bridge in cruise ship

Cruise Ship Bridge: Fully Explained (inc Bridge Tour)

You might hear the bridge of the ship mentioned in passing, but it’s not an area of the ship most passengers ever get to see.

So, what goes on in the bridge, why is it called that, who works there, and what do they do?

Well, read on to find out the answers to all your bridge-related curiosities.

What Is The Bridge On A Cruise Ship?

The cruise ship bridge is the command center,  located at the front of the ship on the upper decks.  It’s the area of the ship where all the ship’s controls to navigate the ship is located, it’s the equivalent of a large cockpit area.

It is from here that the cruise captain and bridge crew members take their positions and carry out their navigational duties.

The bridge area is typically made of reinforced glass, giving a clear wide view of the waters and conditions ahead.

Accordingly, the bridge of a ship is the area from which the primary functions of directing and controlling the speed are actioned.

Why Is It Called A Bridge On a Ship

The term “bridge” originates from the days of paddle steamers when a raised walkway was put up across both paddle houses, creating a bridge so that both sides and paddle wheels of the ship could be viewed by the captain from the quarter-deck.

For a full history of the bridge’s origins on a ship, watch this video .

Even though nowadays, a more modern term might, cruise ship control room, might have been used, the nautical term has stuck.

Cruise Ship Bridge Crew Members

There several deck officers working on the bridging, including:

Cruise captain:  is the head of the navigational bridge teams and carries out or oversee’s all navigational elements of the ship.

Officer of the Watch :  is responsible for watching the ship’s navigation, ensuring a smooth sail.  Basically the person currently in charge of driving the ship.

Assistant Officer of the Watch : Assisting the OOW.

Quartermaster Lookout : Lookout for obstacles as well as other navigational duties.

Harbor Pilots: Come aboard from local ports with expert knowledge of the local waters and conditions and assist the bridge team in docking or departing.

Interestingly, when a harbor pilot comes abroad is one of the few times a deck officer takes the helm and uses the ship’s wheel .

Bridge teams work in rotation, with teams working a set number of hours off while replaced by another.  Usually, three teams are working the rotation. 

In Captain Kates’s video, she stated that “three different teams worked every 4 hours on and 8 hours off”.

Although there is only one captain, who can be contacted 24/7 if required, the captain’s quarters can be accessed directly from the bridge.  

Cruise Ship Bridge Layout

The cruise bridge has a central cockpit from which all the ship’s maneuvers can be controlled.

When coming or leaving a pier, the command controls can be transferred to either one of the bridge wings.

Cruise Ship Bridge Wing

Cruise bridge wings is a glass surround extension on either side of the bridge.  

Whichever side the ship is coming into port, port or starboard , the bridge wing gives an excellent view of the port and the length of the cruise ship.  

There is often a glass floor on the bridge wing so the crew can even see what’s directly beneath them.

It’s much like a wing mirror on a car, just one you can walk into.

Each bridge wing has its own set of command controls which gives the bridge crew an important and clear first-hand view of when they are docking or when a harbor pilot is coming onboard via the shell door or departing the ship.

Cruise Ship Bridge Tour (Who Offers Them, How Much, Any Videos)

Some cruise ships offer cruise tours to passengers onboard, so check your onboard activities to see if you can book one.  The numbers are limited, so they quickly sell out.  

However, for now, what better bridge tour than the one by Captain Kate?  

In the video below, she gives a bridge tour of Celebrity Edge.

Open Bridge Policy

Some cruise ships, typically smaller ones or expedition cruise ships, have an open bridge policy that allows passengers to go up to the bridge area outside of busy periods, such as when undertaking docking maneuvers that require full attention.

Cruise lines with known open bridge policies include:

• Star Clippers

Bridge Equipment

These days the vast majority of the navigational equipment is electrical.  There is little or no need for any paper maps or charts.

A cruise ship bridge is made up of multiple stations. 

There are also multiple monitors displaying varying navigational information.  As well as some other monitors displaying the live status of key areas of the ship.

Navigation Displays include showing:

• Compass – gyro magnetic compasses
• Radars – with various ranges
• Route to destinations
• Satellite Navigation Systems indicate the global positioning
• Estimate time of arrival at the destination
• Ships speed
• Wind speed & direction
• Clock for time
• Echo Sounder
• Engine room alarm panel

There will be individual controls and monitors for the current status of:

• Azipods for propulsion
• Ballast Control Unit
• Bow Thrusters for maneuvering
• Dynamic Positioning System

There will also be extra related rooms near the bridge used by deck offices, including:

• Meeting room
• Safety Room

Why is A Cruise Ship Bridge Dark At Night?

It is a legal requirement for cruise ship bridge lights to be turned off at night.  If the lights were on it would make it more difficult for the deck officers, including the lookout, to get a clear view of what’s around and some possible obstacles that could be missed.

Although there are no main lights on in the bridge, all the controls and monitors are lit up and the ship’s navigational lights are on as well.

Here’s a video of bridge controls at night to give you an idea.  Although it’s not a cruise ship, it gives you an idea of what some stations would be like.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a wheelhouse and a bridge.

A wheelhouse and a bridge on modern-day ships essentially refer to the same thing, the only difference being their size.

On a large cruise ship, the ship’s command center spans the front of the upper decks, referred to as a bridge.

On a smaller vessel, for example, a river cruise ship, the much smaller command room will more likely be referred to as the Wheelhouse.

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Cruise Ship Life

All about cruise ships

What Is Cruise Ship Bridge(full explained)

You may pay attention the bridge of the deliver cited in passing, but it’s now not a place of the ship most passengers ever get to peer.

So, what is going on in the bridge, why is it referred to as that, who works there, and what do they do?

properly, examine on to find out the answers to all of your bridge-associated curiosities.

Bridge On A Cruise Ship

The cruise ship bridge is the command middle, located at the front of the ship on the upper decks. It’s the region of the deliver where all of the ship’s controls to navigate the deliver is located, it’s the equal of a huge cockpit region.

it’s miles from right here that the cruise captain and bridge group members take their positions and carry out their navigational responsibilities.

The bridge location is generally fabricated from bolstered glass, giving a clean wide view of the waters and conditions ahead.

accordingly, the bridge of a deliver is the location from which the number one functions of directing and controlling the velocity are actioned.

The term “bridge” originates from the times of paddle steamers when a raised walkway was placed up throughout both paddle homes, creating a bridge so that both aspects and paddle wheels of the ship might be viewed by means of the captain from the quarter-deck.

Bridge Crew Members

There several deck officers working on the bridging, including:

Harbor Pilots:

Come aboard from local ports with expert information of the nearby waters and situations and assist the bridge group in docking or departing.

interestingly, when a harbor pilot comes overseas is one of the few times a deck officer takes the helm and uses the ship’s wheel.

Bridge teams work in rotation, with teams working a hard and fast range of hours off whilst replaced by using another. typically, three teams are working the rotation.

In Captain Kates’s video, she stated that “three distinct teams labored every 4 hours on and 8 hours off”.

even though there may be only one captain, who can be contacted 24/7 if required, the captain’s quarters can be accessed at once from the bridge

Cruise captain:

Is the head of the navigational bridge groups and carries out or oversee’s all navigational factors of the deliver.

Assistant Officer of the Watch:

The Assistant Officer of the Watch (AOW) is a fundamental function on a ship’s bridge, specifically on vessels like cruise ships and service provider ships. The AOW serves as a assist role to the Officer of the Watch (OOW), who’s usually a licensed officer liable for the secure navigation and operation of the deliver. here’s a detailed explanation of the function of an Assistant Officer of the Watch

Quartermaster Lookout:

A Quartermaster Lookout is a selected position on a ship’s bridge, basically related to navigation and safety. The Quartermaster Lookout serves as an extra set of eyes and ears on the bridge, assisting the Officer of the Watch (OOW) and the navigation crew in maintaining a safe path and figuring out capacity hazards. right here’s an in depth clarification of the function and duties of a Quartermaster Lookout.

Bridge Policy

A few cruise ships, normally smaller ones or excursion cruise ships, have an open bridge policy that allows passengers to go as much as the bridge region outside of busy periods, such as while task docking maneuvers that require full attention.

