Ship Life

[Mandy412]

So I'm still a new cruiser and had a random question, How long do cruise lines keep ships on the water? Does it vary by ship or is there a rule of thumb where they invest in two dry docks and then it's done? Thanks!

[triptolemus]

Since you asked on the NCL board and because you're a new cruiser, I'd say a good place to start with this would be the Norwegian Cruise Line Wikipedia entry.

 

It lists the current ships, as well as the disposition of previous ships -- whether they are still in service, sold, scrapped, or sunk (yes).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Cruise_Line

 

It'll give you a good idea of the life of a ship. From there, you can explore other lines. Of particular interest might be the Pacific Princess, currently one of the smallest ships (688 passengers) still in service among the fleet of major cruise lines.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Princess

Edited August 17, 2016 by triptolemus

[redfantum]

NCL's current oldest ship is the Spirit, built in 1998 as the Superstar Leo, entered service as Norwegian Spirit in 2004. The Starward, built in 1968, currrently cruises the Greek Isles for Louis Cruises.

 

They don't stop sailing them until they fall apart.

[Cruise_Christy]

You never retire a cruise ship unless it is 20-30+ years old and can no longer pass safety regulations. Those things cost a fortune to make and are meant to last a long time. The bigger companies will sell them to smaller companies when they lose their charm and are replaced by the bigger/better ships until eventually they are deemed no longer safe for public use and then they can still run privately a lot of the time because safety regulations that deem them unsafe for large scale cruise voyages don't mean they're not still seaworthy.

 

The oldest cruise ship is getting retired this year, that's the Astoria for Cruise & Maritime out of the UK - she was built in 1948, but she's not going to be out of work. She was bought by a French line and will be used for small charter voyages so will still be on the seas.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Cruise_Christy

[chengkp75]

You never retire a cruise ship unless it is 20-30+ years old and can no longer pass safety regulations. Those things cost a fortune to make and are meant to last a long time. The bigger companies will sell them to smaller companies when they lose their charm and are replaced by the bigger/better ships until eventually they are deemed no longer safe for public use and then they can still run privately a lot of the time because safety regulations that deem them unsafe for large scale cruise voyages don't mean they're not still seaworthy.

 

The oldest cruise ship is getting retired this year, that's the Astoria for Cruise & Maritime out of the UK - she was built in 1948, but she's not going to be out of work. She was bought by a French line and will be used for small charter voyages so will still be on the seas.

 

The above post is accurate in its general progression, but not so much with the facts.

 

Every ship afloat, especially cruise ships, must meet the exact same safety regulations, whether public or private, and this may be enforced by every country the ship calls at as part of that country's "port state" control, to ensure that SOLAS regulations are met.

 

What may change as a ship gets older is the "flag state", as some countries are more lenient in their application of these requirements, but this is also limited by the above mentioned "port state" inspections, which can detain any ship at any time for violations, and by the ability of a ship to get P&I (property and indemnity) insurance, which may be difficult for a ship with a bad record (just like your car insurance), and without which a ship may not enter any port.

 

Ship maintenance costs are a parabola. The big "corner", where the costs start to go up dramatically each year is around the 15 year mark. Ships younger than 15 years are required to drydock every 5 years, with an underwater survey midway through the period. After 15 years, the ship is required to drydock twice in 5 years, replacing the underwater survey with a drydocking. At this time, the class society (the insurance underwriters) start to require more and more testing of welds and hull thickness, and repair costs start to rise.

 

Cruise lines will keep a ship as long as they remain profitable. When the maintenance and repair costs get too much to be able to be covered by revenue, given the line's business model, they will sell the ship. Other, smaller lines tend to have different business models, with different profit margins, and can keep the older ships going, even with the higher maintenance costs.

 

The mainstream cruise lines are now using the 20-25 year window as a general rule for when they start looking for a buyer, but many cruise ships are out there at 30+.

 

The Astoria was originally the "Stockholm", which is famous for having collided with and sank the "Andrea Doria".

[Mandy412]

This is so interesting, thanks for all of the replies!

[Bonnie J.]

When any big ship dies, it goes to India. Then they run the ship right up onto the beach and start cutting it up. I saw a video once of them doing this. If they say a ship is going to India that's what's going to happen to it. So, your beer can may have started life as a cruise ship! But some ships, like the Norway, are put to other uses.

[Brigbound]

Chengkp75- it never fails I learn something every time you post. Just a thanks for your unique input!

[TruckerDave]

When any big ship dies, it goes to India. Then they run the ship right up onto the beach and start cutting it up. I saw a video once of them doing this. If they say a ship is going to India that's what's going to happen to it. So, your beer can may have started life as a cruise ship! But some ships, like the Norway, are put to other uses.

 

The chop ships up in Brownsville Tx as well. That is where many of the old US Navy vessels go to die a slow death. :mad: