Among a suite of technological features on board Scenic Eclipse, the vessel’s GPS Dynamic Positioning (DP) system stands out as a skilful – and incredibly valuable, from an ocean conservation viewpoint – bit of kit.
As the London-based Nautical Institute – an international representative body for maritime professionals that control sea-going ships – describes it, DP “is a vessel capability [in which] a computer control system automatically maintains a vessel’s position and heading by using her own propellers and thrusters”. This allows vessels to operate in places where mooring or anchoring isn’t feasible due to deep water, pipelines or the like on the sea bottom, or – in the case of Antarctic cruise vessels – for environmental reasons.
A DP system will generally include sophisticated position reference sensors, wind sensors, motion sensors and gyro compasses, which combine to provide information to the computer controlling the vessel’s position and the extent and direction of environmental forces affecting it.
The positioning computer runs a mathematical model of the vessel that includes information relating to the wind and current drag of the vessel and the position of its thrusters. This is combined with information from the sensors, which allows the computer to calculate the required output for each thruster and steering angle.
The Nautical Institute says that DP may either be absolute (the position is locked to a fixed point over the bottom) or relative to a moving object, such as another ship or an underwater vehicle. Vessels may also be positioned at a favourable angle towards wind, waves and current, which is known as “weathervaning”.
Surprisingly, dynamic positioning has origins dating back began in the 1960s, when the offshore drilling industry was looking for solutions as exploration moved into ever deeper waters. The first, manually controlled, DP-like vessel was trialled in 1961, and vessels with a more sophisticated control system swiftly followed.
“It’s part of what makes a Scenic journey not only luxurious, but truly respectful of the extraordinary destinations it explores”.
Modern vessels employing DP, such as Scenic Eclipse, have benefitted from the vast improvements that have since been made. DP-enabled vessels are common across the globe’s oceans and are operated in a range of industries, including cruise tourism in environmentally sensitive areas.
The website for global shipping logistics giant Maersk’s training arm has a simple explanation of how the various components of a DP system integrate to achieve the cool outcome.
First, a vessel reaches its designated location using traditional navigation methods. Once in position, its DP system is activated and sensors start monitoring real-time environmental conditions and the vessel’s position. The DP system continuously calculates and recalculates the required thrust to maintain position. For example, if a strong wind pushes the vessel off its spot, the system automatically commands the thrusters to counteract this force.
Maersk Training describes the accuracy of DP systems as “remarkable, often maintaining positions within a few meters. This precision is crucial for operations near oil rigs or delicate marine ecosystems, where a small drift can have significant consequences.”
It’s important to add that, advanced as they are, DP systems still require highly skilled human operators, who monitor the system, step in if there’s a problem, and make critical decisions during complex operations.
DP systems are set to become even more sophisticated as AI and machine learning assists their predictive capabilities.
For guests onboard Scenic Eclipse, the Dynamic Positioning System isn’t just a technical marvel — it plays a direct role in enhancing the onboard experience. By maintaining a steady position without dropping anchor, the ship can access ecologically sensitive areas like Antarctica with minimal disruption to the marine environment. This allows guests to witness pristine landscapes and wildlife from uniquely close vantage points, often in locations where traditional anchoring would be inaccessible to other ships without this technology. It’s part of what makes a Scenic journey not only luxurious, but truly respectful of the extraordinary destinations it explores.
In December 2024, the former RiAus editor-in-chief Ian Connellan and former Cosmos Editor Gail MacCallum embarked on their first visit to Antarctica. The well-travelled Connellan discovered a new world as a guest of Scenic, for an account of his trip – see story here.