Titanic Versus Modern Cruising

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How do new cruise ships compare to the Titanic Ocean Liner? How do you compare the Titanic versus modern cruising? When the Titanic was built it was the largest ship for passengers in the world. Tragically the Titanic met its fate in 1912, and since then, there has been a lot of fascination on the subject.

So much has changed since the Titanic first graced the waters on its inaugural. At the time, the Titanic was the largest passenger cruise ship. Now over 100 years later huge cruise liners such as Symphony of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas are even bigger than that of the Titanic. In fact, the sinking of the Titanic happened over 100 years ago and although she was the largest ship at the time most modern cruise ships are bigger than the Titanic now.

So what makes a modern cruise ship a safer choice, and how does the Titanic vs Symphony of the Seas compare?

How do new cruise ships compare to the Titanic? Titanic vs the newest modern-day ships compared side by side

Are modern cruise ships bigger than the Titanic?

Yes, there are many Modern cruise ships bigger than the Titanic. The most recent ship, the Wonder of the Seas, has a gross tonnage of 236,857 which makes it almost five times larger than that of the White Star lines Titanic. The Titanic was actually relatively small compared to Ships of today. For instance of Royal Caribbean 26 Ship fleet 22 are bigger than the Titanic and 17 of MSC Cruises 21 ships are bigger also.

Is Titanic the biggest ship in history?

No the Titanic vessel is not the biggest ship in history most cruise ships of the modern world are actually bigger than the Titanic.

What type of ship was the Titanic?

The RMS Titanic was a luxury Steam Liner passenger ship built by The White Star Line. It was the largest ship afloat at the time she entered service. The British luxury passenger liner tragically sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage en route to New York. Sadly it became famous because of this and has been immortalised in the 1997 Titanic disaster movie.

Last Known photo of the Titanic afloat in 1912
This is the Last Known photo of the Titanic afloat in 1912

How big was the Titanic?

The Titanic was a huge ship in its day. It was  882.75 feet long, 92.5 feet wide and weighed in at 43,329 gross tons. The Titanic stood at a height of 53.3 metres tall and had a passenger capacity of 3320 and 7 decks. Compared to cruise ships today it was comparatively small. Although the Titanic was an innovation of the time it does not compare to the size of ships today and how far shipbuilding technology had advanced.

The White Star Line wanted the Titanic to be known for its luxurious comfort!

In the early 1900s, the transatlantic passenger trade was highly profitable and competitive. Different ship lines wanted to build large and fast ships to transport wealthy travellers and immigrants. Two of these main lines were White Star and Cunard.

The Titanic was built to be impressive and state-of-the-art. It was also built for its comfort and featured a first-class dining saloon, four elevators, Gymnasium and even a swimming pool. As comfort was key, the second-class accommodations were comparable to first-class Titanic features on other ships. The third class saw features and comfort of that of the second class and so on. This made the Titanic the ship that everyone wanted to travel on. Many of these things are comparable to Titanic Versus Modern Cruising now.

Comparing the Titanic to a modern cruise ship infographic courtesy of Visual Capitalist

Titanic vs. Largest cruise ship of today size comparison

Today’s largest cruise ship currently in service is the Wonder of the Seas; how does the Wonder of the Seas compare to the Titanic in size? Look at this chart which compares the Titanic to the Wonder of the Seas;

Cruise shipLengthBeam Gross Tons
RMS Titanic882.75 Ft 92.5 ft46,329
Wonder of the Seas1,188 ft210 ft236,857

What are the largest cruise ships of the modern day?

These are the 27 largest cruise ships from all lines today. They were all larger than the Titanic.

  • Wonder Of The Seas
  • Symphony of the Seas
  • Harmony of the Seas
  • Oasis of the Seas
  • Allure Of The Seas
  • Costa Smeralda
  • Costa Toscana
  • P&O Arvia
  • P&O Iona
  • Aida Nova
  • Aida Cosmo
  • MSC Grandiosa
  • MSC Virtuosa
  • Carnival Celebration
  • Carnival Mardi Gras
  • MSC Bellissima
  • Meraviglia
  • MSC Seashore
  • Spectrum of the Seas
  • NCL Encore
  • Anthem Of The Seas
  • Ovation Of The Seas
  • Quantum Of The Seas
  • Norwegian Bliss
  • Norwegian Joy
  • Odyssey of the Seas
  • Norwegian Escape

Titanic vs Largest cruise ships of today size compared

Check out this table that compares the Largest Cruise ships of the modern world to the Titanic.

