How cool or practical is a swing-out deck on a cruise ship?

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I had this cruise dream last night.  Not surprising, since I'm due to cruise in 22 days.  Anyway, I dreamed that I was standing onshore, watching a cruise ship sail out.  It looked similar to RCI's Allure of the Seas, only with fewer balconies, and the logo had an anchor on it, but the exact cruise line and name was unclear.  As the ship sailed close to shore through a channel where I was standing, I saw a deck swing out from the hull.  It swung out like a combination of a car door and a desk drawer, less than two feet above the water line, at the level where most doors are for going into ports of call.  (As opposed to the higher jetway door for embarkation.)  People were milling about on the swing-out deck, most just stood there and talked.

 

When I woke up, I started thinking: How cool would it be to have that on a real ship?  I mean, latest cruise ships give the Star Wars X-Wing a run for its money, in terms of bells and whistles.  And yet, those same ships, and even older ones with a better connection to the ocean, still don't let you get close to the water.  But this swing-out deck certainly does.  You can see the waves up close, you can feel the spray, you can even lie down on the deck and reach into the water.

 

Granted, while the construction can be done with enough engineering, it's not always practical to have it.  Most importantly, it won't work in rough seas, as the waves will splash all over the swing-out deck.  It will work only in calm seas, in ports (outward-facing side only), and in semi-protected waters, like the Inside Passage in Alaska.  And yet, it just looked so cool!  It's a same there's no technology to photograph your dreams.

 

Thoughts?

Edited August 11, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[dkjretired]

Celebrity’s Edge has a platform that pretty much does what you dreamed.  Does different things depending on what deck it’s moved to.

Edited August 11, 2019 by dkjretired

[Flatbush Flyer]

26 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

I had this cruise dream last night.  Not surprising, since I'm due to cruise in 22 days.  Anyway, I dreamed that I was standing onshore, watching a cruise ship sail out.  It looked similar to RCI's Allure of the Seas, only with fewer balconies, and the logo had an anchor on it, but the exact cruise line and name was unclear.  As the ship sailed close to shore through a channel where I was standing, I saw a deck swing out from the hull.  It swung out like a combination of a car door and a desk drawer, less than two feet above the water line, at the level where most doors are for going into ports of call.  (As opposed to the higher jetway door for embarkation.)  People were milling about on the swing-out deck, most just stood there and talked.

 

When I woke up, I started thinking: How cool would it be to have that on a real ship?  I mean, latest cruise ships give the Star Wars X-Wing a run for its money, in terms of bells and whistles.  And yet, those same ships, and even older ones with a better connection to the ocean, still don't let you get close to the water.  But this swing-out deck certainly does.  You can see the waves up close, you can feel the spray, you can even lie down on the deck and reach into the water.

 

Granted, while the construction can be done with enough engineering, it's not always practical to have it.  Most importantly, it won't work in rough seas, as the waves will splash all over the swing-out deck.  It will work only in calm seas, in ports (outward-facing side only), and in semi-protected waters, like the Inside Passage in Alaska.  And yet, it just looked so cool!  It's a same there's no technology to photograph your dreams.

 

Thoughts?

Pull out your phone book (or search online) for a local/regional sailing school and get to do the real thing.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

3 hours ago, dkjretired said:

Celebrity’s Edge has a platform that pretty much does what you dreamed.  Does different things depending on what deck it’s moved to.

I saw photos of it.  It looks cool, but it almost goes against Celebrity's "understated opulence" image.  High-tech ships are fine with me, as long as they don't let me forget that I'm on an actual ship.  Just how close to the water does that platform get?  Probably not enough to touch it, but still.

 

I wish I had AutoCAD and knew how to use it.  I'd probably be able to make an artist's rendering of that deck.

Edited August 11, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[dkjretired]

14 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

I saw photos of it.  It looks cool, but it almost goes against Celebrity's "understated opulence" image.  High-tech ships are fine with me, as long as they don't let me forget that I'm on an actual ship.  Just how close to the water does that platform get?  Probably not enough to touch it, but still.

 

I wish I had AutoCAD and knew how to use it.  I'd probably be able to make an artist's rendering of that deck.

 

To me it looks like a small upside down version of the Golden Gate Bridge.  It does serve different purposes though, a restaurant, bar entertainment area and a platform to launch the tenders.

[SRF]

There was one cruise ship in the Carib that had a swim platform at the aft end.  It would fold down and people could go swimming off of it.

 

We were on Virgin Gorda when it came in and stayed overnight.  So it was not huge.  But it had been chartered by Ford of Germany as a sales bonus deal.

 

It may have done one of the ones with the vestigial sails.

