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Crazy question about life vests (specifically for Joy and Escape ships)


WitchyWoman14
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Hello. So, this may seem like a crazy question but I will ask anyway. Can someone tell me if the life vests are in your cabin on NCL's Joy and/or Escape? We are sailing on Bliss next year and really want to know. Not having them in our room did not settle well with us on The Allure. If you've sailed on Allure, you probably know but the life vests are stored at your muster station and not in your room. I don't trust 6,000 people to remain calm enough to even find their muster station in a true emergency. Once they do find their muster station, someone with RCL has to unlock the lockers in the muster station and hand them out. Not cool, especially if something serious goes down at night and you are asleep in your cabin. What if there is no time to get there or even get to a lifeboat? I would like to at least have a life vest to put on my daughter. Having them in both places would be ok if they just wanted to have them at the muster station but again, it was unsettling to not have them in our rooms.

 

Thanks!

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I can't say where the lifejackets are stowed, but I can say that it would be an extremely rare instance where you did not have enough time to get to your muster station or lifeboat. Even the Concordia, had the muster signal been made at the proper time, everyone would have made it to their muster stations. And the Concordia is the most extreme case of a ship flooding and sinking that there could be. Virtually any other circumstance, the last thing you want to do is leave the ship.

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I can't say where the lifejackets are stowed, but I can say that it would be an extremely rare instance where you did not have enough time to get to your muster station or lifeboat. Even the Concordia, had the muster signal been made at the proper time, everyone would have made it to their muster stations. And the Concordia is the most extreme case of a ship flooding and sinking that there could be. Virtually any other circumstance, the last thing you want to do is leave the ship.

 

Except it wasn't -- and that's the problem with emergencies. Things that are supposed to never happen sometimes happen. Badly. So I think OP's question is entirely fair. Life vests aren't provided in passenger cabins? That's some serious corporate hubris right there. Is that true on all NCL ships?

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There are life jackets in your cabin and also at the muster station. Basically, if you are in your cabin, you're supposed to bring your life jackets. If you are not, you are to report directly to your muster station where life jackets will be given to you.

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Except it wasn't -- and that's the problem with emergencies. Things that are supposed to never happen sometimes happen. Badly. So I think OP's question is entirely fair. Life vests aren't provided in passenger cabins? That's some serious corporate hubris right there. Is that true on all NCL ships?

 

It is approved not only by corporations but by maritime safety and insurance professionals all around the world. I know that many newer ships don't have jackets in cabins, on nearly all lines.

 

And if you want to get technical about it, those that were lost on the Concordia were the ones who went back to get their lifejackets. Even with the unconscionably late muster signal, 99% of people made it to the boat stations.

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I'm with you on this. I was somewhat uncomfortable not have a life jacket in the cabin on the Escape TA. I did mention my concerns to NCL via email and did receive a response. Not a generic one as they did respond directly to my concern. However it's obvious that my concerns are not their concerns since life vests are not in the cabins.

 

It won't keep me from cruising but that thought of having to jump off a balcony - although highly improbable - is still in the back of my mind.

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I can't say where the lifejackets are stowed, but I can say that it would be an extremely rare instance where you did not have enough time to get to your muster station or lifeboat. Even the Concordia, had the muster signal been made at the proper time, everyone would have made it to their muster stations. And the Concordia is the most extreme case of a ship flooding and sinking that there could be. Virtually any other circumstance, the last thing you want to do is leave the ship.

 

 

My concern is also about the ability of 6,000 people to stay calm, remember where their own muster station is and not just go to the first place that had them. If a station has 300 vests and 700 panicked people trample in there before you do, you're screwed. I've seen what people really do when they are scared and they do not stay calm and orderly. I like options and I felt helpless on Allure. I actually couldn't wait to get off. I really didn't like RC overall but the life vest issue really got to me. I'm also not talking about statistics, I analyze data all day long. Again, I want to have the option of having a life vest that is mine and no one else can really get it. I also realize you don't want to jump off immediately either. Not trying to be snarky but I am smarter than that.

 

Thank you to all that have posted so far. It's nice when you have feedback from those who have sailed a cruise line or ship before.

 

 

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You can always travel with bring your own deluxe USCG-approved one as backup ...

