1 9 6 9 ▁novel , ▁the ▁ship ▁is ▁travel ing ▁across ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁on ▁her ▁first ▁month - long ▁cru ise ▁with ▁African ▁and ▁South ▁American ▁ports ▁of ▁call , ▁after ▁her ▁recent ▁sale ▁and ▁conversion ▁from ▁the ▁ 3 5 - year ▁old ▁British ▁ocean ▁l iner ▁R MS ▁Atl ant is ▁into ▁the ▁American ▁cru ise ▁ship ▁SS ▁P ose id on . ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 6 , ▁the ▁P ose id on ▁caps izes ▁when ▁a ▁lands lide ▁in ▁the ▁Mid - At l antic ▁R idge ▁produces ▁a ▁massive ▁ 9 9 - foot ▁t sun ami . ▁The ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁is ▁sl im ; ▁Gall ico ▁described ▁her ▁as ▁a ▁quad ru ple - s cre w ▁ocean ▁l iner ▁of ▁ 8 1 , 0 0 0 ▁tons , ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁four ▁city ▁blocks , ▁and ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁an ▁a partment ▁building ▁with ▁three ▁massive ▁fun n els , ▁which ▁would ▁make ▁her ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁R MS ▁Queen ▁Mary . ▁Gall ico ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁novel ▁after ▁his ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁passenger ▁on ▁the ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁after ▁the ▁l iner ▁t ilt ed ▁alarm ingly ▁after ▁being ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁large ▁wave . ▁He ▁also ▁describes ▁the ▁P ose id on ''' s ▁fatal ▁f law ▁as ▁r iding ▁high ▁in ▁the ▁water , ▁impro per ly ▁ball asted ▁and ▁techn ically ▁un se aw orth y , ▁this , ▁he ▁wrote , ▁made ▁the ▁P ose