Thursday, April 11, 2024

How Cruise Ships Work Part 3: The Bridge and the Engine Room

engine room on a cruise ship

As a Sailor on one of our cruises, there’s some stuff we don’t want you to worry about. And we certainly don’t want our Sailors to be preoccupied wondering, “how do cruise ships work? These are interesting questions, even for the non-mechanically inclined. It provides a physical structure for the ship to be built upon and the buoyancy required to keep the cruise ship and everything it is carrying afloat. The hull also helps reduce water resistance, which helps with everything from improving fuel efficiency to allowing the ship to travel through the water smoother and faster. The LNG cruise ship concept was first introduced by Wartsila (Finnish manufacturing company) and is based on drive shaft propulsion instead of azipods.

Cruise ship fire in Portland, Maine leads to evacuation newscentermaine.com - NewsCenterMaine.com WCSH-WLBZ

Cruise ship fire in Portland, Maine leads to evacuation newscentermaine.com.

Posted: Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

How Do Cruise Ships Work?

Modern, larger cruise ships use two or three stroke, low speed, crosshead, or medium speed engines. Engines operating at higher speeds tend to be found on smaller vessels. Determining the type of engine that is installed on a new cruise ship involves examining the engine’s size.

The Structure of a Cruise Ship Hull

Due to LNG tanks' large sizes, this fuel is used usually on smaller passenger shipping vessels (ferries) operating on short crossing itineraries. Compared to other fuels (including MGO / marine gas oil), LNG is purer (no unburned residues, fewer greenhouse gases), more efficient, stable and cheaper (reduces fuel costs). LNG technology also advances due to IMO's future maritime emissions regulations, especially in ports and while operating in environmentally sensitive destinations. Without a source of power, these huge cruise vessels would be nothing more than drifting aimlessly hotels. A large number of older ships use diesel reciprocating engines for generating power for propulsion.

engine room on a cruise ship

How Much Fuel Do Cruise Ships Use?

There’s also a hidden advantage that those new to cruising probably never consider. You can purchase a cabin that’s near the engine room for an outstanding price, with the option to upgrade. Since you’ll be in the middle of the ship and on a lower deck, your cabin will be dark and windowless. For obvious reasons, rooms situated towards the centre of the ship arent’ afforded the luxury of windows, so if claustrophobia is an issue for you, stay away. The point of all of this decibel talk is, despite the fact that adjacent cabins are well protected and the noise level is not damaging in any way, you’ll still be able to hear it through the floor and walls. The electromagnetic logs create an electromagnetic field in the water around the ship, with the aid of a small alternating current and a transducer.

Sealift Ship for Gaza Corridor Turns Around After Engine Room Fire

Booking this room may mean you will experience vibrations and noise from the engine. You may hear the crew as they go back and forth to the engine room throughout the day and night. Welcome to High Seas Cruising, your resource for exploring the exciting world of cruise ship travel. We provide expert advice, insightful reviews, and comprehensive guides to help seasoned and novice cruisers create their ideal sea journeys. Whether you desire adventure, luxury, or exploration, High Seas Cruising is your compass to unforgettable cruise vacations.

Marine diesel engines

This allows emerging problems and engine fault sources to be fixed before they occur. For example, if you sail to Canada and New England, you may find that the fog is so dense that the ship must sound its foghorn all through the night! If your cabin is towards the bow, you may be awoken by the sound of the anchor being raised and lowered. Or, if your room is by the elevator, you may hear lots of other guests chatting as they stagger to bed in the early hours of the morning. Even if you choose to stay in one of the most expensive suites on the ship, this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to rest undisturbed.

Cruise ship engine room

Despite the colloquialism of "steaming to St. Thomas," the days of steam engines in ships have all but disappeared. (The last passenger ship built with a steam engine -- Sitmar's FairSky in 1984 – was scrapped in 2013.) Today, diesel engines are the standard. To quell your fears and satisfy your quest for knowledge, we have set out to shed some light on the sometimes murky subject of how cruise ships work -- no engineering degree required. Yet widely publicized events like the Carnival Triumph engine room fire in 2013 have provoked both anxiety and curiosity about how these ships are powered.

