Ports close together, ship putter along?

[kimanjo]

We are on the June 6, 2013 sailing on the Riviera. I have cruised the Med before, but when DH asked me, I didn't have an answer....

 

Some of our ports are relatively close together. To go from Monte Carlo to Cannes, does the ship just putter along at a very slow speed, and go direct, does it go on a "curvy" route??

 

I've felt the ship moving, but never paid attention to the route we were taking.

[Hawaiidan]

The take the shortest route at the slowest speed that will get them to the port on time. Less fuel used, at lower speed. Ony variant would be to take advantage of a current where they could go furthur yet because of the currents boost to speed

From experience I have done the same off Central America, getting a 3 kt boost in speed allowing the engines to run at min.. dead slow revolutions.:cool:

[durante]

From Monte Carlo to Cannes, the ship usually heads south away from the coast into the Med to fill in time during the night, at very low speed, before making the early morning approach back towards Cannes.