# What if a modern-day cruise ship hit an iceberg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704 "2012-04-23T16:43:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/1 "2012-04-23T16:43:47Z")
Yes, it’s still another Titanic question. Apologies if this has been answered recently, but I couldn’t find it. Suppose a modern cruise ship, plying the North Atlantic in April, were to hit an iceberg in the manner that Titanic did. I assume that there have been technological advances in ship design and construction since then – what are those advances, and would they prevent the ship from sinking? I recognize that modern ships carry more lifeboats and are in better communication with other ships and the rest of the world, but I’m asking more about the survival of the ship rather than the rescue of the passengers. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/2 "2012-04-23T16:59:01Z")
Modern cruise ships have a [double hull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_hull), which is meant to provide protection in glancing collisions. I don’t know if that would be sufficient in a Titanic style collision. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/3 "2012-04-23T17:04:11Z")
I am not sure if cruise liners are double hulled as a rule and even then per the above link > [@](#): > > A double hull does not protect against major, high-energy collisions or groundings which cause the majority of oil pollution, despite this being the reason that the double hull was mandated by United States legislation.[1] I would say that the no ship could survive the kind of damage Titanic had at the time of its sinking, which are huge hull breahs caused by Plates to fall off. OTH, would a modern ship actually get that kind of damage in a similar collision? Calling all Naval architects! ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/4 "2012-04-23T17:07:46Z")
I’m sure they all have radar as well so they aren’t going to hit the iceberg in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/5 "2012-04-23T17:31:33Z")
Oye, ships still hit icebergs with distressing regularity. And each other. And rocks. And the occasional fisherman boat. Man am I glad I left shipping law. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/6 "2012-04-23T17:47:04Z")
The [Costa Concordia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster) suffered a hull breach and rolled on her side, had that happened in deeper water - as in she hit an iceberg - I’d assume she’d have completely capsized. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/7 "2012-04-23T17:59:33Z")
> [@Corcaigh](#): > > The [Costa Concordia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster) suffered a hull breach and rolled on her side, had that happened in deeper water - as in she hit an iceberg - I’d assume she’d have completely capsized. Perhaps the OP should be asking a Poseidon Adventure question? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/8 "2012-04-23T18:22:46Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Perhaps the OP should be asking a Poseidon Adventure question? Heh. Now I do wonder if double hulling would interfere with a Poseidon-style rescue. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/9 "2012-04-23T18:38:03Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Heh. Now I do wonder if double hulling would interfere with a Poseidon-style rescue. Just one more hull to cut through. No big deal, as long as you have enough oxyacetylene. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-a-modern-day-cruise-ship-hit-an-iceberg/619704/10 "2012-04-23T19:20:59Z")
Aren’t most maritime accidents due to human error? Maybe its time to have ships controlled by computers-with fixed settings that trigger alarms. This Capt. Schettino made several gross navigation errors-and none were caught by his second in command. As for hitting an iceberg-with radar and satellite navigation, I don’t see how it can happen-unless there is gross negligence.