Although modern cruise ships can be considered small cities on water, don’t forget that you are on an oil powered ship. When you think about it, you may be surprised at how much fuel your cruise ship uses.
Modern cruise ships are not only large ships, but they also stay at sea for days, if not weeks at a time. Therefore, it is reasonable to wonder how much fuel tank these trains need to complete the journey. Well, you’ve come to the right place to find out. In this article, you will learn about the fuel consumption of a cruise ship and much more.
How Much Fuel Does a Ship Hold?
In general, a 1,100-foot-long ocean liner can carry two million gallons of fuel. A small tanker can hold 130,000 gallons. This is the most important oil. By comparison, small boats typically hold 200 to 1200 gallons of fuel.

In 2016, Guardian he said that Royal Caribbean’s The Unity of the Seas – initially the largest ship in the world – has two four-stage 16-cylinder Wärtsilä engines. Each diesel engine burns 1,377 US gallons of diesel fuel per hour at full power, or about 66,000 gallons per day.
Considering Royal Caribbean’s Oasis cruise ship is designed for a seven-day cruise, you can only imagine the amount of diesel fuel. 227,500 tons in total The Unity of the Seas can catch.
Now, let’s consider the factors that affect a ship’s fuel efficiency.
Factors Affecting the Fuel Capacity of a Ship
Several factors affect the amount of fuel a ship can hold. However, the most important factor that determines this is the size of the ship.
Size is an important factor in a ship’s fuel efficiency and fuel consumption. With the same distance, a small train will have less fuel than a large train, similar to cars on the road. A small sedan is much less fuel efficient than a car.

Cruising speed is another factor to consider. Larger ships require more fuel to reach a certain speed because of the power required to propel the ship forward. Therefore, you can expect these larger ships to be more fuel efficient.
Also Read: What Kind of Fuel Do Ships Use?
Finally, the length of trips that the ship is designed for can also affect the amount of fuel that the ship can handle. The longer the ship travels, the more fuel it needs to hold, as cruises may require fuel stops during the journey.
Cruise Ship Fuel FAQ
How much does it cost to fuel a ship?
A cruise ship carrying about 1,000 passengers can spend $15,000 a day on fuel, depending on fuel prices. A seven-day cruise fuel costs of over $100,000 alone.
For example, Royal Caribbean’s Wonders of the Sea it can carry 6,000 people, so you can do the math to see how much fuel a ship can use.
How often does a ship refuel?
The amount of fuel a cruise ship needs to refuel depends on how much fuel the ship holds, which in turn depends on the size of the ship and other factors. However, most cruise ships can last about 12 days at sea without refueling.
However, you’ll find cruise ships refueling more often than that, as they don’t like to run on empty!
How do ships make sure they have enough fuel?
Cruise ships always have enough fuel before leaving port. That said, there’s no need to worry about your cruise ship running out of gas. It’s over 400 ports all over the world that provide marine fuel, so there is always an opportunity regardless of the ship you are on.
Final Thoughts
Finally, cruise ships take a lot of fuel – millions of gallons worth. Although it may be difficult to determine the amount of fuel, it is reasonable for large ships that spend days or weeks at sea.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about your ship’s fuel consumption. What you need to know is that your ship will never run out of fuel!