From massive cargo vessels to record-setting cruise lines, these are Some Of The Biggest
Ships On Earth!
Number 9. M.O.L. Triumph Built in 2017 by Samsung Heavy Industries,
this container ship is the seventh largest of its kind in the world. Container ships
are often measured in terms of T.E.U.s which stands for Twenty-foot Equivalent Units. A
single T.E.U. is the measure of volume of a standard 20-foot metal container that you
often see transported via trains, ships, and trucks. The M.O.L. Triumph is the first vessel
capable of carrying 20 thousand T.E.U.s ever made. Meant to serve the Japanese shipping
company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, this 1,312 foot ship was christened in a ceremony held in
South Korea, just months before its five sister ships were produced. The gross tonnage of
the Triumph is an astounding 210,678 tons and to help haul such a heavy load, the ship
employs a number of energy-saving technologies to increase efficiency and reduce water resistance.
Number 8. O.O.C.L. Hong Kong Based purely on carrying capacity, the O.O.C.L.
Hong Kong is the current largest container ship as awarded by Guinness World Records.
This vessel was the first ship to surpass the 21 thousand T.E.U. mark with a total capacity
of 21,143 T.E.U.s. Registered at the port of Hong Kong, the ship was constructed by
Samsung Heavy Industries to serve its namesake city on a 77-day round trip route from East
Asia to Northern Europe. The Hong Kong was just one of many container ships built in
response to China's global development strategy, called One Belt One Road, along with the recent
signing of the Hong Kong-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. Opening up further doors to international
trade, these events birthed the O.O.C.L. Japan, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia...all
brethren to the Hong Kong, yet none of them are quite as large. In addition to its superior
carrying capacity, O.O.C.L. Hong Kong has a gross tonnage of 210,890 tons across its
1,311.9 foot-long hull. All this mass is powered by an inline two-stroke, 11-cylinder Turbo
G-type and M.A.N. Diesel engine capable of hitting a top speed of 21 knots, the naval
equivalent of 24 miles per hour.
Number 7. Madrid Maersk Taking its maiden voyage out the Chinese Port
of Tianjin in 2017, this container ship falls short of the O.O.C.L. Hong Kong in terms of
length, but what the Madrid Maersk lacks in length it makes up for in weight. This specific
ship was the first of the Second Generation Triple E Class container ships to be built
by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering and has the capacity to carry 20,568 T.E.U.s.
The Madrid Maersk leads the charge for owning company Maersk Line in an initiative aimed
to replace older ships in their possession, with this ship being just one of twenty-seven
planned to launch. The first generation of the Triple E Class vessels was meant to service
routes between Europe and Asia, and their design was so elegantly efficient that Maersk
took home the "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award. Luckily, the newest incarnation
of the ship model contains the same slow steaming engine technology of the first batch, which
lowers fuel consumption by 37% and carbon emissions per container by a whopping 50%!
Number 6. COSCO Shipping Universe With a total of 215,553 gross tons across
its 1300-foot-long framework, the COSCO Shipping Universe is a one of the China Ocean Shipping
Company four greatest vessels. This ship and its three siblings, the Nebula, the Galaxy
and the Solar, are among the largest container ships on earth and the biggest to come out
of the historic Jiangnan Shipyard. Both COSCO and the Jiangnan Shipyard are state-owned
businesses run by the Chinese government, the latter of which has served the country
since it was founded in 1865. The main purpose of the shipyard is to produce, repair and
convert vessels for civilian and military use alike. Though the COSCO Shipping Universe
and its three brethren are certainly the pride of the Chinese shipping superpower, they are
just four of the company's massive 1,114-ship fleet with a collective container capacity
of 1,580,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or T.E.U.s. While impressive, the China Ocean
Shipping Company ranks third overall in the world in terms of number of container ships
as well as their total aggregate container volume. Today, the Universe and the rest of
COSCOs ships can be found at more than a thousand ports around the globe.
Number 5. Ever Golden The first of eleven 20,150-T.E.U. Class container
ships constructed for Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine is known as the Ever Golden.
