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Hand-authored profiles of 35culturally-significant vessels — the world's largest container ships and Oasis-class cruise flagships, historic disasters that reshaped IMO regulation (MSC Napoli, MOL Comfort, Ever Given), and specialist hulls like the heavy-lift Pioneering Spirit and the Q-Max LNG carrier Mozah. Each entry pairs the factual profile with a "crew perspective" section on what the vessel means for seafarers building their careers.
Also available inline on each ship's reference page at /ships.
Akademik Lomonosov is the world's first operating floating nuclear power plant, owned by Russian state nuclear operator Rosatom and operating in the port of Pevek, Chukotka (Russian Far East). She is not a conventional ship — she is a non-s…
CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is the lead ship of CMA CGM's Jacques Saadé-class, a 23,112 TEU LNG-fuelled ULCV built by Hudong-Zhonghua (China) and delivered in 2020. At delivery she was the world's first LNG-fuelled megaship in service, marking a …
CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is a 2020-built container ship (236,583 GT, 23,112 TEU capacity), the first of nine ULCVs in her class and — at delivery — the largest LNG-powered container ship in the world. Built by China State Shipbuilding at Jiang…
Costa Concordia was a Concordia-class cruise ship built by Fincantieri at Genoa and delivered to Costa Crociere (Carnival Corporation) in 2006. On 13 January 2012 the vessel struck rocks off Giglio Island in the Mediterranean during an unau…
Disney Wish is the lead ship of Disney Cruise Line's Triton class, built at Meyer Werft (Germany) and delivered in 2022. At 144,000 GT she is Disney's largest cruise ship to date, carrying about 4,000 passengers and 1,555 crew. Disney's fam…
Emma Mærsk was the lead ship of the Maersk E-class, a 15,200 TEU container ship built by Odense Steel Shipyard (Denmark) in 2006. At delivery she was by some margin the world's largest container ship — a record that stood until the 2013 Mae…
Ever Ace is the lead ship of Evergreen's A-class series, an 23,992 TEU ULCV built by Samsung Heavy Industries in 2021. At delivery she was tied as the world's largest container ship by capacity. The vessel operates Asia-Europe loops and ref…
Ever Given is a 20,124 TEU Golden-class ULCV built by Imabari Shipbuilding in 2018 for Shoei Kisen Kaisha, chartered to Evergreen Marine. The vessel became the world's most-recognised ship in March 2021 when it grounded across the Suez Cana…
Ever Given is a 2018-built Panama-flagged Evergreen Marine container ship (220,940 GT, 20,124 TEU capacity) — one of the largest ships in the world. On 23 March 2021 she ran aground diagonally in the Suez Canal during a sandstorm, wedging h…
HMM Algeciras is a 23,964 TEU ULCV built by Daewoo (now Hanwha Ocean) and delivered to HMM in 2020. At delivery she was the world's largest container ship by TEU, exceeding the previous Hong Kong-class record. The vessel marked HMM's emerge…
Icon of the Seas is the lead ship of Royal Caribbean's Icon class, built at the Meyer Turku yard in Finland and delivered in 2024. At delivery she became the world's largest cruise ship by gross tonnage (248,663 GT) — surpassing the Oasis-c…
Le Commandant Charcot is a Polar Class 2 luxury expedition cruise ship built by Vard Søviknes (Norway) for Ponant and delivered in 2021. She is the most ice-capable luxury cruise vessel ever built — capable of operating at 80° North and 80°…
The Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller is the lead ship of the Triple-E class, an 18,270 TEU container ship delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding (now Hanwha Ocean) in 2013 and operated on Maersk Line's Asia-Europe AE-10 service. At delivery she was the wo…
MOL Comfort was a 2008-built Bahamas-flagged post-Panamax container ship (86,692 GT) that broke completely in two off Yemen on 17 June 2013 during moderate seas. The 26 crew abandoned successfully and were rescued within hours. The two halv…
Mozah is a 2008-built Q-Max LNG carrier (162,400 GT, 266,000 cubic-metre cargo capacity) — at launch, the world's largest LNG carrier, a title tied with sisters. Built by Samsung Heavy Industries and operated by Qatargas II. Marshall Island…
MS Color Magic is a Color Line cruise ferry operating the daily Oslo-Kiel route, built by Aker Yards (Finland) in 2007. At 75,000 GT she is one of the world's largest cruise ferries — combining 1,250 cars / 250 trucks freight capacity with …
