Now that Harmony of the Seas has officially started sailing, let’s take a look at the list of top 10 largest ships in the world and see where Harmony lands on them.
I debuted this analysis a few years ago, but it’s worth updating as there has been some new developments since then.
#1
Pioneering Spirit
403,342gt | 50,000dwt | 1,253ft LOA | 406ft Beam
The Pioneering Spirit is a new addition to the list. Owned and operated by the Dutch company AllSeas. She’s considered a pipelaying and platform-removal ship. That last part is easily the most interesting. She has the ability to remove the superstructure of a platform with her ‘U’ shaped bow, then remove the jacket, or legs, with her aft crane. It’s pretty impressive. Construction wise, she is basically two vessels welded together with a platform in between. This creates huge amounts of internal volume to add to her gross tonnage. Therefore, she comes in as the largest ship in the world.
#2
FSO Asia
234,006gt | 441,893dwt | 1246ft LOA | 223ft Beam
FSO Asia (ex-Hellespont Alhambra,TI Asia) is a Floating Storage Tanker anchored at the Al Shaheen Terminal in the Persian Gulf. She was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding of South Korea in 2002 for the Greek tanker firm Hellespont. Total cost for the vessel was $90 million. She was sold to Euronav in 2004, who then sold her to OSG in 2011. Eurovnav still act as vessel manager and operator. She’s under charter to a Maersk Oil subsidary in Qatar.
#3
FSO Africa
234,006gt | 440,165dwt | 1246ft LOA | 223ft Beam
FSO Africa(ex-Hellespont Metropolis, TI Africa) is also a Floating Storage Tanker anchored between the Al Shaheen Terminal and the Al Rayyan Terminal the Persian Gulf. Sistership to the FSO Asia(#2 above) she was also built at Daewoo Shipbuilding and launched in 2002 for the same price of $90 million. Originally called the Hellespont Metropolis, Hellespont sold her to OSG in 2005 who then sold her to Euronav.
#4
Overseas Laura Lynn
234,006gt | 441,585dwt | 1246ft LOA | 223ft Beam
Overseas Laura Lynn (ex-Hellespont Fairfax, TI Oceania) is a Crude Oil Tanker currently anchored in Dubai. Earlier in the year she was in Singapore and sailed to Fujairah, UAE. Sistership to the two ships above she was also constructed at Daewoo Shipbuilding and launched in 2003 for the same price of $90 million. Originally called the Hellespont Fairfax, the company sold her to OSG in 2005. Tankers International operate her. Hellespont Fairfax was featured on the Discover Channel’s Superships.
#5
TI Europe
234,006gt | 441,561dwt | 1246ft LOA | 223ft Beam
TI Europe(ex-Hellespont Tara) is a Crude Oil Tanker currently anchored off of Malaysia, just north of Singapore. The the 4th and last sister to the 3 above (FSO Asia, FSO Africa and Overseas Laura Lynn). She was built at Daewoo Shipbuilding and launched in 2002 for the same price of $90 million. Originally called the Hellespont Tara, Hellespont sold her to Euronav in 2004 and she was re-flagged in Belgium. China’s UNIPEC currently are chartering her.
#6
Hai Yang Shi You 117
223,030gt | 286,480dwt | 1,059ft LOA | 196ft Beam
The Hai Yang Shi You 117 (also called the Bohai Peng Bo) is an FPSO currently operating in China’s largest offshore oil field. She was built at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. She operates as a joint venture between ConocoPhillips and China’s third largest oil company CNOOC.
#7
Harmony of the Seas
226,963gt | 20,236dwt | 1188ft LOA | 163ft Beam
When launched last month, Harmony of the Seas became the largest cruise ship in the world. Harmony is part of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class of vessels. She is longer than her sisters below by 7ft and wider by 9 ft. Constructed by STX France, she can carry 5,494pax at double occupancy. Royal Caribbean plans to build two more Oasis class vessels for delivery in 20187 and 2021.
#8
Allure of the Seas
225282gt | 19,750dwt | 1181ft LOA | 154ft Beam
When launched in 2010, she joined her sister Oasis as the largest Cruise Ship in the world. Interestingly enough her deadweight tonnage was increased from Oasis’. DWT is a measure of how much cargo, pax, crew, luggage, provisions, etc. a ship can carry. Fun fact: Allure is longer than Oasis by 5cm due to an error by the shipyard.
#9
Oasis of the Seas
225,282gt | 15,000dwt | 1181ft LOA | 154ft Beam
When she set sail in 2009, Oasis shocked the industry by just how big she really was. Up until then, Carnival, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, NCL, and Princess had all been going back-and-forth as to who had the largest ship. The winner would always eclipse the previous by only a few thousand, sometimes only in the hundreds, of tons. When Oasis came along, she beat the largest at the time, fleetmate Liberty of the Seas, by a whopping 70,875grt. Thats roughly the size of Royal Caribbean’s first mega ship Sovereign of the Seas (73,192gt). The Sovereign was the largest cruise ship when launched in 1988.
#10
FPSO Pazflor
209,116gt | 346,089dwt | 1066ft LOA | 200ft Beam
The FPSO Pazflor is a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading unit permenantly moored off the Pazflor Terminal in Angola. She was built for and currently operated by French oil major Total S.A. Ordered in 2008, she was delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding in 2010.
photos via AllSeas, Dubai Drydocks, Drydocks World, aukevisser.nl, Sembcorp