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Terrorist Preparedness @ Sea

pa-annie

By pa-annie,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Fouremco

Fouremco

Posted
Posted
I'm honestly surprised that nobody's tried to attack/blow up a cruise ship... Seems like exactly what a terrorist would want: lots of people in a place previously thought safe

There are far easier targets that require far less manpower, sophistication, planning, logistics, etc., but yield the same results.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
I'm honestly surprised that nobody's tried to attack/blow up a cruise ship... Seems like exactly what a terrorist would want: lots of people in a place previously thought safe

 

I saw your post before you edited it to remove mention of swimming under the ship and blowing it up. It would require several rather large booms, placed properly to sink a ship. And this would have to be in port, so it would simply settle to the bottom of the harbor. Not a real terrorist eye-catcher.

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Silkroad

Silkroad

Posted
Posted
One exercise I recommend to those who feel that muster is a waste of time, is to mentally train yourself for emergencies. I do this all the time, and I do at least 26 fire and boat drills every year (for the past 42 years). Think of a place on the ship where you might normally be, say a bar or restaurant. Then pick a spot for a fire. Now, visualize your route from the bar to your muster station without going through the fire location, or above it, since the area above the fire would be restricted as well. If that's not sufficiently challenging for you, actually do it with your eyes closed, simulating loss of emergency power. It is your responsibility to get yourself to the muster location, wherever it may be, and from there, you only need to follow instructions.

 

I don’t think the muster is a waste of time, but I also think the exercise you present here is invaluable. In fact, I do something like it myself, though less frequently than you do. Thanks for posting on this topic.

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Silkroad

Silkroad

Posted
Posted

We always look at exit routes on planes, ships, heck, even when not confined to a vessel. We check store front reflections when walking and pay attention to our surroundings. All for personal security, neither of us wants to be the person looking to someone else to rescue us - nobody cares about our life as much as we do.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

You’re not alone. Exactly! Nobody cares about our lives as much as we do, and further, nobody else should be harmed or killed saving us from danger we could have avoided if we’d been paying attention to our surroundings. BTW I would add hotels, stores and restaurants to your list. Anyplace with crowds within enclosed areas.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
I don’t think the muster is a waste of time, but I also think the exercise you present here is invaluable. In fact, I do something like it myself, though less frequently than you do. Thanks for posting on this topic.

 

This is also part of my training for emergency teams on cruise ships. During a drill, if I find that a stretcher team, for instance, has come through the simulated fire zone, because they either didn't pay attention to the emergency call, or couldn't figure out an alternate route, I will "kill" them on the spot, and make the other teams rescue them. They learn pretty quickly, when their peers on the fire teams bust their chops about having to drag them from the fire.

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Beejay4016

Beejay4016

Posted
Posted
Are you suggesting that Greenpeace is a terrorist organisation or that they were targeted by one?[emoji14]

 

Hi Banzaii. Perhaps it didn't make the news in the US - assuming that is where you live - but the sinking of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour by French special agents was huge international news. Here are a couople of articles you may find interesting: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/about/history/the-bombing-of-the-rainbow-war/ and http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/94208355/thirtytwo-years-after-the-rainbow-warrior-bombing-unapologetic-french-spy-christine-cabon-is-found

 

So, no, I was not suggesting that Greenpeace is a terrorist organisation; yes, I was suggesting that they were targeted by terrorists; and, yes, in that instance the "terrorists" were agents of the French government.

 

My comments were tongue-in-cheek, but there the matter itself was an outrage and a tragedy.

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banzaii

banzaii

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hi Banzaii. Perhaps it didn't make the news in the US - assuming that is where you live - but the sinking of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour by French special agents was huge international news. Here are a couople of articles you may find interesting: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/about/history/the-bombing-of-the-rainbow-war/ and http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/94208355/thirtytwo-years-after-the-rainbow-warrior-bombing-unapologetic-french-spy-christine-cabon-is-found

 

So, no, I was not suggesting that Greenpeace is a terrorist organisation; yes, I was suggesting that they were targeted by terrorists; and, yes, in that instance the "terrorists" were agents of the French government.

 

My comments were tongue-in-cheek, but there the matter itself was an outrage and a tragedy.

 

Not at all, I am an Aussie and very familiar with the incident. My tongue in cheek comment (hence the tongue emoji[emoji14]), was about it's relevance to terrorism on cruise ships!