Cruise traces with regarded open bridge guidelines include:

star Clippers Windstar

Bridge Equipment

In recent times the sizeable majority of the navigational system is electrical. there may be very little need for any paper maps or charts.

A cruise deliver bridge is made of multiple stations.

There are also more than one video display units showing varying navigational statistics. as well as a few other monitors showing the live fame of key areas of the ship.

Cruise Ship Bridge Layout

The cruise bridge has a central cockpit from which all the deliver’s maneuvers can be controlled.

when coming or leaving a pier, the command controls may be transferred to both one of the bridge wings.

Cruise Ship Bridge Wing

Cruise bridge wings is a pitcher surround extension on both facet of the bridge.

Whichever aspect the deliver is getting into port, port or starboard, the bridge wing gives an incredible view of the port and the length of the cruise deliver.

There is mostly a glass ground on the bridge wing so the group may even see what’s immediately below them.

It’s just like a wing mirror on a automobile, simply one you could stroll into.

every bridge wing has its own set of command controls which offers the bridge team an important and clear first-hand view of while they are docking or whilst a harbor pilot is coming onboard via the shell door or departing the deliver.

Cruise Ship Safety Measures:

Safety is paramount on the bridge. numerous safety measures are in place to ensure the nicely-being of passengers, team, and the deliver itself

• Redundant Systems: Critical navigation and communication systems have backups to ensure continuous operation.
• Collision Avoidance: Radar and AIS (Automatic Identification System) are used to detect and avoid collisions with other vessels.
• Weather Monitoring: The bridge is equipped with weather monitoring equipment to anticipate and navigate through adverse weather conditions.
• Emergency Procedures: The crew on the bridge is trained in emergency procedures, including responding to man-overboard situations, fires, and distress calls.
• Security: Access to the bridge is restricted to authorized personnel only to prevent unauthorized interference.
• Maneuverability: Modern cruise ships have advanced propulsion systems and thrusters that enhance maneuverability and make docking in ports safer.

What is the purpose of the navigation console on the ship’s bridge?

The navigation console serves as the central control unit for displaying real-time data related to the ship’s position, speed, heading, and depth. It is vital for safe navigation.

How do GPS and satellite navigation systems contribute to safe navigation?

GPS and satellite navigation systems provide accurate positioning data, helping the crew determine the ship’s location and course with precision.

What role do radar systems play on the ship’s bridge?

Radar systems are essential for detecting nearby vessels, land, and navigational hazards, aiding in collision avoidance and safe navigation.

What is the purpose of a depth sounder on the bridge?

A depth sounder measures the water depth beneath the ship, helping the crew assess the depth of the water and avoid grounding.

How are nautical charts used on the bridge?

Nautical charts are maps that display sea depths, navigation aids, and hazards. They are essential for route planning and ensuring safe navigation.

What is the significance of binoculars on the bridge?

Binoculars are optical devices used for visual observations, particularly in spotting distant vessels, navigational markers, or potential hazards.

How is a sextant utilized for navigation?

A sextant is used in celestial navigation to determine the ship’s position by measuring the angles between celestial bodies and the horizon.

What does the steering console control on the bridge?

The steering console controls the ship’s direction by adjusting the ship’s rudder, helping maintain the desired course.

What are the key functions of the engine control room in relation to the bridge?

The engine control room monitors and controls the ship’s engines, propulsion, and power systems based on navigation officer’s commands.

How does an autopilot system contribute to navigation?

An autopilot system is responsible for automated steering, assisting in maintaining the ship’s course without continuous manual input.

What is the purpose of a gyrocompass on the bridge?

A gyrocompass accurately indicates true north, providing reliable navigation information regardless of the ship’s movement.

How is speed measured on the ship, and why is it important?

Speed is measured using a speed log, which calculates the ship’s speed through the water. This data is crucial for navigation and fuel efficiency.

Why is an anemometer used on the bridge?

An anemometer measures wind speed and direction, helping the crew assess weather conditions and their impact on navigation.

What is the role of a barometer in navigation?

A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, which can provide valuable information about changing weather patterns at sea.

How are clocks and chronometers used on the bridge?

Clocks and chronometers are essential for accurate timekeeping, which is critical for navigation and log-keeping.

What is the function of the AIS (Automatic Identification System) on the bridge?

AIS identifies and tracks other vessels, aiding in collision avoidance and communication with nearby ships.

the cruise ship bridge is a complex and highly regulated area dedicated to ensuring the safe navigation and operation of the vessel. It combines advanced technology, skilled personnel, and strict safety protocols to provide passengers with a secure and enjoyable cruise experience while navigating the world’s oceans and waterways. Stay blessed

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The Shipyard

For Those Who Love Ships

• Cruise Ships

How Cruise Ships Work (Part 3): The Bridge and the Engine Room

It’s like back in the days when we were little children. Grandpaw’s almost mystical tool shed was strictly off limits, but we were just dying to have a peek, weren’t we? Now that we are all grown up, Grandpaw’s gadgets are old news, but there is still a place or two on a cruise ship that remains like a pie in the sky for all of us obsessed by ships.

It’s the heart of the matter, it’s where it all happens, it’s the real deal. And if you are anything like me, you would gladly give away a day at the spa, a dessert buffet and even two, or the latest Marvel flick in the movie theater, just to spend a precious hour down in the noisy engine room of your favorite cruise ship. But life being proverbially unfair, modern cruise lines rarely allow their passengers to enter the bridge or the engine rooms of their ships, unless the visit is part of a specially organized guided tour. Some cruise ships have a window from which passengers can observe what’s going on in the bridge, but only if they promise not to disturb the officers. Which is really hard, when you badly want to touch everything…

So until the next time someone lets me out of sight and I make my umptieth attempt at trespassing to the engine room, let’s have a quick virtual tour of a cruise ship’s most forbidden and exciting parts.

The bridge is the brain of the ship. It is from there that the captain and his officers command and maneuver the ship, keep watch for other vessels or potential hazards, and navigate through the oceans. 

For twenty-four hours each day, the bridge is occupied by two Deck Officers and two Able Seamen, traditionally in four-hour shifts. The main job of the Officer of the Watch is to monitor the ship’s systems and surroundings, and to ensure that everything is running safely and smoothly. During extreme weather, docking, or other special cases, the Captain of the ship is also present on the bridge to guide the deck officers.

The term “bridge” comes from the time of the paddle steamers, where a bridge was built above the two paddle houses that used to hold the paddle wheels. This way the skipper could observe both wheels, while moving freely between the two and giving out commands. On today’s cruise ships, the bridge is usually on the upper deck in the forward part of the ship and extends over the sides of the superstructure, allowing deck officers a view to the sides of the ship as well as down to the waterline. The side extensions are called bridge wings and often have a glass flooring for better visibility.

The bridge houses a number of important nautical devices and information systems for command and navigation of the ship.

Satellite Navigation

The signals emitted by special navigation satellites are picked up by the cruise ship through a special antenna. On board, a computer converts these signals into the exact position of the ship at a given time. On large ships, the position indicator is constantly recorded in a so-called electronic nautical chart.

Satellites also enable automatic positioning systems on modern cruise ships. The positioning system is controlled from the bridge and it uses GPS to ensure that the ship stays at a defined location. When the captain defines a position where the ship needs to remain for a while without anchoring, the system automatically maintains the ship in position by using the bow and stern thrusters.

Modern cruise ships carry a gyro compass and a magnetic compass. The gyro compass consists of a fast-rotating disk, usually positioned in a gimbal. It is a non-magnetic compass oriented parallel to the axis of rotation of the earth and thus indicates the north-south direction.

The gyro compass is more accurate and reliable than the magnetic compass and is therefore the primary reference point for steering the ship. The magnetic compass on board is more prone to inaccuracies and it serves only as back-up.

The word radar stands for Radio Detection And Ranging. Radars are devices that allow us to locate distant objects from a given location, regardless of visibility and weather conditions. The radar emits electromagnetic waves to an object, then receives back the reflected echoes from that object, and interprets them based on distances and angles. These interpretations enable us to determine where an object lies, and in some cases even what its contours look like. In the shipping industry, radars are used for monitoring traffic in ports and coastal regions, for collision protection, for collecting weather data, and for navigation.

Speed logs are devices that measure the speed of the ship. There are two main types of speed logs: Doppler logs and electromagnetic logs.

The Doppler logs send out underwater sound signals. When the sound wave reaches the sea floor, it gets reflected and then returns to the receiver of the log. Due to the movement of the ship relative to the seabed, a Doppler effect occurs and is evaluated by the device. As long as the sound waves can reach the bottom of the sea and return to the receiver, the Doppler log measures the distance travelled over ground. However, if it is no longer possible to use the seabed as a reference, the device uses particles suspended in the water, such as plankton and minerals, to measure travel through the water.  

The electromagnetic logs create an electromagnetic field in the water around the ship, with the aid of a small alternating current and a transducer. A voltage proportional to the speed of the ship is generated in the water and is picked up by special sensors, which then transfer the information to an electronic device for interpretation. From the electronic device, the speed is then transmitted onto the displays in the bridge.

Echo Sounder

Cruise ships also have an echo sounder, a device used for the electro-acoustic measurement of water depths (sounding). The depth is determined by measuring the time between the emission of a sound impulse (water sound) and the arrival of the sound waves reflected from the bottom of the sea. The main purpose of echo sounders in cruise ships is safe navigation through waters.

Electronic Chart Display and Information System

The Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is a console, built into the bridge of modern cruise ships, which incorporates the main engine safety system, fire control system, monitoring and control system, power management system, propulsion control system and navigation and maneuvering system. The ECDIS allows for navigation of the ship without the need of traditional paper charts. Navigation can be done manually, automatically, or through the Navigation and Command System (NACOS).

The NACOS is the main software used to coordinate all factors that need to be taken into consideration, in order to navigate and maneuver the ship safely. The console is composed of a number of displays showing information from the radars and compasses, data about the course of the ship and planned maneuvers, the current status of the pitch of the thrusters, the speed of the ship, and anything else concerning the steering of the ship. An intelligent autopilot tracks changes in the behavior of the ship through navigational sensors. If the ship drifts off its course due to strong winds, for example, the system automatically responds to correct the change by sending signals straight to the engine room. Once the signal is received by the engines, the rudder or thrusters of the ship are activated and move to the position given by the system. The displays on the bridge show both the angle of the rudder or thrusters, as well as the rate and the radius of the maneuver in progress.

The Engine Room

The engine room is the heart of a cruise ship. It is here that pistons hammer and crankshafts turn to propel the ship forward. It is the loud and oily place where the Chief Engineer and his team work around the clock to ensure that everything is running smoothly. It is the engine room of the ship that allows for the luxuries of air-conditioning, electricity, and plumbing on board cruise ships.

In future articles we will have the chance to explore the contents of the engine room in all the excruciating detail that they deserve, so to all the techies out there – I’ve got you covered. Just stay tuned.

Most larger ships have more than one engine room to house their machinery. The arrangement of the engine room can vary depending on the type, design, and size of the ship. For stability reasons, the engine machinery is typically placed as low as possible in the ship’s bowels and often takes up several decks in height. The machine rooms are split into watertight compartments, each housing different machinery.

Today’s cruise ships operate on diesel or diesel-electric engines. Their operating principle does not differ much from the old days of coal steamers, except for the medium used to generate power. While back in the day ocean liners used steam to move the engine’s pistons, modern cruise ships use diesel fuel. Today’s diesel engines are composed of the engine unit itself, gearboxes, shafts and generators. Some ships also have shaft generators which create electricity from the turning movement of the propeller shaft. The electricity is then used in the cabins, on deck and in the kitchens.

The latest generation of cruise ships are equipped with diesel electric engines. Instead of the more traditional engine-shaft-propeller arrangement, in this case the engines are connected to generators to create electricity. The generators power electric motors, and the electric motors move the propellers.

Aside from the engines and generators, the machinery that occupies the engine rooms includes pumps and heat exchangers for engine cooling, stabilizer fins and their motors, as well as the ship’s bow thruster system.

Since all of the equipment in the engine room is highly dependent on electricity, modern cruise ships also have back-up generators, usually located outside the main engine room, to protect them in case of fire. While these generators cannot produce enough power to keep the ship moving, they produce enough to keep some of the vital functions of the ship running, such as powering the emergency lights and the communication and navigation systems. In case the back-up generators fail, cruise ships are also equipped with a back-up battery that allows some of these functions to continue running for short periods of time. 

All the machinery in the engine rooms is monitored in the Engine Control Room (ECR). The ECR is a room full of screens, lights, alarms, and switches from where the current operational status of every piece of equipment can be checked.

The main switchboard of the ECR is used to distribute the generated electricity to where it is needed on board. The ERC is also where the engineering team comes together to discuss and plan the safe running of the engine rooms, to take decisions in emergency situations, to consult the technical manuals and drawings of the ship, to restart certain pieces of machinery if necessary, and to maintain communication with the bridge. Communication between the ECR and the bridge is crucial for the safe operation of the ship, especially during docking, moving through shallow waters, maneuvering, and changes in the course or speed of the ship.

This concludes our three-part overview of how a cruise ship functions. Now that we have covered the basics, in future articles we can explore all the specifics to our hearts’ content. As always, don’t hesitate to leave your constructive comments below and feel free to suggest topics you want to know more about – chances are I want to know more about them too!

Stay in touch and I’ll see you next time!

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Celebrity Equinox Cruise Ship Bridge Tour

Last updated: June 22nd, 2020

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Get an inside look at what happens on the bridge of a cruise ship, which is the place where the captain and crew navigate and steer the vessel.

In this video, Captain Kate McCue, the first American female captain of a cruise ship, takes us on a cruise ship bridge tour of the Celebrity Equinox .

Inside the glass-domed bridge’s cockpit, which is known as the heart of the bridge, McCue explains in detail the three different tools that she and her crew use to navigate the cruise ship.

The first is the wheel or helm of the ship, which is surprisingly smaller than the steering wheel of a car. While they don’t use the wheel of the ship throughout the journey, they do use it when they are entering and leaving port destinations.

There’s also the ship’s autopilot feature, which automatically takes the ship where it needs to go, while also taking into account changes in wind and current conditions.

Finally, there are the ship’s digitized navigation charts. One of the highlights of Celebrity Equinox is that it is completely paperless, meaning it doesn’t carry traditional paper charts on board and instead uses navigation paths that are completely digitized.

During the video, Captain McCue’s cat, Buck Naked, makes an appearance, right before she takes a moment to explain one of her biggest pet peeves: when people use the “b” word (boat) to refer to her ship.

“Size does matter,” she explains. “Simply put, you can put a boat on a ship, but you can’t put a ship on a boat.”

Watch the cruise ship bridge tour of the Celebrity Equinox and learn more about the most surprising thing that happened on board (a heartwarming story about rescuing six people who were stranded at sea), her best piece of advice for first-time cruisers, and her favorite place to sail into.

Start planning your next vacation aboard Celebrity Equinox by booking your next cruise vacation on our website or calling one of our vacation specialists at 1-800-852-8086.

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Can You Visit The Bridge on a Cruise Ship? – Real Experiences & Prices

When on a cruise ship, you may wonder whether it is possible to visit the bridge and see what goes on. In this article, we look at when and how this is possible.

What is the Ships Bridge?

The Bridge is a room at the front of the ship from which the ship is commanded. The term “Bridge” originated from a narrow, raised platform “bridging” the two sides of a large vessel. This allowed the Captain access to both sides while commanding the crew.

On modern cruise ships the Bridge is a large structure, high up at the front of the ship.

It has many windows and spans the entire width of the ship. Often the bridge extends out over the side of the ships too, allowing the crew to see right down the sides of the ship and see to the very back.

The ship’s crew will have access to paper nautical charts as well as modern computer equipment. This equipment controls the ship’s many systems – mechanical, electronic and communication.

Steering of the ship can be controlled in several places, including from where the bridge actually extends out over the sides of the ship.

Can You Visit The Bridge on a Cruise Ship?

On many cruise ships, you may be able to sign up for a “behind-the-scenes tour” which can include a tour of the ship’s bridge.

