How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? [SOLVED] Ranked by Ship & Line

How much does a cruise ship cost? We love this question! Below, you'll find a deep dive into cruise ships by cost. From the most expensive cruise ship in the world, to the cheapest.

We've analyzed cruise lines to find how much a cruise ship costs based on multiple criteria.

Included, you'll find ship cost by brand and per cabin to account for difference in ship size. We also explore the difference in the cost to build a cruise ship over time.

There's a clear trend in increasing ship cost by decade! Additionally, we look at the total asset value by fleet and by holding company. It's truly amazing how the industry is so very consolidated!

To skip to any of the above mentioned analysis, feel free to use our quick links below.

Don't get us wrong. A ship's price tag is just one consideration.

There are plenty of factors that come into play when searching for the perfect cruise. How new is the vessel? How big is it? What class does it belong to? What features does it have? And, of course, how much does a cruise ship cost? We cover all of these in other blog posts. For now, we'll explore ship cost in depth.

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost to Build... by Line

Above, you'll find a graph showing the average cruise ship cost by cruise line. The chart shown represents the actual cost to build a cruise ship for the specific brands shown.

Which company spends the most per vessel? That would be Royal Caribbean! On average, RCCL writes a check for $669 million for each new ship!

This graph above gives us an idea of not just "cost," but also grandiosity. Royal's ships are the biggest and most costly.

To get a better idea of "value" as opposed to "price tag," you'll want to consider ship size. We're one step ahead! Check out the infographic below for average cost to build a cruise ship based on size. Specifically, we analyze cost verse number of staterooms.

How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost to Build... by Cabin

This chart shows average cost by cruise cabin. That allows us to account for ship size and "normalize" the cost data. When buying an apartment building, you'd mostly like value it based on total number of units. Each apartment will command $X in rent. Similarly, each cruise cabin generates $Y in revenue.

It's no surprise that the smaller ships rise to the top. These brands are considered "premium lines." The drastic differences in price are obvious. Seabourn ships have cruise staterooms valued at more than 5x the cost of cabins on Pullmantur!

Why did we use cabins as a proxy for size?

To get the most of this analysis, you'll want to compare ships with a similar quantity of cabins. Compare SAGA and Fred Olsen ships. The average roughly the same number of cabins per ship. SAGA spends over 2x the amount on a per cabin basis!

The data won't completely represent the full picture. Celebrity has massive ships carrying over 3k passengers and also the Xploration with a capacity of 16 cruisers! To avoid this issue you'll want to check out our complete list of ships by cost below.

Cruise Ship Cost Increase Over Time

We also looked at how much does a cruise ship cost to build today vs. in the past? We expected an increase and were not disappointed! The chart below shows the average price tag of ships throughout the decades.

The blue bars show actual dollars spent. The green line depicts "cost in today's dollars." These figures were derived using an average inflation rate of 3.22%.

It's clear that prices have grown significantly! Both in terms of actual dollars and inflation-adjusted costs.

Even with the current speed bump in the industry, we expect this to continue. Vessels are continuously adding capacity and extravagant (read "expensive") features. The average cost per cruise ship is quickly approaching one billion dollars!

Cruise Ship Total Value by Cruise Company

You may have counted almost 30 cruise brands included above. Don't be fooled. There aren't that many big cruise companies out there. The chart below is likely to surprise you. The list of cruise companies is much smaller. Two companies (Carnival & Royal Caribbean) own nearly 75% of the entire industry!

Many passengers have sailed Oceania or Cunard and had no clue they were owned by NCL or Carnival. It's always entertaining to hear a passenger make fun of "Carnival" as they proudly book their next Seabourn vacation. Carnival Corp. owns both brands!

These major cruise lines know what they're doing. They want to own every cruise passenger, whether they're cruise budget is $1,000 or $10,000!

Most Expensive Cruise Ships

Of course we had to include a list of the most expensive cruise ships ever built. Here are the Top 25 biggest price tags ever commanded by cruise ships. The "billion+ dollar club" is a significant portion of the list.

We also include the owning cruise line. You'll find one cruise line in particular is writing the biggest checks!

#1 - Allure of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Allure of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.5 Billion for the ship in 2010.

The ship measures 225k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Allure of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $6,658 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Allure of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,742 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $547k per cabin for this ship.

