Alyson:
Modern cruise ships are built for a different purpose than ocean liners. Suggested reading would be John Maxtone-Graham's book "Liners to The Sun". The liners were in the transportation business, cruise ships are in the recreational business. The cruise ships may look strange to use but, they are a more efficient use of the basic hull. The parallel mid body is longer and the bow shorter, it gives more carrying capacity for a given length. The cruise ships bows are narrow at the waterline to reduce resistance, but very broad at the deck. This gives then a large space for deck machinery and the resulting flare causes and waves they pitch into to be thrown out to the side, not up and on deck. The square transom stern has a speed implication also. The S.S. United States was one of the last liners built in the classic design, with a long entrance, and run. This was for speed.
Regards,
Charlie Weeks
Modern cruise ships are built for a different purpose than ocean liners. Suggested reading would be John Maxtone-Graham's book "Liners to The Sun". The liners were in the transportation business, cruise ships are in the recreational business. The cruise ships may look strange to use but, they are a more efficient use of the basic hull. The parallel mid body is longer and the bow shorter, it gives more carrying capacity for a given length. The cruise ships bows are narrow at the waterline to reduce resistance, but very broad at the deck. This gives then a large space for deck machinery and the resulting flare causes and waves they pitch into to be thrown out to the side, not up and on deck. The square transom stern has a speed implication also. The S.S. United States was one of the last liners built in the classic design, with a long entrance, and run. This was for speed.
Regards,
Charlie Weeks