When you think of the Titanic, your mind automatically goes to something gigantic, of epic proportions. This word takes you immediately to the very well-known ship called RMS Titanic – the one that had an unlucky fate. But if you’d try to compare, how big would the Titanic be next to a modern-day cruise ship?
Would the Titanic be considerably bigger than a cruise ship that was built recently? Actually, contrary to popular belief, most modern-day cruise ships are quite big compared to the Titanic. Some cruise ships (Like the Oasis line, for example) are two times larger in terms of width and 30% longer than the historic boat.
History tells us that the RMS Titanic was 28 meters (92 feet) wide and 269 meters (882 feet) long. Oasis-class cruise ships of today’s time are more than 61 meters (200 feet) wide and more than 360 meters (1,180 feet) long.
Two very popular, modern-day cruise ships, among the biggest ever made, measure as follows:
The Symphony of the Seas is exactly 66 meters(215 feet) wide and 361 meters(1,184 feet) long. Another popular cruise ship, the Allure of the Seas was built 66 meters (215 feet) wide and 362 meters(1,187 feet) long.
The image below will give you a clearer picture of the difference between the Titanic and some of the biggest modern-day ships, among which you will find Allure of the Seas and The Seawise Giant.
Modern-day cruise ships like the Symphony of the Seas can hold around 7,000 passengers, The Titanic, although gigantic for those times, could only hold up to 3,327 passengers, which is about half.
If you want to find more information about the size of the Titanic and the difference between this historic boat and other cruise ships, new and old, then continue reading our article.
So How Big Was the Titanic In Comparison to a Modern-Day Cruise Ship?
The RMS Titanic didn’t get its name for no reason. At that time, it was made to be the largest seagoing vessel ever built. Its size became a legend and many people still have no problem believing that it was the biggest ship in history. This is far from the truth because, since the times of the Titanic, people have built cruise ships that are considerably bigger, making the Titanic seem like a toy in comparison.
In our day and age, the biggest modern cruise ships belong to the Royal Caribbean International, are Oasis-class, and are called the Oasis of the Seas, the Allure of the Seas, and the Symphony of the Seas.
Comparison Between Modern Cruise Ships and The Titanic
When talking about the actual length, The Symphony of the Seas, which was built in 2019, was about 361..011 meters (1,184.42 feet). The Allure of the Seas on the other hand, that made contact with water in 2010, measures 362 meters (1,187 feet) and the Oasis of the Seas, which set sail in 2009, is about 361.6 meters (1,186.5 feet) in length. As a general rule, The titanic is around 305 feet smaller than modern Oasis-class cruise ships.
The Titanic was built to have a beam (width) of 92 feet and 6 inches, which is about 28.2 meters. This would be a constant for cruise ships until 2004 when Queen Mary 2 was built at about 148 feet. This made Queen Mary 55 feet wider than the Titanic.
When compared to the Titanic, the Allure and the Oasis have a beam that is double in width (198 feet or about 47 meters). The Symphony of the Seas has the largest beam of them all, with a width of 215.5 feet (66 meters).
The Titanic was about 53.3 meters (175 feet) high, having a total of nine decks. This would translate to the size of an 11-story building. In comparison, both the Allure and the Oasis are around 72 meters (or 236 feet) high and have 18 decks. Out of these, only 16 are for passengers. The Symphony of the Seas is sitting at a similar height (72,5 meters or 238 feet) and has 18 decks as well. This is the equivalent of 22-story buildings.
Capacity Comparison
Now let’s compare their capacity as well. The total molded volume of enclosed spaces of a ship is called gross tonnage (GT) and you calculate it from the funnel to the keep, from the bow to the stern, and to the outside of the hull frame. The Titanic was measured based on the gross register tonnage (GRT), which is somewhat similar. The Titanic was built to have a GRT of 46,328.
The gross tonnage of the Allure and the Oasis are almost the same, at around 225,282 GT. The total molded volume (or net tonnage) of the cargo spaces are 242,000 and 257,429 respectively.
As for the amount of weight that these ships can carry, which is also called a deadweight tonnage (DWT), the Allure has 19,750 DWT, while the Oasis has only 15,000 DWT. The DWT of the Symphony of the Seas is around 18,095, and its NT is 258,794. The GT sits at around 228,081, around 5x that of the Titanic.
