How far does a cruise ship take to stop?

Answer 1

From full speed at about 25knots it can take up to 1 nautical mile, depending on the technique and propulsion.

Throwing the machinery into reverse can take a long time to stop a vessel. The propellors are less efficient when providing reverse thrust, due to the shape of the hull restricting water flow.

A better technique for an emergency is to turn sharply until beam on to the original direction. Once the vessel is turning, then use full astern.

This uses the beam of the vessel to resist the forward inertia.