I have one in my trunk along with rescue ropes and other S&R, first aid/trauma pack - except that I leave most of the "gears" behind, LOL.

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You can always travel with bring your own deluxe USCG-approved one as backup ...

I have one in my trunk along with rescue ropes and other S&R, first aid/trauma pack - except that I leave most of the "gears" behind, LOL.

 

 

Sounds like you travel with your sense of humor too.

 

I do bring everything I can to prepare within reason (& within their "rules/laws").

 

Realistically, you would die of hypothermia in most cases if you couldn't get out of the water and your body temperature stabilized quickly enough. I'm not envisioning a relaxing trip down a lazy river while still being served my drink of the day. On second thought... maybe that deluxe USCG-approved back-up has a drink holder....

 

Seriously, I don't get why this sounds so unreasonable to think about. If this is something that makes me feel better about protecting my family, then I think it's worth asking. I'm just not ok with a stranger holding my life vest in a room that can easily be overran by a chaotic mob. If people think their life is in danger, they will put their self-interest first, ensuring they have what they need. They don't care what "station" it comes from. Someone with a clipboard isn't going to stop them.

 

 

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I'm with you on this. I was somewhat uncomfortable not have a life jacket in the cabin on the Escape TA. I did mention my concerns to NCL via email and did receive a response. Not a generic one as they did respond directly to my concern. However it's obvious that my concerns are not their concerns since life vests are not in the cabins.

 

It won't keep me from cruising but that thought of having to jump off a balcony - although highly improbable - is still in the back of my mind.

Honestly and I'm not trying to be snarky, I cannot think of an instance where jumping off a balcony would be the ideal way to escape a ship in an emergency. And If I were to have to jump from a balcony, I don't think having a lifevest on would be the greatest of ideas.

 

I'm sure they cared, enough so to respond to you directly. I trust that this company knows what they're doing better than the general public when it comes to safety on their vessels, and they (along with the shipyards) have done studies and simulations as to why lifevests are where they are instead of where some of their passengers think they should be.

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Except it wasn't -- and that's the problem with emergencies. Things that are supposed to never happen sometimes happen. Badly. So I think OP's question is entirely fair. Life vests aren't provided in passenger cabins? That's some serious corporate hubris right there. Is that true on all NCL ships?

The OP was referring to a Royal Caribbean ship not having life vests in the cabins.

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Hello. So, this may seem like a crazy question but I will ask anyway. Can someone tell me if the life vests are in your cabin on NCL's Joy and/or Escape? We are sailing on Bliss next year and really want to know. Not having them in our room did not settle well with us on The Allure. If you've sailed on Allure, you probably know but the life vests are stored at your muster station and not in your room. I don't trust 6,000 people to remain calm enough to even find their muster station in a true emergency. Once they do find their muster station, someone with RCL has to unlock the lockers in the muster station and hand them out. Not cool, especially if something serious goes down at night and you are asleep in your cabin. What if there is no time to get there or even get to a lifeboat? I would like to at least have a life vest to put on my daughter. Having them in both places would be ok if they just wanted to have them at the muster station but again, it was unsettling to not have them in our rooms.

 

Thanks!

 

The joy has not sailed yet.

 

On the Escape, the life jackets are stowed in a basket under your bed. If you have a child, your steward can bring a small life jacket for them. Additional life jackets are stowed at the muster stations (which are all inside,,,, some far from the life boats).

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My concern is also about the ability of 6,000 people to stay calm, remember where their own muster station is and not just go to the first place that had them. If a station has 300 vests and 700 panicked people trample in there before you do, you're screwed. I've seen what people really do when they are scared and they do not stay calm and orderly. I like options and I felt helpless on Allure. I actually couldn't wait to get off. I really didn't like RC overall but the life vest issue really got to me. I'm also not talking about statistics, I analyze data all day long. Again, I want to have the option of having a life vest that is mine and no one else can really get it. I also realize you don't want to jump off immediately either. Not trying to be snarky but I am smarter than that.

 

Thank you to all that have posted so far. It's nice when you have feedback from those who have sailed a cruise line or ship before.

