The world’s biggest cruise ship to ever sink was the Estonia. This cruise liner was built in 1979 and weighed an estimated 40,000 tons.
It measured 591 feet long and had a total of 1,906 passengers and crew on board. The ship had a total of 10 decks and one of the most popular features on board were the seven saunas.
The Estonia was sailing from Tallinn, Estonia to Stockholm, Sweden on September 28th 1994 when tragedy struck. During the early morning hours, the ship encountered heavy winds and waves which caused it to list heavily. Passengers reported hearing loud scraping noises coming from the hull of the ship before it eventually capsized and sank rapidly at around 01:50 local time.
The exact cause of the sinking is still debated today but many believe that one or more of the bow doors failed due to heavy waves or that water ingress from other parts of the hull caused instability. Some also believe that a collision with an underwater object may have been responsible for sinking the Estonia.
A total of 852 people lost their lives in this awful tragedy – making it one of Europe’s worst maritime disasters since World War II. An official investigation into what caused the Estonia’s sinking concluded that there were deficiencies in safety measures on board as well as a failure to properly close some watertight doors which contributed to its rapid sinking.
The Estonia has become a symbol of maritime tragedy and a reminder for everyone who sets sail on a cruise liner to take extra caution when bad weather is forecasted. It serves as an important reminder that even some of the world’s largest vessels can quickly succumb to Mother Nature’s fury if not properly prepared with appropriate safety measures in place.
In conclusion, the Estonia, built in 1979, was by far the biggest cruise ship ever lost at sea due to a combination of flaws in its safety measures and bad weather conditions encountered during its voyage from Tallinn, Estonia to Stockholm Sweden in September 1994. Its tragic fate serves as an important reminder for all seafarers about taking extra precaution when travelling at sea.