Cruise Talk: No stabilizers on NCL Sun????

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Topic: No stabilizers on NCL Sun????

elenore
First Class Passenger
Member # 838

posted 06-23-2001 04:28 AM

Just read an overview of the NCL Sun and was horrified to read it won't be stabilized - what does this mean???? I don't know anything about ship building but had thought all modern cruise ships had stabilizers. Apparently the Sky doesn't either so now I'm paranoid that something might happen on the inaugural voyage of the Sun.....please reassure me that it will be OK???

Posts: 28 | From: ACT,Australia | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 06-23-2001 05:12 AM

Hi Elenore, I've no idea which ships do and do not have stabilisers? I suspect that there are thousands of ships that don't?

From a layman's point of view, I can tell you that stabilisers are 'wings' which can be deployed from the sides of the ship, below the water level. The 'wings' are computer operated to compensate for the roll of the sea and give a smother ride in very rough sea conditions. When not in use, they retract into the hull.

Stabilisers are not there for safety reasons, but for passenger comfort. Merchant and Navy ships never have them!(The ships hull design also plays a big part in its stability).

When stabilisers are used, they slow a ship down and the 'drag' causes the engines to consume more fuel. Therefore Captains are reluctant to use, them apart from during the worst sea condition. You have probably been on cruises before and the stabilisers have never even been used, and remain inside the hull!

Don't panic, you are unlikely to meet very rough sea conditions anyway! If you want something to worry about, don't worry about Cruise ships, worry about driving in your car instead! More people are injured on the way to the Port than at sea!

(I'm sure that some of our more technical CruiseTalkers can give you a fuller explanation).

[ 06-23-2001: Message edited by: Malcolm ]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

elenore
First Class Passenger
Member # 838

posted 06-23-2001 08:28 PM

Thanks Malcolm. Having been on ships that do have them and use them when it's rough, I'm just concerned about what happens when/if the Sun encounters rough seas. I'm aware that a few years ago an RCI ship was damaged by high seas off Iceland and given that we're doing the same route............it's just more comforting to know that your ship is equipped to handle every situation. Just about every other new ship seems to have them according to the document I was reading so why would NCL not include such a basic piece of engineering?

Posts: 28 | From: ACT,Australia | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

Grant
First Class Passenger
Member # 1000

posted 06-23-2001 08:54 PM

Most ships now have a small painted symbol immediately over the point in the hull where the stabalizers are positioned. Note where that is while you are in dock or anchored, and once at sea, go to a point on the railing directly over that mark and peer down into the wash. Very often you are able to see the fins extented; using polorizing sunglasses helps. Even in slight swells, I've seen them deployed on several ships; Arcadia, Horizon, Jubilee Crown Princess and Norway for sure. Some of the slight vibrations felts at times are the fins digging in, attempting to minimize a roll.

Posts: 834 | From: Victoria, BC, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

ocngypz
First Class Passenger
Member # 1555

posted 06-23-2001 10:47 PM

I can't imagine a ship these days not having stabilzers. It would be like not having a rudder!!! NCL's older ships have stablizers. Perhaps this overview was not complete in its technical specifications.

[ 06-23-2001: Message edited by: ocngypz ]

Posts: 343 | From: Newport, RI USA | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 06-23-2001 10:58 PM

AMOI....the new ships with the pods don't have rudders. The pods do the steering.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

recab
First Class Passenger
Member # 1677

posted 06-24-2001 06:03 AM

Elenore, The Norwegian Sky is equipped with 4 Fincantieri Fin Stabilizers so I would assume it is the same on the Sun.

Posts: 730 | From: Aland, Finland | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

elenore
First Class Passenger
Member # 838

posted 06-24-2001 06:28 AM

Given all the debate maybe the specs are wrong but the www.cruisetravel.com site shows that the Sky and Sun don't have stabilisers - see excerpt below. Could this be why the Sky rolled just recently? It's just strange that the site shows stabilisers on other new ships listed but none for the two latest NCL ones!
NORWEGIAN SUN
Built 2001
Length in ft
853 Beam in ft.
105 Speed in Knots
23 Stabilized
No
GRT in cu ft
77,104 Officers' Nationality

Posts: 28 | From: ACT,Australia | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

Tim in Fort Lauderdale
First Class Passenger
Member # 953

posted 06-24-2001 10:50 AM

The Norwegian Sky *IS* stablizied and the Sun, Star & dawn will be as well.

