Cruise boat with 40,000 person capacity?

I remember seeing this in Popular Science way back in the early 1990s, thinking - Yeah Right.
These people are serious!
- 40,000 people capacity
- Always cruising the oceans
- runway on top of the boat
- check out the time-share prices

I laugh now, but you'll probably see me renting for a week in 10 years....   What pipe are they hitting?