Below we compare the Titanic vs modern cruise ships. We'll look at size, passenger count, crew, and more. You'll find a comparison to the average cruise ship and also a side-by-side view of the Titanic vs the largest cruise ship in the world!
We'll not get into the sinking of the Titanic. We'll let James Cameron handle that one. We want to compare the largest passenger liner of its time, the Titanic, vs modern cruise ships.
Titanic Wasn't Technically a Cruise Ship
We need to mention this for the serious maritime enthusiasts out there. The Titanic wasn't technically a cruise ship. It was an ocean liner. Its primary purpose was to transport passengers across the Atlantic. Its secondary purpose was to carry mail along this same route. White Star Line (Titanic's owner) chose to focus on comfort and luxury. For this reason, the ship was more similar to today's cruise ships when compared to other transport vessels at the time.
Built by the White Star Line, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship entering service in 1912. White Star was in competition with Cunard Cruise Line for dominance over the Atlantic passage. Cunard focused on speed. The Titanic prioritized size and comfort.
Like modern cruise ships, the Titanic wanted to be the biggest and most awe-inspiring vessel out there. White Star spared no expense in the construction and it came with a hefty price tag. It cost $7.5 million to build ($200 million in today's dollars). The financing was actually provided by JP Morgan!
Cruise Ship Rate of Growth
It's interesting to look at the rate of growth experienced in the cruise world.
While the average marine vessel has grown significantly since the early 1900's, this growth pales in comparison to that of sky-rise buildings.
You can see from the chart above that building size has grown significantly faster than cruise ship size. The tallest building in 1912 was just 390 feet high. Today it's 2,717 feet! Compare that to the Titanic's length of 883 feet vs the biggest cruise ship today length of 1,184 feet.
Let's now compare the Titanic vs modern cruise ships on each major metric. For more context, we also measure her against the Symphony of the Seas. This is currently the largest cruise ship in the world.
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Titanic vs Cruise Ship Size
When comparing the Titanic to modern cruise ships, let's make sure to note that this ship was built over 100 years ago!
The Titanic was HUGE for its day and age! When compared to modern cruise ships, she's smaller for sure. But, not smaller in the magnitude that you'd expect given the time span.
Our infographic above shows the comparison between the Titanic vs modern cruise ships. It also compares her size stats with that of the Symphony of the Seas. As of 2022, the Symphony of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world. Check out our post here for the 25 largest cruise ships in the world.
In the chart, you'll find a column for "modern cruise ships." That includes all active ships for the following cruise lines: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, NCL, and Disney.
What was the Titanic's gross tonnage?
The Titanic measured 46,328 in gross tonnage. This compares to modern cruising vessels weighing in at 113,525 GT. The Symphony of the Seas tips the scales at 228,081 GT.
What was the Titanic's ship length?
The Titanic measured 883 feet in length. This compares to modern cruising vessels at 980 feet long. The Symphony of the Seas is 1,184 feet from end to end.
What was the draft of the Titanic?
The draft is the distance between the waterline and the bottom of the ship's hull. The Titanic draws 35 feet for is draft. This is only sizing measurement for which she's greater than her modern day counterparts. The average ship today has a draft of 27 feet, while the Symphony of the Seas draws 31 feet.
What was the Titanic's beam or width?
A ship's "beam" is essentially its width. From side to side, the Titanic measured 92 feet in width. The beam of a modern cruise ship today measures 119 feet. The Symphony of the Seas spans 137 feet.
How many passenger decks did the ship have?
Titanic had a total of 10 decks. Eight of those were passenger decks. Modern cruise ships average 13 passenger decks and the Symphony of the Seas has a total of 16 decks for guests.
How many cabins were on the Titanic?
There were 840 staterooms on the Titanic. First class cabins made up a total of 416 of these. Second class rooms accounted for 162 and 262 of these were for third-class passengers. Today's cruise ship averages 1,401 cabins and the Symphony has 2,745 total staterooms.
How many passengers did the Titanic hold?
Titanic held a total of 3,353 individuals. This included 2,453 passengers and 900 crew members. Modern cruise ships compare with an average capacity of 3,077 cruisers and 1,203 crew members. The largest cruise ship in the world, the Symphony of the Seas, has a capacity of 5,518 passengers. The ship has 2,200 crew members serving these guests for a total of 7,718 people on board.
How fast was the Titanic?
The ship had a total maximum speed of 23 knots. For our non-maritime folk, that's roughly 26.5 mph. The typical cruising vessel today has a max speed of 29 knots and Royal Caribbean's largest ship maxes out at 22 knots.
How much did a ticket cost on the Titanic?
The Titanic had three classes of cabins. First, second and third. The cost of each were surprisingly consistent with cruise costs today.
TITANIC CRUISE COST VS MODERN SHIPS
The lowest cabin class ranged in cost from $15 to $40. In today's dollars, that would be $423 to $1,129. From our cruise pricing widget below, you can see that you can cruise the largest ship in the world for less than the Titanic would have cost 100+ years ago.
The second class cabins were roughly $60 ($1,693 adjusted to today). This is similar to the cost of a standard, inside cabin on modern cruise ships.
First class cabins cost $4,234 in today's dollars, or $150 at that time. Balcony cabins, and even mini suites will cost roughly the same on the Icon of the Seas.
The most expensive suite on the Titanic was the Parlor Suite. In 1912, it cost $4,350. That's the equivalent of $122,722 today! The Ultimate Family Suite on the Symphony of the Seas will set you back a whopping $85,000 during Christmas week.
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