Drone Videos of Cruise Ships

During Europe's Medieval and Early Modern periods, the Italian city of Venice was home to one of the world's greatest ports.  While its importance to commercial shipping has since declined, it's become one of the most significant cruise ship ports in the Mediterranean region.  In 2018, the port handled just over a thousand cruise ship arrivals and about 1.5 million passengers.  In this drone video by contributor The Hobby Traveler - Gabrsh Gabor, you'll get an aerial view of the port's main cruise ship terminal.  

Check out this drone video of one of the world's most well-known cruise ships docked in one of its most famous cruise ship ports: Miami Beach, Florida.  AirVuz contributor jcrrgoodlife managed to aerially film the Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, the fourth of the line's Voyager Class ships.  This behemoth is over a thousand feet long (311 meters) and displaces about 140k tons.  When it was launched in 2002, it was one of the largest cruise ships in the world.  The ship has a crew of 1.2k and can carry up to 4k passengers.  

Get up close and personal with a giant cruise ship in this fanastic drone video by Asuka_Iam, who managed to film the Royal Caribbean ship Spectrum of the Seas heading into the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong.  The ship is one of the five Quantum class ships operated by the line.  With displacemen of around 170k gross tons, the ship was launched in 2019.  With a length of just under 1.15k ft. (a little under 350 m), it can carry nearly 5k passengers.  By gross tonnage, it's one of the world's 20 largest cruise ships as of 2022.   

The Oasis of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean, is an examples of the new generation of gigantic Oasis-class cruise ships.    This mammoth ship is 360 meters (almost 1,200 ft), weighs 225k tons, and can carry 6,300 passengers. It is, quite literally, a floating city. Contributor Droneview filmed the mighty ship sailing from Florida with a GoPro Hero 4 camera mounted on a 3DR Solo drone.  The drone captured the ship heading out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a Caribbean cruise.  

Get a rare inside/outside tour of a giant cruise ship with this stunning first person view (FPV) drone video by AirVuz contributor Somatic Cinema.  Filmed in collaboration with Celebrity Cruises (a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises), the video will take you over, through and around the Celebrity Ascent, the fourth member of the Edge Class line, which was launched in late 2023.  The ship is nearly 1.1k ft. long (about 327 m) and displaces just over 140k gross tons.  Costing over USD $1 billion, it can carry nearly 4k passengers.  

The Caribbean Sea and the area to its north represents the largest cruise market in the world.  Every day, dozens of these massive ships ply these waters with hundreds of thousands of passengers on board, departing en masse at various ports of call around the region.  In this aerial video, contributor Bud's Eye flew his DJI Mavic Pro drone over a Carnival Cruise Line ship at berth in Grand Turk Island.  Grand Turk is one of the more popular berthing spots for these floating cities.

New Airvuz conributor Walter Aerial used a DJI Inspire 3 drone to create this fantastic nighttime aerial video of one of the world's largest cruise ships leaving the port of Keelung in Taiwan.  The Spectrum of the Seas is one of five (5) Quantum class ships operated by the Royal Caribbean line.  Launched in 2019, the ship displaces just under 170k gross tons and has a length of 1.14k ft. (347 m).  At the time of launch, it was one of the half-dozen larges cruise ships in the world, and it remains among the top 25 as of 2023.   

The immensity of the lower Amazon River in Brazil is such that even very large cruise ships can access it and cruise some ways up from its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean.  Given the lack of road infrastructure in this vast region, many travelers find that this is in fact the easiest and most comfortable way to see the storied Amazon rainforests.  In this video, contributor Exclusive Aerials was able to fly a drone over the cruise ship Crystal Serenity as it was cruising the mighty river at sunset.  