Tim

Posts: 1468 | From: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

Cunardcoll
First Class Passenger
Member # 1226

posted 06-24-2001 03:19 PM

But ships with pods and no rudder are steerless if the engine falls out , QE2 had this problem a few years ago , but she had a rudder and she could stay on course instead of getting at drift.

Posts: 947 | From: Belgium | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 06-24-2001 03:45 PM

Hi...not quite sure what you are getting at. If a twin-pod ship loses power on one pod, she can still use the other one to manoevre. Same thing with a normal twin screw and rudder...lose power on one - use the other on it's own. Lose the rudder, use the twin screws to manoevre.
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 06-24-2001 04:10 PM

Elenore,

It just goes to show you can't believe everything you read on the Internet...except for this site, of course

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

JP
First Class Passenger
Member # 1373

posted 06-25-2001 10:39 AM

At a navigation lecture by the First officer of the Crown Princess last year, he said that the stabilizers are in use at all times. Since he also said that no ships have more than 1 pair of stabilizers (and I know that's not true), I just assumed that he had no idea what he was talking about. On other ships we have been told that stabilizers are mostly used during meal times.

Posts: 280 | From: Minnesota, USA | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 06-25-2001 11:39 AM

It's surprising to know that even though a cruise ship is installed with stabilizers, that doesn't mean that they will always use them while at sea. Often times they are NOT used while at sea, even in seas that have moderate swells etc. The reason why they are not used sometimes is for the sake of fuel efficiency. The stabilizers do create a bit of drag, lowering the fuel efficiency. I have noticed that sometimes in various publications about cruise ship statistics, the fact that a ship has stabilizers or not, may not be mentioned...which could cause some people to think that the ship is not stabilized. Most cruise ships ARE INDEED stabilized, few if any are not. Some of the really big ships even have two pair of stabilizers, two on each side of the ship. QE2 has four, NORWAY has four, I think Voyager of the Seas has four. SS United States does NOT have stabilizers....so whom ever finally restores the ship to the sea again will probably have to install a set of stabilizers.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

Jean
First Class Passenger
Member # 2135

posted 06-25-2001 05:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by elenore:
Just read an overview of the NCL Sun and was horrified to read it won't be stabilized - what does this mean???? I don't know anything about ship building but had thought all modern cruise ships had stabilizers. Apparently the Sky doesn't either so now I'm paranoid that something might happen on the inaugural voyage of the Sun.....please reassure me that it will be OK???

Hi everyone:

I am going on the NCL Sun over New Year's. Has anyone been on a NCL cruise before? I am now hearing mixed messages. This is our first cruise. Is anyone going on this one?/

Posts: 11 | From: USA | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

elenore
First Class Passenger
Member # 838

posted 06-25-2001 06:10 PM

I can assure you that when we crossed the Tasman onboard the Legend of the Seas, it became much smoother once the stabilisers went out. In fact, the Legend used stabilisers quite often on that particular cruise - it certainly makes a difference! I'll just keep my fingers crossed for calm seas and hope that NCL is OK.........this is my first cruise with them and the reviews are pretty mixed, verging on the negative.
Ah well, you have to try different lines from time to time and the itinerary was the deciding factor. Cheers from Downunder!

Posts: 28 | From: ACT,Australia | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

AJL
First Class Passenger
Member # 956

posted 06-25-2001 06:23 PM

Hi! Just wanted to add a pic to show how the stabilizers looked like in 1970's... don't know how different they are nowadays. This stabilizer belongs to the ferry Finnjet of Silja Line:

AJL

Posts: 710 | From: Helsinki, Finland (birth place of Nokia + many ships) | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

fondaenergy
First Class Passenger
Member # 1641

posted 06-26-2001 11:52 AM

I can tell you that the Carnival Destiny has stablizers. We needed to make a sharp turn around Puerto Rico. I saw the stablizer out right below our balcony.

There may be times when stablizers are not used. I would bet that Vision of the Seas did not have them out when we encountered the 60' seas off of Iceland.

Posts: 177 | From: Jacksonville, FL | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Ryndam
First Class Passenger
Member # 1315

posted 06-29-2001 09:02 PM

Hello AJL, nowadays the stabilizers are the some shown in your picture; of course the gyroscope mechanism which controls them is more modern and efficient. I agree with you that that the First Officer on the Crown was a little bit confused; stabilizers are effective only with the rolling movement of the ship, so if the waves are coming toward the bow or the stern of the ship they are useless. Their use cause a slight reduction of the ship's speed, but if the sea is rough they are used.

RyndaM

Posts: 260 | From: Genoa (Italy) | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

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