How Much Fuel Does a Cruise Ship Use on a Voyage ?
Cruise ships travel all over the world and we answer how much fuel does a cruise ship use on a typical voyage.
Of course each cruise liner have different destinations from the caribbean to alaska and beyond into the seas in Europe so getting the exact answer on how much fuel does a cruise ship use on any trip will vary considerably but we’ll have a go at answering that question.
Marine oil known as bunker fuel was priced at around $300 per ton in 2007 and $650 per ton in 2008 as the price of oil increased. So if you are holding 1 million gallons you see the cost of a cruise in fuel terms alone is massive. More modern ships are more fuel efficient because of their design and are “flat bottomed” so they move through the water easier and thus need less fuel to propel it along.
Different companies use different fuel for example in the caribbean some liners use low cost high sulfur fuel that is still allowed in that region where governments in most other parts of the world insist ships burn more cleaner environmentally friendly fuel such as diesel which is more expensive. The taxes are also different depending on where the fuel was purchased so the cost is different on where you cruise and of course which company you choose.
Cruise ships burn special fuel called marine gas fuel oil examples of some of the ships cruising around the world are as follows:
Queen Mary 2
The QM2 has 4 diesel generators to push the ship along at an average speed of 25 knots with a maximum speed of 30 knots by using 2 gas turbine generators which burn 6 tonnes of marine gas oil per hour. Overall it has a miles per gallon figure of 0.00753 or moves 40 foot per gallon of fuel burned.
Queen Elizabeth 2
The QE2 is similar to the QM2 and Cunard state that the ship holds around 1 million gallons of fuel on board and has a range of 7,500 miles and that one gallon will move the liner approximately 49 feet at cruising speed in open seas.
Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas
This massive ship is still the largest cruise ship in the world at 1,112 feet long until their next class of super cruise ships set sail and holds 4,375 passengers and 1,300 crew. It uses 12,800 kg of fuel per hour in open seas at 21.6 knots.
Smaller Cruise Ship – eg: MV Discovery
The smaller cruise ships require a lot less fuel to move. For example the MV Discovery is a cruise ship catering for 650 passengers (although is fitted for 800) and travels at 18 knots around alaska and other places. It has fuel on board for a range of 10,000 nautical miles.
MS Noordam
The MS Noordam owned by Holland American Line burned a combined diesel and gas CODAG of 5 diesel generators and one gas turbine which use 216 tons a day of heavy fuel oil and 90 tons a day of marine gas oil at a cruising speed of 22 knots with a maximum speed of 24 knots.
We hope that answers your question on how much fuel does a cruise ship use on a voyage and if you have any further questions about cruise ships, their fuel efficiency or can add to this article please do leave your comments below.
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