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Cruise ships are powered by several of the most powerful engines available. These series of engines are needed by the ship to both propel its enormous mass and generate the electricity needed because, depending on the itinerary, some trips on cruise ships can be as short as two days or as long as four months. On average, cruise ships are capable of staying at sea for 12 days.

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Because of the leisurely nature of cruise ship tours, cruise ships are not meant to go fast. The average speed of most modern cruise ships is just 20 knots or approximately 23 miles per hour. This may not seem much, but this is enough for a ship to travel 480 nautical miles or 550 miles within 24 hours. The average and top speeds of cruise ships will vary depending on their type, size, and power, with the smaller ones only capable of 15 knots, but some other types of ships can do double that. 

Described as a floating city, a cruise ship is an integration of advanced marine engineering, creative architecture, and first-rate hospitality. These ships are extremely complex to design and build and, once completed, require a seamless combination of technologies and manpower expertise to operate and ensure their voyages proceed safely and are run on schedule. Given that each cruise would involve going to and from various ports of call, each cruise ship must be able to travel at a steady and decent rate of speed.

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Starting with the small-sized ships that are categorized based on size and passenger capacity, the Sea Breeze cruise ship owned by Windstar Cruises serves 312 guests. With a length of 522 ft. and a gross tonnage of 12,995, the Sea Breeze has a cruising speed of just 15 knots. Smaller cruise ships differ from their bigger counterparts because of their different routes, given their ability to access ports and destinations that larger cruise ships cannot.

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For small-mid ships, a good example would be the Seven Seas Explorer by the Regent Seven Seas Cruises company, which has a passenger capacity of 746 guests. Coming in at 734 ft long and weighing 55 gross tonnes, its cruising speed is rated at 20.5 knots.

Midsized cruise ships are the next in the size category. These normally accommodate between 1,500 to 2,500 guests. Among midsized ships is the Celebrity Millennium, under the Celebrity Cruises company. Measuring 965 ft long, with a 90,940 gross tonnage, its listed guest capacity is 2,218 guests, and it can cruise at 24 knots.

More than 100,000 gross tonnes heavier than the Sea Breeze small cruise ship, the Crown Princess from Princess Cruises is among the largest ships in the world and is in the large-sized cruise ship category. At 952 feet long and weighing 113,561 gross tonnes, the Crown Princess has a crew of 1,200 to operate its 19 decks and serve its 3,080 guest capacity. For a ship of its size and weight, this large cruise ship can cruise at a respectable 22 knots.

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Going beyond the large-size category ships is a new class of cruise ships,  the Megaships, which are the biggest and most advanced vessels of their kind. The biggest among these is the Icon of the Seas from Royal Caribbean, which is 1,196 feet long, weighs an immense 248,663 gross tonnes and can accommodate 5,610 guests. Powered by six liquified natural gas engines that produce 109,964 horsepower, it is surprising to note that its cruising speed is only 24 knots.

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Despite the massive size and weight difference among cruise ships, the relative speed between most ships does not vary too much. Cruising speeds are optimized for the best use of fuel versus its consumption; when on water, this speed provides a smooth, comfortable ride for passengers.

While technically a hybrid between a liner and a cruise ship because of its regular transatlantic crossings between the United States and England,  the Queen Mary 2 is the fastest cruise ship in the world. At 1,132 feet long and weighing 149,215 gross tonnes, the Queen Mary 2 can transport its 1,173 crew and 2,691 guests from New York to Southhampton in just seven days at a cruising speed of 28.5 knots but can also reach a top speed of 30 knots.

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