Allure's lifeboat numbers....

I was over on Adam Goldstien's Blog where people can ask questions and he answers some of them each month.

There was a post submitted that has me confused. I have been trying to figure out the answer and can't seem to.

The post asked why there were not enough lifeboats for every person on board. Thinking the person didn't know what they were talking about I looked up the numbers:

5,400 guest, 2 per stateroom

maximum number 6,360

2,100 crew members

18 lifeboats accommodate 370 people each

If there are 5,400 guest and 2,100 crew they would need 20 lifeboats, correct?

Didn't they learn their lesson from Titanic?! :eek:

Seriously ~ I am sure there is something I (and that poster) am missing. Maybe the crew lifeboats are located in the crew area?

Anyone know a logical explanation for the lifeboat ratio?

I was over on Adam Goldstien's Blog where people can ask questions and he answers some of them each month.

 

There was a post submitted that has me confused. I have been trying to figure out the answer and can't seem to.

 

The post asked why there were not enough lifeboats for every person on board. Thinking the person didn't know what they were talking about I looked up the numbers:

 

5,400 guest, 2 per stateroom

maximum number 6,360

2,100 crew members

18 lifeboats accommodate 370 people each

 

If there are 5,400 guest and 2,100 crew they would need 20 lifeboats, correct?

 

Didn't they learn their lesson from Titanic?! :eek:

 

Seriously ~ I am sure there is something I (and that poster) am missing. Maybe the crew lifeboats are located in the crew area?

Anyway know a logical explanation for the lifeboat ratio?

 

 

Looks like he forgot to take into account the life rafts. Basically life rafts are contained within white pods which are located all around the ship. They look like this:

As soon as they hit the water, they open up and look like this:

Thanks!

I knew something had to be missing!!! I just wasn't sure what.

Glad to know there is a spot for everyone. I might have been tempted to feed my kids to the sharks! Remember ..you don't have to be the strongest swimmer, just faster then the slowest swimmer :p

I agree that he forgot to factor the life rafts. Oasis class ships the lifeboats are intended for passengers and the life rafts are intended for crew. I can't remember where I saw it but they had a video showing the crew practicing getting into the life rafts, it's quite the experience. It is a requirement that all ships have enough lifeboats for all persons on board. That is why the first few sailings of the Oasis were not at full capacity, they had two damaged life boats from the Atlantic crossing that had to be repaired. Until those were back on the ship they could not sail at full capacity.

I believe it's a coast guard requirement

. I can't remember where I saw it but they had a video showing the crew practicing getting into the life rafts, it's quite the experience.

If its the same video I saw, I think it was on the TV show about the Oasis, The crew actually goes down (nearly straight down) a fabric chute and falls out into the raft below.

This was on tv the other days few weeks ago. I remember clearly that They take less passengers on one lifeboats and add few cruise members to make the load max. I forgot the number. This was training on different class ships. I couldn't remember which ship it was(brilliance?). The show was called Shakedown Cruise, I believe. It had Ken Rush and the housekeeper director that was on that particular ship before she move to Oasis.

If its the same video I saw, I think it was on the TV show about the Oasis, The crew actually goes down (nearly straight down) a fabric chute and falls out into the raft below.

This is correct, they have this system: http://www.viking-life.com/viking.nsf/public/passenger-marineevacuationsystems.html

The chute deploys with the life raft attached, the crew slide down, the raft is detached and off they float. They also have the regular ones you see in barrels along the lifeboat deck which deploy as soon as they hit the water.

By law there needs to be enough life saving devices on board for something like 150% of the passenger/crew capacity, whether it be in lifeboats or inflatable life rafts.

So how many life rafts do they have on Allure / Oasis, and what is the capacity for each life raft?

Are we sure, that the rafts are only for the crew? I would much prefer to be on a real, enclosed life boat with a motor, etc. instead of one of those "rinky dink" dingies.

So how many life rafts do they have on Allure / Oasis, and what is the capacity for each life raft.

 

Are we sure, that the rafts are only for the crew? I would much prefer to be on a real, enclosed life boat with a motor, etc. instead of one of those "rinky dink" dingies.

The dingies are for crew. Should the Allure hit an iceburg, I'm sure everyone will be fine. I'm kidding...no offense meant!

Anyone else hear Celine Dion singing?

Anyone else hear Celine Dion singing?

LOL, quit making me laugh this is serious business here! :D

So how many life rafts do they have on Allure / Oasis, and what is the capacity for each life raft?

 

Are we sure, that the rafts are only for the crew? I would much prefer to be on a real, enclosed life boat with a motor, etc. instead of one of those "rinky dink" dingies.

I'm thinking I would prefer to be on anything that floats should the need arise but that's just me. If you're that concerned, you should probably cruise exclusively in a suite. Having a gold card, I don't think you're required to make a reservation on the life boat ahead of time. If that's not the case, I'm sure the concierge could make the reservation for you.:rolleyes:

I agree that he forgot to factor the life rafts. Oasis class ships the lifeboats are intended for passengers and the life rafts are intended for crew. I can't remember where I saw it but they had a video showing the crew practicing getting into the life rafts, it's quite the experience. It is a requirement that all ships have enough lifeboats for all persons on board. That is why the first few sailings of the Oasis were not at full capacity, they had two damaged life boats from the Atlantic crossing that had to be repaired. Until those were back on the ship they could not sail at full capacity.

