Fastest Cruise Ships and Ocean Liners in the World

Cruise Ships and Ocean Liners – An Introduction

We had seen the articles on the fastest container ships and super oil tankers and realized that those were mammoth structures. There is only one other class of ships which can be that big, and those are the cruise ships.

The cruise ships are getting bigger than the biggest. This one pursuit of the cruise world puts the dimensions of the container and oil tankers at risk of being overtaken; risk may be too strong a word but I hope you get the idea.

Take a look at the comparative of the largest ships and you will find the ships from the cruise world there. ‘Allure of the Seas’ represents the cruise world but is not the largest anymore. That distinction goes to the ‘Symphony of the Seas’ and is as long as the Vale. And guess what, a cruiser longer than the Symphony is expected by 2022 and that will surpass the Vale. Reiterating my point that the positions of the containers and oil tankers may be challenged soon.

Let’s get started with the list then? Okay, let’s go.

Fastest: SS United States

This is an ocean liner and was sailing at a time when there was a clear distinction between an ocean liner and cruise ships. The SS United States came into service in 1952 and in its very first voyage across the Atlantic did the fastest sail. It still holds the blue – ribband for the fastest transatlantic sail.

The SS did a top speed of 72 kmph which in those days were in the realms of the navy hydrofoils. That was simply too fast for any ocean liner and that is why the SS still leads the pack.

Second Fastest: Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2)

QE2 started its sailing journey in 1969 and remained the flagship of the Cunard Line until 2004. In 2004, the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) took the distinction of being the flagship of the Cunard Line. The QE2 served as both an Ocean Liner and a Cruise Ship. During her sailing days she set the top speed of 63 kmph.

The QE2 was eventually retired in 2008 and in 2018 was converted to a floating hotel in Dubai.

Third Fastest: Queen Mary 2 (QM2)

This is the successor to the QE2. The QM2 was launched in 2004 and was the longest and largest ship in the cruising world. That distinction was later taken by the ‘Freedom of the Seas’. The QM2 did a top speed of 56 kmph.

The QM2 happens to be the last of the Ocean Liners in the world and by the looks of it, will remain so. If that is so it will be the largest and longest ocean liner ever made. The Freedom of the Seas is a cruise ship.

Fourth Fastest: Norwegian Gem

This is the first cruise ship on the list (the first three are ocean liners) and that fastest of them all. The Norwegian Gem was operated by the Norwegian Lines and was the latest of their ships. Only in 2010, the Norwegian Epic became the newest of the Norwegian Lines ships.

That said, the Gem was still the fastest and could do a top speed of 50 kmph.

Fifth Fastest: Harmony of the Seas

This is the first of the ships from the Royal Caribbean fold and they are the ones having a penchant for making bigger and bigger cruise liners. In fact, Symphony, the largest cruiser, is the youngest sibling of the Harmony. Speed-wise, however, the Harmony is faster.

Take a look at a comparison between the Titanic and the Harmony

The Harmony can do a top speed of 46 kmph. Before the Symphony was launched, the Harmony was the largest ship in the cruising world and was bigger than the ‘Allure of the Seas’ which we saw in the comparative chart in the introduction section.

Parting Shot

So that completes our list of top five cruise ships. Although their size may go on increasing, I am not so certain about the speed. Cruisers, the world over, are becoming slower to enable its guests to spend longer time rejuvenating. So, I am not sure if we are going to have any surprises in the speeds of the new cruise ships, but if there is, it will certainly be updated here.

That said, we are through with the list of the fastest cruise ships and ocean liners. For an extended and detailed list you can read more here.

I hope readers enjoyed reading the article! Have fun!

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Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

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