Even if you recently started cruising, you have most certainly heard of Royal Caribbean’s massive Icon Class and Oasis Class vessels. Except for one MSC Cruises ship, they are significantly larger than any other cruise ship now in use and unlike anything else you will find on the sea.
Indeed, when you hear people discussing the wow effect of Royal Caribbean’s “floating megaresorts,” they probably mean the seven ships in these two pairs of vessels. This also includes the freshly revealed Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.
However, not every Royal Caribbean ship is similarly supersized. Although the line runs seven of the ten largest cruise ships worldwide and is most well-known for large vessels, it also offers some relatively smaller, more intimate ships.
In fact, Royal Caribbean boasts eight vessels smaller than half the size of the Icon Class and Oasis Class ships. Should you be considering a Royal Caribbean vacation, the line has a wide range of ship designs and styles.
Royal Caribbean, the biggest cruise company in the world by passenger capacity, now boasts 28 oceangoing cruise ships, all after two older ships were taken out of its fleet quite recently. That’s more than any other big cruise line. Thus, you have plenty of options for the ideal Royal Caribbean ship.
The good news for those of you trying to sort through all the possibilities is that the 28 ships can be conveniently grouped into just seven groups of vessels with similar facilities. Knowing one group member will help you to know all of them.
These seven groups comprise ships built concurrently with the same basic form and around the same period. Known in the cruise industry as “classes,” each Royal Caribbean cruise ship class has a unique design and feel.
Introduction to Royal Caribbean Vessels
Royal Caribbean mostly runs large, busy megaships that would appeal to those seeking a megaresort experience. The company has developed its reputation for providing a lot of diversions on its ships for both entertainment and food (some vessels have more than 20 different locations to grab a bite).
Its ships are lively and entertaining. That said, the type of class determines the over-the-top megaresort experience on a Royal Caribbean ship.
Regarding size, facilities, and capacity, the one Icon Class and six Oasis Class ships of the line are unlike anything else you will find at sea. With every berth occupied, they can accommodate more than 6,600 passengers in total.
Though somewhat lower in size, each of the five Quantum Class and three Freedom Class vessels of the line has a total capacity between about 4,500 and 5,600 passengers. The five Voyager Class vessels of the service are rather spacious, with accommodation for about 3,800 passengers at maximum occupancy.
Royal Caribbean’s big-ship fleet consists of 20 boats of these five classes: Icon, Oasis, Quantum, Freedom and Voyager taken together. Split between two classes, the eight remaining vessels of the company are smaller, with maximum occupancy topping out at about 2,500 passengers.
While no longer the focus at Royal Caribbean, its smaller ships—which are often the line’s oldest ships—allow it to offer itineraries to locations that aren’t as easily accessible for larger ships. Not every port around can fit a ship the size of Icon of the Seas.
A segment of Royal Caribbean passengers who want more intimacy on a cruise ship and are ready to give up some onboard facilities in order to get it also find appeal in the smaller ships. They also typically cost less to sail each day.
The largest Royal Caribbean ships have, predictably, the most amenities. Fewer restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and activities will be found with every step below in size. Still, even the smaller Royal Caribbean ships have a lot to offer.
If you’re sailing with the line for the first time, you should be aware that not every Royal Caribbean ship carries all of its trademark attractions and facilities.
For example, only the 20 ships of the line’s big-ship classes have a FlowRider surfing simulator, whereas every Royal Caribbean vessel now features one of the line’s iconic climbing walls—some have two. Ice skating rinks exist just in the 15 ships of the Icon, Oasis, Freedom, and Voyager classes.
7 Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Class
The seven classes of Royal Caribbean ships are more fully shown here.
1. Icon Class
Ships in class: Icon of the Seas (2024); Star of the Seas (coming in 2025); unidentified vessel (coming in 2026)
Size: 248,659 tons
Is your dream vacation a trip to a megaresort crammed with more restaurants, bars, theaters, and aquatic entertainment than you could have possibly imagined? Royal Caribbean’s new Icon Class is the ship class for you.
For those who enjoy big ships, Icon of the Seas — the only Icon Class ship now in use — is larger than any other cruise vessel afloat at 248,663 tons, as discussed above. Two more Icon Class ships starting in 2025 and 2026, respectively, will be equally overblown in scale and locations.
Seven separate pools—a new record for a cruise ship—a water park with six waterslides—also a record—a kiddie splash zone, surfing simulators, a miniature golf course, a basketball court and even a zip line have been designed into each of the Icon Class vessels that are running or soon to debut. And that is just on their upper decks.