 

 

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Well, I can say that in over 8000 days at sea, having experienced fire, grounding, flooding, and some of the worst storms out there, I have never even considered putting on a lifejacket, other than at drills, let alone been woken up to need to abandon ship immediately.

 

I will also say that having been in a fully loaded lifeboat, with normal sized people, that the first thing everyone will do is remove their lifejackets. The seating in a lifeboat is designed for a 75kg person (165lbs), and is 18" wide and 24" front to back. For most people from the US, this results in alternate people having to sit leaning forward or back to allow their shoulders enough room to get the required number of people into the boat. Also, once in the boat, the lifejacket is hardly required.

 

In your scenario, where 700 people go to a muster station where 300 should be, that means there is a muster station(s) that are 400 people short, and the lifejackets there are ready for the taking.

 

Many of the ship's officers are trained in crowd and crisis management (it is an international requirement), and one of the aspects of this training is to find the "leader" personalities in the crowd to act as "force multipliers" in controlling situations.

 

As for the poster who envisioned jumping from a balcony, unless you have been trained to do so, the typical SOLAS lifejacket (USCG type I), will snap your neck as you hit the water from any height above about 6 feet.

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Agreeing on the mob issue, crowd control on a ship in distress does not seem like a piece of cake. Small stairways, people trying to go in opposite directions for whatever reason, etc.

 

But OP, and I do recall having life vests in a basket on certain NCL cruises (Escape as someone said above?) under the bed or in the closet, what is your plan after having a life vest in your room and muster station signal is being sound (or the secret code word to inform the crew before that is sound over the PA ;) ). You still will need to go through the masses, the designated life boat is your best chance when abandoning ship. Just a vest and your clothes won't help you for a longer period of time when in the water, even in warmer temperatures. Rescue parties will take some time to arrive too.

 

If it eases your mind and you seem to have a serious thing with it (no sarcasm!); why not make a bailout pack? Warm clothes, water proof flash light, identification copies/bracelets and some meds and provisions perhaps and maybe a self brought inflatable life vest.

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In your scenario, where 700 people go to a muster station where 300 should be, that means there is a muster station(s) that are 400 people short, and the lifejackets there are ready for the taking.

 

I think the idea is to not have to go scavenger hunting for a life vest all over the ship at different muster stations because someone else took yours.

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I think the idea is to not have to go scavenger hunting for a life vest all over the ship at different muster stations because someone else took yours.

 

What I am saying is that you wouldn't have to go to various stations to get a vest and return to your station, if things got that bad, you would be led to a different station that had space and jackets and that would become your new station. I think everyone is overthinking the panic factor. Several folks on CC have participated in ship emergencies, including the Star Princess fire, and they will tell you how little actual panic there was.

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I'll give you mine, I'll be in the Garden Cafe eating, with the titanic theme tune playing.

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I was on a Cunard ship during a sea day and they were conducting drills. I jokingly asked a friend if the band ever practiced setting up on deck during a drill. A few minutes later an announcement came over the PA, "Will the music director please report to his station".

 

We got a good laugh out of that one.

 

Don

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Thanks again to all who replied and yes, the idea is to not have to go on a scavenger hunt for a life vest. We do make emergency plans for situations. You can't escape everything but I refuse to be a victim because of stupidity and my own failure to research. It's the people who shrug it off and seem like it's no big deal that would panic because they don't have a plan.

 

As far as the poster who mentioned jumping-of their balcony, we always have a balcony and there are a few scenarios in which it would be a better alternative to me. Given all the other things you could die from at sea, the first thing would be drowning. That is if you didn't jump from too high and snap your neck as the other poster said. I'm just saying it would help your chance for survival if you had one that you know no one else could access (without your room card). Also, if you happened to be asleep, you would have it there with you.

 

 

 

 

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I think the idea is to not have to go scavenger hunting for a life vest all over the ship at different muster stations because someone else took yours.

 

Ever think about how much time you actually spend IN your cabin? Most are OUT for 16 hours or more. In the event of an emergency, it's most likely that you will be somewhere other than your cabin, and the last thing you should do is to go back to retrieve a life jacket. I think I have read that the stations have enough for everyone on the ship and then some.