When it was opened in 1912, the Panama Canal represented one of the great feats of human engineering up until that time.  Its original size limited its ability to handle the most modern ships.  It is currently in the process of being widened to accommodate bigger vessels.  The 80 km (50 mi) waterway hacked out of the Panama Jungle connects the Atlantic (via the Caribbean Sea) and Pacific Oceans.  In this video, a drone gives us an aerial view of two cruise ships using the locks in the canal to cross it.  

The complex shape of Chile's Patagonian coastline created large numbers of spectacular fjords, which are inlets created by glaciation patterns.  These natural wonders have caught the attention of cruise ship operators and travelers around the world.  Some of these travelers are also drone pilots.  Contributor Exclusive Aerials was onboard the cruise ship Crystal Serenity with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone when he created this magnificent video of the ship cruising this remarkably beautiful area on its southern Pacific coast.

If you want to see what a modern cruise ship REALLY looks like, you have to check out this drone video by contributor Upper Cut Productions.  He captured the footage on a DJI Inspire 2 drone working on a British reality TV show about cruises.  The ship captured here is the 2012-vintage Royal Princess, operated by Princess Cruises.  It has capacity for 3,600 passengers.  One of the Royal class of cruise ships, the Royal Princess is 330 meters (almost 1.1k ft.) long and displaces over 140k tons.  

This drone video by FergTas manages to accomplish two things.  It will give you (a) a beautiful bird's eye view of one of the world's largest cruise ships and (b) an equally epic view of the Tasmanian capital city Hobart, which said ship is approaching.   If you look at a map of this Australian island state, you'll also get an appreciation for the navigation skills of the captain of this 167k gross ton displacement ship operated by the Royal Caribbean cruise line: the approach to the Hobart may be the world's most complex.

Disney entered the cruise industry in the 1990's to complement its theme park investments.  The company currently operates four cruise ships, which provide a family friendly onboard environment filled with Disney branded entertainment.  Contributor Stratus Imagery was able to capture one of these ships, the 84k ton Disney Magic, as it entered the harbor of Liverpool in western England.  The ship is 300 meters (just under 1k ft.) long and can carry about 2.7k passengers in addition to 950 crew members.  

Wrangell is a remote town in southeastern Alaska with a population of around 2,300.  It is situated on the northern end of Wrangell Island,  one of the larger islands amongst the 1,000+ that make up the Alexander Archipelago.  The town and island of Wrangell were initially populated by the Tlingit, a native people who settled into the archipelago thousands of years ago. In this 4K video by AirVuz contributor and pilot Drone Alaska, you'll get a bird's eye view of this beautiful part of America's 49th state.

Check out this magnificent drone video of a cruise shipped docked in the port of Sydney, Australia, compliments of top AirVuz contributor Gizmo Drones.  The ship is the Pacific Explorer, which is operated by the P&O Cruises Australia line (a subsidiary of Carnival Cruises).  The Pacific Explorer is one of four (4) Sun class ship built by the Italian company Fincantieri in the late 1990's.  The 856 ft. long (261 m) ship displaces just over 77k gross tons and can carry just under 2k passengers in addition to about 920 crew members.   

Take in these fantastic aerial views of a giant cruise ship off the coast of Southeastern Brazil, compliments of top contributor RG CAM.  The ship is the MSC Preziosa, a Fantasia-class ship operated by Italy's MSC Cruises.  Christened in 2013, the French-built vessel has a length of just under 1.1k ft. (333 m) and displaces nearly 140k gross tons.  The ship can accommodate up to about 4.3k passengers in addition to a crew of nearly 1.4k.  Its diesel-powered twin propellers can push the ship though the water at speeds of up to 24 knots.   

Loccated near the mouth of the Mersey River, Liverpool, England has a storied maritime history: it was once the world's busiest seaport.  It was also the most important eastern terminus for the Trans-Atlantic passenger lines in the days before jet travel.  While much of this port infrastructure moved away from the historic waterfront to more modern facilities upriver, since 2007 the city has been home to a cruise ship terminal.  You can see the terminal and some of its visitors in this excellent drone reel by Stratus Imagery.  

