So the outside edge of the balcony is flush with the outside of the ship?

Quote from: walkerpThanatos, do rooms have balconies that actually stick out over the ocean?

Naw. It stuck out over the deck. My grandfather had a swanky-ass room compared to mine. But I guess it could have been, if it's more dramatic too have someone walk the plank or something. ^_^

Some extra fluff remembered from my Navy days that might be useful...

Most cruise lines are owned by multinational companies, and the crew reflects this. I've never seen an engineering crew of a cruise line that wasn't asian (usually Phillipino), a command crew that wasn't european (usually Swedish or Norwegian), and a services/entertainment crew that wasn't American (if the ship sailed in the Atlantic waters, can't say about the Pacific).

With all these nationalities mixed, an international incident type scenario (terrorism if it hasn't been overused) would be easy to imagine.

Oh, and piracy still happens in the world. Usually around Africa, but pirates based out of Haiti or Cuba would be easy to imagine for a game.

The service crews of the ships I was on was heavily international, but with heavy contingents of africans, Caribbean islanders, and on one case, Russians.

I'll ask my brother some of these questions as he's a marine engineer and worked on the cruises for several years. He never mentioned a cat though - I suspect quarantine laws for UK-based ships were an issue.

The majority of the ships officers were European, but waiting and cleaning staff were generally Asian and be on board for a number of tours. My brother would do 2-3 months on, then the same off. IIRC 3 months was thejourney time for a round the world cruise. I can't recall any balconies actually overhanging the sides and I'd forget about getting out of cabin windows. As far as the light fire-fighting gear goes it's scattered around the ship but for crew to actually fire-fight there's breathing apparatus, suits, etc.

Most lifeboats are launched fairly slowly from davits because of their size, but you might find a liferaft available.

I remember him telling me about the final voyage of the Canberra when it was going to the beach in Asia to be broken up. Lots of entertainment for the skeleton crew who even rigged a water slide from one of the upper decks to the swimming pool. How about that for an adventure setting? A large beach in Asia, several rusting hulks run aground, a flurry of crews breaking them and somehow you have to find your way inside to retrieve a hidden package.

They really are such massive structures, not unlike giant floating dungeons or space vessels.

I'm thinking about the balconies in terms of hanging off of them and dropping to balconies below (or the water ).

Another question, do cruises tend to stop every day at port?  Or are their ones that spend more time just out in the ocean?  

(I'm using the advice in this thread heavily, so thanks again everyone).

Quote from: walkerpAnother question, do cruises tend to stop every day at port?  Or are their ones that spend more time just out in the ocean?  

(I'm using the advice in this thread heavily, so thanks again everyone).

It really depends where your cruise is going to, but unless you're going around the world it'll probably be no more than a couple of days between ports, because whilst they are floating towns, many people like the fact you can visit a wide variety of places in a short time with no driving or flying between and are fed and watered to your heart's content in the meantime.

http://www.pocruises.com/quick-cruise-finder.aspx has examples of itineries.

Awesome.  Found my itinerary.  I'm going to have to tweak my adventure a bit because I had initially envisioned it all taking place way out at sea.  But my own research fits with what you said, cruises tend to stop a lot.  And I want to keep it in the Mediterranean, as it fits the theme of the ship being taken over by Dionysian sex cultists.

Quote from: Serious PaulDecent article on Security on Cruise Ships here.

Dude

Quote from: your articleSome lines carry security to extremes: Princess Cruises uses Gurkahs, the famed and extremely fierce Nepalese fighters of the British Army, for it's fleetwide security force. They have been in place for some time; at last report, there were at least six on both Grand Princess and Golden Princess.

That is wild!  Motha-fuckin' Gurkhas as cruise ship security.  Tell me that's not RPG material!

Yeah I thought that was pretty cool.

There is no better way than to find out firsthand...

One of the things that really caught my eye was the gaming cruises Strategic
Retreat 2008! This will be hosted on one of the Carnival Cruise line
oceangoing cities. I kid you not, there are actually two scheduled for 2008,
one to be held in the Caribbean March 8-16, 2008, departing from Port
Canaveral (Orlando) Florida and one in the Pacific on the Mexican Riviera
February 17-24th, 2008, departing from Long Beach California. It's still
cold and snowy here in Indiana at that time of year, so a tropical gaming
vacation onboard an oceangoing cruise ship would be tops. Accommodation,
meals & entertainment, a hosted cocktail party, $100 per cabin shipboard
credit, prizes, surprises, Warhammer, Cthulu (in Spanish?), board games,
wargames, and RPG gaming rounds.

For more information contact Kimberly Maita at Ships and Travel
kim.shipsandtrips@yahoo.com or telephone 916.502.5585 or
916.454.4045 (fax)

Cheers!

Wow! Gaming cruise! That is very cool...

wonder if they would listen to my idea to have one that goes from the UK to the US just before and after Gen-Con...

(not for me, but you blokes across the pond, I'm already here you see, just trying to show some love).

Edit: Strategic Retreat

Quote from: TechnomancerThat is wild!  Motha-fuckin' Gurkhas as cruise ship security.  Tell me that's not RPG material!

It's good to see that they are getting good work after the collapse of the Empire!  And you are right that this is RPG material served up to you on a silver platter.  Imagine your players' slack-jawed amazement when you show them the article to prove that you where not, in fact, pullin the Gurkha security guards out of your ass!  


TGA

Hey, just wanted to let you all know that I managed to put together a decent (if  a bit railroadey) little con adventure that I ran with decent success this saturday.  When I have some breathing time (it's insane at work right now), I'll comment in detail on some of the issues that arose.  I am also planning to finish writing it up and posting it on savageheroes.  Anyways, thanks for your help with this everyone.