Luxury Cruising Editorial

Cruise ships are epic, magnificent feats of engineering. But how are such incredible ships, which are often huge, launched in the first place?

You might’ve wondered this when standing atop a deck of the biggest ships on the ocean, or you might just have an interest in shipbuilding.

In this guide, I’ll explain the different ways that ships can be launched, and which method is primarily used for cruise ships.

The different ways ships can be launched…

There are four main ways that ships can be launched into the water. Two of those only really apply to smaller ships, though.

1. Mechanical launching

Mechanical launching involves using a crane to lift a boat or small ship, and then move it into the water. Imagine trying to do this with a cruise ship!

2. Air bag launches

Some boats and small ships are launched by placing air bags underneath, inflating them, and then using that cushion of air to slide a ship into the water.

The two methods above aren’t possible with most cruise ships. There’s not a crane in the world that could lift a completed cruise ship, nor can airbags lift that much weight.

3. Gravitational launching

Gravitational launching is a method used for cruise ship-sized vessels, but not really with actual cruise ships these days.

This method involves transporting the ship to the side of the water, if that wasn’t where it was built, and then using sliders to slide the ship into the water at the side.

The momentum causes the entire ship to plunge into the water, before it rights itself just in time to avoid taking water on from the top deck.

It’s messy and dramatic, and it risks damage to the ship because of the pressure placed on it by the sudden force of water.

It looks cool on YouTube videos, though.

4. Floating out

The fourth method is possibly the most boring, but it is by far the most sensible for cruise ships. Cruise ships are ‘floated out’.

How floating out works

Cruise ships are launched into the water using the float out technique. This means the cruise ship is built in a special dry dock – an open dock area which has been drained. Once the ship is ready, the dock is flooded with sea water and the ship simply floats out.

While the actual launching of the ship is therefore low on drama, it’s often accompanied by a lot of pomp – cruise ships are expensive and so cruise lines like to celebrate each stage of their building journey.

Here’s an example from when Disney Wish was floated out – it’s Disney, so of course there are multiple sets of fireworks:

In terms of the safety of the ship, floating a ship out really is the best way. The ship is just positioned on a dry space and then, once that dock is flooded, it naturally begins to float. There’s no risk of waves crashing against it, or shock forces. The supports holding the cruise ship upright don’t move, and the ship just naturally raises from them.

Obviously, for this type of launch to work, you need a lot of space, and so dry docks are limited to just a handful of shipyard locations around the world.

Here’s a look at the biggest ship in the world, Icon of the Seas, floating out for the first time. It involved 219 million litres of water, which took 9 hours to fill the dock.

Cruise ship float outs, step-by-step

Here’s a quick run-down of how cruise ship float outs work.

1. Cruise ships are built in a large dry dock, using support structures to make sure they stay upright. It’s always interesting to see photos of a cruise ship out of water – it doesn’t look right.
2. Once the outer shell is completed and the ship is judged to be sea-ready, the float out begins.
3. The dock is flooded using seawater. This is a slow process that is often done overnight.
4. Once the dock is flooded, the ship will begin to float.
5. The ship is then dragged into position, often out of the hangar where it was built, using tugboats. The ship’s engines are not usually used at this stage.
6. Once the ship is in the new correct position for construction to continue, it is anchored and secured in place.

Construction will then carry on until the ship is almost ready for passengers. She’ll then be sent on sea trials while final fixtures are added.

That’s the practical side of a float out, but there may be other ceremonial steps involved too. Again, this is seen as quite the important stage in a cruise ship’s life.

So often, speeches will be given by the CEO of the cruise line, or another senior staff member. The ship’s godmother may also be present, and a bottle of Champagne may be smashed against the hull. This will be repeated at the naming ceremony too.

Depending on the ship and the stage of the build, the senior dignitaries may take in the float out from the dock at the side of the ship, or they may board and witness it from the current top deck.

Cruise ships are often finished off in the water

The initial steps of a cruise ship build don’t happen in the water. They happen in a dry dock, which has been drained. Once the exterior of the ship is complete and the ship can be floated, the dock will be flooded, the ship floated out, and construction will continue.

So, ships are partially built while they’re in the water. It may be that the ship needs to be moved to a new location to fit specialist features, or it just has to be outdoors to allow for larger works to be carried out on the ship.

This means that ships are typically floated out as soon as they’re ready. The dry docks will have limited space for just the shell of the ship, and when that is intact and seaworthy, the ship is floated into a bigger area to make it easier to fit the ship with the next building blocks.

Read more: How Long Does It Take To Build A Cruise Ship?

Once a ship has been floated out, it will stay in the water almost permanently. The only difference is when she may need to undergo extensive repairs or renovations, such as Royal Caribbean’s Amplification Program.

When this happens, she’ll return to the shipyard for another dry dock. She’ll be positioned above support structures, and the water will be slowly drained until the ship is sitting on dry land.

The repair work will be carried out, and then the dock will be flooded again, ready for the ship to float out and resume service.

