List of largest passenger ships

This is a timeline list of the world's largest passenger ship, ranked by gross tonnage.

Timeline

Ancient

thumb|The Syracusia depicted in 1798

240 BC – Syracusia (Greek city-state of Syracuse)
200 BC – Thalamegos (Ptolemaic Kingdom)

Early modern

15th century – Zheng He's treasure ships (China )
16th century – Portuguese caravels that transferred people to the New World

19th century

1831 – SS Royal William (Canada )
1837 – SS Great Western (United Kingdom ) – 76.8 m (251.97 ft) long
1839 – SS British Queen (United Kingdom)
1840 – SS President (United Kingdom)
1845 – SS Great Britain (United Kingdom)
1854 – SS Himalaya (United Kingdom) – became HMS Himalaya within a year – 100 m (340 ft)
1854 – SS Atrato (United Kingdom)
1858 – SS Great Eastern (United Kingdom) – 211 m (682 ft), broken up 1889
1871 – SS Adriatic (United Kingdom) – 138 m (452 ft)
1873 – RMS City of Chester (United Kingdom)
1875 – SS Britannic (United Kingdom)
1875 – SS City of Berlin (United Kingdom)
1881 – SS Servia (United Kingdom)
1881 – SS City of Rome (United Kingdom)
1888 – SS City of New York (United Kingdom, United States ) – 170 m (560 ft)
1893 – RMS Campania (United Kingdom) – 189.6 m (622 ft)
1893 – RMS Lucania (United Kingdom) – 189.6 m (622 ft)
1897 – SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (Germany) – 200 m (655 ft)
1899 – RMS Oceanic (United Kingdom) – 215 m (704 ft)

20th century

1901 – RMS Celtic (United Kingdom )
1902 - RMS Cedric (United Kingdom)
1903 – RMS Baltic (United Kingdom)
1906 – SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria (Germany)
1907- RMS Adriatic (1906) (United Kingdom)
1907 – RMS Lusitania (United Kingdom)
1907 – RMS Mauretania (United Kingdom)
1911 – RMS Olympic (United Kingdom)
1912 – RMS Titanic (United Kingdom)^[1]
1913 – SS Imperator (Germany)
1913 – SS Vaterland (Germany)
1913 – SS Bismarck (Germany), after 1922 named RMS Majestic (United Kingdom)
1935 – SS Normandie (France )
1936 – RMS Queen Mary (United Kingdom)
1940 – RMS Queen Elizabeth (United Kingdom)
1952 – SS United States (United States )
1962 – SS France (1961)
1988 – MS Sovereign of the Seas (Norway , Bahamas)
1995 – Sun Princess (Bermuda)
1996 – Carnival Destiny (Bahamas)
1997 – Grand Princess (Bermuda)
1999 – MS Voyager of the Seas (Bahamas)
2000 – MS Explorer of the Seas (Bahamas)

Table for 20th century

Year	Ship	Tonnage	Length	Country	Notes	Image
1901	RMS Celtic	20,904	701 ft (214 m)	United Kingdom
1903	RMS Baltic	23,876	729 ft (222 m)	United Kingdom
1906	Kaiserin Auguste Victoria	24,581	677.5 ft (206.5 m)	Germany		-->
1907	RMS Lusitania	31,550	787 ft (240 m)	United Kingdom	Torpedoed in May 7, 1915 by U-20
1907	RMS Mauretania	31,938	790 ft (240 m)	United Kingdom	Also held the "Blue Riband" from 1909 to 1929 (20 years)
1911	RMS Olympic	45,324	882.5 ft (269.0 m)	United Kingdom	Also held the title again briefly after the sinking of the Titanic
1912	RMS Titanic	46,328	883 ft (269 m)	United Kingdom	Sank on April 15, 1912; one of the only ocean liners to sink by an iceberg
1913	SS Imperator	52,117	906 ft (276 m)	Germany	Given to Cunard Line as a compensation for Lusitania
1913	SS Vaterland	54,282	950 ft (290 m)	Germany	Seized by Americans during World War I and was renamed SS Leviathan
1913	SS Bismarck	56,551	956 ft (291 m)	Germany	Given to White Star Line as a compensation to Britannic
1935	SS Normandie	79,280 (as built) 83,404 (1936 onwards)	1,029 ft (314 m)	France	First passenger liner to exceed 1000 feet and 300 metres in length
1936	RMS Queen Mary	81,237	1,019.4 ft (310.7 m)	United Kingdom	Held the title for a bit, until Normandie recaptured the largest ship title after being modified in 1936 to increase her size
1940	RMS Queen Elizabeth	83,673	1,031 ft (314 m)	United Kingdom	Burnt after being converted in Hong Kong as "Seawise University"
1962	SS France	66,343	1,035 ft (315 m)	France	Became the largest existing ship upon the destruction of the larger Queen Elizabeth; stayed the longest passenger ship until RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004
1969	RMS Queen Elizabeth 2	65,200 (as built)	963 ft (294 m)	United Kingdom	Became the largest active passenger ship in service, upon the retirement of the larger France
1988	MS Sovereign of the Seas	73,192	880 ft (270 m)	Norway, Bahamas
1995	Sun Princess	77,499	857 ft (261 m)	Bermuda
1996	Carnival Destiny	101,353	893 ft (272 m)	Bahamas	First passenger ship to surpass Queen Elizabeth in tonnage
1997	Grand Princess	109,000	951 ft (290 m)	Bermuda
1999	Voyager of the Seas	137,276	1,020 ft (310 m)	Bahamas
2000	Explorer of the Seas	137,308	1,020 ft (310 m)	Bahamas

21st century

Allure of the Seas

2002 – MS Navigator of the Seas (Bahamas)
2004 – RMS Queen Mary 2 (United Kingdom)
2006 – MS Freedom of the Seas (Bahamas)
2007 – MS Liberty of the Seas (Bahamas)
2008 – MS Independence of the Seas (Bahamas)
2009 – MS Oasis of the Seas (Bahamas)^[2]
2010 – MS Allure of the Seas (Bahamas)^[3]
2016 – MS Harmony of the Seas (Bahamas)
2018 - MS Symphony of the Seas (Bahamas)

Table for 21st century

Year	Ship	Tonnage	Length	Country	Notes
2002	MS Navigator of the Seas	139,570	1,021 ft (311 m)	Bahamas
2004	RMS Queen Mary 2	148,528	1,132 ft (345 m)	United Kingdom
2006	MS Freedom of the Seas	154,407	1,112 ft (339 m)	Bahamas	Two more ships in class of the same size
2009	MS Oasis of the Seas	225,282	1,186 ft (361 m)	Bahamas	One more ship in class of the same size
2016	MS Harmony of the Seas	227,700	1,188 ft (362 m)	Bahamas
2018	MS MS Symphony of the Seas	228,081	1,188 ft (362 m)	Bahamas	Currently the largest passenger ship in the world.