In terms of passenger capacity, the Titanic could house 3,327 people, out of which 892 were crew members and 2,435 passengers. In comparison, both the Allure and the Oasis have crew teams of around 2,200 people and can house an additional 6,780 passengers. As you would expect, the Symphony of the Seas can hold more passengers – a maximum of 7,000 passengers with the same crew size of 2,200 people.
The Speed
The difference between the Titanic and other cruise ships can be seen in their speeds as well. How much would its size actually influence the speed of the ship?
As I`ve already said somewhere in this article, the Titanic wasn’t meant to be speedy. As you would expect, this is the case of cruise ships in general – they travel slowly and safely from one port to another over a few days, which means they don’t really need a lot of speed. In the case of the Titanic, we’re talking about a cruising speed of just 21 knots or 39 kilometers per hour, with a maximum speed of 24 knots or 44 kilometers per hour.
Even though modern cruise ships are considerably larger, this has almost no impact on their speed due to the advancement of technology. The symphony of the Seas is the slowest of the three modern-day ships, with a cruising speed of just 22 knots/41 kilometers per hour. The Allure of the Seas is just a pinch faster, with a cruising speed of around 22.6 knots/41.9 kilometers per hour, and the Oasis of the Seas is the fastest of the three, with a speed of about 24.5 knots or 45.4 kilometers per hour.
Although faster cruise ships could probably be built, the average permitted speed for cruise ships remains 22 knots since 1912, mainly for safety reasons.
Other Features and Amenities
Although most people nowadays might not be impressed with what the Titanic had to offer, at the time it was considered the most luxurious and impressive passenger ship. It was designed with neoclassical empire-style architecture and seen as a high0class hotel on water.
Below you will find some of the most notable amenities you’d find inside the Titanic:
- Four elevators
- The Verandah café with actual palm trees
- A French café
- A 600-seat dining saloon
- An à la carte restaurant
- A reading and writing room
- A smoking room
- A massage room
- A hot room
- A cool room
- A steam room
- An electric bath
- A squash court
- A gymnasium
- A 7-foot deep swimming pool
Modern-day cruise ships have a multitude of additional amenities in comparison to the Titanic and not just because they are bigger. The recent advancements in technology also helped the engineers add features to the ships. You could see them not as hotels on water, but rather whole floating cities. In each of these three modern ships, you will see seven communities (let’s call them neighborhoods) that each take care of certain passengers and their needs.
The Pool and Sports Zone
You will find the Pool and Sports Zone on decks 15 and 16. This is a vast area designed for outdoor activities, like different sports, swimming or jogging.
In this zone, you will find four different pools. These are the Sports pool, reserved only for lap swimmers and water sports, the H2O Zone, designated for the whole family and similar to a water park, the main pool, and the beach one.
You will also find sports courts for soccer, volleyball, and basketball, two surf simulators, a mini-golf course, and 10 whirlpools in this area. Along with these, you will also be able to check out the Solarium, the adults-only pool, six bars, and four restaurants.
The Youth Zone
This is an area of the ship where children can spend time and make friends. It is more than 28,000 square feet wide, split into two different areas for children of different ages.
The Youth Zone is located on deck 15 and is designed for children aged 13 to 17 and the Adventure Ocean area is made for children aged 6 months to 12 years and is located on deck 14. The Youth area also hosts the Adventure Ocean Theater, the Imagination Studio, a workshop for family activities, and a science lab.
The other areas are:
- The Entertainment Place
- The Royal Promenade
- Central Park
- The Boardwalk
- The Vitality Spa and Fitness Center
So To Wrap Everything Up – How Big Was the Titanic Compared to a Cruise Ship?
So, to answer the main question this article was built around, The Titanic was very small, compared to a modern-day cruise ship.
Most of today’s cruise ships, including ships like the Oasis or the Allure, are about double in width and 30% longer than the Titanic.
Even though you could probably contain the whole Titanic inside modern-day cruise ships, because of its place in history books, it will always keep its name of the largest ship that was ever built, especially in the heads of average people who don’t have the information we go over in this article.