
Costs quickly add up when outfitting a massive ship with all the amenities and extras found in a five-star hotel. It’s no wonder that the average ticket price is so high, given that modern cruise ships cost hundreds of millions to build (or more, as we’ll see).
If you were curious about how much some of the world’s most luxurious and huge cruise ships truly cost to build, here is a list associated with the top 13 most expensive cruise ships ever built. The list features boats in increasingly expensive order.
Because of rising consumer expectations plus fierce industry competition, cruise companies are always innovating and topping one another with cutting-edge onboard features.
Huge cruise ships populate today’s oceans. Because of this, the industry consistently receives billions of dollars in funding, which allows luxurious luxury cruise liners in order to be developed.
So, let’s dive into our top 13 list of the most expensive cruise liners around the globe.
Carnival Mardi Gras

The Carnival Mardi Gras was a ground-breaking ship when it made its debut in 1972. Its initial focus, which set it apart from other cruiseships at the particular time, was on festive enjoyment for all passengers (thus the name). The the majority of recent Mardis Gras, which was built in 2021 and had 2, 641 staterooms, 18 passenger decks, and a rollercoaster, maintains the distinctive on-ship environment to this day. It costs $950 million .
Year built | 2021 | Gross Tonnage | 183900 GT |
Flag state | Bahamas | Passengers | 5282 – 6338 |
Builder | Meyer Werft | Crew | 1745 |
Class | Excellence-Helios | Decks | 18 |
Building cost | USD 950 million | Cabins | 2641 |
Length (LOA) | 344 m (1129 ft) | Operator | Carnival Cruise Line |
Beam (width) | 42 m (138 ft) | Speed | 43 kph (26 mph) |
Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Cruises, a division of the Royal Caribbean Group, operates the particular Celebrity Advantage, an Edge-class cruise ship. The purchase for the new ship was placed in December 2014 along with the French shipbuilder STX France; the keel has been laid in June 2017, and the particular ship has been floated out at the start associated with 2018.
She joined the particular Celebrity fleet in October 2018 plus, with 130, 818 GRAND TOURING, became the largest deliver by gross tonnage to enter the Edge class. Celeb Edge launched her first season on November 6, 2018, after giving birth on a transatlantic voyage from France in order to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Since Dec 2018, Superstar Edge has operated out of Port Everglades, making weekly cruises to the particular Mediterranean within the summer and the Western and Eastern Caribbean inside the winter. It expenses a billion dollars .
Year built | 2018 | Gross Tonnage | 140, 818 GT |
Banner state | Malta | Travellers | 2918 – 3521 |
Contractor | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Crew | 1377 |
Class | Celebrity EDGE | Products | 15 |
Building price | USD 1 Billion | Cabin rentals | 1467 |
Size (LOA) | 306 m (1004 ft) | Owner | Celeb Cruises |
Beam (width) | 39 m (128 ft) | Velocity | 41 kph (25 mph) |
Norwegian Bliss

The particular list now includes the brand-new, enormously luxurious Norwegian Bliss luxury cruise liner, which cost nearly $1 billion to construct.
The third dispatch of the particular Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Plus class, Norwegian Happiness, was constructed at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany (NCL). NCL’s 16th ship, the Norwegian Bliss, is based in Miami. Sister ships include the Norwegian Escape and the Norwegian Joy.
The ship’s signature feature is the 180° observation lounge on deck 15. The particular 6096 meters (20, 000ft) – 2 salon offers amazing views of the ocean and is encircled by floor-to-ceiling windows.
Year constructed | 2018 | Gross Tonnage | 168028 GRAND TOURING |
Flag state | Bahamas | Passengers | 4004 – 4903 |
Builder | Meyer Werft (Papenburg, Germany) | Team | 1716 |
Course | Breakaway Plus | Units | 20 |
Building cost | USD one Billion dollars | Cabins | 2043 |
Duration (LOA) | 333 meters (1093 ft) | User | (NCL) Norwegian Luxury cruise Line |
Beam (width) | 41 m (135 ft) | Speed | 43 kph (26 mph) |
MSC Bellissima

Cruise ship MSC Bellissima is run by MSC Cruises. She was built at Saint-Nazaire, France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The vessel joined MSC Meraviglia in the Meraviglia course of cruise ships owned by the business. The girl can accommodate 4, 500 passengers and has a tonnage of 171, 600GT. Launched in March 2019, the particular ship.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSC Cruises announced the cancellation of all North American cruises through June 30, 2020. On March 4, 2019, MSC Bellissima set sail for her first journey, and upon March 12, 2019, she made her first port of call in Spain. The deliver costs $1 Billion .
12 months built | 2019 | Gross Tonnage | 171600 GT |
Flag state | Malta | Passengers | 4488 – 5686 |
Builder | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Crew | 1536 |
Class | Meraviglia | Decks | 18 |
Building cost | USD 1 Billion | Cabin rentals | 2244 |
Length (LOA) | 315 mirielle (1033 ft) | Operator | MSC Cruises |
Beam (width) | 43 m (141 ft) | Speed | 41 kph (25 mph) |
MSC Meraviglia

