Not Using Stabilizers to Save Money?

[Soonerbaby]

Is this true. Does Carnival turn off the stabilizers to save money? We will be on the Magic in March, and I just want to know what to expect. I have read this a couple of times, but have no idea how accurate this statement is. Does anyone know?

[shof515]

It depends on the weather and sea conditions. Stabilizers wont work that much in very rough seas, and tend to work best in relative calm seas to prevent you from feeling any kind of waves

[bzpilot]

Is this true. Does Carnival turn off the stabilizers to save money? We will be on the Magic in March, and I just want to know what to expect. I have read this a couple of times, but have no idea how accurate this statement is. Does anyone know?

 

Yes, every cruise line does. Stabilizers increase drag thus increasing full consumption and decreasing speed. If the seas are pretty calm they will shut off the stabilizers at night (when most people are sleeping and less susceptible to ship movement) to burn less fuel and make better time.

[zqvol]

Where do people come up with these ideas?

 

Stabilizers work to prevent the ship from rolling side to side. If the motion in the ocean is such that the ship will roll they will use them. They do nothing to prevent up and down motion or pitch, in fact they make it worse, so if the seas are such that the ship is pitching fore and aft then they don't use them.

 

The whole purpose is to make the ride smoother for the passengers and if they will do that they are always used, their costs is figured in as if they are used at all times and that is part of the fare calculation.

[livestocruisetoo]

Where do people come up with these ideas?

 

Stabilizers work to prevent the ship from rolling side to side. If the motion in the ocean is such that the ship will roll they will use them. They do nothing to prevent up and down motion or pitch, in fact they make it worse, so if the seas are such that the ship is pitching fore and aft then they don't use them.

 

The whole purpose is to make the ride smoother for the passengers and if they will do that they are always used, their costs is figured in as if they are used at all times and that is part of the fare calculation.

 

They read it on the Internet. Blame Al Gore! :D On one of our Fantasy cruises they helped a bit until a 40 knot wind from the side tip us into a swell and things were crashing and water from the tubs came rolling down the stairs. :eek: wasn't until they were able to pull them in the the ship righted it self. boy was our OV window clean when we got back to the cabin. :rolleyes:

[spoiledkraut]

Is this true. Does Carnival turn off the stabilizers to save money? We will be on the Magic in March, and I just want to know what to expect. I have read this a couple of times, but have no idea how accurate this statement is. Does anyone know?

 

We will be on the same cruise with you! :D

[H82seaUgo]

Is this true. Does Carnival turn off the stabilizers to save money? We will be on the Magic in March, and I just want to know what to expect. I have read this a couple of times, but have no idea how accurate this statement is. Does anyone know?

 

please.

 

the last thing the ships personnel want to do is have a ship full of nauseous people. they will extend them when they need them. leave it up to the experts.

[bzpilot]

They absolutely do stow them to save money. The drag they induce has a negative impact on fuel consumption. They slow the ship, meaning more time at sea under power. Or they cause the ship to burn more fuel to maintain the same cruise speed.

 

Yes, they are only good to reduce roll and they can make pitch worse in rough seas. They will be used from slightly choppy seas to rough seas and will be stowed on some occasions during rough seas because they can actually increase pitch in these circumstances (sea below, they are like airplane wings). In very rough seas the pitching movement can be exaggerated by using stabilizers, the wing shape will tend to exaggerate the climbing/diving movement and make it extremely awkward when the rough seas have a rolling movement too - which is typical.

 

[shootr]

Fin stabilizers have been around for decades. If the users (cruise lines) started thinking they were costing too much, I would think they would just eliminate the initial expense of installing them in the first place.

 

If the "saving fuel/too cheap to use" rumor can persist, then the spin control could just as easily concoct a "new passive technology" to explain the lack of fin style equipment.

 

I wonder how big the gyro's would have to be to be effective on a 4000+ person cruise ship!?

[Soonerbaby]

We will be on the same cruise with you! :D

 

We are so excited! She looks like an amazing ship! Have you joined the roll call?

[bzpilot]

I wonder how big the gyro's would have to be to be effective on a 4000+ person cruise ship!?

 

I couldn't imagine! I know big enough to scare some people (maybe even me) from cruising!!! I can only imagine with the size they would be that if they malfunctioned they could overturn the ship. I'm sure the layers of safety for them would have multiple redundancies in them though.

[happy cruzin]

We are so excited! She looks like an amazing ship! Have you joined the roll call?

 

ABSOLUTELY amazing!! Loved our cruise on the Magic - she is truly beautiful not wild and crazy like some of the older Carnival ships. ;) :D

[Soonerbaby]

ABSOLUTELY amazing!! Loved our cruise on the Magic - she is truly beautiful not wild and crazy like some of the older Carnival ships. ;) :D

 

Yay! Love hearing the positives. So, please tell me since you just got off of her...was there a lot of motion? :D

[frito58]

Some of this started , when people like myself came back from cruises and having cruised mutliple times found it odd that there was so much movement on the ship and started wondering outloud it this could be possible. We were on a southern caribbean cruise and there was virtually no waves we had a lot to side to side ship movement , there has been several different people that have wondered the same thing. Its no conspiracy movement , just normal people wondering if the cruiselines have went another step to save a buck . And you have to admit its possible that they may not be using them , in our case it didnt bother us , but our traveling friends didnt like it at all. But it wasnt so bad to cause sickness or serving problems or problems with putting on show which I have seen. Just a minor annoyance.