On many small expedition ships, they have an open bridge policy. Passengers are able to drop by and speak the crew – unless of course, the crew are in a situation where full concentration is required! (Docking, bad weather etc)

Cruise Ship Bridge Tours

Many Cruise lines offer “Behind the Scenes” tours, which include a trip to the bridge. Due to the recent Covid pandemic, some that did provide tours no longer do so.

Behind-the-scenes tours may be offered onboard, and you will be able to find details and costs in your daily schedule or cruise ship App.

Examples of costs are listed below:

How Have Things Changed In Recent Years?

Things have changed in recent years, due to the Covid pandemic and heightened Health and Safety concerns.

Loyalty Status Tours

Norwegian Cruise Line used to offer free “Behind the Scenes” tours to their “latitudes” loyalty club members. I was very lucky to have been able to take advantage of this perk visit the ships bridge. I have Platinum loyalty status with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Unfortunately, since the Covid pandemic, these tours are no longer available. Norwegian say :

“To ensure the health and safety of our guests and crew members, we have suspended the Behind-the-Scenes Ship Tour”

When – or if – they will re-instate these tours is anybody’s guess!

Bridge Viewing Rooms

One of my favourite cruise ships, The Norwegian Spirit, used to have a Bridge Viewing Room where you could see the crew at work. Unfortunately, this was lost in its most recent million-dollar refit.

Other ships, like Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 also had a bridge viewing room, but it no longer appears to be shown on the newest deck plans.

Older cruise ships seem to have done away with Bridge Viewing Rooms altogether.

Although Bridge Viewing Rooms are an interesting feature, popular with guests, newly built cruise ships no longer include them. This is because of heightened Health and Safety concerns.

Other Ways to Visit the Bridge on a Cruise Ship

The only other way to get to visit the Bridge onboard a cruise ship is to be invited by the Cruise Line itself – or a member of the crew.

I have been lucky enough to have been invited on Press Trips, which often include a full, behind-the-scenes ship tour.

Other passengers report having been personally invited by the Captain, whilst attending a dinner at “The Captains Table”

The “Captain’s Table” on a cruise ship is where the captain of the ship is dining.

On some ships, there is a designated table in the centre of the main dining room reserved exclusively for the captain, senior officers and their invited guests.

The process for being invited is fairly random, with invitees ranging from first-time cruisers to VIPs. 

Some cruise ship bridges are open on the sides such as the below. This is an older design.

Can you visit the Wheelhouse on a River Cruise Ship?

On River Cruise ships you will find a Wheelhouse, rather than a Bridge.

Wheelhouses are ingenious box-like structures found on the top deck. From here the Captain or the crew controls the ship.

The Wheelhouse can sink down into the superstructure of the ship at the press of a button! This enables the river ship to fit under some very low bridges .

On River Cruise ships it is often possible to just pop by and speak to the crew in the wheelhouse, as long as they are not too busy. When I took my cruise on the Tui Skyla, this was the case.

Emerald River Cruises also welcome guests to visit the wheelhouse during their cruise. They say:

If you have a particular interest in river navigation, the wheelhouse can provide a wonderful insight into the role of the captain and the intricacies of working through locks.

Ask onboard at the reception desk, and they will let you know if it is possible to visit the wheelhouse on your ship. They will also let you know if there is any charge for doing so – usually, it is free on River Cruise Ships.

Find out all about that wonderful river cruise down the Danube on the Tui Skyla here:

Are There Bridge Tours on Luxury on Expedition Ships?

Luxury cruise lines such as Viking offer a free tour of the Bridge. Other luxury cruise lines such as Silversea, Oceana, Seabourn, Regent etc do not advertise such tours on their websites.

However, luxury cruise lines do pride themselves on having concierge services that can customise your voyage and attend to your every need – so doubtless, a tour of the bridge is something they would be happy to offer!

Expedition ships like Hurtigruten also offer guests a free bridge tour. Look out for details whilst onboard .

Would I Recommend a Bridge Tour?

A trip to the Bridge onboard a cruise ship is a very interesting thing to do, if you are able .

Do bear in mind that on some cruise ships, this is just not available .

Keep an eye out in the daily schedule or cruise ship App, if this tour would be of interest to you.

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How many ships hit bridges, lose power every year? Data shows jarring numbers on the rise.

An alarm wails onboard the container ship as it approaches the Francis Scott Key Bridge during what had until that moment seemed like a routine departure from the Port of Baltimore.

For the past half hour, the crew navigated the hulking vessel through relatively calm waters and lined it up to pass perfectly under the main truss of the steel bridge, softly lit in the early morning darkness.

Now, just a half mile from the span, the vessel has gone dark – no power, no steering, no propulsion. Inside the ship’s towering command center, the crew tries to re-engage the system but no luck. The nearly 100,000-ton ship is adrift.

“Captain, we are on a collision course with the bridge support,” announces the officer of the watch, who recommends dropping its anchor. No change. A desperate call goes out to the shore to stop traffic from crossing the bridge.

The captain realizes the hard truth: The Dali is “at the point of extremis,” he says – the point of no return.

The crew watches helplessly as the bridge looms larger and larger until, just four minutes after the alarm sounded, their vessel slams into one of its main support columns.

“At this point there is absolutely, certainly nothing that we could do on our own,” said Chief Mate Kevin Calnan from inside California State University Maritime Academy’s 360-degree mission simulator during an eerily vivid replication of the Baltimore bridge disaster.

The state-of-the-art simulator – one of just three of its kind nationwide – showed how a total loss of power on a container ship the size and weight of the Dali could turn it into an uncontrollable weapon of mass destruction – a transformation counted in precisely calculated currents and breezes, velocity and minutes, not hours.

Moments after the Dali struck it, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into Patapsco River , killing at least six construction workers, likely causing billions of dollars in damage and forever altering the Baltimore skyline.

Although such disasters are rare, the conditions that could cause them are frighteningly common, according to a USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Coast Guard maritime incident data, which includes any reportable maritime event involving a death or injury, collision, grounding, environmental harm, or the loss of power and propulsion.

Map: Where ships have struck bridges, lost power

This map shows issues categorized as "major" or "significant" marine casualties and “serious marine incidents” in U.S. Coast Guard incident investigation reports that mention a freight ship, freight barge, tank ship, tank barge or ocean cruise vessel striking a bridge. It also includes cases where ships lost power, propulsion or steering within two kilometers of a highway bridge over navigable waters. Don't see a map? Click here.

At least 6,000 times in the past 22 years – an average of more than five times a week – crews on board massive cargo ships, oil tankers, container barges and even cruise vessels have reported what befell the Dali: a loss of power, loss of propulsion, loss of steering, or some combination of the three, a USA TODAY data analysis reveals.

At least 900 of them occurred near bridges identified by the U.S. Department of Transportation as spanning navigable waters. The vast majority were classified as routine but a dozen were labeled major or significant.

Some damaged both the ships and the structures they hit. Others left crew members with broken bones or other injuries. But most, including cases remarkably similar to what happened last month in Baltimore, have never been made public, buried deep in a federal database.

Often the dividing line between major and routine came down to a last-minute effort by the crew or rescue teams.

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge had an earlier close call, in 2018

On March 16, 2018, the bulk carrier Strategic Alliance lost power and propulsion on the Delaware River just north of the Commodore Barry Bridge, a 2.6-mile span connecting Philadelphia to New Jersey and carrying more than 41,000 vehicles a day.

The Singapore-flagged vessel, about half the size of the Dali, dropped anchor in the channel without incident early that Friday morning and was able to regain propulsion and generator power after clearing its clogged cooling water strainers of debris. Nearly two years later, the Dali-sized container ship Maersk Chicago lost power in New York’s Lower Bay Channel as it approached the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge late on a Wednesday night.

Roughly 500 feet from the country’s longest suspension span – crossed by nearly a quarter-million vehicles a day – the ship was adrift with no steering, no propulsion and no engine. Fortunately, a pair of tugboats were able to rescue the U.S.-flagged vessel and tow it to safety, where it was determined a broken air compressor valve was to blame.

