With all the talk of rough seas

[I Luv Crusin]

Does anyone worry with the ships getting taller and taller that they may tip over? I look at some ships and they seem so tall and top heavy.

 

Please comfort me! :confused:

[Fake Steve Carrel]

Such is why there are engineers.

[I Luv Crusin]

Yes, I know. I just get a bit worried........

[tncap]

Ships go into the waves when practical, not broadside against them. It would take something truly unprecedented (including human error) for something akin to capsizing to take place.

[PortSideCruzan]

Does anyone worry with the ships getting taller and taller that they may tip over? I look at some ships and they seem so tall and top heavy.

 

Please comfort me! :confused:

 

Hi I Luv Crusin :)

 

I understand your concern when it comes to the 'top heavy' aspect. However it

basically comes down to Displacement and Buoyancy. Ships have to displace

an equal amount of water to how much it weighs.

 

Here are some links for you to read that may offer some comfort or peace of mind:

 

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4910247_what-makes-cruise-ship-float.html

 

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/cruise-ship2.htm

 

http://cruises.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_Does_a_Cruise_Ship_Float

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_stability

 

 

:)

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by PortSideCruzan

[RD64]

They may not tip capsize, but this just happened the other day as the ship was approaching the English Channel

 

http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/14/passenger-killed-after-cruise-ship-is-hit-by-freak-wave-4305109/

 

It reminds me of the wave that hit the Michelangelo in 1966, although that was mid-Atlantic.

[OCruisers]

Such is why there are engineers.

 

That's why I've never worried about the ship tipping over.

 

LuLu

~~~

[SAM527]

Does anyone worry with the ships getting taller and taller that they may tip over? I look at some ships and they seem so tall and top heavy.

 

Please comfort me! :confused:

 

I'm sure that thought crosses everyone's mind when they see a new ship, I know I think about it. They keep getting bigger and taller. It does make me wonder how big is too big and if I would really want to be on it.

[Fake Steve Carrel]

I will admit I was worried before my first cruise also. But if ships can be without engine power for days and only list a bit, then that gives me peace of mind.

[GeorgiaMomof4]

I never worried about this until Wednesday night. We were on the Fascination headed back toward Jacksonville and evidently a rogue wave or heavy winds hit our ship and it listed about 15 or 20 degrees I would say. It wasn't the type of list that happened and we immediately went back upright either. I would say we stayed that way for several minutes. We were in our cabin packing up and it was bad enough that there were tumblers and other items falling off our shelves. Our friends were down in the fun shop, liquor and jewelry store area and said that liquor started falling off the shelves. They had to close the gift shop because the several displays fell and scattered items all over the shop. For some reason, it didn't scare me but a friend who was traveling with us was terrified. There were people wearing their life jackets the rest of the evening. Our only explanation by the CD was that we had hit bad weather and the captain had slowed down in an effort to prevent something else from happening. They did cancel the late show in the lounge because of worry that we would hit more rough weather. The dancers were actually on stage for the early show when it happened and said that some of the props had been damaged but thankfully no one was injured. Our cabin steward told us that his room mate had been on the bow of the ship and water came over the top and drenched him. It was definitely an experience - hopefully not one we will ever have again! I would love to know exactly what happened but I'm sure we will never know.

[TheCalicoCat]

Does anyone worry with the ships getting taller and taller that they may tip over? I look at some ships and they seem so tall and top heavy.

 

Please comfort me! :confused:

 

They are bottom heavy - steel hull, etc. & top light - aluminum.

 

There is probably a larger chance of a SUV flipping over & if you don't drive one of them, you drive next to them often enough for that to be a real concern.

[TheCalicoCat]

Does anyone worry with the ships getting taller and taller that they may tip over? I look at some ships and they seem so tall and top heavy.

 

Please comfort me! :confused:

 

Also, not sure the sizes of the ships that you have already been on, but you have been on quite a few. Past experience hasn't helped?:confused:

[SAM527]

I never worried about this until Wednesday night. We were on the Fascination headed back toward Jacksonville and evidently a rogue wave or heavy winds hit our ship and it listed about 15 or 20 degrees I would say. It wasn't the type of list that happened and we immediately went back upright either. I would say we stayed that way for several minutes.

 

That just made me remember one night last week on the Splendor, we were walking back to our cabin and while walking down the long hallway I noticed I was walking at a slant, not anything major but enough to notice my ankles weren't straight as I walked. It was a little odd that it stayed that way as opposed to the normal rocking to the other side and I never noticed anything like that before. I wonder what caused that because we weren't in any bad weather like you were.

[taglovestocruise]

Does anyone worry with the ships getting taller and taller that they may tip over? I look at some ships and they seem so tall and top heavy.

 

Please comfort me! :confused:

 

About 60% of the ships weight in under the water line, even if they get knocked over sideways they pop back up..happy calm seas cruising

[cb at sea]

I don't believe "bigger is better"...especially when it comes to cruiseships!

[navybankerteacher]

Newer large ships do have a lot above the water line, but all their heavy machinery: engines, generators, etc. is located on the lower decks, while the upper passenger decks are much lighter. Models of the ships are tested in tanks. The ships are designed by engineers building on years of experience, hired by companies who really do not want their multi-million dollar investments "tipping over". Stability, under all anticipated conditions, is built in - and they are designed to be stable.

 

One poster mentioned noticing that the ship was listing somewhat as she walked down a passage - that happens sometimes when there is a heavy wind from one side: it makes the ship "lean" just a bit, but hardly enough to threaten stability.

 

But OP's concerns are understandable -- when I've stood next to a 747, it was hard to imaging that monster hunk of aluminum actually lifting itself off the ground - much less staying up in the air. The very scale of these machines - ships or planes - make them seem improbable.

[Host Anne]

Hi Folks ~ pardon the interruption but I wanted to post a quick note. Whenever you see an unkind post or someone violating our guidelines, PLEASE hit the little red triangle that appears to the right top of every post and send the moderators a note. With thousands of posts here on Cruise Critic, your volunteer moderators simply cannot read every post on our boards. That's why we have our alert system. It sends us a message so we can get to posts that violate our guidelines quickly. We appreciate your help in keeping the boards "friendly."

 

Back to talking cruising! :)