A new taped version of the Muster Drill......Really?

[caribill]

 

How many people on the larger ships realize the ships don't carry enough lifeboats for everyone?

But every cruise ship has more than enough capacity in various types of life craft.

[caribill]

I much prefer muster on other cruise lines where my muster station is out on the deck...at least I can see what is gng on.....

 

My experience on those other cruise lines:

a) Being forced to stand where the exhaust from a refueling vessel was directed to where we had to assemble outside for muster. Had a headache for days.

b) Being forced to stand in cold and windy weather for 45 minutes. I was wearing a jacket (most people were not) and was still shivering.

c) Since every one was standing, only those in the front row could view the life jacket demo. Nobody behind them could see see the demo.

 

I much prefer the Princess procedure of holding muster inside.

 

In addition, in an emergency several of the lifecraft may not be accessible. The Princess protocol of mustering inside and having staff lead passengers to working lifecraft if necessary is better.

[Thrak]

To darn late at night to read this thread. Sorry. We cruised on Caribbean Princess last March. When the steward was "showing us stuff" he seemed surprised that we had accessed the TV and that no mandatory safety lecture was popping up. After we sat through the regular mandatory muster drill - complete with totally hokey and annoying Love Boat sequences with past performers - we went back to our stateroom and were appalled to find that we then actually did have to go through the entire thing again before the TV would function. GAH!!!

 

I fully understand going through the muster drill/safety lecture once but then being forced to go through it again - with the same lame Love Boat stuff - in the cabin before the TV would function was extremely annoying. I can see checking attendance and making those who were "too darn cool" to attend listen to it in the stateroom before the TV would work but, for the rest of us who actually did attend the muster drill, I found it intrusive and obnoxious. Fortunately it was short.

 

Note: For those who might take umbrage with my "too darn cool" reference above there are those in these boards who actually brag about never attending muster drill.

[EastBay Cruisers]

How many people on the larger ships realize the ships don't carry enough lifeboats for everyone?

?

 

?????

 

When did you hear that the ships do not have enough lifeboats for everyone?

 

 

 

At the Emerald muster drill, they announced that they have MORE than enough lifeboats for passengers and crew, as required by law.

[SSMEX]

?

 

?????

 

When did you hear that the ships do not have enough lifeboats for everyone?

 

 

 

At the Emerald muster drill, they announced that they have MORE than enough lifeboats for passengers and crew, as required by law.

 

Most ships do not have enough lifeboats for passengers and crew, but have extra life rafts such that the total capacity of all evacuation craft exceed 125% of the maximum certified number of persons on board. If the Costa Concordia incident proved anything, though, it's that in a real emergency, almost nothing goes according to plan. Three of CC's 26 lifeboats weren't deployed because the ship was listing too much to one side. In fact, despite there being 4,229 people on board, the total capacity of the deployed lifeboats and liferafts was only 3,660. Had the ship not partially run aground, a lot more people wouldn't have made it off the ship.

[floridalover5623]

You must be cruising during the off season, on longer cruises or non-Caribbean itineraries. The trend is heading in that direction. I was talking about the most basic Caribbean itineraries. I'm in Gen X and while there seemed to be a lot of passengers in my age range, I also saw A LOT of people between 30-40 yrs. old on our recent cruise and it'll keep getting younger as more and more grow up with cruising. My point is that the demographics are changing (as Princess constantly reinforces in it's training) and the company has to modernize too.

Correct about the Caribbean off season.

Even in Feb through March they didn't seem to be that many.

[Bill B]

Most ships do not have enough lifeboats for passengers and crew, but have extra life rafts such that the total capacity of all evacuation craft exceed 125% of the maximum certified number of persons on board. If the Costa Concordia incident proved anything, though, it's that in a real emergency, almost nothing goes according to plan. Three of CC's 26 lifeboats weren't deployed because the ship was listing too much to one side. In fact, despite there being 4,229 people on board, the total capacity of the deployed lifeboats and liferafts was only 3,660. Had the ship not partially run aground, a lot more people wouldn't have made it off the ship.

 

Thank you SSMEX.

 

Everyone else, first watch this -

now, watch this -

 

Despite the moronic title of the second video, it's not 'funny'. Now imagine:

- it's not daylight;

- it's not 'flat calm' - the wind is blowing 50+ knots;

- the ship is listing more than 22 degrees;

- there's no one at the bottom of the chute to help you; and,

- you're a 92-year-old woman with osteoporosis... and the guy coming down after you weighs 350+ lbs.