Lifeboat Drill Question

[cruz chic]

On princess, they do the lifeboat drills inside, on the same level as the life boats. I've been on celebrity twice but I can't remember how it worked. I find it odd that they would hold drills all over the ship.

[Carnevale]

OP, the first thing I would do would be to check to see if anyone else is assigned to the same lifeboat as the disabled person. If so, that pretty much solves the problem.

Lifeboat assignments are vertical, based on location of cabin on the ship.

 

If you are correct that the disabled person is the only one in your party assigned to a given lifeboat (maybe even if they aren't), I would have that person report to the nurse in the Atrium and do the muster there, seated.

Everyone else can then report to their assigned stations, and come back to the Atrium to meet up with that one person at the end of the drill. Anyone who has to move slowly gets used to waiting when crowds disperse, to this would work.

 

Very useful info! Thx so much.

[Solas36]

Are the emergency drill stations on the Eurodam outside on deck or at various locations inside? Do you carry life jacket with you? Thanks much.

 

We sailed on Eurodam recently. Our muster stations were on deck right next to lifeboats. No life jackets required for drill. Took a long time. Hands up (correct number) were required when cabin number called. Some folk, for whatever reason, arrived VERY late. Felt for elderly and infirm having to stand for what must have been 20 minutes.

 

Staff on deck were using radios to contact those indoors with cabin numbers not represented - so you can't hide in your cabin!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Let's not forget the famous PS guests that were escorted off of the ship because they felt they were too important to attend the drill.

 

 

What ship did this happen on?

I hadn't read anything about it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wonder why her parents didn't make her go to the drill? I hope the officer had a word with them after the drill. I do not understand this "game" of avoiding the drill.

 

 

 

 

We also wondered where her parents were.

From where we were standing we couldn't even see if the teenager went to stand with her parents.

[Lizzie68]

To the OP - I strongly suggest you go to the front desk early to get instructions on what to do, because with the way the drill is now done, on the first alert you must go first to your cabin and then await announcements as to when to go to the lifeboat station. Many people were confused on our last cruise, and you don't need to be dealing with going against the crowd. Get clear instructions first. You will likely be told to go the atrium.

[ICtheC]

I am severely hearing impaired and hear nothing with my aids removed.

I have to report to the front desk on every cruise to inform them of my

handicap and they note it as a crew member would have to come and alert me to the emergency if necessary. I travel with my DH but he is not always there as he takes part in a lot of activities.

I gather this is pretty standard practice onboard - alerting the front desk

re handicaps.

My husband can't stand for long periods of time so we go early to the drill

and find a seat for him on one of the benches and just wait.

[JohnKen3]

Why is everyone thinking about this as a drill rather than a real emergency. I would think in a real emergency you will want everyone in the same lifeboat rather than the family being split up. Think of the stress and the worry. You have have to find a family member deliver them to one life bot and then head for your own life boat, someone is not going to survive the evacuation.

 

Get staterooms that feed into the same lifeboat! Someone needs to change staterooms! I have put my parents on a different deck but made sure we were in the same lifeboat.

[sail7seas]

Why is everyone thinking about this as a drill rather than a real emergency. I would think in a real emergency you will want everyone in the same lifeboat rather than the family being split up. Think of the stress and the worry. You have have to find a family member deliver them to one life bot and then head for your own life boat, someone is not going to survive the evacuation.

 

Get staterooms that feed into the same lifeboat! Someone needs to change staterooms! I have put my parents on a different deck but made sure we were in the same lifeboat.

 

Certainly understandable but I'm curious how you go about determining life boat numbers at booking time? Do you or your TA contact HAL to confirm which boat each cabin would be reporting to?

 

[POA1]

Certainly understandable but I'm curious how you go about determining life boat numbers at booking time? Do you or your TA contact HAL to confirm which boat each cabin would be reporting to?

 

Good question. We've been right next door, or two doors away from our travel companions and been on different lifeboats. I'm sure that the lifeboat assignments by rooms exist on a chart somewhere. Exactly where that is, I don't know....

[frankc98376]

What ship did this happen on?

I hadn't read anything about it.

 

I don't remember- Captain told us about it on a cruise. I guess the people were very belligerent and pretty much told the officer that was sent to collect them where to shove it. Said if it was that important it could come to them- they paid too much to be bothered standing on deck with regular passengers.

 

He said there were several calls to main office and was decided to disembark them with their luggage. I don't see why there needed to be a single call- you refuse to go to the drill you don't sail- I thought that was very clear in everything you receive beforehand.

[sail7seas]

Good question. We've been right next door, or two doors away from our travel companions and been on different lifeboats. I'm sure that the lifeboat assignments by rooms exist on a chart somewhere. Exactly where that is, I don't know....

 

As Ruth indicated above, the boat assignments are made vertically, not horizontally. They do zones from lowest to highest deck but where the cut is horizontally would be the question.

 

I am sure you are right there is a chart but who has it? I imagine ship's services could access it to provide that information to a prospective 'booker'.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2015 by sail7seas

[antique sailor]

AHOY SHIPMATES,

 

I'VE BEEN TO MORE THAN 50 LIFEBOAT DRILLS ON HAL AND RECALL THEM SAYING FAMILIES WILL NOT BE SEPARATED ON DIFFERENT LIFEBOATS WHEN DISCUSSING CHILDREN. I'M SURE THIS EXTENDS TO HANDICAPPED ALSO

IF STAFF IS NOTIFIED AHEAD OF TIME A SPECIAL BRACELET CAN BE ISSUED

SO THAT PERSON IS TAKEN TO PROPER BOAT BY STAFF GUIDE AT TIME OF DRILL.............AS THEY SAY IN JAMACKA(sic) "No worry Man" lol