Final word

The process of launching a cruise ship is not so dramatic compared to some other large ship launches. Float outs are quite complex, and they require a dedicated space large enough to house the whole ship – which is why other large ships still stick with the gravitational launches.

The floating out process keeps the cruise ship in perfect condition, with no risk of damage, meaning these incredible investments that cost hundreds of millions of dollars (or into the low billions) are properly looked after and kept pristine for their first guests.

Related posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Are you ready to set sail on a cruise adventure, but feeling a bit confused or overwhelmed by all the deck names?

Don’t worry, I’m here to help! From the Sun Deck to the Riviera Deck, each deck on a cruise ship has its own unique name and purpose.

But why are they called what they’re called, and what can you expect to find on each one?

1. Sun Deck

The Sun Deck is typically the highest deck on a cruise ship. It’s used for sunbathing, lounging, and enjoying the panoramic views of the ocean. It’s called the Sun Deck because it’s the best place to soak up the sun!

2. Lido Deck

The Lido Deck is usually the main outdoor deck on a cruise ship, and is home to the ship’s pools, hot tubs, and outdoor bars. Sometimes, people just call this the ‘pool deck’.

Lido is a fancy word for ‘outdoor pool’. But did you know that the word ‘lido’ comes from the name of the Lido di Venezia district in Venice, Italy? The town is an island and its name comes from the Latin word ‘litus’, ‘meaning shore’.

3. Sports Deck

This deck is usually located near the top of the ship towards the aft. It’s used for sports and fitness activities like basketball, golf nets and the jogging track. It’s called the Sports Deck because it’s where you’ll find all of the ship’s sports facilities.

Most cruise ships have outdoor sports courts, but some do have indoor sports halls instead.

4. Promenade Deck

The Promenade Deck (or Prom Deck for short) is a wide, outdoor deck that wraps around the entire ship. It’s used for strolling and enjoying the ocean views. It’s called the Promenade Deck because promenade is a word meaning ‘walk’.

Not all cruise ships have promenade decks, and even when they do, they don’t always wrap all the way around the ship.

One of the best promenade decks can be found on P&O Cruises ships, Iona and Arvia. These ones each have eight whirlpool jacuzzis on them, as well as an outdoor bar, dining areas, lots of sun loungers and some of the most controversial balcony cabin designs.

5. Bridge Deck

The Bridge Deck is the deck where the ship’s bridge is located. The bridge is usually off-limits to passengers unless you’re lucky enough to book a behind-the-scenes ship tour.

The term ‘Bridge Deck’ isn’t used all that much in reality. While it refers to the deck from which the ship’s captain and crew navigate the ship, that’s just the front section. The rest of the deck is just a normal deck and usually has cabins on it.

6. Landing Deck

This is the deck that you use to get on and off a cruise ship. However, it’s not always the same deck!

Depending on the tides, a ship may sit higher or lower in relation to the dock at different times. At some ports, the gangway will be open and quite short, whereas at others it will be a long closed tunnel that takes you into the terminal building.

So some days you may disembark from Deck 3 and on other days you may disembark from Deck 5. In the photo below, you can see that you can get on and off the ship on two different decks.

7. Poop Deck

Modern cruise ships don’t have poop decks, but I’m including it here because people often wonder what it is! And no, it’s nothing to do with actual poop!

A “poop deck” is a term that was commonly used in the past to refer to a deck that’s located at the aft (rear) of a ship, above the main deck. The poop deck was typically used by the ship’s officers as a high point for observation and navigation.

As for why it’s called a “poop” deck, there are a few theories. One theory is that the term comes from the French word “la poupe,” which means stern or rear.

Another theory is that it comes from the Latin word “puppis,” which also means stern.

However, there is also a more humorous theory that the name comes from the fact that the deck was located at the rear of the ship, where the smell of the ship’s waste (or “poop”) would be carried away by the wind. While this theory is not supported by historical evidence, it has become a popular explanation for the name.

Read more about poop decks.

Other deck names

Cruise ship decks typically have numbers, but some decks also have names. These names are specific to the ship and each has its own meaning.

For example, on MSC Grandiosa, the decks are named after famous artists such as Monet and Van Gogh, whereas on Costa Deliziosa the decks are named after ornamental flowers such as Petunia and Azalea.

There are some deck names that are common across several different ships. These include:

• Riviera Deck
• Sky Deck
• Atlantic Deck
• Empress Deck
• Marina Deck
• Vista Deck
• Panorama Deck

However, these names don’t particularly mean anything more than the obvious. The Sky Deck is likely to be the top deck, the Vista Deck or Panorama Deck will have great views and so on.

When it comes to choosing your cabin, the deck that you pick definitely matters and some decks are much better than others.

To find out which decks you should avoid for cabins on a cruise ship, be sure to read my guide to The Best and Worst Decks on Cruise Ships. This will help you to avoid any noisy locations or those that might make you feel particularly seasick.

Related posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me