Although in 2010 there was an estimated total of 197 million compensated gross tonnage in ships earmarked for construction, Ship-technology.com reported that as much of 14 percent of the order books for construction may be cancelled due to lack of demand. However, the ships that are being built are larger and have more amenities and services than ever before. Many of the ships built since the late 1990s have dwarfed ports and have made on- and offloading of passengers a logistical challenge.
The Cunard-owned Queen Mary II is a good example of the massive specifications of the new breed of cruise ships. The Queen Mary II, which set sail on its maiden voyage to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, from Southampton, England, in 2004, measures 1,131.98 feet long with a 131.23-foot beam and height from keel to funnel of 236.22 feet. Its gross registered tonnage is 150,000.
For its 3,056 passengers, the Queen Mary II's accommodations feature 1,310 statements, with 944 equipped with 8-foot-deep private balconies. Sixty-six of those balconied staterooms have ocean views. The standard stateroom possesses 194 square feet, with deluxe cabins offering 291 square feet. The luxury suites onboard number 78 and have living space of 388 square feet including the balcony.
The Queen Mary II is propelled by four massive Wärtsilä diesel engines generating a total of 157,000 horsepower. The powerplant uses an electric motor that drives the vessel's fixed-pitched propeller with specially designed skewed propeller blades that reduce noise and vibration. Its speed can top 29 knots.
Although most cruise ships are not the behemoths in the same class as the Queen Mary II, vessels continue to grow in size. The Carnival Miracle, with a gross tonnage of 88,500, may pale in size compared to the Queen Mary II, but it's no small fry with an overall length of 959 feet and overall width of 127 feet. The Carnival Miracle has a maximum passenger capacity of 2,680. Staterooms number 1,062, with 750 featuring balconies.
The Holland America's Oosterdam, which is slightly smaller than the Carnival Miracle with a 2,388-passenger capacity and 82,000 gross tonnage rating, is powered by five diesel/gas turbine Wärtsilä engines that are capable of a top speed of 22 knots.
Today's cruise ships feature extensive satellite and computer technology. The Queen Mary II, for example, features a $780 million computer support infrastructure to connect to offshore help desks. The ship also is equipped with a passenger tracking information system and personal computers for crew members to report without the use of telephone or other verbal communication the status of ship operations.