Just last week, another container ship lost propulsion near the same bridge. The Liberia-flagged vessel, Qingdao, experienced the failure around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday as it navigated through the Kill Van Kull shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.

It took three tugboats to bring the vessel under control.

Unlike most incidents in the Coast Guard database, the Qingdao made the news as images of the gigantic ship floating near the bridge spooked jittery Americans still reeling from the recent Baltimore disaster.

That the two events happened in close succession was not so much a coincidence, but rather a fairly common occurrence that’s bound to happen when tens of thousands of ships from all over the world travel in and out of U.S. waters every year, several maritime experts told USA TODAY.

Statistically, the experts said, such failures are more likely to happen in ports and harbors, as well as in close proximity to bridges, because that’s when the ships are under the most stress.

“That’s when you’re giving all your engine orders,” said Calnan, the assistant professor of marine transportation who ran the simulation at Cal Maritime for USA TODAY. Calnan has operated large ships himself and has experienced what is sometimes known as a dark ship, though only while out at sea.

“It’s just like in the car; if you’re going 65 on the highway, there’s not a lot happening,” he said, “But when you’re doing a lot of stop and go and changing engine orders, it’s putting stress on the engine, and if something is mechanically wrong with the engine itself, there’s a higher chance it will happen when you’re using it more.”

Mechanical failure, human error and a host of other conditions can conspire to shut down a vessel’s engine, seize up its propulsion system or thwart its crew’s ability to steer.

Sometimes a simple miscalculation can cause a crew to lose command of a ship – or cause an otherwise seaworthy ship to hit a bridge.

USA TODAY’s data analysis revealed at least 2,600 bridge strikes occurring in U.S. waters since 2002, the earliest year for which such data is available. Three of these allisions were fatal, claiming 16 lives in all. The majority, however, were minor – a ship’s antenna or mast hitting a bridge, or a barge clipping a bridge’s protective fender.

But maritime problems – which international governing agencies call “casualty incidents” – have been steadily rising over the past decade, according to a report by Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a global maritime data and analytics company.

That’s especially true for those caused by machinery damage or failure.

The Lloyd’s report cites 700 such reported events in the third quarter of 2022 – the highest in 14 years – and attributed the increase to several factors. Among them: fewer ship inspections and internal audits, an unavailability of dry docks and technicians to perform maintenance and repairs, as well as supply chain delays in getting spare parts.

Lloyd’s was unable to provide updated data, but a representative told USA TODAY incidents have continued to rise.

The crew could do little to avert catastrophe

The frequency of such malfunctions and the risks to life and property are at the heart of Cal Maritime’s simulation exercises, which train students how to react to the worst disasters in a controlled environment.

In the case of the Dali simulation, the unfortunate lesson was that there was little they could do to avoid a catastrophe once the power was down except alert others to their plight.

“Making that emergency call and alerting all of the other traffic in the area that, ‘Hey, we’re this ship and we can’t maneuver anymore, we’re not under command’ – that call itself is what we see in this accident in Baltimore,” Calnan said. “That singular call… saved countless lives.”

While most power outages cause minimal harm, the one that darkened the Dali occurred at a most unfortunate place and time: about 0.6 nautical miles from the Francis Scott Key Bridge while the laden ship was moving at a speed of roughly 8 knots and the wind was blowing from the northeast, according to real-time data fed into the simulator.

When the blackout occurred, the ship’s rudder was turned 3 degrees to the starboard side and remained stuck there as the vessel drifted off course. Its towering stack of containers acted as a sail for the wind, which aimed it directly at the bridge’s support column.

Even if the engine had been working, Calnan said, it would have taken 0.8 nautical miles to bring that particular vessel under those particular conditions to a full stop – farther than the distance to the bridge it was about to hit. Simply put, time had run out.

“During any situation on board any type of vessel, we have a concept which we call the point of extremis, which essentially means there’s a point in every situation where no matter what you do, it's going to lead to some form of undesirable outcome,” he said. “Basically, it’s the point of no return.”

National Transportation Safety Board and U.S. Coast Guard investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blackout on the Dali. They have retrieved documents and interviewed the crew, as well as others who witnessed or were involved in the crash. But it could be months before they release their findings.

In the meantime, maritime experts have offered a number of possible causes based on their own experience with engine failure.

“There are 101 potential reasons for a blackout,” said Capt. Ashok Pandey, a master mariner and associate professor of international maritime business at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

They include inexperienced crew members accidentally switching off a valve that shuts down the fuel supply, water forming inside poorly maintained fuel tanks and knocking out the engine, and countless situations involving dirty fuel gumming up the ship’s filters, pumps and injectors.

Deep-sea vessels like the Dali burn what’s known as heavy fuel oil – sometimes called bunker fuel – a cheap, tar-like residue that the crew processes onboard the ship by heating, filtering and purifying it before feeding it into the combustion system.

Sometimes the heavy fuel itself is particularly bad and can clog the ship’s strainers. Other times the crew fails to properly maintain its onboard processing system and dirty fuel gets into the engine. Either way, it can lead to disaster.

“We have all been through bad fuel situations – you get bad fuel and it clogs the strainers, and every engineer has had to go down and clean the strainers,” said Keith Deirup, a licensed chief engineer with 20 years of experience in the U.S. merchant marine industry. “If you lose an engine, it's a total loss of propulsion, and it takes a while to get it back online.”

Accidents, dirty fuel and fish cause blackouts 

Coast Guard incident reports blame a host of culprits for the power outages reported by hundreds of ships over the years. They include unpredictable events like lightning strikes, fires on board or even fish clogging water inlets meant to help cool the engines.

Several incident reports attribute power losses to dirty – or degraded – fuel, as was the case in June 2017, when the Hong Kong-flagged Mallika Naree went dark on the Elizabeth River outside Norfolk, Virginia. The bulk carrier dragged a buoy nearly 400 yards before running aground. The investigation revealed about 16 gallons of water had leaked into the fuel oil supply tank.

Delayed maintenance also shows up as a common cause of power outages. “Poor maintenance” on a fuel oil valve led to a power outage that ran the 681-foot-long Alexander Dimitrov aground east of New Orleans in January 2002. The report states “the valves should have been checked as part of routine maintenance.”

“Lack of inspection, testing replacement/maintenance of the time delay relays” was to blame in February 2019, when the captain of the Portuguese container ship EMS Trader ordered an emergency lowering of the anchor. The ship had lost power, steering and propulsion not far from the Commodore Barry Bridge southwest of Philadelphia.

Many of the incident reports blame human error and inattention.

The 1,096-foot-long container ship Ever Lotus lost power while mooring at the Port of Los Angeles in November 2016. Even though the vessel’s crew was trained to slowly increase the pitch of the bow thruster so as to not overload the generators, “the pilot adjusted the pitch from 0% to 100% instantly,” according to the incident report.

Three years earlier, the 604-foot-long Manistee went dark as it was backing out of Ashtabula Harbor east of Cleveland. The engineer on watch forgot to throw a switch that would prevent the generators from overheating, leading to the outage.

Such incidents reinforce the need for extra precaution when ships navigate near critical infrastructure, said Pandey of Massachusetts Maritime, who advocated for mandatory tug escorts regardless of the ship, its cargo or the port. 

Protecting bridges: Baltimore's Key Bridge, opened in 1977, had few ship defenses. Are modern bridges better?

“Increasingly, the use of tugs is considered too old-fashioned, maybe too expensive, simply because we have the technology,” he said. “It’s something we don’t talk enough about.”

Other experts said nothing can prevent every disaster, and the Dali might be a case in point.

“Naval engineers will look at the root causes and ask what we can do to prevent it from happening again,” said a senior government official and former Coast Guard officer who spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

"And maybe there isn’t anything we can do,” he said. ”Maybe fate just caught up with it.”

More than half of major bridge collapses are in the U.S. 

Despite the frequency of power failures and bridge strikes reported to the Coast Guard, the maritime shipping industry has had relatively few major accidents like the one that toppled the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Until this March, the last incident identified by USA TODAY in which a ship knocked down a U.S. bridge was on Jan. 26, 2012, when the Delta Mariner cargo vessel carrying rocket components down the Tennessee River from Alabama to Florida slammed into the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge near Aurora, Kentucky.

