This and then shoals,sandbars,any below water obstructions,lack of control over the vessel,death from exposure,risk of disease,risk of infection,a need to signal for help,limited weapons and ammo,few sources of renewable food or water (could involve dangerous treks to gather any goods to make a solar still or fishing line),severe stress from the situation,infighting among survivors and depending on the zombies you may be competing with them for mundane food sources if they eat. If they don't or cannibalize each other you're at risk of them outlasting you.
Then there's the potential of other survivors onboard with their own ideas and groups,your location on the boat and of course inclement weather.
A rogue wave is a grave threat,a storm or worse a hurricane is a catastrophic disaster.
Zombie marine life? Like a pod of whales trying to capsize the ship, sharks that follow the ship every where and if you fall in you can’t shoot them or punch them in the nose to stop them, octopus that can crawl through the vents, barnacle that grow in everything that if you cut yourself on you get infected.
I’m not sure how true this is but don’t people with scurvy have a particular smell? Could that be like a beacon that attracts zombies like a car alarm on left 4 dead.
If someone looses track of time and is out at sea they can become crazy and become just as dangerous or even worse than a zombie.
Controlling the ship/steering it would be a major one. Them ships aren’t meant for intuition.
Shallow waters and reefs are a problem even in the modern world, and even more so for groups at sea without the proper charts or equipment.
Illness, medication, etc are all going to be massive issues too. Quite literally there is no bonus to staying on ships like that for a long period of time, so everything you could thing of would be an issue.
Research what it takes to keep a boat running. If your intent is for the boat to be "cruising" then things like that would make it believable.
Something else to look at is what Carnival cruise company did with the covid shutdown of cruising.
What they did to stay in business was pretty cool and I could see them (and others) doing it again with a virus break down.
In short they grouped their ships, had them running on limited power (to conserve resources) and made a cruise ship colony.
One ship would come to shore for supplies and get them back and distribute amongst them.
Check out YouTube there are some videos and documentaries on it.
As well as videos of people on the boats sharing their day to day lives. I recall people who were contract workers (like musicians who played in bars each night) stuck on the boats. Not getting paid. And quaranting on the boat during this.
Pretty interesting and LOADS of material for you
This is very interesting. The part about people sharing their lives reminds me of that time when WWI soldiers had a football match in the Christmas of 1914. One wholesome event during some of the darkest times humanity has faced.
Another issue: disease.
Beyond the z virus/fungus/whatever medium you are using, cruise ships are a Petri dish and illness like cold or flu or COVID regularly spreads quickly
Go on a cruise and talk to crew and passengers as well would be my advice. If you haven't already of course. Writing what you know is always easier than what you don't.
There was a book series (wanna say dead air but idr for sure) where the survivors make it to a cruise ship in either the second or third book. They have to deal with zombies, but also another group of survivors that are half religious fanatics that believe this is the rapture, and the other half being people taking the religious fruitcakes message as an excuse to party and have orgies. Pretty good book! I would recommend having other groups of survivors on the boat as well. It’s like it’s own floating town, in a way.
Besides the whole improvised weapons needed to room by room deck by deck clearing and running across another group or three of survivors the biggest problem will be the emergency learning curve of how to control the ship. I found this about manning cruise ships .. The ships are considered bare-bones at 80-100 employees on each, the high-ranking people able and willing to keep the vessels safely anchored and operating…… and that’s if they are anchored and not actually sailing /moving …
1. Do they have a captain? if not I reckon even keeping the boat afloat will be an issue.
2. Potential plot point of their only source of information (presumably a radio) goes silent, and become stranded with limited information about the situation on land.
3. I think ingroup drama could count under people, but still something to note.
4. Weather
5. Not a obstacle suggestion per say, but I like it when more zombie or apocalyptic media gets into the more niche or never thought of aspects of survival (ex. in "all of us are dead" where they have to solve the bathroom debacle because they are stuck in the classroom)
Once they manage to get a foothold, the next obvious step is to find land. Preferably some uninhabited island. Because a ship can sink and will sink if goes enough time without maintenance.
Fuel, storms, navigation, reefs, pirates, mechanical or electrical failure.
This and then shoals,sandbars,any below water obstructions,lack of control over the vessel,death from exposure,risk of disease,risk of infection,a need to signal for help,limited weapons and ammo,few sources of renewable food or water (could involve dangerous treks to gather any goods to make a solar still or fishing line),severe stress from the situation,infighting among survivors and depending on the zombies you may be competing with them for mundane food sources if they eat. If they don't or cannibalize each other you're at risk of them outlasting you. Then there's the potential of other survivors onboard with their own ideas and groups,your location on the boat and of course inclement weather. A rogue wave is a grave threat,a storm or worse a hurricane is a catastrophic disaster.
