What ships handle the seas the best?

[BoiiMcFly]

From your personal experience, what ships were the smoothest in rough waters? I can imagine Queen Mary 2 handling the ocean very well, since she is the only true ocean liner left. Are there any cruise ships comparable to the Queen Mary 2 when it comes to handling rough seas?

[chengkp75]

From your personal experience, what ships were the smoothest in rough waters? I can imagine Queen Mary 2 handling the ocean very well, since she is the only true ocean liner left. Are there any cruise ships comparable to the Queen Mary 2 when it comes to handling rough seas?

 

The only way to accurately compare sea-keeping between ships is to have the ships in exactly the same location, at the same time, experiencing the same sea conditions (wind speed & direction, sea period, height and direction, swell period, height, and direction) and on the same course and speed. Anything else, is just subjective conjecture, as there are way too many variables.

[jocap]

It depends on how rough the weather is on each cruise with a different ship... but we found Aurora, which was built for world cruising, handled a rough patch in the Bay of Biscay well...one of those storms over a couple of days when the outside was closed off.

[GUT2407]

Queen Mary, a true ocean liner, is said to be great, hoping Bass Strait turns it on next month so we can see.

[CruiserBruce]

The only way to accurately compare sea-keeping between ships is to have the ships in exactly the same location, at the same time, experiencing the same sea conditions (wind speed & direction, sea period, height and direction, swell period, height, and direction) and on the same course and speed. Anything else, is just subjective conjecture, as there are way too many variables.

 

This is the correct answer. Plus, while I have been on 17 cruise ships, I can't compare all of them. I can only say that one we were on, built in 1957, didn't have stabilizers, and we had some rough seas. You could definitely tell- like thrown out of bed.

[Haoie]

I think a better question would be what aspects of modern ship design are for ensuring [or at least, trying to ensure] a smooth ride?

[Flatbush Flyer]

I think "amazed by cruising" has changed his screen name.

 

 

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[BlueRiband]

The only way to accurately compare sea-keeping between ships is to have the ships in exactly the same location, at the same time, experiencing the same sea conditions (wind speed & direction, sea period, height and direction, swell period, height, and direction) and on the same course and speed. Anything else, is just subjective conjecture, as there are way too many variables.

 

I have to disagree with you regarding QM2 since her hull design is specifically built for the North Atlantic. The design team put the model through simulations of the worst Atlantic storms as well a quartering seas. Most cruise ships on the other hand only make transatlantic crossings for repositioning, don't do it at 22-24 knots, and usually take a more southern route.

[chengkp75]

I have to disagree with you regarding QM2 since her hull design is specifically built for the North Atlantic. The design team put the model through simulations of the worst Atlantic storms as well a quartering seas. Most cruise ships on the other hand only make transatlantic crossings for repositioning, don't do it at 22-24 knots, and usually take a more southern route.

 

While I would agree with you regarding some extreme conditions, almost by definition there may be certain conditions, even mild ones, where a ship like the Oasis would "handle seas" better than the QM2, just because of the speed at the time, and the structure of the ship giving rise to harmonic vibrations or harmonic rolling. Remember, that the QM2 was found to be extremely prone to directional instability (inability to maintain steady course) in even moderate following seas until she was drydocked again and a skeg added forward of the azipods. So, while computer models and simulations can handle most aspects of ship design, because shipbuilding is still more art than science, there are intangibles out there that don't crop up until the hull meets the real world.

 

My company has a class of 12 "identical" product tankers. After sea trials, each one had to have additional bracing added to various equipment to account for harmonic vibrations threatening to rip the stuff loose from the hull. Virtually every one of the 12 has some stiffening added where none is on the others. Vagaries of welding technique or the weather at the time of welding of hull components can change the harmonic frequency of the hull, and particularly in localized areas.

[Beachdude]

There was another recent discussion on the forum asking something to the effect of what we especially liked about cruising. I didn't post my reason of studying the design of the ship because that comes off kind of anal. But I am and Aeronautical Engineer and I find designs of planes, trains, ships and cars very interesting.

 

I have personal experience in dealing with harmonic balance in aircraft. The bigger the craft, the more pronounced the challenge. And the addition of the skeg to solve stability problems is a pretty standard affair in the history of fixing aircraft instability.

 

We always get an aft cabin and I can feel the ship's autopilot (whatever they are called in ship) constantly correcting to stay on course. The more crosswind, the more correcting.

 

Still, I know there may be some luck (art) in ship designs, but I would be surprised that a ship design engineer couldn't pick out the better performing ships simply by looking at them.

 

Burt

[Hlitner]

We have been on more then 65 cruise ships and there are a few "certainties" on ship movement. All ships handle calm seas better then rough seas (especially long swells)? Stabilizers dampen rolling motions much more effectively than pitching. Cavitation and various harmonic issues (talked about in Chengp's post) can cause vibration on any size ship...at specific speeds. Bottom line is that if you are going to have anxiety issues because of the thread of ship movement.....it is best to stay ashore. Another irony is that in the more then 100 cruises we have taken (including some multi-month voyages) are calmest cruises have been some Transatlantic and even Transpacific cruises. One just never knows :).

 

Hank

Edited January 11, 2017 by Hlitner