The ship, going about 10 knots, tore away a 322-foot span of the bridge as it attempted to pass under a section with insufficient clearance.

Fortunately, traffic was light and vehicles stopped before reaching the missing portion of the bridge, according to an National Transportation Safety Board report of the crash. There were no deaths or injuries, but the bridge sustained major damage. It was repaired and reopened later that year but permanently closed in 2016 after a new bridge was built in its place.

Three years earlier, in March 2009, a tugboat pushing eight barges on the Mississippi River knocked out the Popps Ferry Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi, when it crashed into one of its pilings and sent a section of the span tumbling into the water. Again, nobody died.

Other ship-on-bridge allisions killed people but did not topple the span. This includes the July 2015 death of a construction worker on the Eads Bridge in St. Louis when a tugboat pushing two loaded barges struck his scaffolding as it was passing under the span. And the August 2014 death of a tugboat master when his crane barge hit the Florida Avenue lift bridge in New Orleans and the crane’s mast fell onto the wheelhouse, crushing him.

The last U.S. ship-on-bridge allision to cause both fatalities and bring down the bridge, according to USA TODAY’s review of the data, happened more than two decades ago.

On May 26, 2002, the towboat Robert Y. Love was pushing two empty asphalt tank barges on the Arkansas River when it veered off course and struck a pier supporting the Interstate 40 highway bridge near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma.

The impact sent a 503-foot section of the bridge tumbling into the river. Unlike the Kentucky bridge collapse, highway traffic on the I-40 span had continued to “drive into the void,” according to the NTSB report.

Fourteen people died and five were injured in the accident, which the report said caused an estimated $30.1 million in damage to the bridge and $276,000 to the barges.

Worldwide, between 1960 and 2015 ships or barges caused 35 major bridge collapses that killed 342 people, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.More than half occurred in the United States.

Yet the United States has some of the strictest maritime standards in the world, according to the experts. Its rules and regulations – which include a host of technical, personnel and environmental practices – go far beyond those set by the International Maritime Organization, which governs all global shipping.

They ensure that U.S ships are built and maintained to the highest standards and that its crews follow industry best practices. These rules also apply, to a certain extent, to foreign-flagged ships in U.S. waters, even though those ships might operate under what some experts described as subpar conditions.

“Many of the world’s shipping companies are based out of countries like Liberia, Marshall Islands and Panama” Deirup said. “They do that to save on costs and liability, so they get to run these ships really cheaply. They hire mariners from whatever country they can offer the cheapest wages and will run a really shoddy operation without much oversight.”

Many of the ships, he said, “are just ramshackle.”

The U.S. Coast Guard has jurisdiction in U.S. waters and can detain a ship for safety issues, Deirup said, “but they’re spread really thin.”

Detainments typically happen when a Coast Guard inspection finds significant issues with a ship, but it takes years to train the marine inspectors and there aren’t nearly enough of them in the field, said the former Coast Guard officer who was not authorized to speak to the media.

Not all ships are inspected, either, he said. The Coast Guard uses an algorithm based on the vessel’s history and previous ports of call and current port to determine which ships to check.

Exacerbating the situation are the extremely tight schedules ships’ crews face to unload outgoing cargo and pickup inbound cargo before racing to the next port. That’s especially true of container ships, experts said, whose slots at ports are scheduled weeks in advance and must make it on time or miss the window.

“For this ship, the Dali, in Baltimore, they were probably under that pressure,” Deirup said. “That’s why if they had problems with their generators – just theorizing – but they might have been under a lot of pressure to just make it work and get off that dock.”

That type of pressure is difficult to mimic in a simulator, which is perhaps why the crew on the bridge of Cal Maritime’s digital ship operated with calm efficiency each time they ran through the scenario. Blackout, steering out, ship dead in the water, bridge looming, crash. Again and again and again.

Only one run involving tug boats averted the disaster, and even then only when two tugs at full power were tethered to the ship all the way under the bridge. That lineup is not a current day reality except in rare situations, such as tankers transporting oil or other toxins in certain ports.

Solutions: Tugboats left before ship reached Baltimore bridge. They might have saved it.

“No matter what nationality the crew was or what their training was like, I think in the end, it’s an unlucky situation at an unlucky point,” said Conor Finnerty, a Cal Maritime senior who assumed the role of officer of the watch during the simulation.

One of the most critical positions on the ship, the officer of the watch ensures the vessel navigates safely regardless of obstacles or conditions. During the simulation, Finnerty gave orders to the crew to continue testing the equipment, then to drop the anchor and, finally, to sound the danger signal warning anyone on the water that collision was imminent.

“There’s really not much that could have been done about it,” Finnerty said of the unfolding disaster, “except just watch it.”

USA TODAY reporter Dinah Voyles Pulver contributed to this report.

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Maryland Bridge Collapse: Here’s the Impact on Cruises

Update: Carnival has announced that Carnival Legend, its ship based in Baltimore, will temporarily move to Norfolk, Virginia following the bridge collapse: 

“Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, March 31. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change.”

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

Original Article:

In one of the most dramatic videos we’ve ever seen, a loaded container ship destroyed a major bridge in Baltimore after it ran into one of the bridge footings in the middle of the night.

The 948-foot container ship Dali was leaving the Port of Baltimore around 12:30 a.m. on March 26. According to news reports , about an hour later it “began to slow and diverted off of its course.” The ship then hit a support pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge — a major thoroughfare around the city.

Immediately after the impact, the span of the bridge collapsed. While traffic was thankfully lighter in the middle of the night, there were reports of cars and people falling in the water. There’s no word yet on casualties, but a number of people are said to be missing. Two people have been rescued so far.

You can see the moment of impact and the collapse here:

This is a major and tragic event. And while vacation may not be on too many people’s minds, this could also have an impact on cruises.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was part of Interstate 695, which circles Baltimore. This bridged section spanned the Patapsco River, the waterway leading in and out of the port and city — including the Maryland Cruise Terminal where cruises embark.

In fact, the incident occurred just about five miles from the cruise terminal. With the geography of the area, it’s also the only way in and out from the cruise terminal for a ship.

You can see the location of the bridge in relation to the cruise port here:

With the bridge in the water, access to the port is essentially shut off. Given how recently this happened, it’s not clear yet when the river may open back up. Meanwhile, a number of ships are scheduled in the coming weeks.

Carnival Legend is set to return to Baltimore on March 31 . That gives five days before the ship is to arrive. It’s currently on a 7-day cruise to The Bahamas, according to CruiseMapper.com . 

Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas — currently on a 12-day trip to the southern Caribbean — is scheduled to return on April 4 .

Cruzely reached out to both Carnival and Royal Caribbean to see about any changes to upcoming cruises. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond .

Update: We received the following statement from Royal Caribbean:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and extend our heartfelt prayers to all those impacted. We are closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings.”

Carnival told us that it was too early to comment on possible impacts and directed us to CLIA, the industry trade group as the incident impacts all cruises in the area.

Just based on the damage and the rescue operations, we expect it could be a few days until the situation is fully assessed and officials know better when vessel traffic can resume.

If you are on one of the upcoming cruises, then the cruise line will be in touch should there be any changes to the schedule . 

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Read next: park & cruise hotels for every port in america, popular: 107 best cruise tips, secrets, tricks, and freebies, related articles more from author, heavy storms created havoc for cruise passengers this past week, royal caribbean and u.s. government use cruise ship to evacuate americans from israel, cruise lines cancel trips & ports of call due to middle east conflict, weather; technical issues lead to major changes for some cruises (carnival & royal caribbean), how hurricanes idalia and franklin are impacting cruise schedules, as hurricane hilary aims at california, here’s the potential impact on cruises.

It would be useful to obtain comment from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency responsible for enforcement of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. If the Carnival Legend and the Vision of the Seas do not return to Baltimore, but instead discharge their passengers at some other U.S. port, then Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International will each be responsible for paying a fine of $941 per person for having violated the aforementioned cabotage law, at least in the absence of a PVSA waiver. The Carnival Legend, with a capacity of 2,124 passengers, and the Vision of the Seas, with a capacity of 2,050 passengers, would incur total fines of approximately $2 million each, an amount sufficient that the two cruise lines would likely seek a waiver. Yet, U.S. Customs and Border Protection itself states in its guidance that “[t]he PVSA can only be waived in the interest of national defense, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 501,” a condition that might not be applicable here.

