There is something magical about cruise ship vacations. Everyone who books themselves a vacation onboard expects nothing but the best in luxury, comfort, fun activities, and enjoying all that Mother Nature’s beautiful seas have to offer.
This expectation may come from one of our favorite movies of all time, Titanic. So, of course when we consider cruise ship vacations, we don’t think about the iceberg situation. We think more about the luxury and opulence that we’ll be exposed to. We even think about possibly re-enacting that Kate Hudson and Leonardo DiCaprio deck scene.
The truth is, when many people head out to sea to enjoy not only a vacation but an escape from their mundane everyday lives, only the best is expected…and the cruise ship operators know this. This is why they go out their way to make sure that passengers enjoy themselves and only have great reviews about the experience.
While trying to make sure that we enjoy our cruise ship vacations, the operators can sweep a lot under the rug. Well, we’re about to bust open that rug and reveal everything to you all. Scroll down below and find out all the fascinating facts that cruise ship operators have been keeping on the DL for a long time…until now.
25 Most Cruise Ships Miss Deck 13
This one on our list is for all the superstitious people out there – you’ll be glad to know that you’re very unlikely to find a deck 13 on a ship.
We all know that many people have for centuries associated this number with bad luck and it seems like the cruise ship companies have actually taken this into account when designing their ships because you won’t find it.
The deck just goes from 12 to 14. The number 13 freaks out a lot of people around the world that many hotels and even airplanes omit it.
24 Italian Cruises Miss Deck 17
So, the previous point in our list discussed how the number 13 is worldwide known for being a “bad number”, or at least a number that’s associated with bad luck.
It turns out, that there are many other numbers that are associated with bad luck, in different countries.
In Italy, for instance, the number 17 is what freaks out the superstitious so the Italian cruise line MSC, decided to omit 17 from the deck. This just shows how far the designers and creators are willing to go to make sure that passengers are as comfortable as can be and all we can say is – we appreciate the thoughtfulness.
23 Cruise Ships Have Godmothers
So, did you know that cruise ships actually have godmothers? No, for real. This is actually true. The Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen of England, Julie Andrews, and even our favorite Tinkerbell, have all got cruise ships that named them as godmothers.
This actually originated a long time ago as a means of blessing the ships but nowadays, it might just be for PR. Cruise Critic highlights that “beyond bottle smashing duties, requisite photo ops and attending the launch festivals, godmothers don’t really take much of a role with their godships.”
22 Fires Tend To Break Out
Having a little accident while out on sea is something that can definitely unnerve even the bravest of people. We’ve all seen Titanic. Now, thanks to modern tech and engineering, cruise ships hardly even report any issues. In fact, most of the issues can be dealt with by the engineers onboard.
There are times, however, when things get a little out of hand and outside help is immediately required.
This was evident on a number of occasions during 1990 and 2011 when 79 fires were reported on different cruise ships.
21 The Air Pollution Numbers Are Up There
In recent years, there have been quite a number of Documentaries produced about air pollution and the damage it’s causing to our beautiful planet. Although we love the idea of cruising around and exploring the different corners of the earth while getting a break from our everyday problems, we can’t help but wish that cruise ship companies would do more to reduce their carbon footprints.
For instance, Complex highlights that “The Alaskan cruise ship, Sapphire Princess, generates the same amount of sulfur dioxide fumes as 13.1 million cars on a daily basis.” Now consider how many cruise ships are out there right now. That’s a whole of air pollution.
20 The Fuel Consumption Isn't Any Better
Can you imagine how much fuel these mega cruise ships consume? Well, the Queen Elizabeth II consumes a lot, 121,119 gallons of fuel, to be precise.
Now, let’s consider the fact that it’s actually not the biggest cruise ship on earth and the fact that there are hundreds of others that are just as big, or even bigger.
That’s a whole lot of fuel consumption per day! This point on our list highlights just how much alternative fuel measures need to be considered as they build more cruise ships.
19 The Mystery Big X
Have you ever seen the big “X” sign on Celebrity cruise ship funnels? No, it’s not a situation where they were trying to mark out a specific location to someone. It’s actually from the Greek letter “Chi”. This “chi” is short for “Chandris” and if you’re really into the cruise ships and have researched them quite a bit, then you might know that Chandris is the group who actually founded celebrity 30 years ago in 1988. Only cruise ship operators knew this and now you do too.
18 The Truth Behind The Fake Fourth Funnel
One of the most iconic features of cruise ships are without a doubt, the funnels. They were introduced centuries ago as a means to help expel the fumes and smoke that are emitted by the ships.
Cruise Critic highlights that they may not always actually be fully functioning as most cruise ships have only 3 functioning funnels, with the fourth one there for aesthetic purposes.
“In the early days of transatlantic cruising and shipping, there was a misleading belief that the number of funnels a ship had related to how fast or powerful it was. Military ships used this trick to show their prowess, and commercial ships followed suit.”
17 Spilling Red Wine Is Not Such A Bad Thing
So, back on land, spilling any drink or food on the floor is frowned upon, especially when you’re out at a fancy restaurant. What’s interesting on cruise ships is that this may actually be a sign of good luck. With red wine specifically, you may catch some cruise personnel or even old-school cruisers spilling some of it on deck. Don’t frown upon this site, just know that this means you’re going to have a safe journey…well, at least that’s the belief.
