Even if you've cruised recently, you may not have noticed some of the things that make modern cruise vessels tick, especially those relating to safety and maneuverability.
To illustrate this, let's look at Norwegian Cruise Lines' 2,400-passenger Norwegian Pearl that entered service in early 2007. It represents the cutting edge of today's large-vessel cruising experience.
To start with, the bridge -- the ship's nerve centre -- is totally enclosed. No more simply walking up an outside staircase to the wing area of the bridge or climbing over a railing to view the operation through an open door.
With today's concerns about terrorist attacks, the closed bridge affords an added degree... more