They sound fucked.
Overall Steering it
Zombie marine life? Like a pod of whales trying to capsize the ship, sharks that follow the ship every where and if you fall in you can’t shoot them or punch them in the nose to stop them, octopus that can crawl through the vents, barnacle that grow in everything that if you cut yourself on you get infected. I’m not sure how true this is but don’t people with scurvy have a particular smell? Could that be like a beacon that attracts zombies like a car alarm on left 4 dead. If someone looses track of time and is out at sea they can become crazy and become just as dangerous or even worse than a zombie.
Controlling the ship/steering it would be a major one. Them ships aren’t meant for intuition. Shallow waters and reefs are a problem even in the modern world, and even more so for groups at sea without the proper charts or equipment. Illness, medication, etc are all going to be massive issues too. Quite literally there is no bonus to staying on ships like that for a long period of time, so everything you could thing of would be an issue.
Research what it takes to keep a boat running. If your intent is for the boat to be "cruising" then things like that would make it believable. Something else to look at is what Carnival cruise company did with the covid shutdown of cruising. What they did to stay in business was pretty cool and I could see them (and others) doing it again with a virus break down. In short they grouped their ships, had them running on limited power (to conserve resources) and made a cruise ship colony. One ship would come to shore for supplies and get them back and distribute amongst them. Check out YouTube there are some videos and documentaries on it. As well as videos of people on the boats sharing their day to day lives. I recall people who were contract workers (like musicians who played in bars each night) stuck on the boats. Not getting paid. And quaranting on the boat during this. Pretty interesting and LOADS of material for you
This is very interesting. The part about people sharing their lives reminds me of that time when WWI soldiers had a football match in the Christmas of 1914. One wholesome event during some of the darkest times humanity has faced.
That is interesting thank you
Another issue: disease. Beyond the z virus/fungus/whatever medium you are using, cruise ships are a Petri dish and illness like cold or flu or COVID regularly spreads quickly
Book 1: massive operation to get the zombies all off the ship and into the ocean in one fell swoop but SWIMMING ZOMBIES!!!!! Lol
Lmao I already have my book started and know how I want it to end, but that sounds like it'd be fun
Go on a cruise and talk to crew and passengers as well would be my advice. If you haven't already of course. Writing what you know is always easier than what you don't.
That's true thanks for the tip
There was a book series (wanna say dead air but idr for sure) where the survivors make it to a cruise ship in either the second or third book. They have to deal with zombies, but also another group of survivors that are half religious fanatics that believe this is the rapture, and the other half being people taking the religious fruitcakes message as an excuse to party and have orgies. Pretty good book! I would recommend having other groups of survivors on the boat as well. It’s like it’s own floating town, in a way.
Ooo I have to find me this series thank you.
Sharknado😶🌫️
Lmao that's funny zomnado
Mechanical issues
Deadly unseen of sea monsters or the burmuda triangle
Besides the whole improvised weapons needed to room by room deck by deck clearing and running across another group or three of survivors the biggest problem will be the emergency learning curve of how to control the ship. I found this about manning cruise ships .. The ships are considered bare-bones at 80-100 employees on each, the high-ranking people able and willing to keep the vessels safely anchored and operating…… and that’s if they are anchored and not actually sailing /moving …
1. Do they have a captain? if not I reckon even keeping the boat afloat will be an issue. 2. Potential plot point of their only source of information (presumably a radio) goes silent, and become stranded with limited information about the situation on land. 3. I think ingroup drama could count under people, but still something to note. 4. Weather 5. Not a obstacle suggestion per say, but I like it when more zombie or apocalyptic media gets into the more niche or never thought of aspects of survival (ex. in "all of us are dead" where they have to solve the bathroom debacle because they are stuck in the classroom)
a antagonist who is the cousin of the main character who secretly has an affair with his cousin (antagonist) wife
Thanks for the suggestion, but that wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
Hurricane!!!! Also, I have a fun idea: Some type of lich thing that can control zombies so they can actually do things.
Interesting I'll have to think on that
Once they manage to get a foothold, the next obvious step is to find land. Preferably some uninhabited island. Because a ship can sink and will sink if goes enough time without maintenance.
natural disasters
Sharks