Cruise Ship Cruise Ship Navigation and Seamanship 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What document must a cruise ship officer hold to legally navigate international waters?
- STCW Certificate of Competency (Correct answer)
- Passenger Boarding Pass
- Port Entry Visa
- ISPS Shore Pass
Correct answer: STCW Certificate of Competency
The STCW Certificate of Competency is the internationally recognized credential required for officers navigating vessels on international voyages.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a gyrocompass on a cruise ship?
- Measure water depth
- Provide true north heading independent of magnetic variation (Correct answer)
- Track satellite position
- Monitor engine RPM
Correct answer: Provide true north heading independent of magnetic variation
A gyrocompass uses Earth's rotation to point to true north, unaffected by magnetic deviation or ship's metal.
Question 3: The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) Rule 5 requires a vessel to maintain:
- A proper lookout at all times (Correct answer)
- A fixed speed below 15 knots
- Radio silence in fog
- Two anchors ready
Correct answer: A proper lookout at all times
COLREGs Rule 5 mandates that every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight, hearing, and all available means.
Question 4: In restricted visibility, a power-driven vessel making way sounds which fog signal?
- Two prolonged blasts every 2 minutes
- One prolonged blast at intervals of not more than 2 minutes (Correct answer)
- Three short blasts every minute
- Continuous ringing of a bell
Correct answer: One prolonged blast at intervals of not more than 2 minutes
COLREGs Rule 35 requires a power-driven vessel making way through water in restricted visibility to sound one prolonged blast at intervals of not more than two minutes.
Question 5: What does an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) communicated to port authorities typically include?
- Passenger manifest and health declarations
- Ship name, call sign, ETA, and number of persons on board (Correct answer)
- Fuel consumption logs and draft readings
- Last port departure time and cargo weight
Correct answer: Ship name, call sign, ETA, and number of persons on board
Standard pre-arrival notifications to port authorities include the vessel's name, call sign, ETA, and total persons on board for safety and logistical planning.
Question 6: Which navigation system provides real-time vessel position data and is mandatory on most large cruise ships?
- LORAN-C
- AIS (Automatic Identification System) (Correct answer)
- Radar ARPA
- Echo sounder
Correct answer: AIS (Automatic Identification System)
AIS continuously broadcasts a vessel's position, speed, and course to other ships and coast stations, and is mandatory under SOLAS for vessels over 300 GT on international voyages.
Cruise Ship Cruise Ship Navigation and Seamanship 1
What document must a cruise ship officer hold to legally navigate international waters?