Cruise LineCruise ShipYearPassengersCrewGros
Ton
Length
White Star LineThe Titanic1911 2,43588546,329882.75 ft
Royal CaribbeanWonder of the Seas20226,9982300236,8571188ft
Royal CaribbeanSymphony of the Seas20186,680 2200228,081 1188ft
Royal CaribbeanHarmony of the Seas20166,687 2210226,963 1,188ft
Royal CaribbeanOasis20096,7712109226,838 1,187
Royal CaribbeanAllure of the Seas20106,7802210225,2821,187ft
CostaSmeralda & Toscana20196,5541646185,0101105ft
P&OArvia202252001800184,7001130ft
P&OIona202152001800184,7001132ft
AidaNova20186,6541646183,8581,106 ft
AidaCosma20216,6001646183,2001,106 ft
MSCGrandiosa201963341704181,541 1087ft
MSCVirtuosa201963341704181,5411087ft
CarnivalCelebration202253741735180,8001130ft
CarnivalMardi Gras202152821735180,8001130ft
MSC Bellissima &
Meraviglia
20195,6551595171,598103fft
MSCSeashore20205,6321648169,4001112ft
Royal CaribbeanSpectrum of the Seas20195,622 1551169,379 1,139ft
NCLNCL Encore201939981735169,1161094ft
Royal CaribbeanAnthem
Ovation
Quantum
2015
2016
2014
4,905 1500168,666 1,141ft
1,138ft
1,141ft
NCLNCL Bliss201840041716168,0281094ft
NCLJoy201938041821167,7251094 ft
Royal CaribbeanOdyssey of the Seas20215,5101633167,704 1,138ft
NCLEscape201542661733164,9981069 ft

How many trips did the Titanic take before she sank?

The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage so technically she never completed a trip. The only trips before this were sea trials and stops at ports before heading on her Maiden voyage to New York, where she met her fate.

Titanic passenger Capacity and the number of people actually onboard

The Titanic had an overall capacity of 3320 people;

Of the 3,320 people that the Titanic could carry there were 2,240 registered as being onboard on the night it sank. A total of 1503 people lost their lives, which included 815 passengers and 688 crew. Most of the people that lost their lives were that of the third-class passengers and crew.

Original List of Titanic Passengers travelling in second class as received by cable from White Star Line
Original List of Titanic Passengers travelling in second class as received by cable from White Star Line

Titanic Vs Modern Cruising, what ship compares to the Titanic today?

There are many ships that are luxurious and comfortable for passengers but the family-orientated ship Symphony of the Seas from Royal Caribbean has today’s equivalent of that of Titanic. Let’s look at Titanic vs Symphony of the Seas!

More than 100 years ago, the Titanic was the largest cruise ship on the water. But today, the Symphony of the Seas is a ship that’s twice as high and twice as wide and can carry three times as many passengers.

What are the differences in amenities on a modern ship versus Titanic?

Today cruise ships have lots of facilities and entertainment options; how would these compare to those on the Titanic? The Titanic would have had cabins and staterooms very similar in opulence as cruise ships do today, however, they would have had 1st class similar to today’s suite class, second class passengers would be similar to balcony stateroom class and 3rd class passengers would have been in steerage much like an inside cabin. There would have been entertainment onboard such as a gym, dining room and even a similar Grand Staircase. Today options have come along, and we now have ice-skating rinks, climbing walls and even laser tag to keep you entertained.  

Titanic vs Symphony of the Seas, how do they compare?

How does the Titanic ship compare to the Symphony of the Seas? Is symphony bigger than you, titanic?

