Royal Caribbean’s new ship will launch as the largest in the world
The world’s largest cruise ship has opened for bookings, dwarfing the Titanic and aiming to make history once it begins sailing the high seas – see the size comparison and sneak a peek
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Royal Caribbean’s latest cruise ship will officially be the largest in the world.
The cruise line’s Hero of the Seas is set to launch from Miami in August 2027 and includes a record-breaking water park, the most pools ever seen at sea (nine), 28 dining options, a multi-level family treehouse, and even a gigantic kinetic* art sculpture.
Touted by Royal Caribbean as “the most unstoppable, incredible, revolutionary family vacation ever”, Hero officially opened for bookings on April 2.
“Icon class truly set a new standard for family vacations, and Hero of the Seas takes that vision even further,” Royal Caribbean president and CEO Michael Bayley said.
“With more water, more thrills and more choices for all ages, we’re continuing to build on what our guests love about Royal Caribbean and delivering the experiences families are looking for when vacationing together.”
The vessel will be Royal Caribbean’s fourth Icon-class ship and once complete, will officially be the largest cruise ship in the world, weighing in at 250,800 tonnes, sitting at 365m in length and 65m wide.
It will have no less than 20 decks and can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers and 2350 crew members.
The mammoth vessel showcases how far cruise lines have come through the decades.
In comparison, the RMS Titanic – the largest liner in the world back in 1912 – seems minuscule in comparison to Royal Caribbean’s new addition.
The ill-fated* Titanic was 269m long, 28.2m wide, and weighed 52,310 tonnes fully loaded.
It had just 10 decks in total and capacity for 2453 passengers and 874 crew. On the day of the tragic sinking, on April 15, 1912, there were 2224 people on board, with only around 700 passengers and crew surviving the disaster.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon* class is the cruise line’s newest generation of mega-ships, which also includes Icon, Legend, and Star of the Seas.
These gigantic vessels combine resort-style amenities* with family-focused “neighbourhoods”.
While aboard the Hero, guests can swim at nine distinct pools, including tons of family-friendly spaces.
The ship’s water park is also the largest at sea and includes a surf simulator* and the “Crown’s Edge”, an age, weight and height-restricted challenge described as “part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride and an all-out test of your courage” that ends with “a plunge that leaves you dangling 154 feet (about 47m) above the ocean”.
There is also the Adrenaline Peak rock-climbing wall, Lost Dunes minigolf course, and sports courts for pickleball, basketball, soccer and more.
Guests will also have the option to book the ship’s Ultimate Family Treehouse, which sleeps a dozen people, spans three decks, and includes a rooftop terrace with a private whirlpool, sweeping ocean views and even a hide-out game room.
On the ship’s Royal Promenade, guests can marvel at the Pearl, which is the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture, featuring moving tiles arranged in a Fibonacci sequence*.
The ship will take holiday-makers on a seven-night Caribbean adventure from Miami in the US, either east or west, with each sail including a visit to Royal Caribbean’s private island, CocoCay in The Bahamas.
The west route will include spots like Roatán, Honduras, and Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, while the eastern route will visit Philipsburg, St Maarten, and Charlotte Amalie and St Thomas.
Before Hero, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seastook the crown for the world’s largest after it set sail on its maiden voyage back in January 2024.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- kinetic: involving or producing movement
- ill-fated: unlucky and unsuccessful, often resulting in death, doomed
- icon: something or someone outstanding, special, symbolic or the finest of its type
- amenities: features intended to make life more pleasant or comfortable for people
- simulator: a device which artificially creates the effect of being in conditions of some kind.
- Fibonacci sequence: a series of numbers where each one is added to the one before it, so 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 … and so on, named for the medieval Italian mathematician
EXTRA READING
Titanic wreckage in ocean floor close-up
Titanic replica on way to its maiden voyage
Titanic find was part of top-secret war mission
QUICK QUIZ
- How many decks will the Hero have?
- What is the Hero’s passenger capacity?
- The Titanic was the world’s biggest ocean liner in what year?
- The Hero will be how many times larger than the ill-fated Titanic?
- What will the megaship weigh and what will it measure in length and width?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What a dream boat!
Brainstorm a list of features and attractions that you would include if you were able to design the cruise ship of your dreams on a scale similar to Hero of the Seas. You can include fun activities, live shows, eateries, themed cabins, etc. Then choose one of your ideas to elaborate on. Write a paragraph (or more) to explain your idea and draw a picture or diagram to show what it would look like.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
Write an imagined diary entry as though you have just spent an amazing day aboard Hero of the Seas. Ensure that you refer to some of the attractions and experiences that are mentioned in the Kids News story.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
I spy nouns
Nouns are places, names (of people and objects), and time (months or days of the week).
How many nouns can you find in the article?
Can you sort them into places, names and time?
Pick three nouns and add an adjective (describing word) to the nouns.