Last updated: 22 October 2026
Ships are the largest moving objects humans have ever built. Some are longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, and carry enough cargo to fill thousands of lorries. Here are the biggest ships in the world by type, how they compare, and why they keep getting bigger.
| Type | Example of the largest class | Approximate length | Headline figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container ship | 24,000+ TEU ultra-large container vessels | About 400m | Over 24,000 twenty-foot containers |
| Cruise ship | Royal Caribbean Icon class | About 365m | Around 250,000 gross tonnes, 7,000+ guests |
| Oil tanker (ever built) | Seawise Giant / Knock Nevis (scrapped) | About 458m | The longest ship ever built |
| Floating LNG facility | Prelude FLNG | About 488m | The longest floating structure |
| Heavy-lift / construction | Pioneering Spirit | About 382m long, 124m wide | Lifts entire oil platforms |
| Bulk carrier | Valemax ore carriers | About 360m | About 400,000 tonnes deadweight |
Records change as new ships are delivered. Figures are approximate.
The biggest container ships are ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) of around 24,000 TEU and more, built for the Asia–Europe trade by lines such as MSC, Evergreen, OOCL and others. They are:
These ships call at UK ports such as Felixstowe, London Gateway and Southampton. Read how big is a container ship? and container ship sizes.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas (2024) and her sisters are among the largest cruise ships ever built, at around 250,000 gross tonnes with room for more than 7,000 guests and a crew of over 2,000. Cruise ships are huge by volume, but container ships and tankers are longer and carry far more weight.
The supertanker Seawise Giant, later called Jahre Viking and Knock Nevis, was about 458m long and fully loaded could not pass through the English Channel. She was scrapped in 2010. Today the longest floating structure is the Prelude FLNG gas facility off Australia, about 488m long, which is permanently moored rather than sailing between ports.
The limits are ports, canals, cranes and the depth of channels. Ports invest heavily in deeper berths and bigger ship-to-shore cranes to handle the giants.
On a cruise, yes, on a giant cruise ship. On cargo ships, passenger cabins are usually on mid-sized to large container ships rather than the very biggest. Even so, a 300m+ container ship feels enormous when you walk its deck. Read our cargo ship travel guide.
By cargo capacity, the largest container ships carry over 24,000 TEU. The longest ship ever built was the tanker Seawise Giant, about 458m. The longest floating structure today is Prelude FLNG.
Ultra-large container ships of 24,000+ TEU, around 400m long, are the biggest container ships. Valemax ore carriers are among the largest bulk carriers.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon class ships are among the largest, at around 250,000 gross tonnes.
About 400 metres, roughly the length of four football pitches.
Yes. Felixstowe, London Gateway and Southampton regularly handle ultra-large container ships.
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