The World's Largest Cruise Ship Is On The Water - Here's How She Stands Out Compared To Others

Royal Caribbean continues to ramp up its fleet of massive cruise ships with the Legend of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships in the world. Legend of the Seas touched water for the first time on September 2, 2025, and it will debut in July 2026 as part of Royal Caribbean's Icon Class cruise line, the company's largest fleet of ships. She will have a ton of cabins for guests and staff, a huge water park, a Broadway-style theater, and a wide range of restaurants. Legend of the Seas will offer Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises, starting with Barcelona, Spain, in the summer of 2026.

The top 10 largest cruise ships in the world currently include nine Royal Caribbean cruise ships — and Legend of the Seas will be at the very top, allowing the cruise line to take over the Top 10 altogether. The Legend of the Seas is 2,100 tons more than sister ships Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas, the other two ships in the Icon Class. Legend of the Seas is 250,800 gross tons in size, 1,198 feet long, and carries 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew aboard. These massive Icons travel at 25 to 26 miles per hour — cruise ships today are meant to be a bit slower in the water. The Legend of the Seas is powered by a gas turbine engine that produces 61,687 horsepower and has a propulsion power of 112,646 hp. For comparison, the largest non-Royal Caribbean ship is the MSC World Asia, which weighs 215,863 gross tons and measures 1,093 feet in length.

The Legend of the Seas is currently boasting that it has the "largest waterpark at sea," which includes six slides, including the "first open free-fall waterslide at sea," and raft slides. However, it appears to be the same waterpark that's on its sister ships in the Icon Class series. Their version of the waterpark, also called Category 6, includes the first open free-fall waterslide. All three ships also have the Flowrider surf simulator and a skywalk challenge on the ship's edge. All three Icons also have relaxing pools for families and adults, including one that serves alcohol. 

Similar shows are also advertised for Legend of the Seas and its sister ships, including Absolute Zero, a stunt-filled ice skating show. Legend of the Seas has the Aquatheater, while Star of the Seas has the Aquadome, both featuring aquatic diving stunts and aerial performances. The changes from Icon to Icon are quite small, like the Supper Club bar having a Hollywood theme on Legend of the Seas, while it has a "Chicagoland" theme on Star of the Seas, and a New York theme on Icon of the Seas. It's been largely confirmed that the three Icon ships are designed to be similar to one another to offer guests a consistent experience. 

The difference between the three Icon ships is where they travel to. Star of the Seas travels to the Caribbean and Bahamas, while Icon of the Seas sticks to eastern and western Caribbean locations. The Legend of the Seas' 2026 debut in Europe is intentional. "Our guests across Europe have been asking for an Icon Class ship to be based there, and this was the right time to bring it," said Royal Caribbean's Chief Marketing Officer, Kara Wallace.