One Solution to Poor Shipyard Accommodations for Sailors: Cruise Ships​

By Dr. Steven Wills

A recent Navy report condemning the outdated and poor quality living conditions for sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) demonstrates the need for innovative ways to accommodate sailors when their ships are in long, industrial periods. In the course of Washington’s extended, six-year mid-life refueling and complex overhaul period, (including the COVID-19 pandemic) from 2017 to 2023, nine sailor suicides occurred, and there was widespread discontent and poor morale. That report and investigations into those conditions will no doubt continue, but the Navy still needs solutions to poor quality housing for sailors of all ranks in port for extended periods, especially in shipyards out of their homeport and away from family and friends. One possible, immediate option is for the service to purchase several surplus cruise ships available on global markets and outfit them as mobile berthing barges crewed by military sealift command civilian mariners for underway operations and engineering and staffed with navy civilian employees for housekeeping and food service. Existing berthing barges are not known for their quality accommodations, and they have poor mobility. The Navy has used former cruise ships in the past as alternative berthing during warship overhauls and can again utilize this concept to provide better sailor accommodations in the present.

Cruise Ships have a History as Military Transports and Accommodation

Ocean liners and cruise ships have a long service as transport and living accommodations for sailors. Numerous former liners and cruise ships were converted for these missions in both 20th century world wars. The British liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth both served as transports in World War II carrying thousands of troops at a time. Some of these ships continued operations into the Cold War as transports for troops and for U.S. military dependents travelling to and from overseas duty locations. Two of the former W.S. Benson-class built as military troop transports and passenger ships remained in service into the 1980s, specifically to provide sailor berthing for long shipyard periods. While offering cramped accommodations when large numbers of people were embarked, most cabins at least offered a porthole view on the outside and some privacy.

Figure 1. Contemporary West Coast Navy Berthing Barge Accommodation

Figure 2. 1950s era Accommodation on Military Sealift Transport

Into the Present with Modern Cruise Ships as Shipyard Accommodation

Present U.S. Navy berthing barges are essentially a floating box, often with few amenities. A quick perusal of cruise ships for sale around the world suggests a large number of such vessels are available for conversion into new shipyard accommodations. Such vessels have spacious, well-lit rooms, swimming pools, multiple gyms, theaters, restaurants, and clubs, with topside, open spaces for walking and even jogging. Even the older vessels built in the 1990s offer many of these amenities. While a military berthing conversion would be more spartan and functional, the presence of these facilities, with perhaps an Exchange store and other shops might give sailors a sense of community, even when assigned to difficult work in the shipyard and, in some cases, away from their homeport.

Figure 3. Destiney class large Italian cruise ship for sale

Figure 4. Accommodation Unit with Large Window and Theater Destiny class ship

Compare such a vessel with the current type of U.S. Navy Berthing barge:

Figure 5. Recent Navy berthing Barge and Galley Space

Mobile and More Useful

Unlike the steam-powered troop transports of the 20^th century, modern cruise ships are mostly powered by reliable diesel engines and were often built with fuel economy in mind. If employed as mobile berthing facilities these ships could be moved globally as needed to support shipyard overhauls, avoiding the need for purpose-built land-based accommodations. As in the past, such ships could be operated by the civilian mariners of the Military Sealift Command whilst underway and by smaller crews in port with housekeeping and food services supplied by shore-based civilian employees.

Figure 6. USNS William O’Darby Underway in MSC Funnel Livery

Contrast this view of a mobile accommodation vessel with the usual way that the navy must move existing, non-self-propelled berthing barges.

Figure 7. Two New Berthing Barges under tow in 2000

The Cruise Ship Idea Works

In 2015, the USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) engaged the use of the former Ukrainian cruise ship MV Delfin as berthing for U.S. Navy sailors while the 6^th Fleet command ship was in a seven-month overhaul period in the Viktor Lenac shipyard located in Rijeka, Croatia. Sailors from the ship got staterooms instead of bunks (480 cabins on the ship) and got to use the former cruise ship’s facilities, other than the casino that was closed. Costs were less than busing the crew 90 minutes one way to and from shore accommodations, and crew members were much happier with their berthing arrangements.

Figure 8. USS Mount Whitney and Delphin on a later Overhaul visit in 2018

Conclusion

Life aboard a converted cruise ship employed as a mobile berthing unit would not be as glamourous as would be an actual cruise. Sailors assigned aboard the ship would still have some responsibilities for cleaning and upkeep. Such accommodations do not replace going home at night to family and friends. The Navy would need to spend the money necessary to convert and maintain the ships. That said, a converted cruise ship offers not only community-like housing for sailors trapped in long shipyard periods, but other potential, wartime roles including auxiliary hospital ships, transport vessels for troops available at short notice (the joint force no longer possess such ships), forward base berthing and repair vessels, as well as emergency command ships with space for operations centers and additional communications equipment. Above all, such an acquisition would signal to sailors their value for the service and the Navy’s commitment to take care of its people in the most austere and demanding peacetime service conditions.

Dr. Steven Wills is the Navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy. His research and analysis centers on U.S. Navy strategy and policy, surface warfare programs and platforms, and military history.