[chengkp75]

On 8/11/2019 at 12:04 PM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

I had this cruise dream last night.  Not surprising, since I'm due to cruise in 22 days.  Anyway, I dreamed that I was standing onshore, watching a cruise ship sail out.  It looked similar to RCI's Allure of the Seas, only with fewer balconies, and the logo had an anchor on it, but the exact cruise line and name was unclear.  As the ship sailed close to shore through a channel where I was standing, I saw a deck swing out from the hull.  It swung out like a combination of a car door and a desk drawer, less than two feet above the water line, at the level where most doors are for going into ports of call.  (As opposed to the higher jetway door for embarkation.)  People were milling about on the swing-out deck, most just stood there and talked.

 

When I woke up, I started thinking: How cool would it be to have that on a real ship?  I mean, latest cruise ships give the Star Wars X-Wing a run for its money, in terms of bells and whistles.  And yet, those same ships, and even older ones with a better connection to the ocean, still don't let you get close to the water.  But this swing-out deck certainly does.  You can see the waves up close, you can feel the spray, you can even lie down on the deck and reach into the water.

 

Granted, while the construction can be done with enough engineering, it's not always practical to have it.  Most importantly, it won't work in rough seas, as the waves will splash all over the swing-out deck.  It will work only in calm seas, in ports (outward-facing side only), and in semi-protected waters, like the Inside Passage in Alaska.  And yet, it just looked so cool!  It's a same there's no technology to photograph your dreams.

 

Thoughts?

Thoughts?

 

There are enough people who do dumb things and end up in the water, let alone giving them a deck at water level, especially one where you can reach over the edge and touch the water.  As for having this open while the ship is underway is pretty lunatic.  All it takes is one roll to have the edge of this deck dig into the water, and you now have a huge rudder that is not controllable, forcing the ship to turn, hard, towards the side where the platform is, causing a "turn induced heel" or severe listing to that side.  There would need to be a watertight door between the ship and this deck, and if anyone were dumb enough to have it deployed when underway, this watertight door would need to be opened and closed each time a passenger wanted onto or off of the deck.  I don't believe the class societies would approve anything like this, for safety, strength, and stability reasons.

 

Now, where do you carve out the space inside the ship where this deck is when retracted into the ship.  It doesn't go away, there has to be space to store it, space for the machinery that operates it, and additional framing for an overlarge opening in the hull structure.  More space "wasted" (when the deck is being used for its intended purpose, the "storage" space is useless, so not generating revenue, yet that volume needs to be "carried" around with the ship at a fuel cost.

[ldubs]

Pulling a big raft might be easier.   Put chair hogs on it & cut it loose.   Hahaha

[AmazedByCruising]

On 8/11/2019 at 6:04 PM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Thoughts?

 

It was a day dream, but mine was a bit similar :). I like the idea but I also believe the technical problems brought to the discussion by Chengkp75 make it very hard.  

 

When the ship is moored in the shallows of an island, though, the "deck" doesn't even need to be a part of the ship. It could be stored on the island and towed to the ship. My slightly similar idea:

 

 

Of course the idea was deemed absurd, ridiculous, and inane. Then again, so was having underwater windows and those got implemented.  

 

This is exactly what I like about the "extra" deck at ground floor:

 

On 8/11/2019 at 6:04 PM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

And yet, those same ships, and even older ones with a better connection to the ocean, still don't let you get close to the water.  But this swing-out deck certainly does.  You can see the waves up close, you can feel the spray, you can even lie down on the deck and reach into the water.

 

You'd be at the gangway and when you get out, you are not at the concrete quay looking for the right bus for a 3 hour drive. Instead you walk to the "swimming pool" on the Seaview Deck where you sit on the deck but your feet are in the sea. Automatically the waiter you only knew from the Casino bar brings you your favorite brand of beer. To the left are some people taking diving lessons. To the right you get to watch more action with guests trying to stay on the banana boat. You are still "at home", your cabin and everything else is 5 minutes away, not a 30 minute commute by tender. It's what the really, really expensive cruise lines offer.

 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

13 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

As for having this open while the ship is underway is pretty lunatic.  All it takes is one roll to have the edge of this deck dig into the water, and you now have a huge rudder that is not controllable, forcing the ship to turn, hard, towards the side where the platform is, causing a "turn induced heel" or severe listing to that side. 

...

Now, where do you carve out the space inside the ship where this deck is when retracted into the ship.  It doesn't go away, there has to be space to store it, space for the machinery that operates it, and additional framing for an overlarge opening in the hull structure.  More space "wasted" (when the deck is being used for its intended purpose, the "storage" space is useless, so not generating revenue, yet that volume needs to be "carried" around with the ship at a fuel cost.

