Megaships

Vessels known as megaships, the biggest cruise ships ever built, first appeared in the late 1980s and, with their immense proportions and passenger capacities, established a new standard of cruise-ship design.

The centerpiece of most megaships is a three-, five-, or seven-story central atrium. However, these giant vessels are most easily recognized by their boxy profile: The hull and superstructure rise straight out of the water, as many as 14 stories tall, topped out by a huge sun or sports deck with a jogging track and swimming pool, which may be Olympic size. Some megaships, but not all, also have a wraparound promenade deck. Like the latest cruise liners, picture windows are standard equipment, and cabins in the top categories have private verandas. From their casinos and discos to their fitness centers, everything is proportionally bigger and more extravagant than on other ships. Between 1,500 and 2,500 passengers can be accommodated, and tonnage ranges from 70,000 to 100,000 or more.

Cruises are also available aboard a number of specialty ships: cruise yachts, expedition ships, motor-sailing ships, riverboats, and coastal cruisers.