More lounges, bars, restaurants and stores than you could possibly conceive within the vessels; also included are large casinos, spas and showrooms featuring Broadway-style events. Just in case you wish to get your Michelle Kwan on, they also provide indoor ice skating rinks.
Intimacy is not something the Icon Class ships offer. With every berth occupied, these ships can carry up to 7,600 passengers. They run with about 2,300 crew members. You may be sharing your trip with around 10,000 people then.
Should the above sound absolutely ridiculous to you, it is. Remember, too, that the largest megaresorts on land are still much larger. Comprising 7,092 rooms, The Venetian in Las Vegas is the largest resort in the United States.
Assuming two persons in each room, it can, therefore, accommodate more than 14,000 guests. Icon Class ships are practically small by that scale.
Icon Class ships also don’t always feel as packed as they are. At least in some cases, Royal Caribbean’s designers are experts in building vessels capable of carrying thousands and thousands of people yet still feel somewhat uncrowded.
Just a few decks above, thousands of tourists are playing about at the ship’s pools as you have a peaceful afternoon reading a book on a bench in the often virtually deserted, tree-lined Central Park area of Icon of the Seas.
Only one ship in this series—Icon of the Seas—is now in use; the second vessel in the series—Star of the Seas—is already open for booking. Its first sail is scheduled for Aug. 31, 2025.
2. Quantum Class
Ships in class: Quantum of the Seas (2014); Anthem of the Seas (2015); Ovation of the Seas (2016); Spectrum of the Seas (2019); Odyssey of the Seas (2021)
Size: 168,666 to 169,379 tons
Revealed in 2014, the Quantum Class might be Royal Caribbean’s most creative offering thus far. Apart from a vast array of eateries, bars, and showrooms, the five ships in the class have some of the most intriguing new attractions you will find at sea. This covers skydiving simulators and bumper car pavilions—yes, they managed room for these.
For bird’s-eye views, the ships also have glass-enclosed capsules set atop mechanical arms that will propel you skyward. They’re called the North Star rides, and they could be the most unusual attractions ever included on a cruise ship.
Two70, a multilevel entertainment space with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, is another odd feature found in Quantum Class ships. Innovative presentations, including aerial artists, singers and dancers emerging from floor or ceiling apertures, abound in the venues. The glass walls change at specific periods of the day to become a large ambient surface known as Vistarama, which projects imagined and actual images.
Along with many of the main Royal Caribbean activities you will find on most of the brand’s ships—pools, rock climbing walls, casinos, spas, and Broadway-style shows—all the aforementioned add to many more.
On Quantum Class ships, however, do not expect all the traditional Royal Caribbean amenities. For example, although they are a basic feature of all other large Royal Caribbean ships, ice skating rinks are not found on the vessels. Quantum Class ships also lack water parks.
The Quantum Class ships lack quite the capacity for things like ice skating rinks compared to Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class and Oasis Class vessels. Still, at roughly 169,000 tons, they are among the largest ships in use today, with a significant number of venues.
They can also be really crowded. With double occupancy, most of the ships in the class carry 4,180 passengers—4,905 if every berth is occupied.
One example is Spectrum of the Seas, which had some architectural variances but was especially constructed for the China market. It can accommodate 5,622 people. Furthermore, able to accommodate up to 5,498 guests, the Odyssey of the Seas is the newest ship in the series.
The Quantum Class ships are meant to be more flexible, hence one additional major distinction between them and other large Royal Caribbean ships.
When closely examining their deck layouts, one will see that, for example, more of their major attractions are indoors and sheltered from the elements than those of the ships of the Icon, Oasis, or Freedom classes.
Except for the Odyssey of the Seas, every Quantum Class ship has one main pool area that is enclosed. Also, the bumper car pavilions double as roller skating rinks or indoor basketball courts.
This lets Royal Caribbean deploy the ships to colder parts of the globe, including Alaska and Northern Europe, where the conditions aren’t always fit for outdoor pursuits. Royal Caribbean has also sailed out of China using certain Quantum Class ships.
3. Oasis Class
Ships in class: Oasis of the Seas (2009); Allure of the Seas (2010); Harmony of the Seas (2016); Symphony of the Seas (2018); Wonder of the Seas (2022); Utopia of the Seas (2024)
Size: 226,838 to 236,857 tons
These were the world’s largest and most venue-packed cruise ships until Icon of the Seas debuted this year. For those who enjoy nothing more than a large, busy resort with every kind of entertainment known to humanity, they remain among the very finest choices even though they are not nearly as huge as the new ships.
