15 Largest Ships In The World

The shipping sector is sustained by a modern fleet of vessels belonging to different segments. Some ships carry general cargo, while others are specialised bulkers or ice-breaking ships made to ply the harshest shipping routes.

In this article, we present the crowning vessel of each type, a leader of maritime innovation and design in its segment.

Let’s take a look at the 15 Largest Ships in the world. 

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1. Largest Container Ship in the World – MSC Irina

MSC Irina is the biggest container ship in the world. It was ordered by MSC and constructed by Chinese Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co. 

It measures 399.9 m lengthwise and 61.3 m breadthwise, making it a true mammoth of the seas. It has a gross tonnage of 236,184 tonnes and a DWT of 281,456 tonnes.

Work began on the vessel in 2021, and dock assembly started in June 2022.

The largest container ship underwent sea trials in 2023 and was sent to Zhejiang Zhoushan Shipyard for final work as it was set for delivery in March.

It is sailing under the Liberian Flag and has a capacity of 24,346 TEUs. Irina is also endowed with several energy-saving technologies and smart infrastructure like its small and bulbous bow, large-diameter propellors, an air lubrication system that decreases drag on the hull and shaft generators for producing additional power.

These features help the container ship reduce energy consumption by 3-4 per cent compared to other container ships, cutting carbon emissions as well.

2. Largest Cruise Ship in the World: Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world, with a 248,663 gross tonnage. She is ready to enter service on 27th January 2024 out of the Miami Port in the U.S. 

The biggest cruise in the world is 364.7 m long and 48.47 m wide. It is powered by LNG and has 6 multi-fuel Wartsila engines that can use both LNG and distillate fuel. It also has fuel cells to generate electricity. She is the first Royal Caribbean ship to employ such technology.

At maximum occupancy, it can accommodate 7600 guests and a 2350-member crew. The ship has 20 decks, 7 swimming pools, and 6 water slides. Royal Caribbean claims that Icon of the Sea has the tallest waterfall, waterslide, and largest waterpark at sea. 

There is an Aquadome that offers a new diving and performance experience. Absolute Zero provides a novel ice skating experience, while Hideaway is the beach club with the first suspended infinity pool.

3. Largest Catamaran Crane Ship in the World: SSCV Sleipnir

SSCV Sleipnir was ordered in 2015 and constructed in Singapore by Smebcorp Marine. After its completion in 2019, it took over the SSCV Thialf as the biggest crane ship in the world. 

Interestingly, it was named after the legendary eight-legged horse of Odin, the god of war and death in Norse mythology. 

The vessel has two revolving cranes, each with a 10,000-lifting capacity. Herrema Marine Contractors operates it, and it is the first vessel of its type to be powered by LNG.

It has eight thrusters and can attain a speed of 12 knots. In 2019, the vessel successfully lifted 15,300 tons in the Leviathan Gas field in Israel. 

It is used to install or remove jackets, topsides, foundations, moorings and modules. It is 220 m long, 102 m wide and has a 12 to 32 m draft. Sleipnir has LED lighting, an energy recovery system and a novel silicon-based anti-fouling paint.

4. Largest Ore Carrier-MS Ore Brasil (Valemax Class)

MS Ore Brasil is the biggest ore carrier ship in the world. It was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, South Korea, in 2011 for the Brazilian mining company Vale. The Very Large Ore Carrier, with a carrying capacity of 40,2347 tons, is currently sailing under the flagship of Hong Kong.

Earlier known as the Vale Brasil, it was the first of seven 400,000 tonnes of VLOCs ordered by her owner from Daewoo and the other twelve from China. It was made to ship iron ore from Brazilian mines to Asian countries along the Cape of Good Hope around South Africa. 

It contains seven cargo compartments with a total volume of 219,980 m3. Its deadweight tonnage is about 402,347 tonnes and it has a gross tonnage of 198,980.

When fully loaded, she can carry 11,150 trucks worth of iron ore and has a draught of 23 m. It has an overall length of 362 m and a breadth of 65.06 m. 

The carrier can enter only specific deepwater ports in Europe, Brazil and China due to its enormous size.

5. Largest solar-powered ship: MS Turanor PlanetSolar

The popularity of solar-powered vessels in the maritime domain is credited to Swiss engineer Raphael Domjan, who had long dreamed of designing such a vessel. However, his vision was realised only in the late 2000s when he garnered supporters to make it a reality. 