[PictureChris]

This question was brought up at a MnG on NCL Sun. The Captain said that there is a slight increase in fuel consumption that is MOSTLY offset by there being less drag on the hull while rolling.

 

Sounded good to me.

[KirkNC]

This question was brought up at a MnG on NCL Sun. The Captain said that there is a slight increase in fuel consumption that is MOSTLY offset by there being less drag on the hull while rolling.

 

Sounded good to me.

 

Thats the one I will buy, I don't think they just decide to retract them to save a buck. There are many variables that impact how a ship reacts to various seas, wave height, direction, fetch, average period just to name a few plus different ships will hadle those variable differently.

[spoiledkraut]

We are so excited! She looks like an amazing ship! Have you joined the roll call?

 

Not yet. I have to do that!

[Imoutatym]

Would the Gyros rotate in one direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in the opposite direction in the Southern?:confused:

[Cruise Cat]

My cruise on Conquest a few months ago, it was obvious based on very calm seas any having sailed on her multiple times.

[GaNavy]

Yes, every cruise line does. Stabilizers increase drag thus increasing full consumption and decreasing speed. If the seas are pretty calm they will shut off the stabilizers at night (when most people are sleeping and less susceptible to ship movement) to burn less fuel and make better time.

 

Where do people come up with these ideas?

 

Stabilizers work to prevent the ship from rolling side to side. If the motion in the ocean is such that the ship will roll they will use them. They do nothing to prevent up and down motion or pitch, in fact they make it worse, so if the seas are such that the ship is pitching fore and aft then they don't use them.

 

The whole purpose is to make the ride smoother for the passengers and if they will do that they are always used, their costs is figured in as if they are used at all times and that is part of the fare calculation.

 

Some of this started , when people like myself came back from cruises and having cruised mutliple times found it odd that there was so much movement on the ship and started wondering outloud it this could be possible. We were on a southern caribbean cruise and there was virtually no waves we had a lot to side to side ship movement , there has been several different people that have wondered the same thing. Its no conspiracy movement , just normal people wondering if the cruiselines have went another step to save a buck . And you have to admit its possible that they may not be using them , in our case it didnt bother us , but our traveling friends didnt like it at all. But it wasnt so bad to cause sickness or serving problems or problems with putting on show which I have seen. Just a minor annoyance.

 

The differences in these 3 answers suggest that expecting a definitive answer to the OP's question on a public message board (where any yahoo can post an answer regardless of whether they have any actual facts) might not be the best idea.

[Snorkel2Much]

The differences in these 3 answers suggest that expecting a definitive answer to the OP's question on a public message board (where any yahoo can post an answer regardless of whether they have any actual facts) might not be the best idea.

At the risk of adding a 4th answer, in most of the situations reported elsewhere in this thread the most likely explanation is that the stabilizers were inoperable due to maintenance issues, not to "save fuel".

[waldocruiser1]

They absolutely do stow them to save money. The drag they induce has a negative impact on fuel consumption. They slow the ship, meaning more time at sea under power. Or they cause the ship to burn more fuel to maintain the same cruise speed.

 

Yes, they are only good to reduce roll and they can make pitch worse in rough seas. They will be used from slightly choppy seas to rough seas and will be stowed on some occasions during rough seas because they can actually increase pitch in these circumstances (sea below, they are like airplane wings). In very rough seas the pitching movement can be exaggerated by using stabilizers, the wing shape will tend to exaggerate the climbing/diving movement and make it extremely awkward when the rough seas have a rolling movement too - which is typical.

 

 

Is that what that is? I thought that was a new fangle automatic "ore" to row the ship when coming in to the port.

[Sh1035]

OMG fairly new here but so far today this, will I get sea sick , will I get a virus...where's will the ship sink?????

 

Geeze don't even leave home please!!! Stay in the basement and let us know when they sky is falling!

[glrounds]

Some of this started , when people like myself came back from cruises and having cruised mutliple times found it odd that there was so much movement on the ship and started wondering outloud it this could be possible. We were on a southern caribbean cruise and there was virtually no waves we had a lot to side to side ship movement , there has been several different people that have wondered the same thing. Its no conspiracy movement , just normal people wondering if the cruiselines have went another step to save a buck . And you have to admit its possible that they may not be using them , in our case it didnt bother us , but our traveling friends didnt like it at all. But it wasnt so bad to cause sickness or serving problems or problems with putting on show which I have seen. Just a minor annoyance.

 

Maybe they've gone this extra step to cut costs enough to AVOID RAISING CABIN RATES. :rolleyes:

 

[futaba951]

The differences in these 3 answers suggest that expecting a definitive answer to the OP's question on a public message board (where any yahoo can post an answer regardless of whether they have any actual facts) might not be the best idea.

 

Awesome post Gordy!! I found it so informative that I read it twice!!