Sparta’s mythical queen, Helen of Troy, may have been a knockout in the looks department, but playwright Christopher Marlowe’s famous line pondering whether her face launched a thousand ships is likely an overstatement of the power of beauty. Turns out, there’s a lot more to building a ship and floating it out to sea than being gazed at by a woman with thick eyelashes and great cheek bones.

Depending on the number of historic seafaring films you’ve watched or nautical tales you’ve read, you may have the impression crafting a majestic sailing vessel involves teams of shipwrights transforming felled oak, pine, acacia or cedar into shaped lumber. That used to be true — and the wood used to build those vessels may have been “stitched” together using ropes, clinched with rivets fashioned from copper or iron, or caulked at points of contact with a concoction of tarred hemp cordage that created a watertight seal between the wooden seams.

PHOTO: © WINDSTAR

In the real, less literary world, there are many steps involved between conceptualizing a cruise ship and watching as her first round of modern-day explorers walk up the gangway and she sets off on her maiden voyage. Following the eventual introduction of metal hulls and the addition of engines, shipbuilding methods have been continually updated and improved. But even with today’s access to high-tech materials and automated production systems, the process can extend to multiple years.

“We start dreaming up ships long before the first piece of steel is cut,” said Keith Lane, senior vice president, Hotel Operations, Celebrity Cruises. “The journey from initial concept to welcoming our first guests typically spans five years — a timeline that reflects our commitment to delivering the elevated guest experience Celebrity is known for. The extensive development process involves our team carefully crafting every detail of the guest experience, from revolutionary ship design and innovative dining concepts to breakthrough entertainment offerings.”

Dreaming up a ship is just the beginning. James Kent, senior director New Builds, Princess Cruises, gave a rough breakout of the steps involved. While he explained many infrastructure activities happen concurrently, first steps generally involve steel plates, stiffeners and girders being welded together to form the panels that will become the hull, bulkheads and decks.

Next, multiple steel panels are assembled into larger steel sections. Then, infrastructure pre-outfitting — for example, creating ventilation ducts — begins. After this, steel sections are welded together to form a block, each of which is identifiable as a major element of the ship. These blocks are lifted into the dry dock and welded together during the erection phase.

“This,” Kent elaborated, “is the point you can really start to see the hull come together. Heavy machinery, such as the engines, is lifted into place before the blocks located above the machinery are lifted into position, followed by piping and ducting installation.”

Following this, there’s the laying of electrical cables, technical system commissioning begins, and catering equipment is installed. The erection of cabins and the outfitting of public areas is completed before the final delivery of the ship. The average time from cutting the first steel to “floating out” the ship, Kent said, is typically 12 to 16 months. After floating out, there’s usually an additional eight to 12 months of fitting out before the ship is finally delivered.

What cruise passengers may not realize: On most passenger ships, staterooms are not constructed individually on board. Instead, they’re generally added at a particular stage in the building process. The brand-new luxury Celebrity Xcel, which marks the fifth Edge-class ship in the Celebrity fleet, provides a good example.

“We have partnered with [French shipbuilders] Chantiers de l’Atlantique to build all the Edge Series ships,” said Lane. “The staterooms are built offsite to approximately 80 percent complete, then transported and integrated into the ship where the final fit out is completed. This process allows us to maintain a high level of craftsmanship in construction and auditing standards to ensure guests enjoy a consistent, elevated experience in every stateroom on Celebrity Xcel.”

PHOTO: © WINDSTAR

And what about those other, breathtakingly gorgeous cruise ships propelled by sails? John Gunner, vice president of Expansion Projects, Windstar Cruises, oversees all major refurbishments and ship building projects for the line. While many of the processes are the same, there are a few differences.

As with other ships, the hull is constructed in blocks and assembled from the keel up, Gunner explained. Machinery, such as engines, is loaded at strategic moments in construction so they can be craned into position easily. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC elements are then installed in the steel-constructed vessel.

“In the case of these ships,” Gunner revealed, “the suites are constructed inside the ship. The bulkheads and cabinetry are installed in position.”

Within Princess ships, said Kent, structural elements are steel, although aluminum is occasionally used in the upper parts of the ship to reduce weight. The use of actual wood is now limited to decorative elements. And though wood elements exist in the outfitting of the Windstar Cruises fleet, Gunner added everything is protected with a comprehensive HI-FOG fire protection system.

Before building ever begins, complex mathematical calculations are employed to determine the overall weight — including passengers — of a finished ship. Windstar’s Gunner says the weight of the ship is split between lightweight and deadweight.

PHOTO: © WINDSTAR

“Lightweight is the ship itself with all parts in place,” he said. “Deadweight is the total weight of ‘cargo’ — in our case, guests with luggage, etc. The weight of the ship in total is the displacement in the water. The GRT (Gross Registered Tonnage) is a volume calculation.”

Basically, this means the ship’s weight is equal to the weight of the water it displaces when floating, or what James Kent of Princess Cruises describes as the Archimedes principle. In addition to a ship’s steel structure and equipment, this total weight also includes fuel, water, provisions, crew and passengers. Kent added initial calculations are rigorously monitored and adjusted throughout the building process, with the final weight verified by surveying the floating position of the ship in order to determine how much is below the waterline, revealing how much water has been displaced.

Once the ship is floating, she is put through her paces in a process known as sea trials. According to Gunner, sea trials for Windstar ships are scheduled one to two months before delivery, when the ship is tested at sea to prove and set up all machinery and systems.

“Sea trials are an important milestone in bringing our innovative ships to life; it’s when our new vessels take their first journey at sea,” said Celebrity’s Lane. “During sea trials, our ships are put through their paces under expert guidance, with more than 50 crew members, engineers and nautical experts conducting comprehensive testing. This process showcases that our ships’ strength, excellence and superb sailing capabilities go beyond their breathtaking amenities, evaluating everything from comfort and safety to maneuverability and fuel efficiency. This is especially key with a ship like Celebrity Xcel, which will sail with new features not only in the guest experience but also in the engine room.”

And, at long last, a newly constructed, rigorously tested ship is allowed to set off upon her maiden voyage, her first sailing with guests on board. If you’re ever lucky enough to take part in such a grand adventure, pack your finery and enjoy the moment. No doubt the Queen of Sparta herself would wholeheartedly approve.