All about cruise ships that i know!

Voyages to some of the world’s most spectacular off-the-beaten-track destinations on a cruise ship have become some of the best things people can think of whenever they are asked the question on how they are going to spend their vacation. It is surprising and unacceptable, as the total cruise ship passengers are growing steadily in the last two decades although there was more than one global economic slowdown within this period. The growth is driven by a number of external factors, not least by a general consumer shift away from a desire of material possession and towards an interest in gaining actual experience in something looks interesting.

 

Very different to travelling by land, a cruise is usually with special appeal especially for people who don’t live near the coast or rarely have a chance to spend their time by the sea. The cruise operators are well-aware of the demand factor of their services and very often they use the exotic tropical Islands that are famous for crystal clear water, white sandy beaches and warm weather as selling points to attract the potential passengers. In addition, various types of accommodation selection, dining places and entertainment facilities are available onboard to cater for the different needs and indirectly widen the range of potential passengers to whom the cruise package are promoted and sold to.

95% of the world’s cruise ship industry is controlled by the four largest cruise ship operators. Other operators are just small companies operating in some remote areas, which own, at most, one or two ships. The big industry players are expanding their fleets in an attempt to secure their market share and stay competitive. More money is gradually invested to start new-building projects that aim at replacing the old ships with many years of service in the fleet. As a consequence, shipyards in Europe are the direct beneficiaries of the industry boom and in fact, leveraging on their expertise in building complicated vessels and fully automated facilities in hull fabrication, a few big yards will be occupied with cruise ship construction at least for the next ten years. It was definitely a boost to the local shipbuilding industry which has lost its competitiveness to its Japanese, Korean and even Chinese counterpart many years ago due to the cost difference and unavailability of cheap labor force. However, there is a rather realistic question, how long the European shipyards can stay ahead before the Asian counterparts start churning out cruise ships at lower price and acceptable quality? How long it will take for the cruise ship industry to become saturated and then bring a fall in new-building orders? It is hard to predict but it will be interesting to see where the time will lead us to.

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Arctics

I am wondering how hard it will be to build a ship that can bring me from Russian to Canada so that I can circumvent the North Pole. A sensible person may tell me that the ship structure must be strong enough to crash the thick ice and then, there should be sufficient heaters onboard to provide warmth and prevent hypothermia in the extreme cold environment. It will be nice to have a fully winterized vessel with constant temperature and humidity control to the indoor more comfortable and welcoming. It will be even more ideal if the galley is loaded with tons of food supply and consumables that can last for a long time. Not even an amateur sailor, I get sea sickness easily and always hope that there is a simple mechanism to reduce the ship motion, especially during the heavy storm, when the motion is exacerbated by high waves  and the ship cannot stop rolling and pitching at big angles. I can install a very complicated set of equipment to reduce the ship motion but the constraint is that it is too bulky and it occupies too much space which I can for other high-priority purposes. A tiny and powerful piece of equipment does not exist or perhaps, this type of technology is still in a laboratory or in its infancy. Or perhaps the cost is too high that the application is prohibitive.

If I had reconciled myself with the fact that travelling by ship was too difficult or let my personal comfort overrides all other considerations, I would have planned to fly over the North Pole in an airplane which is obviously the fastest way with current technology that is available. But, travelling by ship is just simply a better way to bring myself closer to the white world to admire its unhidden beauty and give my over-encumbered mind a temporary release from this dull and mundane world. Also, the chilling winds bring refreshing effects to my mind and the whiteness of the snow brings calmness to my heart.  All these are pure imagination which is way too far from reality, if I allow myself to travel in a fully enclosed plane flying a few kilometers above. After contemplating at the possible options for some time, I still stick to my plan of travelling by ship and the question now comes back to the starting point how I am going to get a ship. Build everything from scratch or simply buy myself a second-hand ice-breaker with proven travel records.

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