  • The Titanic was built in 1912, and the Symphony of the Seas was built in 2018, over a hundred years later.
  • The Titanic was 882 feet long, and the Symphony of the Seas is 1184 feet long.
  • Titanics’ width was 92 feet, whilst the Symphony was 215 feet wide.
  • HMS Titanic weighed in at 43,328 tons, and the Symphony a whopping 228,081 tons
  • The Titanic carried 2,435 passengers, and the Symphony carries three times as many 6,680 tons.
  • The maximum speed of Symphony of the Seas is 22 knots; the Titanic travelled at an average speed of 18 knots and had a maximum speed of just under 21.
The Symphony Of The Seas For Families. The Symphony Of The Seas facts about the ship and what it has onboard.
The Symphony Of The Seas facts about the ship and what it has onboard.

What were the flaws of the Titanic, and how does that compare to Symphony of the Seas now?

What were the flaws of the Titanic Vs modern cruising, and how does that compare to cruise ships now? It has been over 100 years since the Titanic’s fate, so how have passenger ships evolved?

What was the world’s Largest Cruise Ship the Titanic, met its fate for a number of reasons and flaws that today have since been corrected and improved. Not enough lifeboats, travelling too fast, and ship design and build all contributed to one of the worst maritime tragedies.

One of the major flaws of Titanic’s design was the compartments in the bulkhead

As the iceberg punctured holes in the ship’s steel plates, it flooded six compartments. In a just two hours, the Titanic filled with water and sank.

One of the problems was with these 15 watertight bulkhead compartments. The compartments were equipped with electric watertight doors that could be operated individually or simultaneously by a switch on the bridge. 

It was these watertight bulkheads that deemed the Titanic to be “practically unsinkable.” But this watertight compartment design contained a flaw that was a critical factor in the Titanic’s sinking. Each of the individual bulkheads was watertight but the walls separating the bulkheads extended only a few feet above the water line. When one compartment flooded, the water poured from one compartment into another, thus filling them all. Today ship design is far more technical and has many more safety features.

Lack of lifeboats

There were not enough lifeboats! Such a massive loss of life could probably have been avoided if the ship had carried sufficient lifeboats for its passengers and crew. The White Star liner left Southampton with only 20 lifeboats onboard. This was the legal minimum for a total capacity of 1,178 people. Also, a muster drill was not taken for the passengers, so nobody knew where to go or what to do.

What has changed since Titanic to make modern ships safer today?

In defining Titanic Versus Modern Cruising, many changes have taken place to make ships as safe as possible today since the Titanic disaster. The structure and construction of cruise ships have evolved over time with much better technology, materials and building methods; for example, Rivets were used on the Titanics hull with too much slag content in the metal, making them weak. Now ships, modern cruise ships use submerged arc welding. This welding undergoes ultrasonic testing. Bulk head design has also changed; In 2008, the International Maritime Organization developed new standards mandating that ships remain stable with more than two compartments flooded.

The immediate effect of the disaster resulted in the coming together of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) in the year 1914. Ensuring all rules and regulations and ship standards are met. Now every passenger must be guaranteed a lifeboat, they must also pass strict regulations and be of sufficient strength. The International Convention of Safety of Life at Sea guidelines require that a muster drill must be held within 24 hours of a ship’s departure from its embarkation port.

Video Tour of the Symphony of the Seas and Top Ten Tips For Cruising With Teens
Titanic Versus Modern Cruising The Symphony of the Seas is the largest ship now as was the Titanic in 1912

Where can I learn more about the Titanic?

If you are interested in learning more about the Titanic, there are many museums and memorials to this fateful ship. You can visit the port of Cherbourg where the La Cité de la Mer has an exhibition. There is also titanic engineers memorial in Southampton.

Author

    by
  • Donna Vallance

    Donna loves cruising with her husband and two teenage boys. Having cruised with the children from a young age she feels it is the perfect way to experience the world safely. Her boys are social butterfly’s and love meeting other children their own age whilst onboard some of the most extraordinary floating ships. She also writes over at Like Love Do, a travel memoir of her trips, from London to far off beaches. She has an eye for the unusual and like to go off of the beaten track just to find the perfect photo. With a passion for photography and exploring cruising has become the perfect holiday choice.

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