UPDATE: Louis Majesty Hit by Wave

While details still have yet to emerge regarding today's accident onboard Louis Majesty (see post below), in this post we take a look at how something like this might have happened, and how the design of the ship itself may have contributed to the seriousness of the accident.

Try as I might, I can't find a good, copyright-free image of Louis Majesty's bow.  So I am providing this link to an excellent photograph on Shipspotting.net

Louis Majesty was designed with a very short prow - that is, the stem of the ship.  The actual bow area itself is rather small in comparison as well.  Situated directly on the same deck as the top of the bow itself is a public room with large, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Compare that with this image of the bow deck area of Holland America's Zuiderdam.

Zuiderdam's bow viewing area.

Photo ©2006 Aaron Saunders

Notice how the decks are stacked and tiered against one another, and how the largest public room windows, other than small stateroom windows, are on the bridge itself - eight decks above the water line, and four decks above the bow level.  The tapered steel bukhead railings are designed to channel any water off and over the side of the ship.  Also notice the heavy steel marine doors that lead out to this deck on the right and left.

Louis Majesty has large bay windows on its bow deck - meaning when the ship took heavy seas, the water cascaded down the short length of the bow and slammed directly into the windows, shattering them.  The short slope of the Majesty's forward bulkheads, above the lounge, would also have allowed water, if it was high enough, to reach the forward end of the promenade deck, which is also not protected by a bulkhead.

Why was this design never a problem?  In the past, Louis Majesty - then Norwegian Majesty - has always stuck to the relatively calm waters of the Caribbean, where waves aren't likely to become as large and unpredictable as in other parts of the world.  

It is important to stress: the ship is not badly built nor is it unsafe in any way.  But I would expect Louis Cruise Lines will probably re-think the lounge on the bow deck.  If the windows cannot be sufficiently enforced, they may be shuttered with steel or removed altogether.  

In the meantime, we wish the passengers, crew, and staff of Louis Cruise Lines, as well as the families of those affected, our sincerest condolences.