With its elephantine stats -- 1,132 feet long, a weight of 151,400 tons, 2,620 passengers and 1,253 crew -- Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is the undisputed monster of the high seas. While there are more than a dozen major cruise providers, only four other lines (Carnival, Costa, Princess and Royal Caribbean) offer their own "mega-class" ships, generally considered vessels of at least 100,000 tons. With passenger capacities ranging from 2,600 to more than 3,000, these ships take on the aura of mini-cities, albeit with such over-the-top niceties as rock-climbing walls, nine-deck atriums and 300-square-foot movie screens. We've assembled the particulars on the largest ships offered by each line; pick your behemoth and sail away, along with a few thousand others, into the sunset.
-- Carol Sottili
Carnival
888-CARNIVAL
www.carnival.com
Ships*:
Carnival Valor (2004), Carnival Glory (2003), Carnival Conquest (2002)
How Big?
Length: 952 feet
Tonnage: 110,000
Passengers: 2,974
Crew: 1,180
Cool Features:
214-foot waterslides; 22 bars and lounges; nine-deck-high atriums; 4,200-square-foot children's play areas.
Itineraries and Prices**:
