Modern cruise ships are capable of inspiring awe even for seasoned travelers. And even if you are an experienced passenger, there are always a few facts about these majestic ships that can really surprise you. Here is some of them.
There are cruise ships designed for permanent residence of people
If you want to spend your entire life at sea, you can fulfill this dream aboard the passenger ship The World, which offers permanent residence for 165 guests. The luxury liner travels around the globe throughout the year, stopping at most ports for only 2 to 3 days.
Crew members sleep at the lowest levels of the ship
Crew members usually live on Deck "B", which is usually located just below the waterline. In most cases, they share dorms and are allowed access to gyms, bars and common areas.
Cruise ships wreak havoc on the environment
Photo: Emiliano Arano / pexels
According to research carried out by the German environmental organization Nabu, each vessel uses an average of 150 tons of fuel per day. This releases the same amount of particulate matter into the air as about a million cars.
Crew members of a cruise ship have a secret set of code words
Just like doctors, police officers, and many other professions, cruise ship crew members have their own secret code words. For example, "Bravo" means that a fire has started on board the ship, "Alpha" indicates that someone needs medical attention, and "Kilo" is a request for all of the ship's personnel to report to their emergency posts.
Cruise ship anchors weigh about the same as four elephants
Although most cruise ships try not to drop anchors, as this leads to the destruction of the fragile underwater ecosystem and most ships can remain in place anyway, they are still there. And the weight of a cruise ship anchor can reach about 9 thousand kilograms. This is about the same as the weight of four African forest elephants.
Cruise ships are often involved in rescue operations
Photo: Anthony / pexels
Don't be surprised if your cruise ship stops to provide assistance to a few fishermen in trouble. Sometimes ships receive a distress signal and plot their course to assist in the successful completion of a rescue operation. At the same time, the crew of the liner, as a rule, is well trained and can professionally cope with such situations.
Millionaire plans to build a copy of "Titanic"
Australian millionaire Cleve Palmer has announced plans to create a working copy of Titanic. The businessman said the ship would be ready to ship around 2022.
The average cruise ship makes approximately three trips around the world each year
The average commercial cruise ship travels over 135,000 kilometers each year. This means that the liner travels more than a third of the way to the Moon every year, or could travel around the world about three and a half times.
