the previous two ships it offers all the features and amenities of a largest cruise ships in the world. There is the typical interactive water park, a sports pool, adult whirlpools reaching out from the sides of the ship, an ice rink, a rock climbing wall and loads of boutiques. The difference on the Independence is the show cabaret lounge decked out in an ancient Egyptian theme.

These next three largest cruise ships may not have the square footage of the Allure or the Oasis, but when travelers are immersed in all the wild and wonderful activities offered amid the 18 decks, it doesn't really matter how big the ship is. All that matters is fun, sun and safety.