“It’s So Big!”
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (129196)
Gainesville, Florida
July 8, 2026 6:36pm CST
Those were the words out of my son’s mouth when he called me as he was boarding his cruise ship in Ft. Lauderdale. Being that this was his first cruise ever, he had no perspective on just how big modern cruise ships are.
I asked him how many people his ship held. He told me around 4,700 passengers and crew at full capacity. I laughed, because most newer ships are much bigger than that, but I didn’t say anything about that. I just told him, “Yep, that’s a big one!”
Well, a few days later he sent me the attached picture when they were docked at the private island. His perspective had totally changed. “Dad, our ship is so small!”
They were docked next to Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, a ship that holds almost double the number of passengers and crew (around 8,800 at full capacity). He just couldn’t believe cruise ships could get that big!
How big is too big? Would you feel intimidated having to sail with 8,000+ people on a ship?
There’s no doubt these modern cruise ships have truly become floating cities!
16 people like this
14 responses
@LadyDuck (504928)
• Italy
11 Jul
@moffittjc - If there is an emergency, 8,000 people in panic will make it impossible to evacuate the ship without accidents.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
I tend to like the bigger ships better due to them having more things to do on board. But the one thing that does worry me is the number of lifeboats in the case of an emergency. I am absolutely convinced that there are not enough lifeboats on the ships to accommodate every single passenger, even if they lie and tell us so.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@LadyDuck Whenever I go somewhere with large crowds, I always analyze the situation and look at all possible entry/exit points, and then determine where the majority of people (the "herd") will run to when panic sets in. I then look for safe exits or safe shelter in the opposite direction of where I think the herd will flee to.
Of course, that strategy might not work on a ship...
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (38678)
•
9 Jul
Less than 8k people live in our town.
8k people shouldn't be packed in like sardines on any boat.
People are going to get on each others nerves.
I need my space so it's a no from me
4 people like this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
On all the cruise ships I've ever been on, I've never felt overwhelmed by the amount of people. Those ships are huge, and have many decks, so the people are all spaced out pretty well. It can get busy by all the swimming pools on the ships, as there are definitely not enough lounge chairs for all the people on the ships. But for the most part, the crowds never seemed any worse than places on land.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@Ineeddentures It seems that it is happening more and more on these cruise ships. You are not kidding when you say it's armageddon. Can. you imagine 5000 or 8000 people all sick on a cruise ship at the same time?
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (38678)
•
10 Jul
@moffittjc
And when illness breaks out , it's armageddon
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (123180)
• United States
10 Jul
@moffittjc If I were more outgoing, I’d probably feel that way too. Unfortunately, even as an adult, I do better in more manageable crowds. I just seem to relax and enjoy myself more.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@AmbiePam Crowds don't bother me. I think it's because I've spent so many years going to Disney World, where everyone is always packed in like a can of sardines. I just got used to it over time.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
My preference is the bigger ships, because they have more to do on board. Shops, dining, night life, theaters, pools, bars, etc. I like having so many choices on the ship.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77871)
• Philippines
9 Jul
Anything that's big will always catch my attention. 
3 people like this
@toniganzon (77871)
• Philippines
13 Jul
@moffittjc Yes there's one in Manila and other parts of the country too. I think there are 5 cruise ship ports.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Jul
@toniganzon Nice! Five cruise ship ports is more than I thought there would be. Have you ever been on a cruise?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
Do you have big cruise ships or cruise ship ports in the Philippines? I would think that Manila would have a cruise ship port.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
They do often refer to these large cruise ships as floating cities, and truly that is what they have become. They have stores, restaurants, bars/nightclubs, theaters, casinos, massage parlors, etc on the ships. Basically, anything you can think of that is also on land. They really are floating cities. Some even have waterparks, go--cart tracks, zip line courses and other crazy things like that.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56992)
• Canada
10 Jul
@moffittjc My brother did a Wind Jammer cruise back in the early 90's very few crew members, but all of the passengers had to be hands on and took turns putting the masts up and down and things like that.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@Juliaacv I've heard of the Wind Jammer cruises! I would actually be thrilled to do one of those cruises, even though I would have do perform a lot of work on the ship.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (127403)
• United States
9 Jul
The biggest cruise ship I've ever seen is the Norwegian Epic. Cozumel is the world's busiest cruise destination so after 11 trips there I've seen a few. The Epic certainly deserves its name. That being said I'd never want to be on a cruise. No thank you.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@NJChicaa It would probably be quite a long cruise to go from New Jersey to Cozumel, and back. That would leave you very little time to actually spend in Cozumel. Better that you flew all them times.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
The Epic is definitely a big ship! And it's very interesting looking.
