The World’s Most Expensive Cruise Ship Builds
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Cruises Editor
Cruise Ships
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You’ll get no change from a billion dollars if you set out to build a big cruise ship. And size really does matter. Here are the priciest heavyweights of the oceans.
Allure of the Seas
Cough up US$1.5 billion and you get yourself a cruise ship only slightly smaller than a US aircraft carrier, making it the largest cruise ship in the world – an inadvertent five centimetres longer than Royal Caribbean’s sister ship Oasis of the Seas, which cost US$1.4 billion. Both vessels carry more than 8500 passengers and crew, and feature 25 dining venues, casino, ice rink, rock-climbing walls and mini golf. They even fit in a Central Park, planted with real trees and flowerbeds.
Norwegian Epic
Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship is home to 4100 passengers and 1753 crew. It surpassed the earlier Norwegian Breakaway (US$840 million) at a whopping US$1.2 billion, which gets you an entire sports complex, aqua park with water slides, two Broadway-style shows and enough choice of restaurants to dine in different venues throughout your entire cruise. Oh, and those favourite homes of any indulgent billionaire: a spa, bowling alley and video arcade.
Disney Fantasy
The longer you wait, the more costs rise: Disney Dream cost a mere US$900 million while almost-identical sister ship Disney Fantasy, launched a year later in 2012, was US$40 million more. Still, for under a billion you get a bargain 14 decks, 1250 cabins, a spectacular three-storey atrium lobby, six swimming pools, chandeliers, a grand piano and the chance to dress up as a pirate or a pixie.
Queen Mary 2
Hard to remember that in 2003 Cunard’s flagship was the world’s largest cruise boat afloat. Now it seems almost modest, apart from its US$880 million price tag, or about US$335,000 per passenger head. Designed primarily for Atlantic crossings, the luxe ocean liner packs more speed than regular cruise ships. It offers a 3D theatre, planetarium, fine art gallery and – of course – a dedicated champagne bar.
Independence of the Seas
Royal Caribbean rounds off the most-expensive list at US$828 million, a tad pricier than its twin ships Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas, both costing US$800 million. But who’s counting when you can enjoy cantilevered whirlpools, a FlowRider surf simulator, 10 pools, an outdoor movie screen, full-size basketball court and more than a hundred spa treatments? There are also 22 bars, clubs and lounges. Cheers!
But wait, there’s more
Carnival Vista sets sail in 2016 and will likely cost US$975 million, while the US$900-million Norwegian Bliss debuts early 2017. Royal Caribbean’s Oasis 3 launches in 2018 at an estimated cost of US$1.4 billion. All these will be dwarfed by the 70,000-passenger “floating city” Freedom Ship (US$10 billion) – if that long-talked-about fantasy project ever becomes reality.
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