16 Bananas And Flowers May Not Be Such A Good Idea
So, we’ve already spoken about how it’s actually good luck to spill red wine on the deck. We’ve even discussed how, because of many people’s superstitions, the numbers 13 and 17 are missing on a lot of cruise ships. Now, one thing that might be surprising to you is that bringing flowers and bananas onboard may actually be frowned upon? Why? Because it’s actually regarded to be bad luck. So if you’re crazy about fresh flowers or you love fixing yourself some banana smoothies, you may need to rethink actually bringing them aboard.
15 Artificial Intelligence Will Be Introduced
So, we’re in the digital age and one thing can’t be denied – tech and science have certainly taken over. We are consumed with so many cool gadgets that it’s crazy to think what else our beloved scientists and engineers are trying to design.
Well, it seems like cruise ships are also trying to get in on the action of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) take over.
How? Well, there are plans in place to introduce skydiving simulators and robot bartenders on-board. That’s so cool!
14 Large Cruise Ships Perform Rescue Missions
Wow. This one on our list actually warms our hearts a lot. Many ships, both large and small, have engineers and technicians onboard while traveling, but we all know that hey, anything is possible. Sometimes you face a circumstance that you were either not equipped to handle, or is simply beyond your means. When this happens, large cruise ships in the area have been known to sometimes go off course and actually help the smaller ships that may run into trouble.
13 The Art On Cruise Ships Is Unique
So we’ve all seen Titanic and one of the main things that stood out about the film is how much beautiful art pieces were onboard. This is something that’s present in almost all the cruise ships.
The owners and designers truly do not spare a dollar when it comes to creating a feeling of luxury for all the passengers.
One thing you may not have known is that if you’re a huge art fan, many of these much-loved art pieces can actually be bought from the auctions that take place onboard.
12 25 Hour Day Anyone?
So, many of us dream of having an extra hour or two during the day, maybe even a few more minutes just to have a little more time to get done everything we need to. This, of course, is just a dream for us as we all know that there are only 24 hours in a day. An interesting fact though is that some passengers may experience 25 hours. We know, freaky, right? Passengers who travel the Southhampton to New York actually cross time zones and may enjoy an extra hour.
11 Harry Potter Sailed The Seas
For all the Harry Potter fans out there, this one on our list is going to get you excited.
Did you know that in 2005, the Queen Mary 2 actually helped to transport this beloved book series?
To be specific, the first edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Travel Weekly explains that “The Queen Mary 2 was transporting an item so precious that it was locked in a steamer trunk, guarded by ship security and then, upon arrival in New York, loaded into an armored truck and driven to a secure and undiscovered location."
10 A Lot Of Passengers Have Disappeared
When you think about booking a vacation for a few days or weeks on a cruise ship, you’re more than likely to think about either the days you’ll spend at sea or the different locations you’ll be stopping by and exploring.
The last thing on your mind will be disappearing never being seen again but according to MSN, “From 2000 to 2013, about 200 passengers vanished without a trace while cruising.” Many of them have tumbled overboard and others…well, nobody knows.
9 The Sewage Generated Is A Lot
This one on our list is a little stinky, well, a lot actually. So, most cruise ships are well-equipped to accommodate hundreds and sometimes thousands of passengers onboard. Add the many crew members who are also tasked to help clean up, cook, repair, and take care of all the other amenities that are included, and you have a whole lot of people.
Now, all these people use the bathroom, they shower, they need their laundry done, that’s a whole lot of water usage.
That’s why statistics have revealed that your average cruise ship will produce around 140,000 to 210,000 gallons of sewage each week while out at sea.
8 There's A Missing Ship Out There
There’s nothing quite as spooky as this one on our list. Okay, maybe not scary spooky but still, it can raise an eyebrow or two. The MV Lyubov Orlov was a much-loved Russian cruise ship that sailed for around 30 years before retiring in 2010. It's now reportedly aimlessly floating the different seas of earth, with no one on board. If you think this is a legend, think again. It has been spotted by different sailors but in recent years, hasn’t been seen for a while. Did it sink in the North Atlantic? Is it still out there roaming? Nobody, not even the cruise ship operators have this one figured out.
7 The Cruise Ship Staff Are From Every Corner Of The Earth
The best part about going on a vacation far away is the different cultures and cuisines you’ll get exposed to. Besides the fact that the passengers on board will be from different walks of life, it is also cool to note that the staff on cruise ships tend to be from a variety of countries. In fact, many cruise ships can have people from as many as 64 different countries. This is why when they speak amongst themselves, you’re likely to hear them speaking different languages.
6 There Are AA Meetings Available
After the amount of alcohol consumption that we’ve highlighted takes place on cruise ships, we definitely appreciate this one on our list. Now, there are many personal reasons why people may opt for sobriety from alcohol but one thing’s sure – when you’re on a cruise ship, it can be a little difficult to not touch alcohol. It’s amazing that many cruise ships actually have AA meetings in place so that the passengers who have decided to go the sober route can get the support they need while onboard.