Ship Experts - Dream class ships - why is beam not bigger?

[mmouse37]

Play nice people....no personal attacks.

MJ

 

[truck1]

As for the Panama Canal argument, that's not going to get you very far. The Panama Canal is and will be going to be going through changes over the next few years. They've decided to update to something called New Panamax allowing for your large super tankers, cruise ships, etc to sail through easily. Another thing I've though of as reasoning for such a small beam length is elegance. When you roll on up to Port Canaveral who honestly wants to see a sqaure box hotel on a floating barge?! Not me for sure.

~ FD.

Its not the size of the locks that limits a ship thru the Panama Canal, though it is a factor. The Oasis class will fit in the new locks, but wont fit under the Bridge of America. A ship has to have an air draft of less then 290 feet to clear the bridge.

 

[maria-fan-22]

Meyer Werft is in the process of building two ships for NCL that are bigger than the DCL ships they built. I don't know how big the beam is on the new NCL ships that are under construction. Maybe DCL was just going for a certain "look", like the yellow life boats.

The New NCL ships have a beam of 130 feet, just 5 feet wider than the Dream.

 

[trimix]

The new ships could be 50 feet wider and fit into the under-construction Panama locks.

I have a theory that I am frankly shocked nobody has mentioned yet: the new ships NEED to be narrow enough to fit into the docking channel at Castaway Cay, with available spare room to maneuver in and out. I strongly suspect CC was the limiting factor.

And to those who think the ships look like they are about to capsize, I assure you the design engineers took care to prevent that from happening.

 

[MTmomma]

Why would CC be the limiting factor? They altered it already to make way for the Dream class.

 

[trimix]

They lengthened the pier and added pilongs further out. Looking at CC before and after from a Cessna it didn't look like they widened the channel.

 

[truck1]

They would if they had to. At the moment, there is still room, for them without issue. If in the futue DCL needed to make it wider for what ever reason, theyll dredge it and widen it.