leaving port

[armywifefisher]

what pushes the ship out of port and how does it pull into port?

[kitty9]

Depends on the ship and port. Most newer ships have the ability to park themselves using thrusters. It's amazing to see how the captain can turn the ship around, in even the smallest area. Some ships and some ports require the assistance of tug boats, but I haven't seen a tug assisting a cruise ship in a very long time. Mostly, tugs help large tankers and cargo ships that don't have the sophisticated maneuvering abiltities that cruise ships have.

[Sheffie]

Yup, it is those thrusters that help to parallel park those huge ships. The captain of the Serenade even does a 360 degree pivot of the ship in front of the Pitons so that everyone gets a view of the mountains. (I haven't seen this yet, but can hardly wait!)

 

If you are standing up on deck when the ship leaves the dock, you will see the water movement from the thrusters on the side of the ship. It is quite interesting to watch.