Cruise Bruise Blog
January 7, 2009
January 7, 2009
Architect Says Cruise Bruise Article Is "Well Done"

A Cruise Bruise visitor has commented to me on the article I wrote regarding the science behind cruise ship cabin pressurization and the effect it has when depressurized of blowing passengers overboard, right off their cabin balcony.

The visitor, named Mac says, "I was interested in the article on wind effects causing passengers to blow overboard. I am a building architect (not a naval architect) and all of this science, including porosity is known to wind study experts, but not well understood by practitioners.

The article was very well done, and I agree with the findings.

One more factor that I don`t believe was mentioned was elevators.
You will note that there were elevators in the cross hall between the suites. The `pumping`effect of elevators is also well known by building technologists. The elevator cars in the shafts act as big pumps, and when the elevators run up and down they can cause considerable pressurization changes in the adjacent hallways. So they might also have been a factor in these accidents."

I agree with  Mac on the effects of elevators. I saw this effect at the beach condo as well. I didn't mention it because I could not find the science behind it to prove my theory, though I did witness the effect personally.

I had actually initially included this particular aspect of the effect in the article, but second guessed myself after my husband made a comment about it, and I could not clearly disprove it with science, though we had both witnessed it. So, it was removed. When Mac contacted me, confirming what I already knew, I felt like I was right on.

On more than one occasion when coming back to the condo from an outing, the elevator doors opened on our floor at the same time we opened our front door, it was easy to feel the suction in the condo. In fact, the door would jerk out of our hands and slam against an inside wall.

It is my belief that these set of circumstances combined to form a force that has had deadly effects aboard cruise ships in the past.

I would like to thank Mac for his expert, contributing comment.