What is a whale tail on a cruise ship?

(Answer) The “Whale-Tail” is a funnel design used on Carnival cruise ships. It is actually a Carnival patent. The wings are functional as well as eye-catching. Made of a fiber glass composite, the wings are designed to help direct the flow of exhaust gases from the diesel engines, generators and other equipment.



The "whale tail" is the iconic, trademarked funnel design found on all Carnival Cruise Line ships. It features two large "wings" extending from the sides of the funnel, resembling a whale's fluke. While the design is a major branding tool, it is also highly functional; the wings are designed to deflect exhaust gases away from the ship's aft decks, ensuring that passengers lounging by the pool or on balconies aren't bothered by soot or engine fumes. First introduced in 1982 on the Tropicale, the design was created by Carnival's longtime architect Joe Farcus. In 2026, it remains the most recognizable silhouette in the cruising world. Some of the newest ships, like the Mardi Gras and Celebration, have even incorporated the "whale tail" into their top-deck features, such as the track for the BOLT roller coaster.

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Stabilizers serve an essential function on cruise ships. They are fins or rotors beneath the water line, extended from the ship's hull to stabilize the ship and prevent it from rolling. This rolling could result from either wind or waves, and the stabilizer steadies the ship.

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A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front) of a ship just below the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability.

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You'll find whale-watching excursions on offer in every port, but you'll also, with luck, see marine mammals from the ship. The bridge officers keeping extra watch will make an announcement if there's a particularly impressive pod in the vicinity.

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Approximately 40% of the average cruise ship sits below water. The larger or higher the ship, the less of it is in water. This may seem counterintuitive, but this is how math and physics work out!

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How much of a cruise ship sits underwater ranges from 20 to 31 feet, depending on the size of the vessel. However, the safety and stability of a cruise ship aren't due to the depth that it's submerged, but rather a combination of factors such as the shape of the hull.

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An “Alpha” is a medical emergency, a “Bravo” is a fire, and “Kilo” is a request for all personnel to report to their emergency posts, which happens in the event of, say, a necessary evacuation. Be wary of “Echo,” which is called if the ship is starting to drift, or “Oscar,” which means someone's gone overboard.

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The so-called hump balcony cabins are the rooms on the outwards part of the curvy outline of the ship. If you look at a deck plan, you'll notice around mid-ship, the hull design jets outward. On many ships, balcony cabins in these areas are significantly larger than other balcony cabins.

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Frequently they do avoid vessels, except silent ones. The ocean is a noisy place. Whales seem to 'tune out' repetitive background noise like the drone of an approaching vessel. Whales sometimes seem to have difficulty locating an approaching ship.

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Underwater noise created by shipping can stop whales from being able to communicate with each other and can interfere with their navigation, causing them to be disoriented or isolated from the rest of their group. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds may even result in hearing loss or injury.

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Cruise ships are made of steel — orcas can't bite through steel. And they can't affect events on a ship the sides of which are at least fifty feet from the surface of the water to the promenade deck. I suppose they could ram into it, but all that would achieve is a bunch of orcas with head injuries.

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A cruise lanyard! I resisted for a while, but now make sure that I always travel with cruise lanyards to carry my cruise card. Since you'll need to carry your cruise card everywhere you go, a cruise lanyard (or an alternative) will ensure that you never misplace or fumble for your cruise key card.

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The easiest way for ships to do this is to liquefy the leftover food in an industrial grinder. The food is blended with water until it's a smooth mixture and then either disposed of in port, incinerated, or pumped out to sea when the ship is deep water and away from the coastlines. Simple as that.

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