Timeline of largest passenger ships
Introduction RMS Queen Elizabeth's size record stood for the longest time at over 54 yearsThis is a timeline of the world's largest passenger ships based upon internal volume, initially measured by gross register tonnage and later by gross tonnage. This timeline reflects the largest extant passenger ship in the world at any given time. If a given ship was superseded by another, scrapped, or lost at sea, it is then succeeded. Some records for tonnage outlived the ships that set them - notably the SS ''Great Eastern'', and RMS ''Queen Elizabeth''. The term "largest passenger ship" has evolved over time to also include ships by length as supertankers built in the 1970s were over  long. In the modern era the term has gradually fallen out of use in favor of "largest cruise ship" as the industry has shifted to cruising rather than transatlantic ocean travel.
Timeline  Year completed Ship Tonnage Length Title held Status Image  1831  1,370 GRT  1831 – 1839 Sank in 1860 200px 1837  1,340 GRT(as built)1,700 GRT(post-1839)  1839 Scrapped in 1856 200px 1839  1,850 GRT  1839 – 18401841 – 1843 Scrapped in 1844 200px 1840  2,366 GRT  1840 – 1841 Lost at sea in 1841 200px 1843  3,270 GRT  1843 – 1853 Currently a Museum ship 200px 1853  3,466 GRT 107 m(350 ft) 1853 – 1857 Sank in 1884 200px1857SS ''Adriatic''3,670 GRT108 m(354 ft)1857 — 1858Beached and Abandoned in 1885 200x200px 1858  18,915 GRT  1858 – c. 1888(Scrapped) Scrapped by 1891 200x200px 1888  10,499 GRT 171 m(560 ft) c. 1888 – 1893 Scrapped in 1923 200px 1893    12,950 GRT  1893 – 1897 Campania: Sank in 1918Lucania: Scrapped in 1909 200x200px 1897  14,349 GRT  1897 – 1899 Sank in 1914 200px 1899  17,272 GRT  1899 – 1901  Sank in 1914 200x200px  11 July 1901  20,904 GRT  1901 – 1903 Scrapped in 1929 200x200px 31 January 1903  21,035 GRT 213 m(700 ft) 1903 – 1904 Scrapped in 1932 200px 23 June 1904  23,876 GRT  1904 – 1906 Scrapped in 1933 200x200px 10 May 1906(entered service)  24,581 GRT  1906 – 1907 Scrapped in 1930 200x200px 7 September 1907(entered service)  31,550 GRT  1907 Sank in 1915 200px 7 November 1907  31,938 GRT 241 m(790 ft) 1907 – 1911 Scrapped in 1935 200x200px 31 May 1911  45,324 GRT  1911 – 19121912 – 1913 Scrapped by 1937 200x200px 31 March 1912  46,328 GRT  1912(Sank) Sank in 1912 200x200px June 1913  52,117 GRT  1913 – 1914 Scrapped in 1938 200x200px 14 May 1914(entered service) SS ''Vaterland'' 54,282 GRT  1914 – 1922 Scrapped in 1938 200x200px 12 May 1922(entered service)  56,551 GRT  1922 – 1935 Scrapped in 1943 202x202px 29 May 1935(entered service)  79,280 GRT (as built)83,404 GRT (final size)  1935 – 19361936 – 1942(Destroyed by fire) Scrapped in 1946 200x200px 27 May 1936(entered service)  80,774 GRT  1936 Currently a Hotel ship 200x200px 2 March 1940  83,673 GRT  1942 – 1972(Destroyed by fire) Scrapped in 1974 200x200px 3 February 1962(entered service)  (1962-1980)SS ''Norway'' (post-1980) 66,343 GRT(as built)76,049 GRT (final size)  1972 – 19871990 – 1995 Scrapped in 2008 200x200px 18 December 1987  73,529 GT 268 m(880 ft) 1987 – 1990(Surpassed by SS Norway)  Scrapped in 2020 200px 26 June 1995   77,499 GT  1995 – 1996 In service as ''Pacific World'' 200px 24 November 1996(entered service) ''Carnival Destiny'' 101,353 GT  1996 – 1998 In service as ''Carnival Sunshine'' 200px 27 May 1998(entered service) ''Grand Princess'' 109,000 GT  1998 – 1999 In service 200px 29 October 1999 ''Voyager of the Seas'' 137,276 GT 311 m(1,020 ft) 1999 – 2000 In service 200px 28 September 2000 ''Explorer of the Seas'' 137,308 GT 311 m(1,020 ft) 2000 – 2002 In service 200px   18 November 2002''Navigator of the Seas'' 139,999 GT  2002 – 2003 In service 200px 22 December 2003 148,528 GT  2003 – 2006 In service 200px 24 April 2006  154,407 GT  2006 – 2007 In service 200px 19 May 2007 ''Liberty of the Seas'' 155,889 GT  2007 – 2009 In service 200px 28 October 2009 ''Oasis of the Seas'' 225,282 GT  2009 – 2016 In service 200px 13 May 2016 ''Harmony of the Seas'' 226,963 GT  2016 – 2018 In service 200px 23 March 2018 ''Symphony of the Seas'' 228,081 GT  2018 – 2022  In service 200px 27 January 2022 ''Wonder of the Seas'' 236,857 GT  2022 – 2023 In service 200px 27 November 2023 ''Icon of the Seas'' 248,663 GT  2023 – present In service 200px
See also * List of largest ships by gross tonnage* List of longest wooden ships* List of large sailing vessels* List of ocean liners
Notes
References
External links * Timeline by HMY Yachts - additional size visuals