Many people are interested in knowing what happens to old cruise ships once they are brought to enormous "graveyards."
These ship-breaking yards are where the ships go to be taken apart and recycled. It's a process that captures people's curiosity.
The huge value hidden in old cruise ships.
Cruise ships are amazing creations built by humans, showcasing advanced technology.
After around 20 to 30 years of service, cruise ships typically reach the end of their operational life and are retired.
However, they are not simply abandoned due to the significant investment in constructing these vessels.
Cruise lines recognize the huge value that lies within these ships. When cruise ships retire, they are often taken apart, and valuable materials are recovered.
A 2021 report states that these materials can earn businesses around $4 million in revenue.
The ships are dismantled carefully to extract the valuable resources they hold. It is a common practice that helps generate significant income from the materials alone.
What happens to old cruise ships after being sent into massive 'graveyards'?
Once a cruise ship reaches the end of its service life, it is no longer economically viable to continue operating it.
These retired ships are then transported to ship-breaking yards, where they undergo a series of processes for recycling and dismantling.
The first step of this complex process is to eliminate dangerous materials.
Asbestos, fuel, and other harmful substances are safely removed to guarantee proper disposal and protect the environment.
This step is essential to ensure the safety of workers involved in dismantling the ships and preserving the surrounding ecosystem.
After the dangerous materials have been removed, the ship-breaking process begins. Workers utilize various tools and machinery to dismantle the ship, section by section.
The goal is to recover as much material as possible for recycling and repurposing.
Metals like steel and aluminum are typically the most valuable and sought-after materials. Overall, it takes approximately eight months to tear apart a cruise ship.
Considering their enormous size and the techniques used to cut them into pieces, this duration doesn't seem particularly long.
The ship-breaking yards are equipped with special tools to handle the large structures of cruise ships. Canes, cutting torches, and other heavy machinery are utilized to carefully dismantle the ships.
After the cruise ship is torn apart, the salvaged materials are sorted out and sent for recycling.
Metals, such as steel and aluminum, are melted down and prepared for use in different industries.
Additionally, materials like wood and plastics may undergo recycling or be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
Remarkably, ship-breaking yards have to follow strict environmental and safety rules.
These regulations guarantee that the dismantling process is carried out in an environmentally conscious way, with appropriate waste management and measures to control pollution.