This makes a lot of sense.  It also makes my dream deck impossible in real life.  And yet... just look at RCI's Oasis class ships: pretty much the entire aft bulkhead (wall) is missing.  Just interior space open to the elements.  With big enough waves and the ship pitching aft end down, the entire Aqua Theater and much of the aft hallway would get a deluge of seawater.  Maybe not truly flooded, but definitely a deluge. Come to think of it, my dream was influenced by the visual of those ships' aft end.  However, some heavy machinery would be necessary to build that swing-out deck, as opposed to simply leaving the aft end open, like on Oasis and Allure.  And the heavy machinery for it creates engineering issues.  But hey, a man can dream. (hehe!)

 

5 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

You'd be at the gangway and when you get out, you are not at the concrete quay looking for the right bus for a 3 hour drive. Instead you walk to the "swimming pool" on the Seaview Deck where you sit on the deck but your feet are in the sea. Automatically the waiter you only knew from the Casino bar brings you your favorite brand of beer. To the left are some people taking diving lessons. To the right you get to watch more action with guests trying to stay on the banana boat. You are still "at home", your cabin and everything else is 5 minutes away, not a 30 minute commute by tender. It's what the really, really expensive cruise lines offer.

Don't forget Navy surface ships.  They do pretty much the same thing, only it's much more physically challenging. The ship stops, a captain or another officer orders "swim time!", a hatch at the aft end of the ship opens, and all sailors must jump into the ocean to do swimming exercises.  They climb back onboard via a ladder, I presume.  (I speak as a civilian, so I'm probably not 100% right; feel free to correct me.)

[AL3XCruise]

So I take it the consensus is cool, but not practical?

 

19 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

  And yet... just look at RCI's Oasis class ships: pretty much the entire aft bulkhead (wall) is missing. 

 

Not sure how that is relevant; the aft deck of the Oasis is far more than two feet above the waterline.

[SRF]

4 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Don't forget Navy surface ships.  They do pretty much the same thing, only it's much more physically challenging. The ship stops, a captain or another officer orders "swim time!", a hatch at the aft end of the ship opens, and all sailors must jump into the ocean to do swimming exercises.  They climb back onboard via a ladder, I presume.  (I speak as a civilian, so I'm probably not 100% right; feel free to correct me.)

 

Yes, you are not 100% right.

 

Most Navy ships do not have a hatch at the back.  Only those designed to launch various forms of landing craft.

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

This makes a lot of sense.  It also makes my dream deck impossible in real life.  And yet... just look at RCI's Oasis class ships: pretty much the entire aft bulkhead (wall) is missing.  Just interior space open to the elements.  With big enough waves and the ship pitching aft end down, the entire Aqua Theater and much of the aft hallway would get a deluge of seawater.  Maybe not truly flooded, but definitely a deluge. Come to think of it, my dream was influenced by the visual of those ships' aft end.  However, some heavy machinery would be necessary to build that swing-out deck, as opposed to simply leaving the aft end open, like on Oasis and Allure.  And the heavy machinery for it creates engineering issues.  But hey, a man can dream. (hehe!)

 

Don't forget Navy surface ships.  They do pretty much the same thing, only it's much more physically challenging. The ship stops, a captain or another officer orders "swim time!", a hatch at the aft end of the ship opens, and all sailors must jump into the ocean to do swimming exercises.  They climb back onboard via a ladder, I presume.  (I speak as a civilian, so I'm probably not 100% right; feel free to correct me.)

As for Oasis class ships, the Aqua Theater starts at deck 4, which is about 30-40 feet above the waterline, and it would take absolutely massive seas (think 30-40 meter height, most likely more) to get the ship pitching enough to have that deck close to the water.  Remember, it is far easier for a ship to roll than it is to pitch, since the ship is 7 times as long as it is wide.

 

The only Navy ships that have a "hatch at the aft end" that opens anywhere near the waterline are amphibious assault ships that are designed to flood the "well deck" to allow craft to swim out.  And while I know that "swim call" happens all the time, it is not a "requirement" as it does carry a certain amount of risk, and the Captain has to balance the risk to his career with the benefit of the morale of the crew.

[DirtyDawg]

Cool dream. Sure, there would be lots of engineering challenges to overcome, buts that's why the Good Lord created engineers! 

 

What would the world be like if JFK gave this speech in 1962; "We choose not to go to the Moon! We choose to not go to the Moon...We choose not to go to the Moon in this decade and not do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

 

Or what if Churchill said, in those dark days of 1940; " We shall not go on to the end. We shall not fight in France, we shall not fight on the seas and oceans, we shall not fight as our confidence is shattered and our strength in the air is dwindling fast, we shall not defend our island, because the cost will be so darn high. We shall not fight on the beaches, we shall not fight on the landing grounds, we shall not fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall not fight in the hills; we shall serve crumpets to our German guests and learn to love bratwurst."

