Underwater cruise ship rooms offer a unique and mesmerizing view of marine life, enhancing the cruising experience for guests. These cabins feature large windows for a continuous look at the ocean.
Located near the waterline, they immerse passengers in the wonders of the sea, making every moment unforgettable.
Modern cruise liners include these staterooms to bring the beauty of the ocean closer to travelers, ensuring a memorable voyage. In this article, we discuss underwater cruise ship rooms and their unique features.
Do Cruise Ships Offer Underwater Rooms?
The lower decks of cruise ships are generally not designated for passenger cabins or any areas accessible to passengers. These levels typically contain the crew’s quarters below the waterline, along with store rooms, fan rooms, and other utility rooms.
In modern cruise ships, the lower levels often contain essential systems such as the engine room, water treatment facilities, air conditioning units, fuel bunkers, water storage tanks, extensive plumbing, and numerous crew cabins, all situated below the waterline.
Typically, the first deck completely above the waterline is Deck 2, although the numbering can vary. This is usually the deck where passengers board and disembark at ports. Therefore, having a cabin with an underwater view is not an option.
Blue Eye Lounge on Ponant’s Explorer-Class Ships
A notable exception to this design principle is the innovative Blue Eye lounge found on the 180-passenger Ponant Explore class ships. This lounge, created by French architect and oceanographer Jacques Rougerie, is the world’s first communal space located underwater.
The Blue Eye lounge provides a multi-sensory experience with expansive windows, underwater cameras, and external microphones that relay the sounds of the ocean.
This remarkable feature can be found on Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, and Le Dumont-d’Urville. It’s a captivating area, perfect for indulging in a Bond villain fantasy.
On modern cruise ships, the majority of staff and crewmates are housed in the lower levels of the vessel, below the water line, where staff accommodation and quarters are located. This location is chosen to maximize the space available for passenger amenities like balconies, viewing lounges, and cruise shops.
The lower levels provide less desirable view and less natural light, but they are essential for efficient operation at high speeds. This design also offers passengers a better chance to enjoy luxurious amenities on higher decks, ensuring a pleasant experience while on board.
Are There Cabins Below the Waterline on Cruise Ships?
On ocean cruise ships, the majority of cabins are designed to provide a comfortable and luxurious experience. These cabins often include a cruise ship bedroom with various options to cater to different passenger needs. In contrast, river cruise ships tend to have more compact rooms due to limited space.
Staff accommodation and utility areas, such as storage rooms, are typically located below the water line, ensuring that passengers have ample surface area for relaxation and activities. These lower levels are designed without windows, while the upper-level cabins feature expansive views of the water.
Proper allocation of space between passenger and crew areas enhances the overall functionality and experience on both types of cruise ships.
River cruises offer a unique experience, with cabins that differ significantly from their ocean-going counterparts. These cabins are typically designed to maximize light and view, featuring large windows at shoulder height that provide stunning scenes of the river.
The deck space on river cruises is often more intimate, with each cabin categorized to offer various amenities and comfort levels. While ocean cruises may have rooms with expansive layouts, river cruises focus on utilizing much of the available room efficiently, making every part of the space functional.
Inside a typical river cruise cabin, you might find a comfortable chair placed by the window, allowing passengers to relax and enjoy the picturesque surroundings as they sail past some of the world’s most beautiful rivers. These rooms are often situated above the water line, ensuring a clear view of the passing landscape.
How Many Decks Are Below the Waterline on a Cruise Ship?
Cruise ships are marvels of engineering, designed by skilled architects to balance functionality and comfort. These vessels often have multiple decks, with the bottom levels housing essential equipment such as engines, generators, and air conditioning units.
The engine room and staff accommodation are typically located here as well, below the water line, ensuring that the upper areas remain dedicated to passengers.
The draft of a cruise ship, which is the distance from the waterline to the bottom of the hull, can vary, but it usually includes about one or two decks below the waterline. This design is crucial for the viability and stability of the ship while cruising.
A cruise liner might be compared to container ships and oil tankers in terms of size, but it offers a completely different experience. For instance, it includes jail cells for security, laundry facilities for convenience, and ample staff accommodation. The superstructure above the waterline houses the luxurious ports and areas that passengers enjoy during their journey.
Despite the number of decks and the overall height of the ship, the viability of a cruise is carefully calculated, with the draft often being 9.1 to 10 meters. This ensures a safe and smooth journey across various ports while maintaining the superstructure’s integrity.
Cruise ships are designed to offer a seamless balance between the lower functional areas and the upper passenger areas, creating a little floating city on water.
Why Don’t Cruise Ships Have Windows Below the Waterline?
The reality of designing a cruise ship involves careful consideration of safety and structural integrity. The majority of cruise ships do not have windows below the water line due to the immense pressure exerted by the seas. Installing glass windows in these areas would require frequent maintenance jobs and cleaning to withstand seawater and avoid accidents.
Additionally, the steel structure of the ship must remain intact to ensure safety, which makes it impractical to incorporate windows below the waterline. Also, you need to consider the water pressure, especially in rough seas. Although the idea of seeing fish and marine life from a cruise ship underwater window might seem appealing, the reality is that it is not feasible.
In addition, anything that compromises the hull’s integrity is avoided. Therefore, cruise ships maintain their outside view through above-water windows, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for passengers while cruising the seas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Cruise Ships Have Rooms Underwater?
Underwater cruise ship rooms are generally positioned near the hull, allowing guests to enjoy incredible views of the marine life outside. Imagine diving into the ocean and then coming back to your room, where a bed, TV, and mini-bar await your relaxation.
How Much Of A Cruise Ship Is Underwater?
Roughly 40% of a typical cruise ship is below the waterline. Paradoxically, the bigger or taller the ship, the smaller the portion that is submerged. This phenomenon is explained by the principles of mathematics and physic
How Many Floors Are Underwater on A Cruise Ship?
A cruise ship, depending on its size, usually has one or two decks located below the waterline. These submerged decks are often used for crew accommodations, air conditioning systems, the engine room, laundry facilities, and even a jail, if you can believe it.
How Far Underwater Does A Cruise Ship Go?
A cruise ship typically has about 30-50 feet (9-15 meters) of its hull submerged below the waterline. This depth can vary based on the size and design of the ship.
How Deep Is A Cruise Ship Underwater?
To maintain the weight-to-water ratio, a cruise ship must be quite broad. Typically, around 30 feet of a large cruise ship is beneath the water. There are, however, simpler methods to comprehend this measurement.
Which Cruise Ships Have Underwater View?
The French expedition cruise company Ponant is making waves with the introduction of the first-ever lounge offering a cruise ship underwater view. Named Blue Eye, this sleek and multi-sensory space will be featured on the brand’s four new Ponant Explorers ships: Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-d’Urville, Le Lapérouse, and Le Champlain.
What Are The Best Underwater Cruise Ship Rooms?
The best underwater cruise ship rooms are on Ponant’s Explorer-class ships, featuring the Blue Eye lounge with stunning underwater views. Some luxury cruise lines also offer cabins with large windows below the waterline for an immersive marine experience.