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Tangled in Steel With No Way Out: How the Crew Stuck in Baltimore Is Faring

Twenty-two seafarers from India find themselves not only trapped in the ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but also in an unexpected spotlight.

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By Eduardo Medina

Reporting from Baltimore

Even from miles away, the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is a jarring visual: Chunks of steel jut above the water like metallic icebergs. Twisted gray beams protrude in crooked positions. From a park near Fort McHenry, visitors can see the giant cargo ship that struck the bridge and remains lodged in the wreckage.

Less visible, however, are the 22 crew members from India who have remained on the ship, named the Dali, since the disaster on Tuesday.

Little is publicly known about them other than that they are seafarers who embarked on a journey aboard the 985-foot-long cargo ship that was on its way to Sri Lanka, carrying 4,700 shipping containers, when it lost power and struck the Key Bridge, causing the structure to collapse.

Since the accident, which killed six construction workers, the crew members have found themselves in an unexpected spotlight. While keeping the ship operable, they are answering a deluge of questions from officials investigating the nighttime catastrophe, as the evidence of what occurred lies around them in mangled ruins stretching across the bow and deck.

While officials investigate what could have caused the tragedy, another question has emerged this week: What could the crew members, who have limited access to the outside world, be going through right now?

“They must feel this weight of responsibility that they couldn’t stop it from happening,” said Joshua Messick, the executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center , a religious nonprofit that seeks to protect the rights of mariners.

Even so, officials have praised the crew’s swift mayday message that was transmitted over the radio as the ship lost power on Tuesday. Before the Dali struck the bridge, traveling at a rapid eight knots, the mayday call helped police officers stop traffic from heading onto the bridge, most likely saving many lives, the authorities said. A local harbor pilot with more than 10 years of experience was onboard, as well as an apprentice pilot in training.

As the ship remains stuck in the Port of Baltimore, where it may remain for weeks, the lives of the crew members have entered an uncertain phase. But one thing is certain: They will no longer cruise through the sea around South Africa toward their destination in Sri Lanka anytime soon.

But they are not going to imminently dock at the port either, as they must wait for enough debris to be cleared to free the ship and reopen the channel to one of the busiest ports in the United States. On Saturday, the governor of Maryland said officials planned to remove the first piece of the debris.

So, for now, crew members are most likely working a grueling schedule to maintain the ship that is similar to the one they would be if they were out at sea. The difference, though, is that they are in an immobile state as the eyes of the world fixate on them, experts said.

“The captain of the vessel and the crew have a duty to the ship,” said Stephen Frailey, a partner at Pacific Maritime Group, which helps with marine salvage and wreck removal.

According to Chris James, who works for a consulting firm assisting the ship’s management company, Synergy Marine, the crew members have ample supplies of food and water, as well as plenty of fuel to keep the generators going. Indeed, when Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, went onboard the ship this week, she observed the cook cooking. “It smelled very good,” she said.

But there is still no exact timeline for when the ship might be extracted from the wreckage, Mr. James said. Once the N.T.S.B. and the Coast Guard finish their investigations, he said, “we’ll look at potentially swapping the crew out and getting them home.”

India, the home country of the crew members, is one of the world’s largest hubs for seafarers, according to John A. Konrad, a ship captain and the chief executive of gCaptain, a maritime and offshore industry news website. Though Indian captains and engineers are paid less than their American counterparts, Mr. Konrad said, they make a decent living when they work for three or more months out of the year at sea.

Working on a cargo ship, he said, is a 24-hour ordeal with no weekends off: Every day, decks are checked for maintenance and safety, cooks and cleaners serve the other members, and workers in the engine room keep things on track.

Cargo ship crew members do have some leisurely activities available to them onboard, though, such as video game breaks in cabins, workouts in gyms, table tennis sessions and movie nights. The Dali crew has at least a TV, magazines and books onboard, said Andrew Middleton, who runs Apostleship of the Sea, a program that ministers to sailors coming through the port.

Clistan Joy Sequeira, an Indian seafarer who was not on the Dali but who docked in Baltimore from another cargo ship on Friday, said in an interview that he feared the repercussions that the bridge collapse could have on his industry and his country.

“I’m scared that because this crew is Indian, our international image will suffer,” said Mr. Sequeira, 31. “Maybe we lose jobs.”

Some in Baltimore’s port community have had some contact with the Dali crew, albeit brief, through third parties or WhatsApp. Mr. Messick said he sent the crew two Wi-Fi hot spots on Friday because they did not have internet onboard.

Mr. Middleton said he had been keeping in touch with two crew members, reminding them that “we’re here for them.”

“When I’ve asked how they’re doing, their answers range from ‘good’ to ‘great,’” he said. “So, by their own accounts, they’re OK.”

Mr. Messick said he had also sent a care package to the crew through a salvage company helping with operations. In the package were candy, home-baked muffins from a concerned local and thank-you cards from children.

With so many questions still unanswered about the crew members’ next steps, Mr. Messick said he was eager to provide them with trauma care and emotional support. On Friday, he wrote a letter to the captain, which was delivered by another vessel.

“We’re here to support you,” it read.

Mike Baker contributed reporting.

Eduardo Medina is a Times reporter covering the South. An Alabama native, he is now based in Durham, N.C. More about Eduardo Medina

Ship That Caused Bridge Collapse Had Apparent Electrical Issues While Still Docked, AP Source Says

Someone with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that the massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical issues hours before it left the port

Julia Nikhinson

People are seen aboard the container ship Dali, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Baltimore. The FBI confirmed that agents were aboard the Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

BALTIMORE (AP) — Hours before leaving port, the massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical problems, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday, the same day FBI agents boarded the vessel amid a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the catastrophe.

The Dali departed Baltimore’s port early on March 26 laden with cargo destined for Sri Lanka. It lost power before reaching open water and struck one of the supports for Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the span to collapse into the Patapsco River and sending six members of a road repair crew plummeting to their deaths. Two of the victims are still unaccounted for.

Authorities announced Monday evening the recovery of a fourth body from a construction vehicle in the underwater wreckage. The person’s identity wasn’t released per their family’s request, officials said.

While the ship was docked in Baltimore, alarms went off on some of its refrigerated containers, indicating an inconsistent power supply, according to the person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to publicly comment and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have said their investigation will include an inquiry into whether the ship experienced power issues before starting its voyage.

Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week the investigation is focused on the ship’s electrical system generally. The ship experienced power issues moments before the crash, as is evident in videos that show its lights going out and coming back on.

Photos You Should See - April 2024

Homendy said information gleaned from the vessel’s voyage data recorder is relatively basic, “so that information in the engine room will help us tremendously.”

The FBI is now conducting a criminal investigation into the bridge collapse that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a different person familiar with the matter. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

FBI agents were aboard the cargo ship on Monday conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity, the agency said in a statement. It didn’t elaborate and said it wouldn’t comment further on the investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Scott issued a statement Monday announcing a partnership with two law firms to “launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible” and mitigate harm to the people of Baltimore. He said the city needs to act quickly to protect its own interests.

Scott said the city “will take decisive action to hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy,” including the owner, operator and manufacturer of the cargo ship Dali, which began its journey roughly a half-hour before losing power and veering off course.

The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., both of Singapore. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali.

Synergy and Grace Ocean filed a court petition soon after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability — a routine procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. Their joint filing seeks to cap the companies’ liability at roughly $43.6 million. It estimates that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight. The estimate also deducts two major expenses: at least $28 million in repair costs and at least $19.5 million in salvage costs.

“Due to the magnitude of the incident, there are various government agencies conducting investigations, in which we are fully participating,” Synergy spokesperson Darrell Wilson said in a statement Monday. “Out of respect for these investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The companies filed their petition under a provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to seek to limit their liability to the value of the vessel’s remains after a casualty.