For all your trips to Cozumel, did you take cruise ships each time, or did you fly most of the time?
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (127403)
• United States
11 Jul
@moffittjc We always flew there. I've never been on a cruise.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (170198)
• United States
9 Jul
I have never been on a cruise and it is unlikely that I ever will. It does say a lot about perspective. For many years I lived in a town of 12,000 to me 8,000 is almost that big. Especially when you consider there are fewer than 400 people in my current town.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
For sure 8000 is a lot of people, but with the size of the ships nowadays it really doesn't seem like there are that many people on board. But it is almost as big as many small towns in America.
I live in a city of 150,000. But just to our south, less than 10 miles away, is a very small town of about 400 people. They call it the town that time forgot.
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
They just continue to get bigger and bigger. I think the only limit to their size now is the port facilities where they have to dock. If they get too big, they won't fit in the port berths.
@FourWalls (87817)
• United States
9 Jul
Well, having been in the Navy, with these aircraft carriers with 6,000 people plus airplanes taking off and landing at all hours of the day and night…I’m glad I got out of the Navy before women were allowed on aircraft carriers!!! 
That’s way beyond my tolerance limit for socializing, although I’m sure there’s a few quiet places that can be found on the ships.
That’s way beyond my tolerance limit for socializing, although I’m sure there’s a few quiet places that can be found on the ships.2 people like this
@FourWalls (87817)
• United States
11 Jul
@moffittjc — there’s an element of truth to the stereotype. Take it from someone who did shore patrol duty on New Year’s Eve at Pearl Harbor.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
I've always wondered--and you may be able to answer this--about how navy sailors socialized on the warships. Are there like nightclubs or bars or theaters or anything like that on the ships? What do all the sailors do for entertainment while at sea for months at a time?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@FourWalls Hence why you see so many Hollywood portrayals of drunken sailors in ports of call getting into fights and getting arrested, and all kinds of other wild stories!
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40168)
• Toccoa, Georgia
9 Jul
I wouldn't mind sailing on a real big ship like that.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
As many people as those ships hold, it never really seems as crowded on board as one might think. The only time it gets really crowded is when everyone wants to go lay out in the lounge chairs by the many pools that are on board. There are definitely not enough lounge chairs for everyone! Oh, and when debarking, the lines can get really long.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40168)
• Toccoa, Georgia
12 Jul
@moffittjc That is true about the crowds and not enough lounge chairs and the long lines debarking.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (137701)
• Marion, Ohio
9 Jul
They are very large. I don't plan on getting on one at all
2 people like this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
You're a little far away from the nearest cruise port! lol
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (99228)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 Jul
Those huge cruise ships actually scare me because, just like with airplanes I wonder how someing so big and heavy stays afloat,
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
It is amazing how those things stay afloat, but somehow they do! My only fear (more concern than fear) is rescuing so many people if there is a disaster at sea.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
I'll send you a small sailboat. Would that be more to your liking? 
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jul
My high school had 8000 students, and there were almost 2000 in my graduating class. I didn't even know (or even meet) all of them!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (129196)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
@JudyEv At the time, we had one of the largest high schools in our district. I'm sure there are much bigger ones now, especially in the big cities, but my high school was in a small town, which made the numbers even more surprising.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (385141)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul
@moffittjc Oh wow! That's a huge number! 
1 person likes this
