![How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? [SOLVED] Ranked by Ship & Line](https://gangwaze.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/system/blog/how-much-does-a-cruise-ship-cost/how-much-does-a-cruise-ship-cost.jpg?resize=contain&width=320&height=180&quality=75 "How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost? All Ships Ranked in Order")
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!
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.
Cost by Cruise Line
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!
Size Matters
You may be a bit skewed from the info above. It looks like Royal Caribbean is clearly the most expensive. But, the above chart doesn't take into account size. Obviously a ship that can hold 5,000 passengers will be more expensive than a ship with 500. Royal Caribbean has the biggest ships. It's not overly surprising that they're also the most expensive!
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.
Cruise Ship Cost by Cabin
How much does a cruise ship cost by stateroom?
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?
Great question! There are a few metrics we could have picked. Passenger Capacity or Tonnage could have worked as well. Both have merits as well as deficiencies. We chose "cabins" due to its direct impact on revenues generated.
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.
Cost Increase Over Time
Below, find the increase in cruise ship cost 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 Line Fleet Value
Total value of all ships by cruise line.
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
Which Cruise Ships Cost the Most?
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!
ALLURE OF THE SEAS
#1 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Allure of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.5 Billion for the ship in 2010.
That represents a cost of $2.13 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 225k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $9,447 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Allure of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,745 staterooms. That equates to roughly $775k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
STAR OF THE SEAS
#2 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Star of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean had a $1.88 Billion price tag for the ship, which will be delivered in 2025.
The ship weighs in at 251k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $7,496 (per GT).
It's also interesting to look at the Star of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,805 staterooms. That equates to roughly $670k per cabin!
OASIS OF THE SEAS
#3 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Oasis of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.3 Billion for the ship in 2009.
That represents a cost of $1.8 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 225k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $8,160 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Oasis of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,742 staterooms. That equates to roughly $670k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
HARMONY OF THE SEAS
#4 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Harmony of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2016.
That represents a cost of $1.7 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $7,615 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Harmony of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,747 staterooms. That equates to roughly $631k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
NORWEGIAN EPIC
#5 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Norwegian Epic cost to build?
Norwegian Cruise LIne spent $1.2 Billion for the ship in 2010.
That represents a cost of $1.7 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 156k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet, although significantly smaller than the RC ships on this leaderboard. Per tonnage, the ship cost NCL $10,924 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the NCL Epic cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,114 staterooms. That equates to roughly $805k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
On a "per cabin" and "per tonnage" basis, the NCL Epic is the most expensive ship on this list!
SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS
#6 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Symphony of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2018.
That represents a cost of $1.7 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 228k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $7,350 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Symphony of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,759 staterooms. That equates to roughly $608k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
WONDER OF THE SEAS
#7 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Wonder of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.35 Billion for the ship in 2022.
That represents a cost of $1.5 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 237k gross tons and is one of the largest in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $6,408 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Wonder of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,867 staterooms. That equates to roughly $529k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
OVATION OF THE SEAS
#8 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Ovation of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.1 Billion for the ship in 2016.
That represents a cost of $1.4 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 169k gross tons. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $8,377 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Ovation of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,091 staterooms. That equates to roughly $676k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
ICON OF THE SEAS
#9 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Icon of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.3 Billion for the ship in 2023.
That represents a cost of $1.35 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 251k gross tons. This is the largest cruise ship in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $5,396 (per GT) in today's dollars. That's least expensive per GT of any ship on the list.
It's also interesting to look at the Icon of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,805 staterooms. That equates to roughly $482k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
UTOPIA OF THE SEAS
#10 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Utopia of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $1.3 Billion for the ship in 2024.
The ship weighs in at 237k gross tons. This is one of the largest cruise ships in the fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean $5,700 (per GT).
It's also interesting to look at the Utopia of the Seas cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,824 staterooms. That equates to roughly $478k per cabin! That's the cheapest per cabin cost of any ship on the list!
MSC WORLD EUROPA
#11 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the MSC World Europa cost to build?
MSC spent $1.15 Billion for the ship in 2022.
That represents a cost of $1.3 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 206k gross tons and is one of the largest in MSC's fleet. Per tonnage, the ship cost the cruise line $6,286 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the World Europa's cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,626 staterooms. That equates to roughly $492k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
MSC SEASHORE
#12 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the MSC Seashore cost to build?
MSC spent $1.15 Billion for the ship in 2022.
That represents a cost of $1.3 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 169k gross tons. Per tonnage, the ship cost the cruise line $7,632 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the MSC Seashore's cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 2,270 staterooms. That equates to roughly $570k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation!
DISNEY FANTASY
#13 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Disney Fantasy cost to build?
Disney spent $950 Million for the ship in 2012.
That represents a cost of $1.3 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 130k gross tons. Per tonnage, the ship cost Disney Cruise Line $9,912 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Disney Fantasy's cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,250 staterooms. That equates to roughly $1 million per cabin, when adjusted for inflation. That's the most expensive cost per cabin of any ship on the list!
DISNEY DREAM
#14 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Disney Dream cost to build?
Disney spent $900 Million for the ship in 2011.
That represents a cost of $1.3 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 130k gross tons. Per tonnage, the ship cost Disney Cruise Line $9,688 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Disney Dream's cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,250 staterooms. That equates to roughly $1 million per cabin, when adjusted for inflation. Along with the Disney Fantasy, this represents the most expensive cost per cabin of any ship on the list!
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
#15 Most Expensive Cruise Ship in the World
How much did the Freedom of the Seas cost to build?
Royal Caribbean spent $800 Million for the ship in 2011.
That represents a cost of $1.2 Billion when adjusted for inflation!
The ship weighs in at 154k gross tons. Per tonnage, the ship cost Royal Caribbean Cruise Line $8,079 (per GT) in today's dollars.
It's also interesting to look at the Freedom of the Seas' cost per cabin. The ship has a total of 1,817 staterooms. That equates to roughly $687k per cabin, when adjusted for inflation.
On average, a cruise ship costs $763 million, when adjusted for inflation. To get this approximated cost to build a cruise ship, we analyzed 243 active and ordered vessels. Each respective purchase price was adjusted for inflation prior to our average.
The Star of the Seas is the most expensive ship ever built in terms of "actual dollars." The price paid by Royal Caribbean was $1.88 Billion and the ship will be delivered in 2025. When comparing "today's dollars" the Allure of the Seas tops the list at an adjusted purchase price of $2.1 Billion.
Royal Caribbean clearly leads the cruise industry with the most expensive ships. Next in line is Disney followed by Costa than NCL. The entire ranking chart can be seen above.
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.
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.
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.
We hope that the above is extremely helpful in answering, how much does a cruise ship cost to build?
If you enjoyed learning about the most expensive cruise ships in the world, you'll love to explore the largest cruise vessels ever built. Please check out our post, Largest Cruise Ships in the World.
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