How Much of Cruise Ship Is Below Water?

By Alice Nichols

Cruise ships are a popular form of vacation for many people due to their convenience and wide array of amenities and activities. Cruise ships are usually large in size, but exactly how much of a cruise ship is below water?

The answer depends on the type of cruise ship. Smaller vessels such as river boats, yachts, and ferries typically only have a small portion of their hulls submerged.

For example, the average riverboat has only about one-third of its hull below the water line. Yachts are usually slightly larger than riverboats and may have slightly more submerged area.

Cruise liners, on the other hand, have much larger portions of their hulls below the water line. Cruise liners can be up to five times longer than riverboats and ferries and can weigh hundreds of thousands of tons. The average cruise liner will have between 40-60% of its total length submerged under the water line at any given time.

Conclusion:

Cruise ships come in a variety of sizes, but generally speaking, larger vessels such as cruise liners will have 40-60% of their total length below the water line at any given time. Smaller vessels such as riverboats or yachts may only have about one-third or less of their hulls submerged.