Contributor Mike Miguel created this remarkable drone video of one of the world's largest cruise ships docked in Norway.  It's the MSC Preziosa, a Fantasia-class vessel launched in 2013.  The ship is about 330 meters (1.1k ft.) long and holds up to nearly 4,000 passengers and a crew of close to 1,400.  It was not able to pass through the Panama Canal when it was launched, but it can now post-widening.  Based in Switzerland, MSC is the world's largest privately-owned cruise ship operator.

Check out this excellent drone video of a brand-new cruise ship docked in the port of Liverpool, UK by AirVuz contributor and pilot Chris.  He filmed the Valiant Lady, the second ship launched by Virgin Voyages.  Launched in 2020, the ship's entry into regular service was delayed by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.  The Italian-built vessel is 912 ft. long (278 m) and 125 ft. wide (38 m) at the beam.  Displacing 110k gross tons, the ship can carry up to just under 2.8k passengers in addition to a crew of 1.16k.  

The Crystal Serenity, a 250 meter (820 ft) cruise ship operated by Crystal Cruises, made seafaring history in 2014 by being the first cruise ship to run the fabled Northwest Passage Arctic Ocean crossing.  Contributor Exclusive Aerials was onboard the 69k ton ship when it made its historical passage, and created this stunning video (which was carried on national TV) from the trip.  The opening of the Northwest Passage is one of the less harmful consequences of the global warming phenomenon.  

Top contributor Icarus Aerial created this beautiful drone video of the cruise ship HMS Queen Elizabeth, a Vista-class cruise ship operated by Cunard.  With a length of just under 300 meters (around 950 ft.), these Panamax-sized ships can carry over 2,000 passengers.  The ship's design allows a very high percentage of the cabins to have outside views.  As of early 2019, the Queen Elizabeth is one of three ships operated by the famed line, which retired the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2008.

The main harbor Antigua is in the town of St. John's, in the northwestern corner of the island.  The town has a population of roughly 22,000 in 2018, and is home to nearly one in three residents of the country.  It's also served as the capital of the country (called Antigua and Barbuda) since it became independent from the UK in 1981.  In this video from Iain Jordan, you'll get a bird's eye view of the cruise ships MSC Armonia and MS Serenade Of The Seas docked in the harbor at sunset.

The Faroe Islands have gone from being a largely unknown North Atlantic atoll to an emerging tourist destination, and one way this is manifesting itself is with the cruise market.  With a comparatively under-developed lodging infrastructure, cruise ships offer a great way for passengers coming from Europe to see these volcanic wonders.  In this video, top contributor DroneDirector was able to use a drone to capture the MV Columbus steaming its way through the Faroes.  

Check out this drone video of the lead ship of Princess Cruises' Royal-class line, compliments of Hightning McQueen.  It's the MS Royal Princess, seen here crossing Scotland's Firth of Forth.  The ship was launched in 2012 and dedicated the next year at a ceremony presided over by the Duchess of Cambridge.  The ship displaces about 140k gross tons, has a length of about 330 meters (just under 1.1k ft.), and can carry up to 3.6k passengers. It's one of seven planned ships in the class.   

Check out this stunning drone video of the Enchantment of the Seas, a major cruise ship heading out of port in Key West, Florida.  Contributor Courtice was able to use his DJI Phantom 4 drone to fly over the Vision-class ship operated by Royal Caribbean during the legendary Key West sunset.  In service since 1997, the 280 meter (just over 900 ft.) ship can carry over 2,400 passengers.  Modified in 2005 to increase its gross tonnage to 83k tons, the ship has a cruising speed of 22 knots.  

