Smart reasons behind why cruise ships are always painted white

White might be plain, but it’s a good colour to paint a cruise ship

You might think you’re clued up about cruise ships, but do you know why the majority of them are painted white?

Although a fleet of colourful vessels sailing the seven seas would really be a sight to behold, we’re stuck with the plainest shade on the spectrum for the most part.

But this isn’t just because cruising companies couldn’t decide on what hue they would prefer – as there’s actually several smart reasons behind the decision.

Business aspect

Have you ever wondered why cruise ships are mostly white? (Getty Stock Photo)

For starters, using the colour which supposedly symbolises purity and cleanliness subconsciously informs passengers that this is what they should expect onboard too.

Say what you want about white, but it does give off an air of class and sophistication, so it’s quite a safe bet in comparison to other garish hues.

As well as this, travel firms then have a blank canvas to work with which they can plaster the name of their business and logo across.

Energy efficiency

Take yourself back to your GCSE science classes for a second and you might remember that while black absorbs heat, white reflects it.

Objects which are this colour don’t absorb any wavelengths, but instead reflect them – so putting this in terms of a cruise ship, a white surface reflects the most sunlight.

This stops the ship from absorbing excess heat, resulting in a cooler temperature on board and in turn, lower energy consumption, as they don’t need to blast the air con as much.

Visibility

The colour gives travel firms a blank canvas to cover with their own designs (MOHAMED AFRAH/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s hard to miss a huge white vessel heading your way – which is why cruise companies opt to paint them that colour.

Using white means that ocean liners are easily visible to other boats from a significant distance and in the dark, which minimises the risk of collisions out on the ocean.

White provides the perfect contrast against the blue sea water and as it reflects sunlight, this helps the ship stand out even more, even in adverse weather conditions.

Disguising wear and tear

Imagine a hot pink floating palace passing you by, only to spot it has got a big chunk of paint missing or a dirty big stain on it’s side – it’s not exactly an attractive visual, is it?

The beauty of using white is that it simplifies maintenance while leaving cruise companies without the responsibility of managing multiple colours.

Just grab a tub of white paint, patch it up and Bob’s your uncle.

So, it turns out that the colour of most cruise ships is not just an aesthetic preference; there’s a few other factors at play too. The more you know!