Meet the World's Largest Cruise Ship, Harmony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean just launched its 25th cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, the largest in the world at 1,188 feet long and 226,963 gross tons. As Business Insider points out, the gigantic cruise ship is about as long as five 747s stacked end to end and is stealing the title from its sister ship, Allure of the Seas.

Harmony of the Seas will start out with several short trips in Northern Europe before sailing for its base in Barcelona and kicking off the summer season with 34 seven-night western Mediterranean cruises starting June 7. The ship will then head to its new home port in Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) this November, where it will set sail on seven-night cruises throughout the eastern and western Caribbean. Note that prices vary by season and destination — it's also a good idea to check Royal Caribbean's website for sales before you book.

The ship has a total of 2,747 staterooms — 1,768 rooms with private balconies, 266 ocean view cabins, 524 inside cabins, 717 rooms with 3/4 berth (essentially family-friendly suites, some of which can accommodate up to eight people) and 46 accessible rooms. Harmony of the Seas can hold up to 5,479 guests at double occupancy — oh, and you'll also be traveling along with 2,100 international crew members.

The ship features 18 decks, 20 restaurants and seven different "neighborhoods" — Central Park (pictured above), the Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, Entertainment Place, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, the Pool and Sports Zone and the Youth Zone. You'll also find two water slides and the Ultimate Abyss, a 100-foot dry slide that takes guests on a wild ride from deck 16 to 6. There's even a special waterpark for youngsters and several specialty restaurants. You'll also have the chance to see Grease, the Broadway musical, in the ship's AquaTheater.

If you need to get some work done when you sail, Harmony of the Seas has several Wi-Fi options to choose from. If you're planning to check emails and social media, packages start at $12.99 per device per day, while family packages for five devices or more start at $8.99 per device per day. Or, if you want to do all those things plus stream movies and music, packages start at $17.99 per device per day or $11.99 per device per day for five or more devices.

Be sure to book your cruise with a credit card that'll give you bonus points for travel, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which gives you 2x points on travel purchases. Check out this post for more tips on maximizing your points and miles during a cruise.

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