On smaller ships that don't have hosted tours, it doesn't hurt to politely ask permission to see the area that interests you. The laundry department handles the clothes and linen of the entire ship and the Spa department offers personal care, grooming and wellness services for the passengers. In many cruise lines, these can also be availed by senior officers. In the aftermath of the Carnival Triumph fire, Carnival Cruise Line announced steps that exceeded the "Safe Return to Port" regulations. Every one of its ships was involved in a fleetwide $300 million retrofit and received an additional emergency generator to power 100 percent of stateroom and public toilets, fresh water and elevators. To distribute the electrical power, large cables snake through the ship.

It does mean that if a better cabin is available or is vacant, as in the case of last-minute cancellations, you may be upgraded for free. However, there are other reasons why these cabins are less desirable besides the fact that they are noisy. If anything, the vibrations caused by the engines are more likely to cause annoyance over the sound of the engine. However, you may still find cabins reasonably close to the engine room. Royal Caribbean Group was the first company to experiment with gas-turbine systems. India’s navy is continuing to demonstrate its prowess joining the world stage among the most elite strike teams.

If the unexpected happens, know that the cruise ship has backup plans. A well-trained crew knows how to properly handle the situation so you are in safe hands. Independent of a cruise ship’s size, engines are extremely loud. Engineers compensate for the noise by incorporating sound reduction technology. In newer cruise ships, engines are found on the lower decks toward the aft. They are not completely to the back of the boat but are found in the mid-aft.

These interactive elements can be both educational and entertaining, offering a unique perspective on the inner workings of a cruise ship. The engine room itself may have restricted access areas, mainly due to safety considerations or the presence of sensitive equipment. While visitors may not have free rein to explore every nook and cranny, cruise lines strive to strike a balance between safety and providing an insightful experience. To protect visitors from potential hazards, cruise lines often enforce strict rules and regulations for engine room visits. These guidelines ensure that passengers have a safe and enjoyable experience while gaining insights into the inner workings of the ship. It’s important to note that age and health restrictions may also apply, as certain physical conditions may hinder a visitor’s ability to navigate the engine room environment.

I am one that wants to know how things work so it was awesome for me. I would have liked to see the engine room but that will not happen, in the control room they have a monitor for the engine room camera so they can watch the engine. True they do not take you to the actual engine room, however there are monitors in the control room to look at. This is where crews demonstrate how to safely use life jackets and outline a designated meeting point in the event of an emergency.

These cabins are in the lower deck and in the middle of the ship. Rooms located in the center of a ship generally don’t contain the luxury of windows, so it may make people feel claustrophobic. The heat from the engines is removed by a series of heat exchangers. This is found on the exhaust path proceeding the turbocharger on the way to the scrubber. Exhaust gas reaches a temperature of 663°F yet is continuously cooled using heat extraction until it reaches 86°F when it comes out of the funnel. However, guests don’t have to be concerned if their cabins are in this area.

engine room on a cruise ship

Power is supplied to the ship through a transmission going to a propeller shaft. RMS Queen Mary 2 is equipped with exhaust gas economizers, using waste heat from engines to produce steam. Then steam is used to heat fuel and QM2 hotel accommodations, laundry, galleys. This reduces the energy amount that has to be produced by ship's engines. The Promas Lite system (mentioned above) generates cruise ship fuel savings in the range of 5-15% depending on the operation type and the actual performance of the ship's existing propeller.

While each cruise ship varies, some cruise ships will feature crew quarters in the upper portion of the hull. Crew members can enjoy breaks and catch up on sleep in these areas. Some ships will also feature separate mess and canteens for crew members in the lower regions of the ship.

The next photo shows the Azipods (both units) mounted on the hull. Your first thought would probably be to stay well away from any cabins near the engine room. There are several reasons for this, some of which go beyond just the noise an engine produces.

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