Alaska Cruises: A Cheat Sheet to Planning the Perfect Adventure

Table Of Content

• How Far Can a Cruise Ship Travel in a Day?
• Comparison of Speeds of Different Cruise Ships
• Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.
• Alaska Cruises: Everything You Need to Know for a Perfect Bucket-List Adventure
• Seasick Prone? Beware and Plan Carefully
• Cruising Solo? List of Every Cruise Ship that Has Solo Cabins
• How Fast Do Wooden Ships Go?
• First Global Seafood Certification Awarded to Holland America

Cruise ships also travel at slower speeds for fuel efficiency. So a ship’s speed of 22 knots means it’s traveling at 22 nautical miles per hour. The average large cruise ship speed is 18 to 22 knots (20-25 mph/33-41 kph). Not only do you want to know how fast your ship goes, but you also want to know whether or not it’s safe to board. In fact, some countries have laws regarding maximum speeds which vary depending upon the type of vessel involved.

How Far Can a Cruise Ship Travel in a Day?

And with nearly 2,800 staterooms, the largest ships are just slightly smaller than The Mirage in Las Vegas when it comes to the number of rooms. Remember, daily distance is just one aspect of your cruise experience. Consider factors like destinations, onboard activities, and overall atmosphere when making your decision. These propellor systems turn “screws” instead of long propellors like a plane.

Comparison of Speeds of Different Cruise Ships

The speed of the ship will be adjusted by the captain and his crew depending on the weather conditions and the ocean power that are present. Boat speeds and the amount of time it takes for ships to arrive at harbors would both be decelerated when there are rough seas and heavy gusts. Cruise ships are comparable to enormous naval towns, with the capacity to carry anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 people. It’s natural to be curious about the speed of cruise ships, given the massive size of these vessels. You can read more about the differences between cruise ships and ocean liners here. How fast a ship is able to sail depends on several factors, including the power of its engines, the weather and the conditions at sea.

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If you’re traveling to five different ports of call in seven days, the captain must ensure you reach each new port at the specified time. Although it sounds like a fun science experiment, no one these days has to stand on the bow and toss a knotted rope over the side. Modern cruise ships rely on GPS tools to monitor and adjust speed. It’s hard to imagine anything as large and heavy as a cruise ship being able to move — much less glide effortlessly through the water. Cruise ships are modern marvels not just for their size and amenities, but also for their (surprisingly fast) travel speed. If you're traveling on a ship, you may be curious to know the answer to, "how fast do cruise ships go?" Our guide provides the answer.

Alaska Cruises: Everything You Need to Know for a Perfect Bucket-List Adventure

Cruise ships crossing the Gulf of Alaska often slow down to let passengers share close encounters with the magical sea life in the area. Sometimes, ships have to slow down because of unfavorable sea conditions that cause rough water and high waves. At other times, cruise ships slow down for beautiful views of coastal cities and natural attractions such as volcanoes. Just like a car on the highway, higher speeds for ships create aerodynamic drag. Most cruise ships maintain a speed of 21 to 24 knots to avoid aerodynamic drag that could eat up the ship’s fuel supply. Running out of gas in the middle of the ocean is obviously not an option.

Seasick Prone? Beware and Plan Carefully

The standard unit of measurement for speed on cruise liners and other types of naval ships is the knot. Cruise ships time their journeys to dock at ports in the early morning and depart in the evening to allow passengers to explore. If the distance between two ports is too great, the ship will spend a day at sea.

Wooden ships didn’t have nearly the same maximum speeds as modern ships. Though the Queen Mary 2 carries passengers and has many features similar to a cruise ship, like a theater, spa, and nightclub, it’s not exactly a cruise ship. Technically, cruise ships are for pleasure, while ocean liners are for transportation. Officers on the bridge will adjust speed to account for weather and ocean conditions — rough seas and high winds mean slower speeds — and port arrival times. Early arrival into port can come with extra fees that cruise lines are loath to incur, which usually means they prefer to take their time by slowing their speed. A knot is the nautical measure of speed used by cruise ships and other maritime vessels.