 

As far as a "scavenger hunt", do you really think the crews assigned to the various stations do not communicate with passengers and with the crew in charge of other stations? They will reallocate the vests based on need. Unless it's an extreme and dire emergency, ( highly unlikely ) passengers who show up at the wrong stations will be told where they need to go ( just like they do at the drills ). And for their own safety and the safety of others, they need to follow staff instructions. In extreme cases where certain locations will not be usable, there is a plan in place to get you to an alternate location where there will be enough vests to go around. They are not going to tell you to run over to the other side of the ship to pick up some life vests. Seriously, all this has been thought through to the Nth degree.

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I'm with you on this. I was somewhat uncomfortable not have a life jacket in the cabin on the Escape TA. I did mention my concerns to NCL via email and did receive a response. Not a generic one as they did respond directly to my concern. However it's obvious that my concerns are not their concerns since life vests are not in the cabins.

 

It won't keep me from cruising but that thought of having to jump off a balcony - although highly improbable - is still in the back of my mind.

 

The life jacket was under your bed, not in the closet. We were on the Escape immediately after the TA and that's where they were in our cabin.

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Ever think about how much time you actually spend IN your cabin? Most are OUT for 16 hours or more. In the event of an emergency, it's most likely that you will be somewhere other than your cabin, and the last thing you should do is to go back to retrieve a life jacket. I think I have read that the stations have enough for everyone on the ship and then some.

 

As far as a "scavenger hunt", do you really think the crews assigned to the various stations do not communicate with passengers and with the crew in charge of other stations? They will reallocate the vests based on need. Unless it's an extreme and dire emergency, ( highly unlikely ) passengers who show up at the wrong stations will be told where they need to go ( just like they do at the drills ). And for their own safety and the safety of others, they need to follow staff instructions. In extreme cases where certain locations will not be usable, there is a plan in place to get you to an alternate location where there will be enough vests to go around. They are not going to tell you to run over to the other side of the ship to pick up some life vests. Seriously, all this has been thought through to the Nth degree.

 

 

Yes I do. That's why we get a balcony. We do try to relax and hang-out in there quite a bit. I can assure you the last ship I was on did NOT have enough jackets for the whole ship in every muster station. I don't think 6,000 jackets will fit in a comedy theater, 6,000 in a jazz club, etc.

 

I didn't see your signature line to see if you have included the cruises you've been one but communication can only go so far on an extremely large ship if there were a crisis. 3,000 passengers can overrun 1,500 crew members pretty easily. On the same cruise without jackets in the room, it was not clear when they were performing the drill. Actually, we almost missed it. We just noticed no one was around. Crew were knocking on doors but not looking-in. What if people were on the balcony and couldn't hear? There wasn't an alarm (that we heard). The path to get to you station wasn't clear, crew were not as abundant as we've seen on others either. All of that was going-on with 6,000 people on there. I couldn't help but wonder what would really happen if something were to "go-down". Maybe it was that ship/sailing but it was enough to burn us.

 

Also, I'll repeat it again...In a panicked mob, people do not give a rat's arse where they are supposed to go. If they know there are life vests somewhere, that's where they would go. In a world of unicorns and rainbows there would be world peace too.

 

Sweet lord, I've been on several cruises. All of them had life vests in the room until this last one. I like cruising and own stock in one of the cruise lines. I really wasn't asking for opinions. I only asked if anyone knew where life jackets are. I guess you shouldn't have a fire extinguisher in your house either, right? If you do, it definitely shouldn't be in your bedroom because you really don't spend any time there. You should take it out and give it to your HOA leader (if you have one), so they can hand them out if there is an emergency. On an airplane, they should remove the "seat flotation devices" and give them all to the flight attendants. They can give those out if something happens too. To me, it's a difference of I have MY life vest vs THEY have MY life vest. If I've not made that clear, I don't know how else to say it.

 

Anyway, my question has been answered and I am appreciative of that. Hopefully no one's cruise ship has any issues and everyone stays safe.

 

 

 

 

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now that you no longer need to bring the life jacket to the muster drill. I am wondering how many people know how to correctly put on/wear the life jacket. While they demonstrate it during the drill and the various safety video, i bet they are still a few clueless people. this might cause additional confusion/madness during a real emergency.

 

much much safer i think to have the life jacket in your cabin, you can practice putting it on while watching the videos on tv imho..

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