 

And finally, what would Canada be like today if a short-lived high school teacher from a poor Quebec town called Mount Royal, and with no family connections, gave up on his seemingly impossible dream to become the Prime Minister of arguably the greatest country in the world! 😊

 

OP, dreams can be hard to make into reality but never give up on them ........ most of the time!😉

 

Note: The above has both humour 🤣(attempted) and satire 🙄 (It's in the fourth paragraph). 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[chengkp75]

And neither WWII or the Apollo program ever had to show a profit, and had bottomless pockets.

[toads45froggy]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

And neither WWII or the Apollo program ever had to show a profit, and had bottomless pockets.

Truer words haven't been spoken.

[Hlitner]

On 8/14/2019 at 10:38 AM, ldubs said:

Pulling a big raft might be easier.   Put chair hogs on it & cut it loose.   Hahaha

Hmmm.  And I thought those rafts were for the smokers :).

 

Hank

[new_cruiser]

There are a number of small cruise ships with a "water sports platform" or "marina" that opens from the back of the ship for access to playing in the sea when anchored. All the Windstar ships have them and Royal Clipper has one (the smaller Star Clippers ships don't but they take water toys to the beach on beach days.  They have water toys such as kayaks, paddle boards, small sail boats, inflatable platform/raft. On tropical cruises, they often have a beach BBQ day where they take the water toys to the beach to use them there. 

 

They have to be anchored somewhere where the sea is very calm to use them - e.g. a sheltered bay and the local port authorities have to allow it. Our upcoming 14-day on Wind Surf has two port stops where they plan to deploy the platform. 

 

I've seen a picture of a small luxury ship where there is a platform coming out from the side of the ship - a rectangle with a rectangular hole in it like a pool but I think that was a concept drawing of a ship they were planning to build, not something currently deployed and I don't remember which line it was.

[DirtyDawg]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

And neither WWII or the Apollo program ever had to show a profit, and had bottomless pockets.

 

I could have paraphrased the same type of speech by Zuckerberg, Jobs, Bezos, Templeton and the like but they are so damn boring. 😀

 

Forgive me Sir John.

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[AmazedByCruising]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

And neither WWII or the Apollo program ever had to show a profit, and had bottomless pockets.

 

 

When the platform isn't stored on the ship, I wouldn't compare a large raft to the Apollo program. It's not an artificial island that would allow planes to land, I'd think of wood, steel and barrels to keep it floating. And of course, permission of the port, storage, etc. 

 

If it's not a private island, that is a lot of cheap revenue generating space to turn a port day into a "golden" sea day by keeping the passengers nearby. And without USPH inspecting barges, you can organize the best and largest BBQs a ship can offer, with fresh fish and mussels. You can rent out kayaks, clams and motorboats with no competitor in sight. You can allow stalls with souvenirs where you must conveniently pay with your SeaPass.

 

 

Bumper cars, ice rinks, go-karts and viewing pods all sound less likely than this. It's basically a standard floating quay which happens to be much bigger than usual and needs towing to the ship.

 

[AmazedByCruising]

3 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

 

I've seen a picture of a small luxury ship where there is a platform coming out from the side of the ship - a rectangle with a rectangular hole in it like a pool but I think that was a concept drawing of a ship they were planning to build, not something currently deployed and I don't remember which line it was.

 

I think that makes at least 3 people in the world thinking of a platform, and more precisely a platform that has some kind of a pool.

 

3 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

They have to be anchored somewhere where the sea is very calm to use them - e.g. a sheltered bay and the local port authorities have to allow it. Our upcoming 14-day on Wind Surf has two port stops where they plan to deploy the platform. 

 

YouTube just told me I really need to get rich soon so I can meet you on your next cruise :)  It sounds fantastic. Have fun!

 

[Haoie]

Excellent answer Chief -always appreciate your practical thoughts on ship ops.

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Hmmm.  And I thought those rafts were for the smokers :).

 

Hank

 

Hahaha - now you have opened the can of worms!   

[new_cruiser]

1 hour ago, AmazedByCruising said:

YouTube just told me I really need to get rich soon so I can meet you on your next cruise 🙂  It sounds fantastic. Have fun!

😊

Windstar posts 7-for-7 specials putting 7 cruises on sale for a week almost every Thursday. They also have sales covering more cruises at least once a quarter. Sometimes they have really good prices especially when bookings for a date are low. 

 

I booked our 14-day Captivating Caribbean cruise when it was on a sale last January. The price now is a lot higher than what we booked at and the price shows now sign of dropping.

 

They have a price assurance policy that lets one take advantage of price drops up to 90 days before sailing so when I see a price I'm happy with, I book it. Sometimes it drops lower and I get a fare reduction (or extra OBC to compensate). Sometimes it doesn't.

[SRF]

16 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

And neither WWII or the Apollo program ever had to show a profit, and had bottomless pockets.

 

At least with space program, they COULD have made a profit, by patenting and licensing the many things we use everyday that came out of it.