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Cruise ships do sometimes go faster than the standard speed, such as when there is bad weather that they must quickly move away from. If another ship puts out a distress call, then a cruise ship may also speed up to offer assistance as soon as possible. A nautical mile is 6,076 feet, which is about 15% more than a mile on dry land (which is called a statute mile). But when asking how fast does a cruise ship go, that’ll depend on how far it needs to travel.

First Global Seafood Certification Awarded to Holland America

Temperatures in Alaska can change considerably from one destination to the next. That includes warm days, where even being near a glacier or a passing cloud (or socked-in rain) can make things chilly. If you'd like an assist with your outdoor adventures, the Mount Roberts Tramway climbs 1,800 feet above Juneau for gorgeous views. Those who'd prefer man-made experiences can check out honky-tonk at the raucous Red Dog Saloon or dip into any of the microbreweries and distilleries all over town. Cruises through Alaska's gulf also tend to pass through the Inside Passage, with typical stops including Sitka, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

Its origins are far more literal, according to the United States' National Ocean Service. The movement of the vessel generated friction upon the wood, which, in turn, caused the additional rope to be pushed into the sea over the course of a certain amount of time. When the allotted time had passed, personnel of the crew would draw in the rope and count the knots. The measurement of miles on land dates back to Roman times and is based on 1,000 paces (only counting the left foot). Nautical miles were defined much later, in 1929, and are based on degrees of latitude around the earth. That's especially true of large ships, so consider a small ship for cruising to Alaska, like UnCruise or Silversea, if those glaciers are high on your must-see list.

Keep in mind that this is the average speed, not the fastest speed the ship can travel. There are also a number of factors that impact travel speed, but we’ll get to that in a moment. The number of passengers onboard a cruise ship can also affect its speed.

Their engines produce about 3,500 horsepower each giving them enough energy to propel the ship at a steady pace. Some newer models boast even higher speeds such as those found onboard the Pacific Aria. The average cruising speed for most modern cruise liners is around 14 knots. This means that when traveling under full power, a cruise liner will travel approximately 1 knot faster than what would be considered “normal” or top speed.

To sum it up, the future of cruise ship speed is looking just as bright and promising as the neon dancefloor on the disco night of your cruise. We’re almost at the end of our discussion about cruise ship speed. Let’s round things out with a quick FAQ session to recap what we’ve learned. In the post-war years of World War II, many ocean liners were competing to cross the Atlantic in the shortest amount of time. A passenger onboard may have a medical emergency and need transportation to the nearest hospital. Or perhaps another ship in the area sends out a distress signal and your cruise ship is the closest vessel that can help.

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The Ultimate World Cruise offered by Royal Caribbean is a 274-night journey that visits all 7 continents, 65 countries, over 150 ports of call, and 11 World Wonders. They tend to have a longer, pointed bow that helps them navigate high rising ocean waves. They also have an extra thick hull to maintain stability in rough conditions. Sometimes, the Captain will even slow a ship down to everyone can see a sunset or other passing scenery.

In addition, there are several shops where you can purchase souvenirs and gifts. As well, the ship you sail can move much faster than most people realize — especially given their massive size. If you’ve ever wondered how fast cruise ships can go when they are at sea, you might be surprised how quick they can move. With ships continuing to get built larger and larger, it can be hard to imagine that cruise ships can sail at even faster speeds. See here to learn more about the differences between ocean liners and cruise ships.

Air Force as an Arabic linguist, Sophia now explores the world as a freelance writer. She funds her four-year (and counting!) cruise adventure using points and miles. Sophia’s travel expertise comes from her time as a reporter for The Points Guy, featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and The Balance. When not traveling, she enjoys relaxing in Priority Pass lounges with tea and battling slow Wi-Fi. Join her as she shares cruise insights and explores the world, one voyage at a time.