The particular MSC Meraviglia is a cruise ship that belongs to MSC Cruise trips and is run by them. STX France constructed it at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard within St. Nazaire, France. The Meraviglia class of MSC’s new “Vista Project” ships is headed by the particular MSC Meraviglia, with the MSC Bellissima course, which followed in 2019. There are four, 500 passengers on each ship.
It was the sixth-largest cruise ship in the particular world when it first went into service inside June 2017, trailing only AIDAnova and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels. The ship, which offers previously cruised in Northern Europe plus the western Mediterranean, made its first move to the US in the fall of 2019 to New York and Miami in order to sail to the Caribbean because part of MSC’s North American growth program. It costs captal up to $1 billion .
Year built | 2017 | Major Tonnage | 167600 GT |
Banner state | Malta | Passengers | 4488 – 5386 |
Builder | Chantiers sobre l’Atlantique | Crew | 1536 |
Class | Meraviglia | Decks | 18 |
Building price | USD one Billion | Cabins | 2244 |
Size (LOA) | 316 michael (1037 ft) | Owner | MSC Cruises |
Beam (width) | 43 m (141 ft) | Speed | 43 kph (26 mph) |
AID Anova

The particular AIDAnova is the first deliver of AIDA Cruises’ brand new Excellence-class navy and will be rumored in order to be the particular world’s fifth-largest passenger ship. This 337 m (1105 ft) long luxury ship was made in a reported cost associated with $1. 1 billion simply by Meyer Werft in Philippines.
AIDAnova was introduced inside December 2018, and the standout feature is the Green Cruising concept. It is the initial cruise liner in the world that can be powered by liquefied natural gas both at sea and in port (LNG).
With a capacity of one, 500 crew members and up to 6, 600 travellers, the 183, 900 GRAND TOURING AIDAnova has more than two, 600 passenger cabins. To suit the upscale dining plus entertainment needs of the passengers, the particular ship features a total of 17 restaurants, a luxury day spa, 23 bars, and a 360-degree theatre, among other amenities.
Yr built | 2018 | Gross Tonnage | 183900 GT |
Flag condition | Italy | Passengers | 5400 – 6600 |
Builder | Meyer Werft (Papenburg, Germany) | Staff | 1500 |
Class | Excellence-Helios | Decks | 20 |
Building cost | USD 1 . 1 Billion | Cabin rentals | 2600 |
Duration (LOA) | 337 m (1, 106 ft) | User | AIDA Kreuzfahrten (AIDA Cruises) |
Beam (width) | 42 meters (138 ft) | Speed | 43 kph (26 mph) |
Norwegian Epic

The Norwegian Epic, 1 of Norwegian Cruise Lines’ most expensive ships, price $1. 2 billion to construct due to its distinctive size and design.
The ship boasts one of the biggest aqua parks and single-occupancy rooms. At the time it was built, this could hold 4, 228 people, which usually made it the third-largest cruiseship in the globe. It underwent a renovation in 2020, making travel there a modern luxury.
It is usually 329. 45 m (1082 ft) lengthy and 52 m (170 ft) wide, with a gross tonnage associated with 155, 873.
Season built | 2010 | Gross Tonnage | 155873 GT |
Flag state | Bahamas | People | 4228 – 5074 |
Constructor | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Crew | 1724 |
Course | Epic | Products | 19 |
Creating cost | UNITED STATES DOLLAR one two billion | Cabins | 2114 |
Length (LOA) | 329 michael (1079 ft) | Agent | (NCL) Norwegian Cruise Line |
Beam (width) | 41 m (135 ft) | Speed | 43 kph (26 mph) |
MSC World Europa

MSC Globe Europa is one of the world’s most costly cruise boats, with a build cost of USD 1 ) 25 billion . The MSC World-class fleet consists of four vessels, with World Europa serving as the inaugural vessel.
The particular ship functions 2, 700 guest rooms, 430, 000 sq ft of public space, twenty decks in total, and the world’s longest dry slide, the Spiral, at an impressive 11 stories in the air.
Calendar year built | 2022 | Gross Tonnage | 205700 GT |
Flag condition | Malta | Passengers | 5240 – 6774 |
Builder | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Crew | 2138 |
Class | MSC WORLD | Decks | 20 |
Constructing cost | UNITED STATES DOLLAR 1. twenty five billion | Cabin rentals | 2633 |
Size (LOA) | 333 mirielle (1093 ft) | Agent | MSC Cruises |
Beam (width) | 47 m (154 ft) | Speed | 43 kph (26 mph) |
Harmony of the Seas

