Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship boasts a whopping 20 decks and weighs 248,663 GT
Following the video of the massive cruise ship Icon of the Seas arriving at a US harbor, there's a common question on everyone's mind.
The Icon of the Seas, currently the largest cruise ship globally, has garnered significant media attention since it began its voyage earlier this year. Many are astonished by its immense size!
The Royal Caribbean International vessel embarked on its maiden voyage on January 27 and continues to astonish everyone with its incredible size.
The Icon measures an impressive 364.75 meters (1,196.7 feet) in length and 66 meters (217 feet) in width at its broadest points. It's often referred to as a sailing city due to its amenities, which include a water park, a compact shopping mall, and even an ice rink.
The mega ship even comes with its own waterpark. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A recent video showed the ship arriving at the Port of Miami, showcasing its impressive size for all to see. This footage has gone viral on social media, with many viewers expressing their astonishment and curiosity about how such a large vessel remains buoyant in the ocean.
“How tf does this float,” one person wrote on X, while a second person added: “World's largest Cruise Ship. Icon of the Seas, somebody tell me how does this thing manage to float.”
“You could explain it to me in a billion different ways… I still don't understand how this thing can float,” a third person commented.
While cruise ships are designed to remain stable, seeing an image of the Icon of the Seas can make you feel uneasy about the possibility of a large wave or strong wind tipping the vessel.
Luckily, the internet is so amazing that there's always an engineering expert around to explain things in a way that everyone can understand.
The insane height of ship leaves many people wondering how it doesn't tip over. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In reply to a tweet asking for a straightforward explanation of how a ship remains upright and floats, an engineering student explained, “The water exerts an upward force on the ship equal to the weight of the water displaced by the ship. Because ships are large, they displace a significant amount of water, creating a strong upward force.”
They explained that the bottom of the ship doesn't have to be deep in the water. “The ship just needs to dip a little to stay afloat. The waterline shows where the ship sits, and everything below that pushes water aside, which creates the lift that keeps it on top.”
The icon of the seas
— Spellbinding Odyssey (@SpellOdyssey) March 14, 2024
Incredible entrance to Port Miami
🛂 Cruiseshipsailings pic.twitter.com/631lhIlVwe
Some parts of the ship, like the hull, are really heavy, but because most of the ship is empty inside, the whole thing is less dense than water. This is why such a huge ship can float easily on the surface.
The Icon of the Seas is totally safe for sailing across the oceans, even if it seems super huge!
Featured Image Credit: X/@TheFigen_