The Allure of the Seas has a current status of: active

#2 - Wonder of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Wonder of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2021.

The ship measures 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Wonder of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,919 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Wonder of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $492k per cabin for this ship.

The Wonder of the Seas has a current status of: future ship

#3 - Harmony of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Harmony of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2016.

The ship measures 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Harmony of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,929 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Harmony of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $492k per cabin for this ship.

The Harmony of the Seas has a current status of: active

#4 - Symphony of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Symphony of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2018.

The ship measures 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,919 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Symphony of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $492k per cabin for this ship.

The Symphony of the Seas has a current status of: active

#5 - Oasis of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Oasis of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.3 Billion for the ship in 2009.

The ship measures 225k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,771 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Oasis of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,137 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $608k per cabin for this ship.

The Oasis of the Seas has a current status of: active

#6 - Norwegian Epic Cost to Build

How much did the Norwegian Epic cost to build? Norwegian spent $1.2 Billion for the ship in 2010.

The ship measures 156k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Norwegian Epic cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,699 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Norwegian Epic cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,122 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Norwegian paid roughly $566k per cabin for this ship.

The Norwegian Epic has a current status of: active

#7 - MSC World Europa Cost to Build

How much did the MSC World Europa cost to build? MSC spent $1.15 Billion for the ship in 2023.

The ship measures 206k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC World Europa cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,591 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MSC World Europa cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,700 staterooms. Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $426k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC World Europa has a current status of: future ship

#8 - MSC Seashore Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Seashore cost to build? MSC spent $1.15 Billion for the ship in 2022.

The ship measures 154k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Seashore cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,468 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Seashore cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,066 staterooms. Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $557k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Seashore has a current status of: future ship

#9 - Ovation of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Ovation of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $1.1 Billion for the ship in 2016.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $6,522 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Ovation of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,918 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $574k per cabin for this ship.

The Ovation of the Seas has a current status of: active

#10 - Celebration Cost to Build

How much did the Celebration cost to build? Carnival spent $1 Billion for the ship in 2022.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Celebration cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,438 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Celebration cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,641 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Carnival paid roughly $379k per cabin for this ship.

The Celebration has a current status of: future ship

#11 - Celebrity Edge Cost to Build

How much did the Celebrity Edge cost to build? Celebrity spent $1 Billion for the ship in 2018.

The ship measures 131k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Celebrity Edge cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,644 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Celebrity Edge cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,467 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Celebrity paid roughly $682k per cabin for this ship.

The Celebrity Edge has a current status of: active

#12 - Mardi Gras Cost to Build

How much did the Mardi Gras cost to build? Carnival spent $950 Million for the ship in 2020.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Mardi Gras cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,166 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Mardi Gras cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,641 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Carnival paid roughly $360k per cabin for this ship.

The Mardi Gras has a current status of: active

#13 - Costa Firenze Cost to Build

How much did the Costa Firenze cost to build? Costa spent $950 Million for the ship in 2020.

The ship measures 136k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Costa Firenze cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,011 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Costa Firenze cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,116 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Costa paid roughly $449k per cabin for this ship.

The Costa Firenze has a current status of: active

#14 - MV Iona Cost to Build

How much did the MV Iona cost to build? P&O UK spent $950 Million for the ship in 2020.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MV Iona cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,163 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MV Iona cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,610 staterooms. Some quick math shows that P&O UK paid roughly $364k per cabin for this ship.

The MV Iona has a current status of: future ship

#15 - Quantum of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Quantum of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $950 Million for the ship in 2014.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,632 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Quantum of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,839 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $517k per cabin for this ship.

The Quantum of the Seas has a current status of: active

#16 - Costa Smeralda Cost to Build

How much did the Costa Smeralda cost to build? Costa spent $950 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 185k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Costa Smeralda cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,135 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Costa Smeralda cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,612 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Costa paid roughly $364k per cabin for this ship.

The Costa Smeralda has a current status of: active

#17 - Disney Fantasy Cost to Build

How much did the Disney Fantasy cost to build? Disney spent $950 Million for the ship in 2012.

The ship measures 130k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Disney Fantasy cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $7,325 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Disney Fantasy cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,250 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Disney paid roughly $760k per cabin for this ship.

The Disney Fantasy has a current status of: active

#18 - Anthem of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Anthem of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $950 Million for the ship in 2015.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Anthem of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,632 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Anthem of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,095 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $453k per cabin for this ship.