Contributor Rescuebcn used a drone to aerially film a cruise ship in the port of Gerona in northeastern Spain.  It's the Marella Explorer, a Century-class ship operated by Marella Cruises.  Launched in 1996, it's a fairly large ship by Mediterranean Sea standards - 260 meters (about 850 ft.), displacing about 77k tons and with capacity for just over 1,900 passengers and about 900 crew.  Situated on the famed Costa Brava, the provincial capital city has become an important port of call for cruise ships in the western Mediterranean.  

Contributor reggiesurfsax created this marvelous aerial view of a sight in Long Beach, California, a 30 minute drive south of downtown LA at the rare times when traffic is light.  It's the RMS Queen Mary, once one of the world's greatest cruise ships.  Launched in 1934, she was the flag ship of the famed Cunard line, and was considered the most glamorous way to cross the Atlantic Ocean before the jet age.  The 310 meter (just over 1k ft.) ship has been moored in Long Beach Harbor since the 1960's.

Top AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Gizmo Drones was able to aerially film not one but two giant cruise ships arriving in the port of Melbourne, Australia.  Both the Pacific Adventure and the Pacific Encounter are Grand-class ships operated by P&O Cruises Australia.   Both ships launched around the turn of the 21st century.  Each vessel displaces around 100k gross tons and is about 950 ft. long (approximately 290 m), and can carry about 2,600 passengers in addition to about 1,100 crew members.    

Check out this amazing drone video of the Queen Mary 2, the world's largest ocean liner.  Hawkzero managed to aerially capture the Cunard flagship leaving the German port city of Hamburg, heading back to the North Atlantic.  Christened in 2004, she succeeded the Queen Elizabeth 2 as the flagship of the legendary line, now owned by Carnival Cruises.  The ship is 345 meters long (over 1.1k ft.) and carries almost 2.7k passengers on Trans-Atlantic trips in addition to a crew of over 1.2k.

Top AirVuz contributor Gizmo Drones brings us this excellent drone video of the Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady cruise ship docked in the port of Melbourne, Australia.  The third cruise ship in the line, which was estabished as a partnership between Virgin Group and Bain Capital.  Like its two sister ships, the Resilient Lady is 912 ft. long (278 m) and displaces about 110k gross tons.  Built by Fincantieri in Italy, it carries just under 2.8k passengers and cruises at a speed of about 20 knots.  

Here's a nice aerial view of the Majestic Princess cruise ship heading into the Australian city of Melbourne, compliments of contributor DroneFlyer.  The Royal-class ship operated by Princess Cruises was launched in 2017.  She is 330 meters long (just under 1.1k ft.) and displaces over 140k tons.  Its two 24k horsepower motors power the vessel, which carries up to 4.9k passengers and crew members, at speeds up up to 22 knots.  The ship was built in Italy's Ficantieri shipyard.  

Check out this excellent drone video of one of the world's largest cruise ships near the port of Keelung, Taiwan, compliments of AirVuz contributor LucaLuca.  The vessel is the MSC Bellissima, and it's operated by Swiss cruise company MSC Cruises.  Christened in 2019, the ship is a bit over 1k ft. long (316 m) and displaces about 172k gross tons.  It can carry up to 4,500 passengers at speeds of up to 21 knots (25 mph, 40 km/hr).  As of 2023, it's one of the 20 largest cruise ships in the world based on gross tonnage. 

See a giant cruise ship entering the port of Istanbul, Turkey in this excellent drone video by top AirVuz contributor Omer Gokcen.  The vessel is the Celebrity Reflection, the last (and largest) of the five Solstice-class ships launched by Celebrity Cruises between 2008-12.  Built in Germany, the ship is about 1.05k ft. long (around 319 m) and displaces about 125k gross tons.  Registered in Valletta, Malta, it can carry just over 3k passengers and a crew of around 1.3k at speeds of up to 24 knots.    

