Deck 1

The next deck above, is where the passenger embark and disembark. Passenger are not permitted below deck one. The heeling tanks are installed on either side at the bow.

Heeling tanks help to balance the ship if it is unevenly loaded. If necessary, water is pumped from one tank to the other to adjust the balance and weight and put the ship on "an even keel". This is another one of the many safety features on the cruise ship.

The rest of the deck houses hotel crew cabins, officer cabins, the crew lobby, changing rooms for the crew and the lower level cinema. This deck is also the bottom of the main staircase that goes through the next six decks above. The aft part is taken up by the cold and dry provision storage. There are huge refrigerators and freezers for storage of perishables. On this deck, the ship's waste is processed and sorted.


Most cruise ship are outfitted with garbage treatment plant that burns the garbage and waste at very high temperatures. The ashes are then mixed sea water and kept in holding tanks and pumped out at harbor or on the high seas.