Why the QM2 makes me feel safe

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/02/08/anthem-cruise-ship-storm/79997114/

Whoa !!!!

Wow is all I can say. Glad I wasn't on board.

It can happen to any ship including the QM2 . The North Atlantic in the winter can have waves over 60ft during a storm.

I don't think I would have wanted to sail out of Southampton today.

If faced with a choice I'd rather be on the QM2 with it's strength of hull and not a flat bottomed cruise ship.

It can happen to any ship including the QM2 . The North Atlantic in the winter can have waves over 60ft during a storm.

Yes, it can happen to QM2 as well, but she can handle it better.

We saw Anthem of the Seas when we were last in Southampton. While I'm sure her designers know what they're doing, that vast expanse of glass across her stern being so close to the waterline gave me a cold shiver.

QM2 went through horrendous weather in mid-October and proved why she is an ocean liner built to handle this.

I have been on the Queen Mary 2 on at least two occasions where the weather was much worse than this storm. Last October on a TA the wind was in excess of 100 mph with seas 35+ feet without problems to ship or passengers.

Sailing in a proper liner like the QM2; as opposed to a "cruise ship", makes all the difference.

I just made the January Atlantic crossing in QV. We encountered Hurricane Alex in the Azores. While it was a rough crossing with following swells, we managed to skirt it. Kudos to an excellent crew.

Even though it was a safe crossing, I vowed to myself as I was hugging the porcelain god that in the future I would only cross on the QM2. On the bright side of things, I lost a pesky 5 pounds that I was trying to get rid off. I called the Bulimic diet. Dry heaves will do that to you. Thank goodness there was lots of consommé. It's all I could keep down after such a rough ride.

The compelling thread about this storm can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2312327

For the passengers, crew members and the ship that weathered this freak storm KUDOS to all!

Salacia

edited to add: as others have indicated, there's a reason why we prefer the QM2.

Yes, obviously storms "can happen to any ship, including the QM2".

However having experienced (:eek:) a couple of December/Winter North Atlantic storms on board Queen Mary 2, and seen how she handled the mountainous seas; what a superb sea-boat she is; I know why I prefer facing such weather on board an ocean liner. One designed from the outset with such conditions firmly in mind, rather than any shallow draft cruise ship, primarily designed for pottering around an assortment of Caribbean islands in fine weather.

However, a huge "well done" to the officers and crew of Anthem of the Seas for bringing the (I would imagine terrified) passengers back home safely. I understand that they've received a full refund and a half price future cruise of their choice. I bet some will never set foot on board a ship again!

I have to agree with jimmybean :) , robbie_3, Cats2010, lannp, old fool, orvil and Salacia; in a serious storm, QM2 for me every time.

It can happen to any ship including the QM2 . The North Atlantic in the winter can have waves over 60ft during a storm.

The WEATHER can happen to any ship...however, the way that ship handles rough weather is entirely different.

While aboard QE2 (April 2004) and QM2 (November 2009) - both westbound from Southampton to NY - we experienced Force 10 conditions...extremely violent weather...both Cunard liners handled the weather very well. It was quite a lively ride, BUT neither ship suffered any damage, and continued the voyage.

If faced with a choice I'd rather be on the QM2 with it's strength of hull and not a flat bottomed cruise ship.

Um....

How do I say this....

All ships of this type have a flat bottom! Cruise ships, ocean liners, container ships, etc. The difference between a cruise ships and an ocean liner is far more than just the bottom of the hull.

You are thinking of smaller pleasure craft and some sailing vessels.

Here is a shot of the bottom of QM2's hull whilst under under construction.

Um....

 

How do I say this....

 

All ships of this type have a flat bottom! Cruise ships, ocean liners, container ships, etc. The difference between a cruise ships and an ocean liner is far more than just the bottom of the hull.

 

You are thinking of smaller pleasure craft and some sailing vessels.

 

Here is a shot of the bottom of QM2's hull whilst under under construction.

 

Thank you. I must admit to being ignorant of that fact.

... and today she is cruising the Beagle channel! Hope she does it again in 2018 :)

There is more to stability and seaworthiness than just draft.

Wikipedia has a summary on one of the crucial terms Metacentric Height

A stable design has a righting moment that pushes an inclined [tilted] ship back upright. This is predicted during design, and confirmed in calm conditions by conducting an inclining experiment. [A few years back, after a tour boat on Lake George NY capsized, an inclining experiment on a sister vessel had to be abandoned as too dangerous to complete. All similar vessels were condemned and removed from service].

