You’ve likely seen at least one cruise ship or another in your life as they glide through the water or sit at port. But watching one being built in time lapse is kind of amazing. Watching it go up from the ground to the top deck is simply impressive as you can watch every deck being put together bit by bit as the cranes work continuously, putting pieces down and then picking others up to fit together as the entire shape of the ship eventually starts to come into being. At some point you figure that they must be working on the cabin levels but then the ship keeps going up, and up, and up, and you suddenly realize just how many levels there actually are to this thing. And to make it even better the bare bones of the ship takes a while to put together. They have be certain that it can float, that the welds are going to hold, and that the construction is sound enough for long voyages so that the passengers and the crew will be safe and secure.
Cruise ships are essentially giant, movable hotels that allow people to enjoy the thrill of the open sea and the luxury of their accommodations without having to separate the two. People take cruises to get away, to relax, and of course to enjoy themselves. But how many people think about all the work that went into the ship that they’ve boarded? How many would wonder just how long it takes some of these things to be built? There are probably a lot of people that wouldn’t do so since it’s not in their interest and they don’t care what went into so long as the ship floats and their room is ready for them when they get there. But these floating marvels are impressive to think about after you watch one being built.
Think of the tonnage that’s involved with this kind of ship. Think of the construction and of how much actual weight it carries on its frame without the addition of the furnishings and inner workings of the various functions that a cruise ship serves. And then think of it without the people. The weight that’s added to a ship like is sometimes pretty insignificant compared to how much it already weighs. But factoring in the added weight is something else. It’s hard to know just how many tons are floating on the water from one stop to the next, but obviously these ships are constructed well enough that they’re able to withstand the weight and still keep moving.
It’s also interesting to think that they take each ship out to make sure that everything is welded tight and won’t leak before bringing it back in to finish up the job of detailing it and installing everything that will be needed in the interior. It makes sense to not add such things in until the last part, since if the welds didn’t hold that would be just one more loss to count up if the ship sank. That’s not a very cheery thought but it doesn’t seem to happen too often thankfully.
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