Greetings fellow cruisers! Leo here, your trusted travel guide and founder of Cruise with Leo.
Today’s topic is one that I know has crossed the minds of many who set sail on the unpredictable seas: “Can a cruise ship survive a tsunami?“
This question is interesting as it helps to understand what might occur during such a rare but fantastic phenomenon.
Being someone who took a lot of cruises and has worked in this industry for a lot of years, various questions from usually anxious passengers, keep coming my way.
It’s understandable—it can be overwhelming and somehow scary when you are out on the open sea.
Let’s delve into this topic and make clear what actually occurs during a tsunami wave and how modern cruise ships deal with it.
How a Tsunami Really Builds Up
There has always been a lot of misinformation about tsunamis, particularly how the interaction with large ships occurs.
First, rogues’ waves can spring up anywhere while tsunamis mostly start off because of seismic activities such as undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides.
These events cause massive water dislocation resulting in a series of ocean-wide traveling waves.
Interestingly when you’re out in deep waters, a tsunami doesn’t resemble what one might picture as being a huge wave.
It is more like a swiftly moving series of swells. These swells could travel with incredible speeds reaching even 500 miles per hour!
My Personal Experience with Rough Seas
As we already saw in the article on hurricanes during cruises, big ships are usually quite safe even with high waves.
A few years ago, on one particular cruise across the Mediterranean, we ended up having some really rough waters.
Although it was not a tsunami, some passengers were worried because the waves were quite high. I remember sitting in the lounge watching as the horizon would dramatically fall and rise again over and over again.
Despite that, the ship managed to go through it pretty well as modern cruise ships are engineered marvels.
In the article “Can a Cruise Ship Tip Over?” we saw all the techniques that cruise ships use to maintain as much stability as possible.
How Can You Identify a Tsunami
Although rogue waves and tsunamis are often confused, they are two different occurrences.
As I previously stated, long wavelengths of water movement are the result of undersea seismic activity, which causes tsunamis. These waves can pass unnoticed by ships in the open sea because they don’t break into towering walls of water until they reach shallow coastal areas.
On the other hand, rogue waves are sudden, isolated, and highly unpredictable. They are like walls of water that can reach heights of over 30 meters and form unexpectedly in the midst of other waves.
While rogue waves pose a more direct threat to ships, tsunamis do not exhibit this same behavior in the deep ocean.
The Real Answer: Can a Cruise Ship Survive a Tsunami?
Now let us get down to brass tacks—can a cruise ship survive a tsunami? The good news is that it can.
In fact, cruise ships are much safer at sea during a tsunami than they would be in port.
It’s important to understand that in the deep ocean, a tsunami is not the towering wave that lays waste coastlines as many people think but rather it appears as long and low swells.
These swells often go unnoticed by passengers or seem like minor changes in sea level. With their large size and stability, modern cruise ships can safely navigate in this condition.
As you can guess, the scenario would be completely different if a ship were near the coastline when the tsunami waves reach their peak height.
However, this situation is exceedingly rare, as cruise ships adhere to strict safety measures and avoid such risks through early detection systems.
Cruise Ships Safety
Why are cruise ships so safe even in rough seas? Well, modern cruise ships are colossal, the largest ones are over 1,100 feet in length and weigh more than 200,000 tons. You can easily see that in the list of all Royal Caribbean ships from best to worst.
Of course, these ships are designed to endure various natural conditions, including rough seas and strong winds.
The combination of size, advanced navigation systems, and stabilizers means these ships can handle more than we often give them credit for.
Additionally, cruise lines have strict protocols for monitoring and responding to natural events. The cruise ship captain and the bridge crew monitor weather patterns continuously, and they are in constant communication with maritime safety organizations around the world.
If there’s any hint of possible danger, the ship’s course can be adjusted to avoid it.
Can you feel safe during your vacation?
If for any reason any of you may still be concerned, let me alleviate that concern with this assurance.
Cruise vacations are among the safest means of traveling, according to the CLIA.
The cruising community is very vigilant, well-prepared, and proactive in ensuring the safety of its passengers.
It is extremely rare to encounter a tsunami while on a cruise and even if such a case happens the ship’s structure as well as the crew’s expertise should not worry you.
If you wanna stay really safe just follow these practical advice and suggestions which I have learned from my numerous cruises.
Stay Informed
One thing that can be done at this point is keeping yourself updated. Use the app on board or daily newsletter to know about any changes in the schedule or itinerary.
In addition, you should never miss the safety drills – they may seem boring but they are important for everyone’s safety.
By the way, now emergency drills are much shorter and easier to complete since so much has changed on cruise ships.
Choose Your Cabin Wisely
If you worry about how much movement there is on a ship, choose a cabin in the middle section and on a lower deck to minimize swaying. Just look at how to get a better cabin on a cruise ship.
Follow Crew Instructions
The crew is there to ensure your safety and comfort, so always follow their instructions.
During any kind of rough weather, they might give specific advice on where to be or what to avoid doing. Listen to them—they’re trained professionals.
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