Could modern cruise ships receive protective systems during wartime?
Short answerConversion is harder than in earlier liners because much of a modern cruise ship's available deck space is high above the waterline, where added weight damages stability.
NotesHistorical liners offered broad deck areas where military weight could be added. Modern cruise architecture concentrates volume aloft, making top weight the central constraint. Weapons, sensors, armor, and their supporting structures would all raise the center of gravity if placed on those upper decks. A large modern cruise ship can have abundant volume yet little safe weight margin where a naval conversion needs it.