Never knew that! Didn't even notice it in my pictures until you pointed it out! Very interesting.

I'm thinking I would prefer to be on anything that floats should the need arise but that's just me. If you're that concerned, you should probably cruise exclusively in a suite. Having a gold card, I don't think you're required to make a reservation on the life boat ahead of time. If that's not the case, I'm sure the concierge could make the reservation for you.:rolleyes:

Well as long as the lifeboats are seated by class :D

I am betting that once everyone is in the boat they lash all of them together. I looked up the rafts and saw a few photos with 4 or 5 of them lashed together. I am guessing this helps stabilize the rafts and keep everyone together. I am sure the boats can be lashed to the rafts as well.

They have to have enough lifeboats/liferafts on board for 125% of the number of persons on board. Liferafts for the extra 25% have different requirements, and can be stowed differently, than the ones included in the first 100%.

Thinking about the ship accidents / tragedies in recent years / decades I would say in case of an emergency I´m not so concerned about the number of life boats, but to get off the ship. I can´t think about any sinking ships - post Titanic - where people died due to lack of life boats. Those people that died in such tragic events mostly just didn´t make it off the ship in time.

Thinking about the ship accidents / tragedies in recent years / decades I would say in case of an emergency I´m not so concerned about the number of life boats, but to get off the ship. I can´t think about any sinking ships - post Titanic - where people died due to lack of life boats. Those people that died in such tragic events mostly just didn´t make it off the ship in time.

That is a bit unfair to say. If you read about the sinking of Titanic the ones who didn't make it off the boat couldn't as they were locked in.

Many of the stewage classes were prevented from boarding the few lifeboats as those were for the first class passengers.

A few years ago I did a transatlantic on the Wind Surf. One day they had a crew drill where they practiced setting up a life raft in one of the pools. When the drill was over we were allowed to get into a raft to see how they felt. From a safety standpoint I'd be fine getting into one of them as they are quite stable and sturdy but they are very uncomfortable. Ok for 5 minutes but beyond an hour or so I'd really have to be desperate to want to spend much time in it.

Roy

The crew actually goes down (nearly straight down) a fabric chute and falls out into the raft below.

I remember that episode too - especially when the one crew person comes flying down the tube and lands flat on his back on what looks like bare concrete. OUCH!:eek: That really looked like it hurt. Even if onto a pad it looked harsh enough to knock his breath out of him.

Should the Allure hit an iceburg,

If Allure is anywhere near where the even COULD be icebergs most of the tropical vegitation in the Boardwalk and Central Park areas would die. Oasis class can't really cruise anywhere but where it is warm. Then again plain old rocks did a very iceberg like number on Costa Concordia.

Well as long as the lifeboats are seated by class :D

If you are staying in a suite, does that mean you will be in the same lifeboat as other guest staying in a suite? That lifeboat must have a champagne bar :D

What happens if the ship does a "Concordia", and you can't launch half of them? Of course, this could apply to any ship.

 

 

 

If Allure is anywhere near where the even COULD be icebergs most of the tropical vegitation in the Boardwalk and Central Park areas would die. Oasis class can't really cruise anywhere but where it is warm. Then again plain old rocks did a very iceberg like number on Costa Concordia.

Ummm...it was a joke. I realize Caribbean waters don't have icebergs. It was a play off the Titanic comparisons. :)

What happens if the ship does a "Concordia", and you can't launch half of them? Of course, this could apply to any ship.

If the captain of Costa Concordia would have evacuated the ship as soon as they hit the rock, instead of waiting an hour like he did, all the lifeboats would have been able to launch. Because it was delayed, the ship listed too heavily by the time they lowered the boats.

He could have evacuated everyone whilst moving the ship at a slower speed towards the port if he wanted to try and save the vessel.

You're not counting the life rafts. Even if no life boats are deployed, there are enough life rafts for everyone on board. As we saw with the Concordia disaster, a listing ship can prevent lifeboats from being deployed. Life rafts, on the other hand, can be deployed in any conditions. And if the ship sinks, the life rafts will deploy themselves once they hit the water.

While life boats are valuable, it's the life rafts which really provide the capacity for massive, rapid evacuation. If you're ever in a Concordia situation, where the leadership and crew are helpless in deploying life boats, find a life raft and deploy it yourself, and get as many people as possible into it.

So how many life rafts do they have on Allure / Oasis, and what is the capacity for each life raft?

 

Are we sure, that the rafts are only for the crew? I would much prefer to be on a real, enclosed life boat with a motor, etc. instead of one of those "rinky dink" dingies.

There are enough rafts for everyone on board, even if zero lifeboats are deployed. Rafts are much more reliable and can be deployed even if the ship is listing. Lifeboats can't be deployed in an extreme list (as the Titanic and Concordia pointed out). If you really need to get off the ship, go for the rafts, not the lifeboats.