Q: What is the Biggest Ship in the World?

This question is one of the most frequently asked to anyone who works in the world of shipping, and unfortunately there is no easy answer. It really depends on what you mean by biggest.


THE LONGEST
Name: "Knock Nevis"*
Type: Supertanker
Length: 458 metres

THE WIDEST
Name: "USS Nimitz"
Type: Aircraft Carrier
Width (Beam): 77 metres

THE HIGHEST GROSS TONNAGE (GT)
Name: "Batillus"
Type: Supertanker
GT: 275,276 tons

THE MOST PEOPLE ONBOARD
Name: "Oasis of the Seas"
Type: Cruise Ship
Capacity: 6,296 people (passengers and crew)

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* The "Knock Nevis" has now reached the end of its useful life and has been sold to a firm of Indian shipbreakers. People often wonder why, in an industry of economies of scale, more supertankers of this size and larger have not been built. Well we have to remember that the Knock Nevis' size also caused its owners a lot of logistical problems; its huge size required a draft (a water depth) of over 80 feet, meaning some of the world's main shipping routes, like the Suez and Panama Canals and the English Channel, were no-go areas for the ship.

Q: What is the Difference Between an Ocean Liner and a Cruise Ship?

You will often hear people claim that their voyage onbaord the Cunard ship "QE2" (below) was one onboard the world's largest 'Ocean Liner'. This is correct, as the "QE2"(recently replaced by the "Queen Mary 2") was the world's largest Ocean Liner.

It was, however, nowhere near as big as, for instance, the "Oasis of the Seas" (below) or similar cruise ships; so what was the distinction?

The "Oasis of the Seas" and other such vessels are categorised as 'Cruise Ships'; large vessels used for the accommodation and entertainment of guests during a sea voyage for pleasure. An 'Ocean Liner', on the other hand, is a large ship which transports people from one designated port to another.

If you like, an 'Ocean Liner' is a form of sea transport which involves a luxury holiday, whereas a 'Cruise Ship' is a form of luxury holiday which involves sea transport.

The "Oasis of the Seas" goes on various different 'cruises' throughout the year, with different itineraries, starting and ending in the same port (usually Ft. Lauderdale, USA). The "QE2" on the other hand transported people across the Atlantic, between the ports of Southampton and New York and fed and entertained them on the way.