NCL Ship Propulsion

[roger001]

Drifting away from when we will ever cruise again...if ever....the previously circulated chart is otherwise interesting as showing which type propulsion each of the NCL ships have.  Looks like the Epic and the Spirit are the only two with fixed pitched props.  The others are variable pitch or azipods.  Wonder how the Epic ended up with fixed pitch.   

 

 

[Laszlo]

I believe the Sun has straight shafts

[roger001]

23 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I believe the Sun has straight shafts

But with the controllable pitch props though it looks like, along with the Sky.   

Edited June 13, 2020 by roger001

[dexddd]

See the list on post 26 of the 'check your August bookings' post unless that is chart mentioned.

Edited June 13, 2020 by dexddd

[roger001]

43 minutes ago, dexddd said:

See the list on post 26 of the 'check your August bookings' post unless that is chart mentioned.

Yea.  That's the one I have posted on my original here.  It showing for me but maybe not for everyone.  Anyhow, that's where I got the prop info.  

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, roger001 said:

Drifting away from when we will ever cruise again...if ever....the previously circulated chart is otherwise interesting as showing which type propulsion each of the NCL ships have.  Looks like the Epic and the Spirit are the only two with fixed pitched props.  The others are variable pitch or azipods.  Wonder how the Epic ended up with fixed pitch.   

 

 

A fixed pitch propeller can deliver more torque than a CPP, because the blade area is greater due to a smaller hub for the blade diameter (no need for the pivoting mechanism).  A FPP is also more efficient at a single given propeller speed (i.e. nominal cruise speed for a cruise ship), so for a ship that operates the vast majority of its time at full speed, the FPP is more efficient.

[The Traveling Man]

We were on the Epic two years ago and this question came up during the "Ask & Answer" session with the officers.  I don't remember if it was the Captain or the Chief Engineer who answered.  The Epic originally was planned to use Azipod style propulsion units, but difficulties arose during the final design phase.  Since the Epic was built at a different shipyard than the one NCL was accustomed to using, they had some problems obtaining, get clearance to use, or integrating the Azipods into the Epic's design.  The ship's architects decided to go with the straight shaft propellers instead, despite the fact that all of NCL's ships built in the decade or so before the Epic, and all built since then, use Azipods.  That's the story we heard from a senior officer on board the Epic.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

We were on the Epic two years ago and this question came up during the "Ask & Answer" session with the officers.  I don't remember if it was the Captain or the Chief Engineer who answered.  The Epic originally was planned to use Azipod style propulsion units, but difficulties arose during the final design phase.  Since the Epic was built at a different shipyard than the one NCL was accustomed to using, they had some problems obtaining, get clearance to use, or integrating the Azipods into the Epic's design.  The ship's architects decided to go with the straight shaft propellers instead, despite the fact that all of NCL's ships built in the decade or so before the Epic, and all built since then, use Azipods.  That's the story we heard from a senior officer on board the Epic.

Actually, working for NCL at the time the Epic was being built, azipods were having so many problems with the thrust bearing failures, that the Epic was designed from the beginning for shafted propellers, and NCL was going to wait and see how ABB improved the performance of the azipod before committing any future ships to them.

[The Traveling Man]

6 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Actually, working for NCL at the time the Epic was being built, azipods were having so many problems with the thrust bearing failures, that the Epic was designed from the beginning for shafted propellers, and NCL was going to wait and see how ABB improved the performance of the azipod before committing any future ships to them.

Thank you for the clarification.  I'm assuming that from the person who advised the ship's officer about the Azipods to his description of the situation to my recollection of it, something got lost in translation.  Essentially, however, it seems that the answer is that Azipods were considered for the Epic but moved to the back burner in favor of the much older, but known to be reliable, straight shaft propeller design.

[drvmywifecrzy]

They have added oars to all the older ships