Contributor PO3SMITH was able to film the MV Viking Sun in the middle of a VERY long cruise.  How long?  How about around the world!  Operated by Viking Cruises, the ship is just under 230 meters long (around 750 ft.) and displaces a bit under 50k tons.  The ship can accommodate up to 930 passengers and a crew of just over half that size.  Its round-the-world journey takes just over 4 months.  In the video, you'll see the ship as it sails west through the Cape Cod Canal southeast of Boston, Massachusetts. 

Top AirVuz contributor Gizmo Drones brings us this excellent drone video of a cruise ship sailing into the harbor of Melbourne, Australia.  The ship is the Norwegian Spirit, and it's operated by Norwegian Cruise Line.  Launched in 1998, the Leo-class vessel is just under 880 ft. long (268m) and displaces 76k gross tons.  Its four 14-cylinder MAN diesel engines produce nearly 80k collective horsepower, enabling the ship to move up to about 2k passengers and 900 crew members at speeds of up to 24 knots.  

The Serenade of the Seas is one of four Radiance class cruise ships operated by cruise ship giant Royal Caribbean.  Launched in 2003, the 293 meters (about 962 ft.) long ship displaces about 90k tons and carries just under 2.5k passengers in addition to a crew of around 900.  Amongst the world's largest cruise ships when launched, these no longer even appear in lists of the 50 largest ships! In this drone video by jvmpixels, you'll see the Serenade cruising in the port of Amsterdam, Netherlands.  

Drone pilot Fergtas typically flies over the stunning landscapes of Tasmania, but this time he took to the ocean for a flight over the majestic L' Austral cruise ship in this aerial film.  The ship displaces about 10k gross tons, and has a length of about 140 meters (about 460 ft); it can carry up to 264 passengers.  The ship was launched in 2011 and is operated by the French cruise line company Compagnie du Ponant.  The video shows the ship approaching Beauty Point, on the northern part of the island.

AirVuz contributor Asuka_Iam was able to aerial film the first international cruise ship arrival in Hong Kong since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Silver Spirit headed into Victoria Harbor in January, 2023 to receive a warm welcome following a nearly three year absence of international cruises due to restrictions imposed by authorities to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus.  Operated by Silversea Cruises, the 690 ft. long ship (210 m) carries up to about 650 passengers in addition to a crew of just over 400.  

Contributor JarvisYen created this drone video of a cruise ship docked in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Kaohsiung is the center of the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, after Taipei.  Situated on Taiwan's southwestern coast on the island's finest natural harbor, it's home to the country's largest seaport.  The ship shown in the video is the Diamond Princess, one of two Grand Class ships operated by Princess Cruises.  Launched in 2004, the 290 meter (950 ft.) long ship can carry nearly 2.7k passengers.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the normally popular port of Melbourne, Australia saw no cruise ships.  That long draught ended in September, 2022 with the arrival of the Coral Princess, and AirVuz contributor Gizmo Drones recorded the historic occasion with this excellent aerial video.  Launched in 2002, the Coral Princess is operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation.  The ship has a length of 964 ft. (294 m) and displaces just under 92k gross tons.  It can carry up to 1,970 passengers in addition to a crew of 900.

MS The World is not simply a cruise ship.  Seen in this excellent drone video by top AirVuz contributor DroneDirector, it's a private residential cruise ship in which the passengers own their residences aboard the ship.  Yes, a cruise ship condominium(!).  Built in Sweden and Norway and launched in the early 2000's, the ship is in effect the property of the owners of its 165 luxury residences.  Seen here plying the waters of Denmark's Faroe Islands, the ship is 644 ft. long (196 m) and it displaces over 43k tons.  

Top AirVuz contributor DroneDirector brings us this excellent drone video of a cruise ship plying the waters of the Faroe Islands, a Danish archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.  The ship is the MS Zuiderdam, which is a Vista-class ship operated by Holland America Lines.  In service since 2002, the ship displaces about 82k tons and is around 955 ft. long (around 291 m).  It can carry up to about 2.3k passengers in addition to a crew complement of about 850.  The video was filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro 3 drone.