How Much Fuel Can a Cruise Ship Hold

Chief among the many fascinating questions cruise ships inspire is: "How much fuel can a cruise ship hold?"

The QM2 holds a ton of fuel.

Have you noticed that the size of cruise ships continues to grow? Indeed, there seems to be no limit to what engineers are able to conceive. Cruise ships, like the Queen Mary 2 and Freedom of the Seasdefy all logic with their size and scope. Yet they exist, ferrying passengers around the globe year-round.

Now how much fuel does it take to move one these massive vessels? In other words, how much fuel can a cruise ship hold? As you might guess, it depends on the size. Liners like the QM2 will need far more fuel than a smaller ship does, such as the Regatta from Oceania Cruises. It's similar to vehicles. Naturally, a small economy car will run longer on less gasoline than a big utility truck.

The rate at which a ship travels also impacts fuel use. A ship built for speed like the Queen Elizabeth 2, which traveled at 32.5 knots, will burn fuel faster than most cruise ships, which tend to travel at a clip of 21 to 24 knots.

Fuel efficiency and fuel consumption are directly related to fuel capacity. A ship must calculate:

• How much fuel it leaves with
• How much fuel it burns (the rate)
• How much fuel is has left

These questions and their answers determine how far a ship can travel and the route it must take to return home safe and sound. Fuel capacity is the key to every equation. Knowing how much fuel a ship can hold enables you to calculate everything else.

For example:

• The Norwegian Dream has a fuel capacity of 1,150 metric tons which converts to 354,144 gallons. When sailing, it burns approximately 1,100 gallons per hour. Thus, it can conceivably remain at sea for 12 days without refueling.

• Freedom of the Seas has a fuel capacity of 3,533 metric tons. The ship has a gross tonnage of 160,000 tons. Clearly, a ship this size will burn fuel faster, thus impacting any possible routes.

• The Queen Elizabeth 2 is a ship built for speed. It has a fuel capacity of 4,381 metric tons. Still, at a clip of 32.5 knots, the QE2 can sail for 10 straight days on a full tank.

• Thanksgiving Cruises
• 3 Day Cruise Packages
• Princess Cruise Lines

• Adults Only Cruise Ships
• Cruise Ship Cabins
• Royal Caribbean Cruises
• Cruise Ship Formal Nights
• Carnival Cruise Line