Investigating the Adaptive Reuse of Decommissioned Cruise Ships

The rapid influx in cruise ship decommissioning during 2020 has created a unique opportunity to recycle or repurpose large ships using innovative strategies. This report examines the potential for the conversion of decommissioned cruise ships for housing, with a focus on the Miami-Dade County area. The goal was to investigate an alternative mode of coastal living, taking advantage of the oversupply of decommissioned ships as a primary housing structure, using semi-permanent docking in available port spaces. We identified case studies of residential cruise ships to serve as relevant precedents. We collected and synthesized raw data on the specifics of size, tonnage, capacity, age, and cost of the decommissioned ships of the year 2020, creating key datasets highlighting the magnitude of the issue. We then investigated the engineering feasibility of a docked residential cruise ship in Miami, conducting interviews with engineering practitioners having marine terminal expertise. Finally, we conducted an on-line survey to 362 adults in Miami-Dade County, (Qualtrics) to investigate perceptions from potential residents of this new living concept. We found that residential cruise ships could be moored in developed areas, such as the Port of Miami, but that infrastructure costs would be considerable, and the need for hurricane evacuation would be an issue for prospective residents. Our survey results strongly supported the proof- of-concept, with respondents expressing (88% yes or maybe) interest in living on a repurposed cruise ship. Those expressing the greatest interest are 41-50 years of age, earning at least $100,000 per year, who are single or have children, and willing to pay $849(mean) and $4000(max) per month.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AIA.Inter.21.32

Volume Editors
Rico Quirindongo & Georgeen Theodore

ISBN
978-1-944214-39-5