 

Perhaps I should have asked if Greenpeace were terrorists or a cruise line.[emoji14]

Yes a tragedy and I'll guess we will need to pay attentiin to the lengths some gov't will go to to protect their intetests.

Edited by banzaii
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Beejay4016

Beejay4016

Posted
Posted
Not at all, I am an Aussie and very familiar with the incident. My tongue in cheek comment (hence the tongue emoji[emoji14]), was about it's relevance to terrorism on cruise ships!

 

Perhaps I should have asked if Greenpeace were terrorists or a cruise line.[emoji14]

Yes a tragedy and I'll guess we will need to pay attentiin to the lengths some gov't will go to to protect their intetests.

 

Oops, sorry. I really should find out what all those emojis actually mean. I usually stop at the smile as I think there are times when I've sent - dare I use that word nowadays - inappropriate ones to people. I was actually trying to lighten the mood a bit as I was quite stunned at the paranoia over the issue.

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John319a

John319a

Posted
Posted
I saw your post before you edited it to remove mention of swimming under the ship and blowing it up. It would require several rather large booms, placed properly to sink a ship. And this would have to be in port, so it would simply settle to the bottom of the harbor. Not a real terrorist eye-catcher.

 

Yeah, I was tired and didn't really think that through.

 

Also didn't want to get put on a list :o

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
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Yeah, I was tired and didn't really think that through.

 

Also didn't want to get put on a list :o

 

No worries. Ship design and watertight integrity have come a long way since WWII, when a single swimmer with a limpet mine could likely bring down a ship. Add to that, Hollywood's distortion of reality with virtually anything to do with ships. Like we're going to spend the money when building a ship to install large valves specifically for the purpose of sinking the ship? (How many times have you heard of "opening the sea cocks"?)

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GerScot

GerScot

Posted
Posted
I trust Celebrity to take whatever reasonable safety precautions are required.

 

And I remind myself, I am much, much, much more at risk of getting killed every day in my car on the way to the grocery store than I am from a terrorist attack on a cruise ship.

 

And with a drinks package I'm not moving!

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Beejay4016

Beejay4016

Posted
Posted
And on a lighter note, upon learning that it is Australia Day, we in the USA just want to wish all our Aussie friends and fellow cruisers a happy and safe Australia Day.

 

 

Many thanks for that. Here in Perth our New Year's fireworks and celebrations are nothing compared to Sydney, but we really turn it on for Australia Day. For over 30 years we've celebrated by a fantastic skyshow on Australia Day, the largest one in Australia. Here's a link to show some photos of the event: https://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/perth-prepares-to-celebrate-return-of-skyworks-ng-b88726588z

 

 

And THE BEST Australian song that it sung far and wide on Australia Day:

I'm not a particularly nationalist person, but that song sends shivers down my spine, as it does with many Aussies, and frequently a tear to the eye.

 

 

Cheers :D

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Gracie115

Gracie115

Posted
Posted
don't forget the seabourn spirit that got hit by a rpg off the somilian coast back in 2005:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4409662.stm

 

dw and i always take our own personal security very seriously - see attached.

 

Of course the ultimate deterent would be to have dear mil onboard, but she is on permanent loan to loch ness.

 

 

lmao :)

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John319a

John319a

Posted
Posted (edited)
No worries. Ship design and watertight integrity have come a long way since WWII, when a single swimmer with a limpet mine could likely bring down a ship. Add to that, Hollywood's distortion of reality with virtually anything to do with ships. Like we're going to spend the money when building a ship to install large valves specifically for the purpose of sinking the ship? (How many times have you heard of "opening the sea cocks"?)

 

The distortion is *almost* as bad as technology. The hacker clicks a button and the screens say "System Breached" or, even better, "Hacker Detected".

 

 

As for ships, sure, there are seacocks for the engine cooling and A/C units, but it's not exactly a self-destruct valve. :')

 

And as for terrorist attacks, I really don't bother taking precautions other than the most basic ones. The chances of being a victim of an attack are incredibly small, plus the purpose of the attacks is to create fear, and I'm not letting them win.

Edited by John319a
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Lastdance

Lastdance

Posted
Posted
I trust Celebrity to take whatever reasonable safety precautions are required.

 

And I remind myself, I am much, much, much more at risk of getting killed every day in my car on the way to the grocery store than I am from a terrorist attack on a cruise ship.

 

That is so true! I am just getting excited about my next Celebrity cruise in Europe, at the end of April...if it is my time, it is my time. Travel makes everything better and life worth living!

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