At one point there was a storm. I was very impressed with the size of the waves and the ship would just muscle through it.
Some years ago I was on a cruise ship. The captain announced that they were changing course to avoid a storm. I was disappointed :-/
That’s more for comfort than anything I would think, a modern cruise ship can easily take pretty insane storms? They have active stabilization systems and huge amounts of mass while still powered by relatively strong engines?
Can they handle rogue waves?
Although, I guess rogue waves can appear anywhere deep and rough.
> The captain announced that they were changing course to avoid a storm. I was disappointed
The cruise ship will drive around the storm because it doesn't want the cargo to spill their drinks and get pissy. The liner has a schedule to keep.
Right. The S.S. United States was built for winter North Atlantic conditions, with a power plant, hull, and watertight compartments more like a warship than a cruise ship. She could be converted to a troop carrier if necessary, something that had been done to big liners during WWII. Cruising speed 30MPH, top speed 44MPH. Great for getting across the Atlantic in 3 1/2 days. Not so great on fuel economy.
Cruise ships today look like hotels mounted on barges [1]. About half the speed. A refurbished SS United States was never going to compete in that market, and plans to do so were never funded.
[1] https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/icon-of-the-seas