The Race to Build the World's Largest Cruise Ship [and the Ocean Liner that Fought Back]
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
The Carnival Destiny proved to be a critical ship because it proved that the 100,000 ton barrier could be broken and still make a profit.
The Queen Mary 2 is also unique on this list in that she is the only ocean liner in service and holds the special distinction of being the first and only ocean liner built in the 21st century.
It's remarkable to think that Carnival Destiny has been so greatly eclipsed in such a relatively short period of time.
The scale of modern cruise ships make ocean liners of old seem small, but the liners can still claim a number of impressive superlatives, including being both stronger and faster than cruise ships.
Questions This Creator Answers
Topics Covered
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
The size of modern-day cruise ships is truly eye-watering, with vessels like the Icon of the Seas being essentially floating cities. But it wasn't always this way; for decades, no cruise ship had ever eclipsed an ocean liner in scale. This video traces the fascinating story of a quiet, centuries-long race to build the world's largest passenger vessel, a race that saw the legendary RMS Queen Elizabeth hold the record for decades. Everything changed with the introduction of the Carnival Destiny, the first cruise ship to finally take the crown. But the fight wasn't over yet, as one final ocean liner, the majestic RMS Queen Mary 2, was built to fight back and reclaim the title. Join us as we chart the history of this incredible competition, from the classic ocean liners to the revolutionary ships of the Voyager Class, the record-breaking Freedom Class, and the truly colossal Oasis Class. Discover how each ship pushed the boundaries of engineering and design, leading to the launch of the current record-holder, the Icon of the Seas, and her upcoming sister ship, the Star of the Seas. This is a history of ambition, technology, and the relentless quest for maritime supremacy. — 🛳️ SUBSTACK: https://themaritimehistorian.substack.com/ 📚 Buy my books: https://www.chrisframe.com.au/books 👕 Buy cruise merch: https://chrisframeofficial.Teemill.com/ 🚢 My Cunard History Website: https://www.chriscunard.com/ — 🗺️ CUSTOM CRUISE MAP: Made using AIS (satellite ship-tracking) data, The Cruise Maps show the exact route. Select your cruise, give your map a title, and we'll do the rest. Use my code "ChrisFrameOfficial" for 10% off at: https://thecruisemaps.com/products/p-o-australia-final-voyages-special-edition-maps/chrisframeofficial This is an affiliate link, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through it. — Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgk7SzYDkiXWWBfMqXYH0cA/join How to measure a cruise ship size: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIBkf8IAsEA Image References: Broll from Royal Caribbean: https://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/ Carnival Destiny courtesy Peter Knego @midshipcinema Andrew Sassoli-Walker https://solentphotographer.com/ Henderson & Cremer Collection CC BY: SS France CC BY SA 4.0 Nikolay Chekanov https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SS_France_moored_in_Le_Havre,_1978.jpg SS NORWAY CC BY SA 2.0 JOOST J BAKKER / IJmuiden https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SS_Norway_(2).jpg SS NORWAY CC BY SA 4.0 Peter Nath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1980_01_08_BHV_Norway_ex_France_beim_Umbau_in_BHV.jpg Liberty of the Seas CC BY SA 4.0 WikiEK https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_Of_The_Seas_GC_12-22-16.jpg tags: #cruisenews #cruiseship #cruising #cruiselines #cruiseline #oceanliner #royalcaribbean #iconoftheseas #oasisoftheseas #cunardline #cunard #QE2 #QM2 #carnivalcruiseline #cruiseships #history #maritime #iconoftheseas #queenelizabeth Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgk7SzYDkiXWWBfMqXYH0cA/joinJ Tags: #oceanliner #qm2 #cunard #cruiseship #royalcaribbean #iconoftheseas #staroftheseas #oasisoftheseas #voyageroftheseas #freedomoftheseas