We have just docked in Auckland, New Zealand. We now have 3 more ports ahead of us in quick succession and I know, from experience, I will be hard pressed to keep you up to date.
Some readers have asked for details about the Technical spaces. So here, I’ll keep to the main items.
Evaporators, 3 of them, are used to make water. Manufactured b Alpha Laval, 2 working from waste heat, the 3rd by steam heating. Heat is used to boil seawater and distill fresh water out of it. The brine (salt water) which is left over is pumped back into the sea. The 3 evaporators together are able to produce 1,400,000 ltrs, or 370,000 gallons per day, (yes, not a typo :-)). The average consumption per day is 650,000 ltrs or 174,000 gallons per day.
The main engines; power is produced by 5 diesel engines, made by Sulzer. They create sufficient power to drive the ship and provide electricity to the rest of the ship, i.e. they are diesel generators. 3 are 12-cylinder engines of 8.6MW or 11,592 HP each; 2 16-cylinders of 11.5MW or 15, 456 HP each. Total power is 48.96 MW or 65,656 HP. Average consumption is 96 gallons/mile or 196 ltrs/mile, (so don’t take this ship for a shopping trip 🙂 )
Stabilisers are used to make the ship more stable in rough seas, they will prevent the ship from heavy rolling. Both stabilisers are controlled by gyroscope.
Inside, a view of the hydraulics
The Azipod is a podded propulsion system, azimuthing through 360°. It incorporates an electric, double wound AC motor mounted on an extremely short propellor shaft. The motor drives a fixed-pitch propellor, made by Kamewa. each propellor has a diameter of 5.4m or 17.7ft. Each pod has a power of 15.5 MW or 20,786HP
Azipod steering motor
Azipods
The Cycloconverter Room
A Cycloconverter converts AC with a constant frequency directly to an AC with a varying frequency
Fuel and Lube oil separators. These are basically centrifugal pumps. They are used to ensure that impurities (and any water) are out of the fuel prior to it being burned in the main engines
Hi Jonathan ,
Pete was very impressed with the engine room photos. Same engines as those he worked with, as you know. It always good to see other parts of a ship that are not normally seen.
Love to you both Stella and Pete x
Once an Engineer, always and Engineer 🙂 Hugs to both of you.
As the boiler inspector for the us navy Atlantic fleet air craft carriers (1976 1978) and steam propulsion plant operator for 22 years I’ve seen some good looking engineering spaces. Your post is the best I’ve ever seen. WELL DONE to your engineers.
Praise indeed, Charles, thank you 😊
Thank you Captain for your post.
I particularly enjoy the the technical. I have not coment before but I do read every post. August 2015 was my first ever cruise from Seattle to Alaska. Since then I’ve followed your post. I work the airline industry and really appreciate the work you and your crews do. God bless you and your crew. Hope to cruise again soon with you.
To Captain Jonathon, ship’s company and guests – looks like you have been visiting New Zealand at a time of bad weather:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11986658
Thanks a million for these fascinating pictures and the story to go with them. I had done a behind the scenes tour several years ago on another ship and this added more to what I had seen. I was impressed then as I am now with the cleanliness behind the scenes as well as the regular passenger areas. Thanks again and safe traveling.
Wow! And very Ship-Shape clean!
I suspect the girls are going to the wineries! Such a beautiful country!!!
xo
K2
Dear Captain,
Pretty neat to peek at the inside – and oh so clean. I think it is called “ship shape”.
Best, Rosie
Thank you for showing us parts of the ship we would never get to see much less understand.
Where do all the crew go when you take the ohotos?
Fascinating – thank you for taking the time to explain!
As a seasoned cruiser – I had always wondered about some of these pieces of kit.
Amazing! Thanks for all the details.
Wow! Captain. Brilliant detailed blog of the technical spaces and inner workings of the good ship Amsterdam. We learned so much and appreciate your infinite knowledge of your ship. Wish we were there in Auckland with you. Here in BC we continue to shovel snow…….
We salute you – remember?
Jean & George in BC
Captain Jonathon- – as guests on the ms Amsterdam in 2015 ex Seattle in September that year.
Looking forward to seeing the Amsterdam back in Sydney Harbour on February 11. Would be better if you docked at SCPT in Circular Quay rather than WBPT, but that’s life!
Hope to get down to see you pass under the Sydney Harbour Bridge on that Saturday.
Enjoy NZ, and let’s hope your departure is not like the last visit when you had to offload an ill guest off Manly Harbour!
Regards
Allan & Lois Gibson