PlanetSolar took over a year to build and is 31 m long, 15 m broad, and around 6 m high, with a 1.5 m draft and a displacement of 85 tonnes.

It has a yacht-like design to offer comfort to its guests. 38,000 solar voltaic cells are spread over 5000 sq ft of its roof area. These cells absorb solar energy and store it in the 12 lithium-ion batteries in storage boxes.

The boat can easily accommodate 40 people. In 2019, it took a tour from Monaco and passed through many places, such as the Galapagos, South America, Asia, and waters near the Equator.

6. World’s largest LNG-powered Container Ship- Jacques Saade

Named after the CMA CGM Group founder, the biggest LNG-powered container ship, Jacques Saade, is an innovative vessel with numerous environmentally friendly features.

It was built at the Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipyard and completed in 2020. She began operations on September 23, 2020, and is sailing under the flag of France.

She has a 23,000 TEU capacity and is the first ship of this size propelled by LNG. It is endowed with the latest technology and offers an enhanced map viewing option for easy navigation. It has a gross tonnage of 236,583 tonnes and a summer deadweight of 221,251 tonnes.

It also contains a path prediction technology, which can display a predicted future location. The smart eye system provides a bird’s eye view of the surrounding region. It also has a system for managing the ventilation of reefer carriers.

To improve its performance, its hull is hydrodynamically optimised. It has a straight bow and an improved propellor and rudder.

The 400 m long and 61 m broad ship flaunts an LNG-powered Logo, a symbol of innovation in the maritime industry.

7. Largest Aircraft Carrier Ship in the World- USS Gerald R-Ford

Aircraft carriers are crucial naval assets for any country, not only for conducting war operations but also for guarding the nation’s territorial waters. Five nations, including the United States, Britain, France, India, and China, operate the largest aircraft carriers.

However, the largest among the lot is the US Navy’s latest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Around ten such carriers would be built; however, the first one was commissioned in 2017. 

The biggest aircraft carrier ship in the world was constructed at a whopping of around 13 million US Dollars, along with additional research and development expenses of 37.3 billion dollars.

The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier measures 333 m lengthwise and has a 41 m beam. It has a displacement of 112,000 tons. It can accommodate more than 4500 people onboard. 

The biggest warship has many surface-to-air missiles and machine guns- RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, RIM-116 and M2. The carrier can hold over 57 aircraft, such as the Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters and the Lockheed Martin F-35.

8.  Largest electric cruise ship: Yangtze River Three Gorges 1

The novel watercraft was constructed by China Yangtze Power in collaboration with the Hubei Three Gorges Tourism Group. It measures 100 m lengthwise and 16.3 m breadthwise and can easily accommodate 1300 people.

Mainly built for tourism and entertainment, the biggest electric cruise offers a plethora of activities to its guests onboard. The project cost about 23.5 million dollars to complete. 

This largest electric cruise ship in the world is endowed with 15 Ningde times batteries and can sail up to 100 km if charged only once. Power to the vessel is supplied through the Three Gorges Dam situated in the area. 

Unique features of the ship include low equipment failure possibilities and fewer operations and maintenance costs. It also has an automated control mechanism and a smart power management system for reducing power loss. It also has one of the most efficient air conditioning systems compared to similar vessels.

9. Largest RORO Ship: MV Tonsberg

Owned by Wilh.Wilhelmsen, MV Tonsberg is the largest RORO Ship in the world. It has a length of 265 m and is 32.26 m wide with an 11 m draught. It has a gross tonnage of 76,500.

She has 6 fixed and 3 hoistable decks, giving it a total deck space of 50,335 m2 and a cargo volume of 138,000 m2.

Its stern ramps are 8 m wide, with the weather deck being 4 m wide. The latter can be used for loads like wind turbine blades, reducing the requirement for cranes.

The hull is improved compared to other RORO ships and uses 15 to 20 per cent less fuel per unit of cargo. The vessel has better stability, decreasing the need for ballast water. It has a double bottom, and one of its decks is watertight. 

10. World’s Largest LNG Dredger ship: Xinhaixun

The world’s biggest dual-fuel trailing suction dredger, the Xinhaixun, was launched in Qidong, China’s Jiangsu Province. It primarily uses LNG; however, it also has a diesel power system, giving it a dual-fuel capacity, which reduces emissions in the maritime industry and helps fight climate change.

