THE ANATOMY OF A CRUISE

SHIP

STYLES OF SHIPS

THE CLASSIC OCEAN LINER Primarily used for transatlantic

crossings or world voyages. Mostly built before 1970

They’re sleek, streamlined and built to knife their way through open oceans.

Most are rather small by today’s cruise standards, but several vintage liners are as big as some of the larger contemporary ships.

THE CONTEMPORARY CRUISE SHIP

Tapered, knife-like hulls gave way to broader, boxier, still attractive vessels .

Built to accommodate uniformly sized staterooms and the numerous activity venues that the modern cruise vacation experience requires.

It is generally called these giant-sized ships, megaships.

They can accommodated 2,000 passengers or more and have 12 or more decks.

SMALL SHIPS Most of which accommodate fewer

than 200 passengers. The cruise lines that rely on small ships

cruising often stress education, soft adventure, and/or luxury experiences.

MASTED SAILING SHIPS These vessels are technologically

sophisticated, with computers controlling sails.

The crew and even passengers volunteers rig the sails.

The ships have motors, just in case the wind dies down.

People who sail on such ships want an experience rooted in other times, when billowing cloth and the romance of the sea were what sailing was all about.

RIVEBOATS It is also called paddle wheeler. Often modeled after the great

steamboats of the 19th century. These vessels permit passengers to

experience America’s great rivers.

Modern-style riverboats, too, are popular vehicles for experiencing such legendary rivers as the Rhine, the Danube, and the Nile,

BARGES Passenger barges are usually luxurious,

affording a pampered and leisurely discovery of the countryside.

FERRIES Usually we don’t think of a ferry trip as

a cruise. In Europe (especially in Northern

Europe), many ferries provide an overnight or even multiday, cruise like experience, with private staterooms, glitzy entertainment, and bountiful dining.

MULTIPURPOSE SHIPS Some vessels, like those that sail the

fjord-lines west coast of Norway, serve many functions.

They carry cargo, transport passengers between close-by villages and they also serve as cruise ships for leisure travelers too.

MISCELLANEOUS Many unusual form of water transportation

provide cruise like vacations. It’s possible for a leisure traveler to book

passage on freighter, The itineraries are unpredictable and the

entertainment are nonexistent.

COMPARING OLDER WITH NEWER SHIPS

OLDER OR CLASSIC SHIPS NEWER, MODERN SHIPS

Much use of wood, brass, and other natural materials.

Synthetic materials more common

Modest-sized public areas Large public areas

Can travel up to 30 knots Travel at 20-25

Nostalgic appearance Modern appearance

Hulls have deep drafts; some ports are therefore inaccessible and/or require tendering.

Hulls have shallow drafts; ports more accessible.

Small windows or portholes Larger windows

More obstructed stateroom views

Fewer obstructed stateroom views

OLDER OR CLASSIC SHIPS

NEWER, MODERN SHIPS

“Pedestrian” flow through ship sometimes awkward

Easy “pedestrian” flow through ship

Stateroom verandahs more rare

Stateroom verandahs more likely

Smaller swimming pools

Larger swimming pools

“Promenade” decks common

“Promenade” decks less common

Many different-sized staterooms; staterooms are relatively large

More standardized stateroom size; some staterooms mar be small.

SIZING SHIPS

HOW DOES THE INDUSTRY MEASURE ITS SHIPS?

By the number of staterooms By how many passengers the ship

accommodates By gross registered tonnage or GRT

GROSS REGISTERED TONNAGE (GRT)

GRT is determined by a formula that gauges the volume of the public spaces on ship.

It measure only measures only enclosed space available to passengers.

SIZE OF SHIPS GRT PAX

Very small Under10,000 GRT

Under 200 pax

Small 10,000-20,000 GRT

200-500 pax

Medium 20,000-50,000 GRT

500-1,200 pax

Large 50,000-70,000 GRT

1,200-2,000 pax

Megaship 70,000 GRT or more

2,000 pax or more

ADANTAGES OF LARGER SHIPS

Offer many more facilities, activities, choices and options.

Are often more dramatic-looking Are able to serve a wider spectrum of guest types Easily accommodate groups Are generally quite stable in the water Offer a more intimate atmosphere Can sail into smaller places Permit easier embarkation and debarkation Make it simple for passengers to get to know the

ship and others onboard.

Space Ratio The space ratio number conveys the “space” or

“elbow room” each person will have. The space ratio of a vessel is determined by

dividing the GRT by passengers capacity.For example:

If a vessel has a 30,000 GRT and carry 1,000 passengers, its space ratio is 30.

Space Ratio= GRTpax = 30,000 1,000 = 30

SHIP FACILITIES

THE RECEPTION AREA

THE DINING ROOM

ALTERNATE DINING AREAS

THE SHOWROOM

THE POOL AREA

THE HEALTH CLUB

THE CHILDREN’S AREA

THE GIFT SHOP

THE MEDICAL FACILITY

THE MOVIE THEATER

THE PHOTO GALLERY

THE INTERNET CENTER

THE CASINO

CRUISE STATEROOMS

A stateroom, also called a cabin, is to a ship what a guest room is to a hotel.

OUTSIDE STATEROOM

INSIDE STATEROOM

SUITES

READING A DECK PLAN Deck plans are important. In brochures, color coding makes a deck

plan easy to read. Usually, the higher the deck in on the

ship, the higher the category and price. Deck plans often note certain special

stateroom circumstances, Deck plans are also posted aboard ship.

MISCELLANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS A ship’s “registry” usually has nothing to

do with where the line is headquartered. On some ships smoking is permitted

almost everywhere onboard. Where do ships go when they “retire”? Each year the Center for Disease Control

(CDC) co conduct about two unannounced inspections of any cruise vessel that carries 13 or more passengers and that call on US ports.