Attorneys for some of the victims and a worker who survived the collapse argued Monday that the companies that own and manage the ship are taking advantage of an “archaic law” in attempting to protect their assets.

“Imagine telling that to grieving families … while they’re planning a funeral, the owner of the boat is in court,” attorney L. Chris Stewart said during a news conference in Baltimore.

The road crew “absolutely had zero warning” in the moments before the collapse, Stewart said, even though a last-minute mayday call from the ship’s pilot allowed nearby police officers to stop traffic from trying to cross the span. Three of the workers' bodies are still missing, as crews continue the dangerous work of removing massive chunks of steel from the river.

Julio Cervantes, who survived falling from the bridge, narrowly escaped drowning by rolling down his work vehicle's window and fighting through the frigid water despite being unable to swim, attorneys said. He clung to debris until he was rescued.

“This was all preventable,” Stewart said. “That is why we were brought in to investigate and find out what has happened and give these families a voice.”

The investigations come amid concerns about the safety of thousands of U.S. bridges and days after more than two dozen river barges broke loose and struck a closed span in Pittsburgh.

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Ship that caused bridge collapse had electrical issues while still docked, AP source says

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The massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical issues before it left port but set out anyway, someone with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press on Monday, hours after the FBI said it was investigating whether any laws might have been broken.

The Dali left Baltimore’s port early on March 26 laden with cargo destined for Sri Lanka when it struck one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s supports, causing the span to collapse into the Patapsco River and sending six members of a road crew plummeting to their deaths. Three of their bodies have been recovered.

The Dali experienced apparent electrical issues before leaving port, according to someone with knowledge of the situation. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment, said alarms went off on the ship’s refrigerated containers while it was still docked in Baltimore, likely indicating an inconsistent power supply.

The ship’s crew was aware of the issues and indicated they would be addressed, according to the person.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have said their investigation will include an inquiry into whether the ship experienced power issues before starting its voyage.

World & Nation

Salvage crews have begun removing containers from the ship that collapsed Baltimore’s Key bridge

Salvage crews have begun removing containers from the cargo ship that crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

April 8, 2024

Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week that the investigation is focused on the ship’s electrical system generally. The ship experienced power issues moments before the crash, as is evident in videos that show its lights going out and coming back on.

Homendy said information gleaned from the vessel’s voyage data recorder is relatively basic, “so that information in the engine room will help us tremendously.”

The FBI said Monday that it is conducting a criminal investigation into the bridge collapse that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a different person familiar with the matter. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

FBI agents were aboard the cargo ship on Monday conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity, the agency said in a statement. It didn’t elaborate and said it wouldn’t comment further on the investigation, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Scott issued a statement Monday announcing a partnership with two law firms to “launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible” and mitigate harm to the people of Baltimore. He said the city needs to act quickly to protect its own interests.

Would California bridges stand up to a direct hit? We asked experts

Experts say the Baltimore collapse does not expose significant vulnerabilities in the major bridges near ports across California. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle about 40% of U.S. container imports from Asia.

March 26, 2024

Scott said the city “will take decisive action to hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy,” including the owner, operator and manufacturer of the cargo ship Dali, which began its journey roughly a half-hour before losing power and veering off course.

The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., both of Singapore. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali.

Synergy and Grace Ocean filed a court petition soon after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability — a routine procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. Their joint filing seeks to cap the companies’ liability at roughly $43.6 million. It estimates that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight. The estimate also deducts two major expenses: at least $28 million in repair costs and at least $19.5 million in salvage costs.

“Due to the magnitude of the incident, there are various government agencies conducting investigations, in which we are fully participating,” Synergy spokesperson Darrell Wilson said in a statement Monday. “Out of respect for these investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The companies filed their petition under a provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to seek to limit their liability to the value of the vessel’s remains after a casualty.

2 bodies pulled from underwater wreckage of collapsed Baltimore bridge

The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the ship’s data recorder and will construct a timeline of events leading up to the crash.

March 27, 2024

Attorneys for some of the victims and a worker who survived the collapse argued Monday that the companies that own and manage the ship are taking advantage of an “archaic law” in attempting to protect their assets.

“Imagine telling that to grieving families … while they’re planning a funeral, the owner of the boat is in court,” attorney L. Chris Stewart said during a news conference in Baltimore.

The road crew “absolutely had zero warning” in the moments before the collapse, Stewart said, even though a last-minute mayday call from the ship’s pilot allowed nearby police officers to stop traffic from trying to cross the span. Three of the workers’ bodies are still missing, as crews continue the dangerous work of removing massive chunks of steel from the river.

Julio Cervantes, who survived falling from the bridge, narrowly escaped drowning by rolling down his work vehicle’s window and fighting through the frigid water despite being unable to swim, attorneys said. He clung to debris until he was rescued.

“This was all preventable,” Stewart said. “That is why we were brought in to investigate and find out what has happened and give these families a voice.”

The investigations come amid concerns about the safety of thousands of U.S. bridges and days after more than two dozen river barges broke loose and struck a closed span in Pittsburgh.

Tucker, Skene and Brumfield write for the Associated Press.

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The FBI is searching the ship that crashed into Baltimore's Key Bridge

The FBI has launched a criminal probe to determine if any laws were broken when a container ship crashed into the bridge last month. NPR's A Martinez talks to Washington Post reporter Katie Mettler.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into whether any laws were broken when the Dali container ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge three weeks ago. Six construction workers were killed in the collapse. The body of the fourth missing victim was recovered on Sunday. Washington Post reporter Katie Mettler has been covering the crash and its aftermath. Katie, what do we know about the focus of the investigation?

KATIE METTLER: Our sources say the probe will look, at least in part, in whether the crew of the Dali left the port knowing that the vessel had serious systems problems.

MARTÍNEZ: OK. Now, the crash happened three weeks ago. Why is this criminal investigation starting now?

METTLER: I don't have that exact information, but I do know that the NTSB investigation obviously began immediately after the crash occurred, and my understanding and what my sources have said to me is that the criminal probe and the NTSB investigation are really separate processes. And so sometimes, it can just take a little bit longer for, you know, information to be ascertained and for authorities to figure out whether there might be criminality involved.

MARTÍNEZ: They're separate processes. Do you know any - what's the biggest difference between the two investigations?

METTLER: The NTSB is independent, and what is said in NTSB reports is not admissible in court. Under the criminal investigation, obviously, that's a different process. People have to be read their Miranda rights in order to share information, so that sort of thing. It's sort of like a church-and-state process.

MARTÍNEZ: OK. Now, the companies that own and manage the ship are both based in Singapore. Have they responded to the NTSB probe and the federal criminal investigation?

METTLER: Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB chair, has said that everyone has been cooperating with the safety investigation, but when I reached out yesterday, I did not get a response from attorneys representing those organizations related to the criminal investigation.

MARTÍNEZ: OK. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has announced a partnership with two law firms. What do we know about any legal action that the city of Baltimore might want to take here?

METTLER: Yeah, the mayor announced that yesterday, and he didn't get specific on where exactly they were going to potentially bring legal claims, but obviously, there's a real question of liability here, both civilly and criminally, and it seems like the mayor's office really wants to work with these attorneys to look at that civil liability. There's a lot of questions about who is going to pay for the cleanup. President Biden has obviously said that he wants Congress to foot the bill, but there has also been hints from both President Biden and Governor Wes Moore that they intend to hold whoever is responsible for this accountable, and obviously, part of that includes civil liability and paying for the cleanup.

MARTÍNEZ: Katie, you know, I've got to admit, I haven't seen that site in quite a while, on the news at least. At least, I've missed it if it's been on. But if you've been near there, how does it look? Is everything still kind of a mess there?

METTLER: It is still kind of a mess. There's still wrangled wreckage in the river. The Dali ship is still there. But despite what it looks like, you know, workers have been working nearly around the clock to clear that space, and there has been progress. Yesterday, we were told by Unified Command that officials plan to have a 35-foot-deep temporary channel open in the coming weeks and the entire shipping channel cleared by the end of May. And so far, they've removed 1,000 tons of debris from the river, and 31 ships have passed through the two small temporary channels, so progress is being made.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's Katie Mettler from the Washington Post. Katie, thanks.

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