The invention provides a lifting apparatus for ships which comprises a pile shoe, an installation tower, a circular-beam hydraulic lifting device, and a ship body; the installation tower is fixedly connected with the ship body; the circular-beam hydraulic lifting device is connected to the installation tower by an elastic cushion, and the circular-beam hydraulic lifting device is located between the installation tower and the ship body; the pile shoe is located in the circular-beam hydraulic lifting device, and is provided with a pin hole at the peripheral part for matching a bolt oil cylinder on the circular-beam hydraulic lifting device; the pile shoe is connected with the circular-beam hydraulic lifting device by the bolt oil cylinder; the circular-beam hydraulic lifting device comprises an upper circular beam, a connecting pin, a bolt oil cylinder, a lifting oil cylinder, a lower circular beam, wherein the lifting oil cylinder is located between the upper circular beam and the lower circular beam, and the lifting oil cylinder is connected with the upper circular beam and the lower circular beam by the connecting pin respectively; the bolt oil cylinder is disposed in the upper circular beam and the lower circular beam. By using the above scheme, the invention has good safety performance, and is simple in structure, convenient for operation, and light in weight.