Unusual or not?

On our Disney Dream Aug 29 - Sept 2 we spent the last sea day holding completely still in the Ocean all day. Then moved for the evening and night. We have never experienced This before. We have been on 14 cruises.

It was fine and beautiful weather so no complaint just curiosity.

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On our Disney Dream Aug 29 - Sept 2 we spent the last sea day holding completely still in the Ocean all day. Then moved for the evening and night. We have never experienced This before. We have been on 14 cruises.

It was fine and beautiful weather so no complaint just curiosity.

 

 

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I doubt that it was completely still, but most likely v-e-r-r-r-r-y slow. I think they have to be moving, or at least the engines running, for the power to be operational onboard.

It's not unusual for those cruises that have a full sea day (and night) to travel a short distance.

I don't think you were totally stopped and drifting. However, with a very short distance to travel, they indeed may have gone quite slow during the day (makes for a smooth day, happy passengers) and picked up speed at night. They pay serious attention to the best possible guest experience.

Perhaps they had some maintenance chore or mechanical reason to stop. Maybe just saving fuel on an especially calm day with nowhere to go. Maybe the Nautilus had to dock in the ultra secret submarine bay for resupply. :D

We've also had that happen. I believe it just depends on sea/weather conditions. No doubt its a conservation ($) issue.

By the same token, we were on the Magic when there was a shuttle launch scheduled for the afternoon of our last full day. The captain hustled us back as close to Port Canaveral as he could get so that we'd be able to watch the launch from the ship and then basically didn't move much for that night until it was time to pull into the port.

It's not unusual. If the ship is ahead of schedule or has a short distance to do, they will put themselves basically at idle, or use just enough thrust to head in the right direction.... As noted, its better for the pax AND saves fuel since they can't get into dock until a certain point anyway.

It is not at all unusual for a cruise ship with no distance to travel, they will basically idle, most likely keep her head into any sea or wind for a smooth ride. Fuel oil is expensive, any where form $400 to 600 a ton and the DCL size cruise ship likely burn 40 or more tons a day when underway. They save a fair amount of money by not moving around when not needed. :D

When the Dream runs from Nassau to CC, its a fairly short distance and at night you can she she is often only going about 8 knots.

Of course as Big Rd 85 said, it could be the Nautilus docking to give their crew a little R/R time.

AKK

on that 4 day bahamas cruise, they're very close to the coast on the sea day...

we were floating along at a snail's pace on our sea day, when all of a sudden we started burning rubber so to speak....

really moving...

within just a few minutes we were in sight of land - palm beach...

where a coast guard boat came out to meet us (along with what seemed like every yacht in palm beach, surprised to see a disney ship come in there)..

we'd had a medical emergency on board (an 11 year old with suspected appendicitis)...

the coast guard boat came alongside us, the girl and her family were offloaded (the girl on a stretcher), and she was taken into palm beach to the hospital...

and then we continued on our way....just out of sight of land for our "sea" day that was clearly not very far out at sea....just far enough that we couldn't see land...

[sNIP]

and then we continued on our way....just out of sight of land for our "sea" day that was clearly not very far out at sea....just far enough that we couldn't see land...

They will stay just far enough away in international waters (or in your case back out to) so they can reopen the shops and duty free.

ex techie

It is not at all unusual for a cruise ship with no distance to travel' date=' they will basically idle, most likely keep her head into any sea or wind for a smooth ride. Fuel oil is expensive, any where form $400 to 600 a ton and the DCL size cruise ship likely burn 40 or more tons a day when underway. They save a fair amount of money by not moving around when not needed. :D

 

 

When the Dream runs from Nassau to CC, its a fairly short distance and at night you can she she is often only going about 8 knots.

 

Of course as Big Rd 85 said, it could be the Nautilus docking to give their crew a little R/R time.

 

AKK[/quote']

 

Absolutely agree Skipper!

 

Probably 2 engines on line, 1 for hotel services and one idling being used to make a VERY slow heading and for when course correction is needed. Stay where the sun and nice weather is making little headway.

 

ex techie

I doubt that it was completely still, but most likely v-e-r-r-r-r-y slow. I think they have to be moving, or at least the engines running, for the power to be operational onboard.

 

It's not unusual for those cruises that have a full sea day (and night) to travel a short distance.

The ship doesn't have to move to be powered. The engines and the ship's "hotel load" both come off of the same power bus but engines aren't necessary or there would be problems in port. The ship does have to be moving forward in order for the stabilizers to work.

I doubt that it was completely still, but most likely v-e-r-r-r-r-y slow. I think they have to be moving, or at least the engines running, for the power to be operational onboard.

 

It's not unusual for those cruises that have a full sea day (and night) to travel a short distance.

I believe all of the DCL engines are electric based. Also the hotel side has separate generators then then engineering side.