The Anthem of the Seas has a current status of: active

#19 - AIDAnova Cost to Build

How much did the AIDAnova cost to build? AIDA spent $950 Million for the ship in 2018.

The ship measures 184k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the AIDAnova cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,166 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the AIDAnova cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,626 staterooms. Some quick math shows that AIDA paid roughly $362k per cabin for this ship.

The AIDAnova has a current status of: active

#20 - MSC Grandiosa Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Grandiosa cost to build? MSC spent $950 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 182k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Grandiosa cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,233 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Grandiosa cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,421 staterooms. Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $392k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Grandiosa has a current status of: active

#21 - MSC Meraviglia Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Meraviglia cost to build? MSC spent $950 Million for the ship in 2017.

The ship measures 172k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,536 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Meraviglia cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,244 staterooms. Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $423k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Meraviglia has a current status of: active

#22 - MSC Bellissima Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Bellissima cost to build? MSC spent $950 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 172k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Bellissima cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,536 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Bellissima cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,217 staterooms. Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $429k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Bellissima has a current status of: active

#23 - Spectrum of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Spectrum of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $940 Million for the ship in 2019.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,569 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Spectrum of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,098 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $448k per cabin for this ship.

The Spectrum of the Seas has a current status of: active

#24 - Odyssey of the Seas Cost to Build

How much did the Odyssey of the Seas cost to build? Royal Caribbean spent $940 Million for the ship in 2021.

The ship measures 169k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,550 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the Odyssey of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,098 staterooms. Some quick math shows that Royal Caribbean paid roughly $448k per cabin for this ship.

The Odyssey of the Seas has a current status of: future ship

#25 - MSC Virtuosa Cost to Build

How much did the MSC Virtuosa cost to build? MSC spent $937 Million for the ship in 2021.

The ship measures 181k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. If we look at the MSC Virtuosa cruise ship cost per tonnage, we get a price tag showing $5,177 per GT.

It's also interesting to look at the MSC Virtuosa cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,421 staterooms. Some quick math shows that MSC paid roughly $387k per cabin for this ship.

The MSC Virtuosa has a current status of: future ship

All Cruise Ships Cost to Build

Finally, here's the hard data. The spreadsheet below shows hundreds of ships ranked by total cost to build. Also included are cost today, cost per ton, and cost by cabin.

How much does a cruise ship cost to build - FAQs

How much does a cruise ship cost to build? On average, a cruise ship costs $506 million. To get this approximated cost to build a cruise ship, we analyzed 231 active and ordered vessels. In the charts above, we show all ships by cost, cruise line, and size.

What is the most expensive cruise ship ever built? The Allure of the Seas is the most expensive ship ever built at a price tag of $1.5 billion dollars. The ship was constructed in constructed by Royal Caribbean in 2010. It has a gross tonnage of 225k GT and a total cabin count of 2,742 staterooms.

What cruise line has the most expensive cruise ships? Royal Caribbean leads the cruise industry with the most expensive ships. On average, RCCL spends $669 million per new vessel. Next in line is Disney followed by Costa than NCL. The entire ranking chart can be seen above.

What cruise line has the cheapest ships? Seadream Yachts has the least expensive cruise ships. Yet, the cruise line has a much smaller capacity and relatively high cost per stateroom. When accounting for size, the cheapest cruise ships are owned by Pullmantur.

How much have cruise ship costs increased over time? In actual dollars, ships have increased based on the following costs per decade: 1970 - $43M; 1980 - $37M; 1990: $119M; 2000: $276M; 2010: $433M; 2020: $697M; 2020+ - $870M. Our graph also shows this increase in normalized dollars spent.

How much are Carnival Cruise Ships worth? Carnival Corporation owns nine cruise brands and a combined 94 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $74.2 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

How much are Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships worth? Royal Caribbean Corporation owns or partially owns seven cruise brands and a combined 62 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $47.9 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

How much are Norwegian Cruise Ships worth? Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings owns three cruise brands and a combined 28 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $19.1 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.

What is the biggest cruise line company? Carnival Corporation is by far the largest with 45% of the cruise industry in terms of ships owned. The company owns nine cruise brands and a combined 94 ships. The total asset value of these based on actual dollars spent is $74.2 billion. The chart above shows the owned brands and this line compared to others.