It has a hopper capacity of 15,000 cubic metres and is 155.7 m long and 32 m wide with a maximum draught of 9.9 m. Xinhaixun was designed by 708 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

It has a main deck, and below it are 3 floors. The lower one is for power equipment like the main engine and the generator; the middle floor is for control systems like the centralised control console, and the upper deck houses cranes and equipment for dredging. 

Xinhaixun is the biggest LNG-powered trailing suction dredger and will be delivered in September 2024. It will be used for dredging, coastal maintenance works on ports and deep water channels, and promoting the development of green shipping in China.

11. Biggest Tugboat in the world: Island Victory

The largest tugboat in the world, Island Victory is a special offshore installation ship owned by Island Offshore. It can handle multiple operations, which would otherwise require the service of many vessels. Hence, it has a flexible and extensive work profile, adding to its popularity.

The most powerful tugboat in the world has 2 Rolls-Royce engines with a power of 8000kW. It is 123 m long, 25 m broad and has a draught of 9.4 m. The ship’s decks span 1200 square metres and it has a gross tonnage of 11,362 tonnes.

Kongsberg Maritime designed it, and it is equipped with two deck and two rail cranes, two ROVs, a moon pool, a huge offshore crane, and a DP2 mechanism. 

Hence, the vessel can undertake extensive offshore duties like laying subsea equipment on the seafloor, maintaining oil rigs, installing wind turbines and windmills, and handling anchors. 

It can also carry out oil recovery in the Norwegian region. For this purpose, the vessel has a storage tank for keeping 2300 m3 of oil. Lastly, the ship can carry 110 people.

12. Largest Icebreaker Ship in the World: Arktika

The world’s biggest icebreaker ship, Arktika, is also the most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker. It was constructed in St.Petersburg, Baltic Shipyard.

It has a nuclear power plant with 2 pressurised water reactors driven by enriched uranium and two turbo generators.

It has a gross tonnage of 28494 tonnes and has a length of 570 metres and a height of 168 metres. The crew can expect excellent visibility of the surface ice and surrounding areas from the ship. It is also larger than other icebreakers owned by Russia. 

It was designed to operate in harsh conditions of the northern sea shipping routes. It is strong enough to break 9 feet of ice while moving at 2 knots. Currently, Russia is the sole owner of nuclear-powered icebreaker ships in the world.

13. TI Class Supertankers

This class of supertankers includes TI Asia, TI Africa, TI Oceania, and TI Europe. They were the first ultra-large crude Carriers (ULCCs) constructed in 25 years. The earliest biggest supertanker, Seawise Giant, was dismantled in 2010.

These supertankers are wider than the new locks of the Panama Canal and cannot pass through the Suez Canal unless on a ballast trip.

The TI Class supertankers are 380 m long and 68 m wide and can carry 3.2 barrels of petroleum at a speed of 16.5 knots. They have a gross tonnage of 234,006 tonnes.

TI Asia and TI Africa were transformed into FSO Vessels in 2009 and 2010. TI Europe and TI Oceania also met the same fate in 2017 and 2019.

14. Prelude FLNG

This floating Liquified Natural Gas or FLNG Platform was constructed to store, extract, and liquefaction natural gas in the marine environment.

It is owned by Shell plc and was constructed by TSC in South Korea. Its hull was launched in 2013.

The platform can produce 3.6 million tonnes of LNG yearly. It is 488 m long, 74 m broad, and 105 m tall. Around 260,000 tonnes of steel were used in its manufacturing. When entirely loaded, it displaces 600,000 tonnes and has a gross tonnage of 300,000 tonnes.

Prelude FLNG is one of the largest installations of its type in the world and also the largest FLNG platform built to date.

It is a remarkable construction that has made the development of offshore gas fields economically feasible and easy.

15. Biggest Construction Vessel: Pioneering Spirit

Pioneering Spirit is the biggest construction vessel and also the world’s largest vessel by gross tonnage. It is also the heaviest vehicle ever built, and since 2021, it has been the world’s largest floating sheerleg.

Owned by Allseas Group, it was designed to install and remove huge oil and gas platforms and lay pipelines.

It was constructed in South Korea in 2013 for €2.6 billion and began operations in 2016.

Pioneering Spirit is 477 m long and 124 m wide with a speed of 14 knots. It has a gross tonnage of 403,342 tonnes and a maximum displacement of 932,000 tonnes.

It can lift and move entire offshore structures, helping lower costs and minimise environmental impact by simplifying the installation and maintenance processes in the offshore oil and gas sector.

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