On their top decks, each of the Oasis Class vessels offers three separate major pool areas, a kiddie splash zone, surfing simulators, a miniature golf course, a basketball court, and a zip line—a nearly as extensive range of amenities as the new Icon of the Seas.
Like on Icon of the Seas, within the vessels, you will find an apparently limitless array of lounges, bars, restaurants and stores, as well as big casinos, spas and showrooms. Every ship has an indoor ice skating rink, the same as the Icon of the Seas.
These vessels transport a lot of people, much as Royal Caribbean’s new Icon Class ships—which have many features with the Oasis Class ships—do. When every berth is occupied, they can accommodate 6,988 passengers.
They run with about 2,200 crew members. That means you may be sharing your holiday with almost 9,000 passengers, not quite as many as the almost 10,000 you could find on an Icon Class ship, but still a significant amount.
The good news for those of you concerned about conditions that are too packed is that, as with the Icon Class ships, the Oasis Class ships don’t always feel as congested as they are. They were designed by Royal Caribbean with a “neighborhood” concept, which distributes guests in seven or eight (depending on the ship) separate zones, including the Pool and Sports Zone and the Boardwalk amusement zone. Also, much consideration was given to how passengers between these areas move.
Note that the Oasis Class series differs somewhat from ship to ship. First of all, there are some extra attractions and venues on the four newest and biggest ships in the series: Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas. Among them is the nine-deck scary slide known as the Ultimate Abyss. (Royal Caribbean claims it drops 10 decks, but don’t be misled; the line counts a nonexistent Deck 13.)
On five of the six ships, there are also enormous waterslides. They are only missing on the Allure of the Seas. Plans to include waterslides to Allure of the Seas were shelved after COVID-19 stopped cruise operations in 2020. A few of the restaurants also differ from ship to ship in the series.
Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, the two most modern and biggest ships in the series, vary most from the other Oasis Class ships. They are almost 4% larger than the next largest ship in the series at 236,473 tons and 235,600 tons, respectively; the extra space is allocated to such improvements as a dedicated suite area with a private lounge, a restaurant and a sun deck.
Under development and planned to launch in 2028 is a seventh, as-yet-unnamed ship of the Oasis Class series. It’s built by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, the same shipyard that constructed Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.
4. Radiance Class
Ships in class: Radiance of the Seas (2001); Brilliance of the Seas (2002); Serenade of the Seas (2003); Jewel of the Seas (2004)
Size: 90,090 tons
Want a vessel with enough features and activities, yet not sure if you want to travel on a megaship with 6,000 people? The Radiance Class ships may be the ideal solution.
Although the four vessels in the series are less than half the size of Royal Caribbean’s huge Icon Class and Oasis Class ships, at 90,090 tons, they are nevertheless large enough to offer much.
Every ship boasts more than six half-dozen dining options, ranging from the main restaurant to a casual buffet, steakhouse, Italian restaurant, and an Asian venue.
On every ship, you will also find three pools, whirlpools, a rock climbing wall, a small golf course, a sports court and a solarium reserved for adults only. Every ship features a theater, a spa, a casino, several bars and lounges.
Because of their smaller scale, the ships lack all the gee-whiz attractions — including ice skating rinks, surfing simulators, large waterslides and bumper car pavilions — that Royal Caribbean has added on its larger vessels. The Radiance class most likely isn’t for you if you can’t live without those kinds of amenities on a cruise ship.
At double occupancy (plus a few hundred more with every berth occupied), each Radiance Class ship carries more than 2,100 passengers. That’s less than half of the passengers on the largest Royal Caribbean ships.
For cruisers who wish to avoid the kind of crowds on the largest megaships without sacrificing many of the amenities that big ships provide, that makes them ideal.
5. Freedom Class
Ships in class: Freedom of the Seas (2006); Liberty of the Seas (2007); Independence of the Seas (2008)
Size: 154,407 tons to 156,271 tons
These were the largest cruise ships in the world as recently as 2009; they remain rather large in relation to practically all other cruise ships in use.
Although Royal Caribbean’s Icon, Oasis and Quantum Class vessels, as well as several ships from other lines, have replaced them on the list of the top 25 biggest cruise ships, the Freedom Class vessels provide a classic big-ship experience with lots of restaurants, bars, showrooms and deck-top attractions.
Originally a trademark element of the Royal Caribbean fleet, the Freedom Class ships were particularly the first to include a FlowRider surfing simulator on their top decks. The vessels also have many pool areas, a water park, a miniature golf course, and a rock climbing wall on their top decks.