Harmony from the Seas and Symphony in the Seas are similar in terms of their onboard facilities and activities, and layout. The one, 188-foot-long, billion-dollar ship can accommodate six, 410 people in total.
The Ultimate Abyss slide, which carries visitors down ten decks from nine miles per hour, is definitely one of its standout features. It costs around $1. 35 Billion.
Year built | 2016 | Major Tonnage | 226963 GT |
Flag state | Bahamas | Passengers | 5497 – 6410 |
Designer | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Team | 2394 |
Class | OASIS-Plus | Units | seventeen |
Developing cost | USD 1. 35 billion | Cabins | 2745 |
Duration (LOA) | 362 michael (1, 188 ft) | Operator | RCI-Royal Caribbean International |
Beam (width) | forty seven m (154 ft) | Speed | 41 kph (25 mph) |
Symphony with the Seas

The Symphony of the particular Seas, operated by Regal Caribbean, can be the second-largest cruise vessel in the world. This vessel, which was the largest cruise mail on the planet through 2018 in order to 2022, is certainly currently a close second to Wonder on the Seas.
You will find two thirteen m (43 ft) rock climbing walls, the full-size basketball court, an ice rink, a zip line along with ten products, a theatre with 1400 seats, a good outdoor aquatic theatre with Olympic-height platforms, and other amenities. A park with more than twenty, 000 tropical plants is also there.
Six marine-diesel sets, each consisting of three 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 16V46D common rail engines plus three 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46D engines, power Symphony associated with the Seas. It has 2, 759 cabins and 15 guest decks, totaling 17 decks. It expenses around $1. 35 Billion dollars .
Year constructed | 2018 | Gross Tonnage | 228081 GRAND TOURING |
Banner state | Bahamas | Travellers | 5518 – 6780 |
Creator | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Staff | 2394 |
Course | OASIS-Plus | Decks | 17 |
Building cost | UNITED STATES DOLLAR 1 . thirty-five billion dollars | Cabin rentals | 2759 |
Length (LOA) | 361 m (1184 ft) | Operator | RCI-Royal Caribbean International |
Light beam (width) | 47 meters (154 ft) | Velocity | 41 kph (25 mph) |
The wonder of this Seas

Since January 2022, Wonder of the Seas, a Royal Carribbean vessel, offers held the particular title of your largest ship in the world. The particular fifth deliver of Royal’s Oasis class made its maiden voyage in March 2022. The appropriately titled Wonder belonging to the Seas functions 2, 874 cabins, nineteen pools, plus 17 products (15 guest-accessible decks) (the most on any cruise ship). This particular beauty costs around $1. 35 Billion .
Year built | 2022 | Low Tonnage | 236857 GT |
Flag state | Bahamas | People | 5734 – 6988 |
Builder | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Crew | 2394 |
Class | OASIS-Plus | Products | seventeen |
Building cost | USD 1. 35 billion | Cabins | 2874 |
Size (LOA) | 362 michael (1188 ft) | Driver | RCI-Royal Caribbean International |
Ray (width) | 64 m (210 ft) | Rate | 41 kph (25 mph) |
Oasis of the particular Seas

The “seven neighborhoods” style element, which usually has subsequently been adopted by the sister ships and has virtually become a standard, was initially used by the first cruise ship of the particular Oasis course, The Oasis of the Seas.
When it was released in 2009, this broke the previous capacity record (6, 780), and it also has the particular deepest high dive pool ever in order to sail. This was constructed for roughly $1. 4 billion by STX Europe in Turku, Finland.
The particular Broadway musical “Hairspray” had been performed exclusively for guests as onboard entertainment.
Year built | 2009 | Major Tonnage | 225282 GRAND TOURING |
Banner state | Bahamas | Passengers | 5592 – 6431 |
Contractor | STX Europe | Crew | 2150 |
Class | OASIS | Decks | 17 |
Building cost | USD 1. 4 billion dollars | Cabin rentals | 2796 |
Length (LOA) | 362 m (1188 ft) | Operator | RCI-Royal Caribbean Worldwide |
Beam (width) | 47 m (154 ft) | Acceleration | 43 kph (26 mph) |
The Allure of the Oceans

The $1. 5 billion Attraction of the Seas is now the most costly cruise ship within the planet, surpassing the girl The Appeal from the Seas, which debuted in 2010, features 25 different dining establishments, 4 swimming pools, and ten whirlpools, and can house up to 6, 314 passengers at once.
The particular 1, 188-foot Royal Carribbean vessel functions a cutting-edge theatre along with seating for 1, 380, where travellers may enjoy productions like the Tony Award-winning Broadway music “Chicago. ”
The Attract of the particular Seas plus many from the sister boats feature Shrek and Madagascar characters, thanks to a partnership between Royal Caribbean and DreamWorks Entertainment.
Year built | 2010 | Gross Tonnage | 225282 GT |
Flag state | Bahamas | Passengers | 5492 – 6314 |
Builder | STX European countries | Crew | 2150 |
Course | OASIS | Products | 17 |
Creating cost | UNITED STATES DOLLAR 1. five billion | Cabins | 2745 |
Duration (LOA) | 362 m (1188 ft) | Operator | RCI-Royal Caribbean Worldwide |
Beam (width) | 47 meters (154 ft) | Rate | 43 kph (26 mph) |