MSC Bellissima is a 2019-built Meraviglia-class cruise ship (167,600 GT, 5,700 passenger capacity) built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France. She entered service in March 2019 with a naming ceremony in Southampton attended…
MSC Flaminia is a 2001-built German-flagged container ship (85,823 GT) that suffered a devastating cargo-hold fire and explosion mid-Atlantic on 14 July 2012, en route from Charleston to Antwerp. Divinylbenzene and other reactive chemicals …
MSC Gülsün was the world's largest container ship at her launch in July 2019 — 399.9 m long, 61.5 m wide, 232,618 GT, with a nominal capacity of 23,756 TEU. Built by Samsung Heavy Industries in Geoje, South Korea and flagged Liberia. Named …
MSC Napoli was a 1991-built UK-flagged container ship that suffered a catastrophic hull breach in the English Channel on 18 January 2007 during severe weather off the Lizard Peninsula. Slamming loads caused engine-room flooding; her 26 crew…
MSC Oscar is a 19,224 TEU container ship built by Daewoo (now Hanwha Ocean) in 2015 and operated by MSC. At delivery she was the world's largest container ship by TEU capacity. The vessel and her four sister ships marked the moment when MSC…
MSC Virtuosa is a 2021-built Meraviglia-Plus class cruise ship (181,541 GT, 6,334 passenger capacity), the second in her subclass after MSC Grandiosa. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique for MSC Cruises and named at a virtual UK ceremony dur…
MV Wakashio was a Mitsui OSK Lines-managed Panamax bulk carrier built by Universal Shipbuilding (Japan) in 2007. On 25 July 2020 the vessel ran aground on a coral reef off Mauritius while operating at full speed and unattended on the bridge…
Oasis of the Seas is a 2009-built cruise ship (226,838 GT, 5,606 passenger capacity), lead ship of the Oasis class and — at launch — the largest passenger ship in the world by a wide margin, a distinction her class continues to hold for its…
OOCL Hong Kong is the lead ship of OOCL's G-class, a 21,413 TEU ULCV built by Samsung Heavy Industries (Korea) and delivered in 2017. At delivery she briefly held the world's-largest-container-ship title; she operates Asia-Europe loops unde…
Pioneering Spirit is a 2013-built split-hull heavy-lift crane vessel (403,342 GT), the largest ship in the world by GT. Owned by Swiss offshore contractor Allseas Group and Malta-flagged. Formerly named Pieter Schelte after the founder's fa…
MS Queen Anne is a 2024-built Cunard flagship (113,000 GT, 2,996 passenger capacity), the sole ship in her Halifax subclass — an extended Pinnacle-class hull. Built by Fincantieri at Marghera, Italy and Bermuda-flagged. Named after Anne, Qu…
RMS Queen Mary 2 (commonly QM2) is the only purpose-built ocean liner still in service, built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire and delivered to Cunard Line in 2004. Unlike cruise ships designed for warm-water leisure, QM2 was b…
Sea Cloud is a four-masted sailing barque built in 1931 at Krupp's Germaniawerft in Kiel, originally as the private yacht Hussar V for Marjorie Merriweather Post and E. F. Hutton. The vessel served as a US Navy weather ship and patrol vesse…
Symphony of the Seas is a 2018-built Oasis-class cruise ship (228,081 GT, 6,680 passenger capacity), the fourth vessel in her class and — at launch — the world's largest passenger ship. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique for Royal Caribbean…
Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire and delivered in 2018. At delivery she was the world's largest cruise ship; she held the title until Wonder of the Seas in 2022. Symphony…
USNS Comfort is a US Navy hospital ship operated by the Military Sealift Command, converted in 1987 from the San Clemente-class oil tanker SS Rose City. She is one of two US Navy hospital ships (with sister USNS Mercy) and provides a 1,000-…
Utopia of the Seas is a 2024-built Oasis-class cruise ship (236,857 GT, 5,668 passenger capacity), the sixth and final vessel in the Oasis class. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique for Royal Caribbean International; entered service 19 July …
Wonder of the Seas is a 2022-built Oasis-class cruise ship (235,600 GT, 6,988 passenger capacity), the fifth in the Oasis class and — at launch — the world's largest cruise ship. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique for Royal Caribbean Intern…
Wonder of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean Oasis-class cruise ship built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire and delivered in 2022. At delivery she was the world's largest cruise ship by gross tonnage (236,857 GT) and passenger capac…