This is one of many tradeoffs that the naval architect will make when optimizing a design. A ship with extreme initial stability might be most unpleasant as a liner or cruise ship [very short period of roll].

Um....

 

How do I say this....

 

All ships of this type have a flat bottom! Cruise ships, ocean liners, container ships, etc. The difference between a cruise ships and an ocean liner is far more than just the bottom of the hull.

 

You are thinking of smaller pleasure craft and some sailing vessels.

 

Here is a shot of the bottom of QM2's hull whilst under under construction.

 

Yes me too, I also didn't know that, my knowledge of ship construction is now marginally larger than the average postage stamp, thanks :)

PS. and it looks like someone has stapled the back.

Very Interesting... What I do know is that the QM 2 certainly handles North Atlantic Conditions far better than a traditional Cruise ship...

While I may not know the reasons why, I know that we were in a Hurricane on a 5 day cruise out of NY and our Captain explained that while it will be rough seas we should do much better than the NCL that was leaving Boston ahead of us...

Thanks for posting the picture of the ship....

~Steve

Um....

 

How do I say this....

 

All ships of this type have a flat bottom! Cruise ships, ocean liners, container ships, etc. The difference between a cruise ships and an ocean liner is far more than just the bottom of the hull.

 

You are thinking of smaller pleasure craft and some sailing vessels.

 

Here is a shot of the bottom of QM2's hull whilst under under construction.

 

But there is a keel, behind the red bus. Whereas cruise ships have an absence of keel

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.******************.com/sites/default/files/anthem-of-the-seas/anthem-of-the-seas-keel-laying.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.******************.com/anthem-of-the-seas?page%3D10&h=656&w=1023&tbnid=02HNcBt_-TT9WM:&docid=Dw3knKCoCh9AJM&ei=wHm8Vp3AOMKsaZ28l9AP&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwidoMDG1u_KAhVCVhoKHR3eBfoQMwg9KBUwFQ

And, if I remember correctly, QM2 sailed out of New York into Hurricane Sandy knowingly

But there is a keel, behind the red bus. Whereas cruise ships have an absence of keel

I'm going to have to disagree with you about the keel.

 

Yes, Underwatr, that isn't a keel!

To quote from "Queen Mary 2, The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time" by the late, great John Maxtone Graham... (Bulfinch Press 2004).

"... As a result, Payne's final design combined a modified transom with elements of the first Queen Mary's cruiser stern; described as the "Constanzi stern" ... The hybrid was necessary because a simple transom stern, slapped by a following sea, can set up troublesome vibrations the length of a hull. But the Queen Mary 2 version had to be further refined to provide appropriate "landing spaces" for her propellers. ... Subjected to a wave onslaught from astern, model QM2 exhibited what is described as a "hunting instinct": The hull cycled through a series of random, side-slipping undulations. When those waves were amplified, the movement was so pronounced that propellers tended to emerge above water. The solution was installation of a remedial skeg-a stout vertical steel divider separating the ... propellers. The skeg, in combination with the stabilizers, minimised the hunting instinct and vastly improved QM2's longitudinal stability in a following sea."

Best wishes.

Yes, Underwatr, that isn't a keel!

 

To quote from "Queen Mary 2, The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time" by the late, great John Maxtone Graham... (Bulfinch Press 2004).

"... As a result, Payne's final design combined a modified transom with elements of the first Queen Mary's cruiser stern; described as the "Constanzi stern" ... The hybrid was necessary because a simple transom stern, slapped by a following sea, can set up troublesome vibrations the length of a hull. But the Queen Mary 2 version had to be further refined to provide appropriate "landing spaces" for her propellers. ... Subjected to a wave onslaught from astern, model QM2 exhibited what is described as a "hunting instinct": The hull cycled through a series of random, side-slipping undulations. When those waves were amplified, the movement was so pronounced that propellers tended to emerge above water. The solution was installation of a remedial skeg-a stout vertical steel divider separating the ... propellers. The skeg, in combination with the stabilizers, minimised the hunting instinct and vastly improved QM2's longitudinal stability in a following sea."

 

Best wishes.

I admire everyone's technical knowledge : ) and I learn something new on CC almost every day. Thanks for the explanation, Pepper!

...

[/i]"... The skeg, in combination with the stabilizers, minimised the hunting instinct and vastly improved QM2's longitudinal stability in a following sea." [/i]...

Always good to learn a new (to me, anyway) nautical term. "Skeg" in this case, thanks, perrerrn. By the way, what do you call that underwater protuberance at the bow. I know what it's for, but I don't know its name. In December the one on QM2 was a most unappealing slimy green color.

That's a bulbous bow.