ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Videos
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
People have one question as world's largest cruise ship makes its grand entrance
Home>News>World News
Published 17:26 22 Aug 2024 GMT+1

People have one question as world's largest cruise ship makes its grand entrance

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship boasts a whopping 20 decks and weighs 248,663 GT

Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

People have been left with the same question on their minds after seeing footage of mega cruise ship Icon of the Seas arriving at a US harbour.

The Icon of the Seas - also known as the world's biggest cruise ship - has been making headlines since it set sail earlier this year as people simply cannot get over its size.

The Royal Caribbean International ship first set sail on 27 January and constantly amazes people by the fact it's so bl**dy massive.

Advert

Measuring 364.75 m (1,196.7 ft) long and 66 m (217 ft) at its biggest points, the Icon is often referred to as a sailing city, thanks to the fact that it has a water park, a mini shopping mall and even an ice arena.

The mega ship even comes with its own waterpark. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The mega ship even comes with its own waterpark. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The ship was recently filmed arriving at the Port of Miami, showing off its phenomenal size for all to see. The clip has since circulated across social media, with the majority of viewers absolutely baffled as to how a ship of this size is able to remain afloat in the ocean.

"How tf does this float," one person wrote on X, while a second person added: "World's largest Cruise Ship. Icon of the Seas, somebody tell me how does this thing manage to float."

"You could explain it to me in a billion different ways... I still don't understand how this thing can float," a third person commented.

Of course cruise ships are specifically designed not to tip over, but it's still difficult to see a picture of Icon of the Seas and not worry that a large wave or strong gust of wind would flip the boat sideways.

Thankfully the beauty of the internet means there is always an engineering expert readily available to spell things out in layman's terms.

The insane height of ship leaves many people wondering how it doesn't tip over. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The insane height of ship leaves many people wondering how it doesn't tip over. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Replying to a tweet asking someone to explain to them 'like a five-year-old' how the ship manages to stay upright and afloat, an engineering student replied: "The water is pushing up on the ship with a force equal to the weight of water it pushes aside. Because the ship is so big, it pushes aside a lot of water, creating a strong upward force."

Explaining why the bottom of the ship doesn't need to be majorly submerged in water, they continued: "The ship only needs to sink a little bit into the water to float. You can see the waterline - everything below that is pushing water out of the way, creating the upward force that keeps it afloat.


"While parts of the ship (like the hull) are very dense, the overall density of the entire vessel is less than water due to its largely hollow design. This lower average density is what allows such a giant structure to float effortlessly on water."

So there you have it, the Icon of the Seas is perfectly safe to travel the world's oceans - no matter how ginormous it looks.

Featured Image Credit: X/@TheFigen_

Topics: Viral, World News, Travel, Cruise Ship

Brenna Cooper
Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture.

X

@_brencoco

Recommended reads

Gordon Ramsay almost throws up after what he's served on MasterChef USMasterChef/FoxApprentice star 'on mission' to find Katie Price's missing husband Lee Andrews says his social media was active todayluisazissman/instagramHayden Panettiere shares more details of being put in bed with 'very famous undressed man'Raymond Hall/GC ImagesLee Andrews’ mum issues desperate plea as she speaks out on son’s ‘kidnapping’Instagram/wesleeeandrew

Advert

Choose your content:

9 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • Instagram/@boozebagfitness
    9 hours ago

    Man takes steroids and drinks 24 beers for 77 days without working out to show impact on his body

    He's preparing to enter a bodybuilding competition without ever lifting weights

    News
  • Contributor/Getty Images
    9 hours ago

    Russia warns of 'catastrophic' conflict with NATO after testing 'most powerful nuclear missile in the world'

    A top Russian diplomat said the 'danger of a head-on clash' is continuing to increase

    News
  • H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images
    11 hours ago

    Monkeys help Oxford scientists discover why 90% of humans are right-handed - lefties remain a mystery

    A University of Oxford study looked at the history of humanity, including an extinct 'hobbit' human species

    News
  • Instagram
    11 hours ago

    Warning issued about ‘terrifying implication’ of Super El Niño no one talks about

    It has the potential to be the biggest El Nino ever

    News
  • Over 1,700 people stranded on second cruise ship facing virus outbreak
  • Passenger on 'frightening' cruise ship where 1,700 people are stranded after virus outbreak speaks out
  • Hantavirus Andes variant warning signs as WHO confirms deadly person to person strain on cruise ship
  • Brit who left cruise ship early missing as five more hantavirus cases confirmed