Except for the Icon Class and Oasis Class yachts, Freedom Class ships have more attractions loaded on their top decks than any other Royal Caribbean ship. Not many of the most extreme attractions—like zip lines—that Icon Class and Oasis Class ships carry are found here, though.
Inside their interiors, Freedom Class ships have mall-like Royal Promenade areas dotted with restaurants, bars and stores that have become standard on larger Royal Caribbean ships. They have spas and big casinos as well.
A notable step down in size, the Freedom Class ships are almost 38% smaller than the Icon Class ships and 31% smaller than the Oasis Class ships at almost 156,000 tons. They’re also nearly 8% smaller than the Quantum Class ships.
Moreover, they handle much fewer people than Oasis Class ships. Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas carry about 3,900 passengers at double occupancy—closer to 4,600 with every berth occupied. Liberty of the Seas is capable of several hundred more.
6. Voyager Class
Ships in class: Voyager of the Seas (1999); Explorer of the Seas (2000); Adventure of the Seas (2001); Navigator of the Seas (2002); Mariner of the Seas (2003)
Size: 137,276 to 139,999 tons
Though shorter in length, the Voyager Class ships are otherwise like Freedom Class ships. In other words, the Freedom Class was a stretched variation of the Voyager Class.
The Voyager Class ships have many of Royal Caribbean’s trademark attractions, including ice skating rinks and rock climbing walls, the same as the Freedom Class vessels. Actually, the Royal Caribbean’s ships were the first to have those attractions.
First to have a Royal Promenade with stores, cafes and bars within were Voyager Class ships. Along with the main dining room and informal buffet, each includes a number of specialized eateries, including an Italian restaurant and Royal Caribbean’s distinctive Chops Grille steakhouse.
One of the key distinctions between the two classes is that Royal Promenades of Voyager Class ships are shorter. Furthermore, the top-deck areas of the Voyager Class ships are more truncated than the Freedom Class vessels.
Fewer accommodations on the Voyager Class ships also mean fewer passengers on board a standard sailing. About 800 less than the average Freedom Class ship, most of the ships carry roughly 3,101 passengers at double occupancy. At around 139,000 tons, the ships are 11% smaller than the Freedom Class ships.
Attractions among the five Voyager Class ships also vary somewhat. The Blaster, the longest waterslide at sea, resides in Navigator of the Seas’ relatively recently created waterslide zone. Though most of the other ships have distinct waterlides, you won’t find this on them.
Just three of the five ships—Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, and Voyager of the Seas—have laser tag courses. Among the class of ships, only Adventure of the Seas has a kiddie splash zone.
7. Vision Class
Ships in class: Grandeur of the Seas (1996); Rhapsody of the Seas (1997); Enchantment of the Seas (1997); Vision of the Seas (1998)
Size: 73,817 tons to 82,910 tons
Dating to the 1990s, the Vision Class ships are the smallest among Royal Caribbean’s vessels and provide less onboard facilities and attractions than usual for the line.
Generally speaking, they attract tourists seeking a more personal experience on a cruise ship as well as those who value the locations they visit above the onboard attractions.
In keeping with this, Royal Caribbean often deploys several of its Vision Class ships to Europe in the summer to run port call-intensive itineraries. The ships also frequently go further distances in the Caribbean, including less-known southerly islands. In both situations, the allure of the cruises has more to do with the ports the ships visit than the onboard experience.
Sometimes Vision Class ships are also based in minor ports like Baltimore or San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the local cruise market size might not warrant a larger vessel.
Except for rock climbing walls, the Vision Class ships lack the trademark Royal Caribbean deck-top entertainment, including surfing and skydiving simulators. Typical of ships built in the 1990s, their top decks are mostly lined with pools, whirlpools, and sunning sections.
With the exception of Enchantment of the Seas, which has three pools and six whirlpools, all feature at least two pools and six whirlpools.
Apart from the main restaurants and casual buffets, every ship carries at least one (usually several) specialized restaurants; two of them are Giovanni’s Table and Chops Grille Steakhouse. Enchantment of the Seas has the least variety in dining; Rhapsody of the Seas has the most. Three of the four ships, all except Enchantment of the Seas, feature an Izumi Asian restaurant.
Every one of the ships has a different relative scale. At roughly 74,000 tons, Grandeur of the Seas is the smallest of the four ships. The largest is Enchantment of the Seas, weighing around 83,000 tons (it was significantly lengthened by 73 ft in 2005).