QM2 is probably the biggest cruise ship Carnival Corporation will ever build, according to Carnival Corporation chairman and chief executive Micky Arison.

Referring to rival Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Seas as “Monster of the Seas” or a “floating Mall of America", Arison told Travel Weekly it was important that his ships could still make calls in key destinations like Venice.

“As a piece of engineering, Oasis a monstrous thing that will drive lots of people. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not what we do.

“But if we do have gimmicks, like Movies Under the Stars or Formula 1 simulators, we have things that most guests can enjoy, not just a few guests while the majority just watch [like the surf simulator or the zip wire].”

Having a final dig as he explained how the new flambé table side cooking on Azura would differ from that on Celebrity Cruises, he added: “There’s is marketing, ours is real.”