It was built and delivered in 2018 by Imabari Shipbuilding, the largest shipbuilding company
in all of Japan. It originally sailed as part of a 323-vessel partnership between Evergreen,
Orient and Overseas Container Lines, C.M.A. C.G.M., and COSCO Container Lines, known collectively
as Ocean Alliance. These vessels were dedicated to cargo delivery between Asia and Europe,
thus the Ever Golden, with its 217,612 gross tonnage across its 1300-foot-long body, was
a welcome addition to the joint shipping efforts. In January of 2019 the Ever Golden was joined
by its sister ships the Ever Gifted and Ever Grade as part of the Ocean Alliance's China-European-Mediterranean
trade routes. The ships were to be managed by Singapore's Synergy Group and collectively
were considered to be "The most efficient, enviro-friendly and impressive vessels deployed
across Evergreen's service network" according to CEO Captain Rajesh Unni . But sometime
in 2019, this container vessel began sailing under the Panama flag as it remains in operation
by Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. through an affiliate Panamanian company called Pedregal Maritime
S.A.
Number 4. Antoine de Saint Exupéry The elegantly-named Antoine de Saint Exupery
is a 217,673 gross ton container ship owned and operated by C.M.A. C.G.M., a French shipping
company. It is the flagship of the company's fleet and deservedly so considering this vessel
is not only the largest container ship to sail under the French flag but is also considered
the largest Europe-based ship in existence. At maximum capacity, it can carry around 20,
954 T.E.U.s, or twenty-foot equivalent units. Having gotten its name from the iconic French
aviator and author of the same name, it might surprise some that Antoine de Saint Exupery
was actually built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines. This vessel
was originally ordered in 2015 and subsequently launched in 2017 upon completion and delivery.
It required extensive sea trials leading into 2018, but was eventually put into service
by February of that year, cruising a route from Northern Europe to southeast Asia. It
traverses these international waters with assistance from a Winterthur Gas & Diesel
model X92 low speed diesel engine able to generate 98,650 horsepower and reach a speed
of 22 knots, or 25 miles per hour.
Number 3. Symphony of the Seas The world's largest passenger ship was the
final installment in a series of four Oasis-class cruise ships built for the world famous Royal
Caribbean International cruise lines. Titled the Symphony of the Seas, this vessel outweighs
its predecessors: Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, and Allure of the Seas. This
majestic ship has a 228,021 gross tonnage across the 18 decks that compose its 1,184-foot-long
frame. It was constructed in France at the Chantiers de L'Atlantique shipyard in Saint
Nazaire , though its port of registry lies in the Bahamas. A truly luxurious cruise experience,
the completion of the Symphony of the Seas cost Royal Caribbean Cruises a massive 1.35
billion dollars to complete. Among the many amenities on board this ship, guests can find
a full-size basketball court, an ice rink, a children's water park, and a pair of 43-foot
rock-climbing walls! The vessel can carry a maximum of 6,680 passengers along with a
2,200-person crew and provides 22 restaurants and 24 pools for guests to enjoy. It's considered
one of the most enjoyable cruises around, according to customer reviews, and given the
sheer space the Symphony of the Seas offers, that should come as no surprise.
Number 2. T.I. Europe The four largest operational super tankers
in the world are T.I.-class vessels built for the shipping company Hellespont Group
between 2002 and 2003. At the time of their construction, they were known as the Hellespont
Fairfax, Hellespont Tara, Hellespont Alhambra and Hellespont Metropolis and were the first
ultra-large crude carriers, or U.L.C.C.'s, built in 25 years! But upon being purchased
jointly by Belgian shipowner Euronav N.V. in 2004, they were renamed the T.I. Oceania,
T.I. Europe, T.I. Asia and T.I. Africa respectively for their operating company, Tankers International.
As of 2015, though, the T.I. Europe is the last of the four to maintain this type of
name. The T.I. Oceania is currently owned by Oceania Tanker Corp and was renamed the
Seaways Laura Lynn, while the Asia and Africa were last in operation as floating storage
and offloading units, thus dubbed the F.S.O. Asia and F.S.O. Africa instead. All four of
these ships have a body length of just 1,243 feet, however they all maintain a breathtaking
gross tonnage of 234,006 tons!
Number 1. Pioneering Spirit The heaviest ship on the list by far is this
403,342 ton construction vessel known as the Pioneering Spirit. Made to install and remove
oil and gas platforms along with the heaviest of pipelines, this great vessel is essential
to the building of the largest offshore energy operations today. At 1,565 feet in length,
the Pioneering Spirit isn't the longest ship on the list, but given how greatly it outweighs
its challengers, it's safe to say this is the biggest ship on Earth. Well, for now at
least, as the Swiss-based Allseas Group has announced plans to build an even bigger version,
called the Amazing Grace, by 2022.