What are knots?
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As with other types of ships, the speed of a cruise ship is measured in knots. One knot is equal to one nautical mile per hour. Thus, if a ship is sailing at 20 knots, it means the ship will traverse 20 nautical miles in an hour. (A nautical mile is equal to one degree of latitude, i.e. 6,076 feet; 1.151 land miles or 1,852 metres).
Translating this into speeds and distance on land, a knot is equivalent to 1.15078 miles per hour. (1.852 km per hour). Thus, if you want to compare the speed of a ship to the speed of your car, multiply the number of knots times 1.15078 to get the ship's miles per hour. Knots have been used as a means of calculating the speed of ships since the days of sailing ships. In those days, a line with physical knots tied into it at evenly spaced intervals would be attached to a piece of wood. The piece of wood would than be tossed from the stern of the ship. One sailor would count the number of knots that ran through his hand as the line played out. Another sailor with an hour glass would time the operation. Most modern cruise ships have a top speed of approximately 23 knots. The ocean liner Queen Mary 2 has done approximately 30 knots. However, the SS United States reportedly had a top speed of over 40 knots. |
Queen Mary 2 has sailed at nearly 30 knots.
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Cruise ship FAQs - - What are knots?