Safety concerns

Hi, so I'm going on my first cruise may15th I kno it sounds weird but is there enough boats incase anything where to happen? And also are the seas rough? I saw this video last week of a ship stranded in the middle of a huge storm.

Hi there.

Welcome to CC.

There are plenty of life boats and life rafts should they be needed. Maritime laws ensure that's the case, and new laws since the Costa Concordia means everyone has to do the muster drill (safety briefing) before the ship sails.

The sea may be rough (you didn't say where your sailing) but the captain will not put the ship in danger (even if that means changing the itinerary.) your unlikely to be caught in a storm, but if you are it's pretty safe, if a bit bumpy.

Thank you. We are leaving from Boston to Bermuda

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

It is pretty hard to predict what your weather will be like.

Last week it was quite windy there and the seas were a little rough.

Cruise ships are required to have sufficient lifeboat capacity for everyone on board. That is both the passengers and staff.

Welcome.

I think that is a good route for your first cruise. I wouldn't worry too much on a Boston to Bermuda cruise you will always be some what close to land :D

Welcome.

 

I think that is a good route for your first cruise. I wouldn't worry too much on a Boston to Bermuda cruise you will always be some what close to land :D

It's over 700 miles from Boston to Bermuda, so they definitely will NOT be close to land. There will be stretches when they are 300+ miles from any land.

Not to worry. Have been on several cruises to Bermuda. I had the experience of a transatlantic cruise and had worse seas that what was identified on U-tube and the media. The 40 foot waves were literally causing the sea water to enter the ship on the promenade deck, the gift shop merchandise fell from the display shelves, the food court had toppled plants, and silverware and food staples. Some passengers fell. The only restriction was not to go outside for obvious reasons. MAN OVERBOARD! Which did not occur. It was if you were on a Navy ship traveling the North Atlantic with high seas as displayed on various movies. Actually it was a lot of fun. There was no time that the ship was in jeopardy.

Ok thank you very much!!! This whole thing has me nervous

Hi there.

 

Welcome to CC.

 

There are plenty of life boats and life rafts should they be needed. Maritime laws ensure that's the case, and new laws since the Costa Concordia means everyone has to do the muster drill (safety briefing) before the ship sails.

 

The sea may be rough (you didn't say where your sailing) but the captain will not put the ship in danger (even if that means changing the itinerary.) your unlikely to be caught in a storm, but if you are it's pretty safe, if a bit bumpy.

Not entirely true. Some ships sail late in the evening with all aboard for arriving passengers not until after 10:00 pm. They do a muster for those onboard in the late afternoon, but muster for the later arrivals is held the next morning--10 hours after the ship has set sail.

Safety is the most important concern. Cruises will change the itinerary and miss ports for safety. I had it happen on a Mexico cruise.

Today the Carnival Imagination ship couldn't sail out of Los Angeles Harbor (Long Beach) and the passengers were sent by bus to San Diego to start the cruise. The will miss the stop in Catalina due to high seas. We have some pretty big waves here, which is unusual for California.

There will be plenty of lifeboats. Rough seas of course can happen, but in over 30 cruises we've never experienced really bad seas--just a few rockier days and never bad enough to close decks or miss ports.

The ship's safety is paramount, so the captain will alter itineraries as needed.

Not entirely true. Some ships sail late in the evening with all aboard for arriving passengers not until after 10:00 pm. They do a muster for those onboard in the late afternoon, but muster for the later arrivals is held the next morning--10 hours after the ship has set sail.

Wrong!

You seem to be referring to the Costa Concordia's schedule before it's accident, which did indeed let passengers on board overnight before they were required to attend the muster drill. As of February 2012, no cruise ship is allowed to depart unless all passengers have had their muster drill. http://www.cruising.org/regulatory/news/press_releases/2012/02/cruise-industry-associations-adopt-new-muster-drill-policy

On our last cruise, no one was allowed to leave the muster areas until every passenger on board was located, even if they tried to hide. There were endless calls over the PA system for passenger John Doe or Jill Doe, over and over again until they were finally located. On another cruise before us, passengers were removed from the ship because they refused to attend. They got kicked off even before the cruise started! And with no refund! I love it when people get what they deserve. ;)

HAL has removed guests who failed to report to life boat drill. They call your name once, twice, how many times and the Captain then announces they will be found and they will be removed from the ship with no refund of their fare. I know this has happened!

As to Bermuda cruises, land is not always 'within view' or nearby. It is southeast from Boston to Bermuda and there is no land between.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

There are more than enough life boat for everyone. Your May 15th sailing is a great time of year to cruise from Boston to Bermuda!

Look forward to having a WONDERFUL cruise! :D

LuLu

Thank you very much guys!!

It's over 700 miles from Boston to Bermuda, so they definitely will NOT be close to land. There will be stretches when they are 300+ miles from any land.

On the Boston to Bermuda run, a cruise ship is NEVER more than 6 miles from land.

Of course, most of the time it is 6 miles straight down....................................

On the Boston to Bermuda run, a cruise ship is NEVER more than 6 miles from land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, most of the time it is 6 miles straight down....................................

Now that is funny - I might just nick that line!:D

On the Boston to Bermuda run, a cruise ship is NEVER more than 6 miles from land.

 

Of course, most of the time it is 6 miles straight down....................................

Too FUNNY above! :D

Still, let's not get the OP worried ... who will be going a wonderful time of year for smooth sailing. :)

LuLu

Too FUNNY above! :D

 

Still, let's not get the OP worried ... who will be going a wonderful time of year for smooth sailing. :)

 

LuLu

They have themselves worried. They currently have 3 threads going asking the same thing in all.

They have themselves worried. They currently have 3 threads going asking the same thing in all.

Seems so :rolleyes: Hopefully, people on all three threads have assured them they'll be fine. Apparently, they are extremely concerned. :rolleyes:

LuLu

Not trying to scare the OP, but I am often amazed at how few ships of any kind you see. Do cruise ships must stay out of the main shipping channels?

Not trying to scare the OP, but I am often amazed at how few ships of any kind you see. Do cruise ships must stay out of the main shipping channels?

I think it depends on the itinerary. During peak season it's hard to not see another cruise ship in the distance in the Caribbean as there are usually 4-5 on more or less the same itinerary. Same with the Bahamas. You'll see a lot of ships in The Med as well. Not as many in French Polynesia, and I would imagine TA's and Ring of Fire cruises.

Hi, so I'm going on my first cruise may15th I kno it sounds weird but is there enough boats incase anything where to happen? And also are the seas rough? I saw this video last week of a ship stranded in the middle of a huge storm.

Probably a Gilligan's Island rerun.

Not trying to scare the OP, but I am often amazed at how few ships of any kind you see. Do cruise ships must stay out of the main shipping channels?

We have just come back from a b2b cruise along the coast of China and around Japan. Lots of ships, from small fishing boats to ferries to large freighters.

Cruise ships use the main shipping lines, but many Caribbean islands are poor and just don't have a lot of ship traffic. You see small freighters in their ports and, for example, lined up at the island of St. Eustatius for refueling.