Why Are Cruise Ship Pools So Small?

📹 Video Information:

Title: Why Are Cruise Ship Pools So Small?
Channel: Casual Navigation
Duration: 06:34
Views: 627,309

Overview

This video explores why swimming pools on cruise ships are so small despite the large number of passengers who wish to use them. It delves into the complex engineering, economic, and practical considerations that dictate pool size and placement on modern cruise ships.

Main Topics Covered

• Historical evolution of cruise ships and pool access
• Passenger expectations versus practical limitations
• Engineering challenges: weight, stability, and free surface effect
• Economic factors: cost of water and revenue optimization
• Design compromises and solutions for cruise ship pools

Key Takeaways & Insights

• Pools on cruise ships are intentionally small due to a combination of weight, stability, and economic concerns, not oversight or neglect.
• Placing large, heavy pools high on a ship would compromise the vessel’s structural integrity and stability, requiring costly countermeasures.
• The “free surface effect”—where water sloshes to one side as the ship rolls—can destabilize the vessel if pools are large and wide.
• Cruise lines balance passenger enjoyment with ship safety and profitability by designing multiple smaller pools and using clever deck layouts to maximize perceived space.
• Shallower and narrower pools help reduce both weight and the negative effects on ship stability.

Actionable Strategies

• For cruise ship designers: Use long, narrow, and shallow pool designs to minimize weight and the free surface effect.
• Place deeper pools lower in the ship (e.g., at the stern) to lower the center of gravity and maintain stability, while still providing sunlight exposure.
• Split pool areas into different zones to distribute crowds and create the illusion of more space without large pools.
• For cruise operators: Clever deck and pool area design can enhance passenger satisfaction without compromising ship stability or profitability.

Specific Details & Examples

• Refilling a hypothetical Olympic-sized pool on a ship would cost at least $99,000 for water and require storing 2,200 tons of water, which is impractical.
• Water is extremely heavy, and its movement (sloshing) exacerbates stability issues, especially when pools are located high up.
• Ships must allocate weight for paying passengers and essential stores; excess pool weight means less capacity for revenue-generating passengers.
• The free surface effect is worst in wide pools and can make a ship lean more if water shifts to one side.
• Shallower, segmented pools spread across the deck can create more usable space for paddling and play without excessive weight or stability issues.

Warnings & Common Mistakes

• Attempting to add large pools high on the ship can dangerously raise the center of gravity, making the ship less stable and requiring more ballast (which reduces passenger capacity and profits).
• Failing to consider the dynamic movement of water (free surface effect) in pool design can lead to hazardous stability problems.
• Over-investing in large or deep pools can detract from essential passenger and cargo space, negatively impacting revenue.

Resources & Next Steps

• The video encourages viewers interested in more detailed content or supporting the channel to check out the creator’s Patreon, where supporters receive early, ad-free access to videos, scripts, and topic voting.
• Viewers are directed to the description for further links and information about supporting the channel and accessing additional resources.