Well, it’s kind of like comparing elephants and whales, but we’ll try.
Oasis of the Seas is the world’s largest passenger vessel; it set sail from the shipyard in Turku, Finland, where it was built, on October 28. MGM Grand is the world’s second largest hotel (first largest is the First World Hotel in Malaysia); it opened in December 1993.
Oasis of the Seas is 236 feet tall, including telescoping smokestacks (which had to be lowered to pass under a bridge in Korsoer, Denmark, which it just cleared by two feet) and has 16 passenger decks. MGM Grand is 293 feet tall and has 30 guest floors.
Oasis of the Seas weighs 450 million pounds; we couldn’t verify the total weight of the MGM Grand.
Oasis of the Seas has 2,700 cabins and suites and can accommodate some 6,300 passengers. It’s 40% larger than the world’s second-largest cruise ship. MGM Grand has 5,073 rooms and suites (not including Signature’s 576 suites) that can accommodate more than 10,000 guests; when it opened, it was 20% larger than the next largest hotel (Excalibur, with 4,008 rooms).
Oasis of the Seas was built by Royal Caribbean International at a cost of $1.5 billion. MGM Grand was built by Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp. at a cost of $1 billion (adjusted for inflation 16 years later, the cost would be $1.47 billion).
Oasis of the Seas features 37 different stateroom categories, including 150 suites in six categories. The largest and most luxurious are two-story 1,600 square-foot loft suites that can accommodate up to eight passengers, with 17-foot windows and balconies overlooking the sea and promenades. The MGM Grand has 11 room categories, of which nine are suites; the largest suite at MGM Grand (in the Mansion) is six bedrooms and 12,000 square feet with its own lap pool and giant hot tub, spa and gym, grand piano, and butler.
Oasis of the Seas has 2,100 crew members; MGM Grand has 8,200 employees.
The home port of Oasis of the Seas is Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. MGM Grand is landlocked in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Interestingly, Oasis of the Seas has seven themed "neighborhoods," such as Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Place, and Youth Zone, resembling a theme park. MGM Grand opened with its Grand Adventures amusement park, with a movie-studio theme and such areas as Casablanca Asian Village, Salem Waterfront, and Tumbleweed Gulch.
Oasis of the Seas amenities include a water park with a wave simulator, an ice rink, a full-size carousel, a mini-golf course, four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a shopping promenade. MGM Grand amenities include five pools and a lazy river, a spa and health club, a wedding chapel, a shopping promenade, and a convention center.
Oasis of the Seas has one 1,350-seat showroom (featuring Hairspray, headliners, and a revue), ice-skating shows, a 600-seat Aqua Theater (pool by day, seaside stage at night), and comedy. MGM Grand has the 12,000-seat Garden Arena, Cirque du Soleil’s KA, Crazy Horse Paris, "CSI: The Experience," headliners, and a lion habitat.
Oasis of the Seas has two nightclubs, Blaze and Jazz on 4, and the Dazzles ballroom for dancing, including lessons and competitions. MGM Grand has Studio 54, the Tabu ultra lounge, Wet Republic ultra pool, and Centrifuge.
The chief executive of the MGM Grand is called the "president." The chief executive of the Oasis of the Seas is called the "captain."
A few categories in which the Oasis of the Seas simply can’t be compared to MGM Grand (and believe us, we tried): It has a draught of 31 feet and a depth of 74 feet. It has three 18,590-horsepower engines and three 24,780-horsepower engines, for a total of 130,110 horsepower. Its cruising speed is 26 miles per hour and it will take four- and seven-day cruises around the Caribbean.
Oh, and one last comparison: They both have casinos.
