What would it take to sink a cruise ship?

If you'll remember, the Titanic went down because the iceburg managed to pierce through enough bulkheads to fill enough of the ship to overwhelm her. With the innards of a ship being vastly more compartmentalized, it would have to be many iceburgs from many directions to actually sink a cruise ship.



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The only way that it could happen is if the ship were in extreme weather and positioned sideways to a 70- to 100-foot wave that would have the potential of rolling it over, Bolton said. I guarantee you're never going to be in those kinds of waves anyway, he said.

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Vessels can sink due to a few main reasons- wind and other forces forcing the ship to lean at dangerous angles to the port or starboard sides, waves on the deck adding weight to the vessel and forcing it lower into the water, or waves crashing into the side of the vessel and causing flooding.

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“every year, on average, more than two dozen large ships sink, or otherwise go missing, taking their crews along with them.” In a prescient comment, she says, “imagine the headlines if even a single 747 slipped off the map with all its passengers and was never heard from again”.

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No, a modern cruise ship is designed to withstand the force of a hurricane. Cruise ships are built with strong hulls and reinforced decks that can handle extreme weather conditions like high winds and heavy waves.

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In a dire scenario, a cruise ship could sink in a hurricane. But before you cancel all your future cruise plans, know this: it's highly unlikely. Cruise ships are built like fortresses. They boast stability, seaworthiness, and a bucket-load of safety features to help them ride out even the angriest storms.

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Over the past 100 years since the RMS Titanic sank in 1912, only 18 cruise ships and some ocean liners have been publicly known to have sunk. And, over the past 50 years, only four cruise ships have sunk while navigating on a cruise.

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While it is technically possible that a cruise ship could tip over, it would be extremely unlikely in the modern era. Even during the most severe storms, a modern cruise ship is far more stable than you might assume.

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If a hurricane hits unexpectedly, passengers can enjoy some peace of mind from knowing that cruise ships are designed to be able to withstand detrimental conditions. Cruise ships are built to outrun severe storms if necessary.

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How hard is it for a cruise ship to flip? It is highly unlikely that a wave could flip a cruise ship. They are built to be wide and have a heavy enough ballast on lower decks that they will survive rogue waves. It would also rely on the negligence of the crew to allow the ship to hit perfectly on the side.

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In calm waters, ships often can be towed safely to the nearest shore. In rough seas, other options would be considered. Abandoning ship really is a last resort, as moving passengers from one ship to another on the open sea can be dangerous, particularly in inclement weather. As is ordering passengers into lifeboats.

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Understand the mechanics behind a sinking ship. Water often enters the lowest point of a ship first, the bilge area. The bilges are pits in the lowest part of the engineering section. It's very normal for ships to have water leaking into the bilges.

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Yes, many cruise ships dump plastic at sea. It's illegal according to U.S. and international maritime law, but many companies have proven they don't care, and have been caught illegally spewing plastic into the sea. Carnival Cruise Lines was found dumping food mixed with plastic waste into the waters of the Bahamas.

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