no vest drill

[midnight sushi]

is DCL going to the no-vest drill anytime soon?

[Shmoo here]

is DCL going to the no-vest drill anytime soon?

 

 

Haven't heard anything about it, but I hope not.

 

:)

[PopFla]

IMHO, the "no-vest" drills are a huge mistake. How else is everyone going to learn (1) where they are stored, (2) how to put it on, (3) how to properly adjust it, and (4) what the features are - - strobe light, whistle, etc. ?

 

Frankly, I'm amazed that the Coast Guard and the insurance companies involved let the other cruise lines get away with conducting drills without having all the passengers and crew donning vests.

[wcook]

IMHO, the "no-vest" drills are a huge mistake. How else is everyone going to learn (1) where they are stored, (2) how to put it on, (3) how to properly adjust it, and (4) what the features are - - strobe light, whistle, etc. ?

 

I really don't think people need to *learn* where the lifevests are stored. They are kinda obvious. As are the strobe light and whistle. Hopefully, people will try them on and adjust them on their own. At least their first cruise or two.

 

Frankly, I'm amazed that the Coast Guard and the insurance companies involved let the other cruise lines get away with conducting drills without having all the passengers and crew donning vests.

 

The probably looked at

 

- The odds of a cruise ship passenger ending up in the water in their life vest

 

- Multiplied by the odds of a passenger not bothering to check for themselves how to put their own.

 

- Multiplied by the odds of the passenger not being able to figure out how to put on their preserver in an emergency (and who would have been able to figure it out had they worn one to the drill).

 

- Multiplied by the odds of nobody being able to help the person

 

And realized the actual safety value of forcing people to wear the vest during the drill was pretty darn small. They then balanced that against the odds of somebody overheating, tripping, etc. while wearing the vest to the drill.

[noahdove]

I would rather trip with mine on than drown. I am afraid of water so I am hoping and praying that the drill continues...I will try mine on for sure when I get to my cabin...

[BoardwalkBabe]

We had to wear them last Thursday.

[PopFla]

I really don't think people need to *learn* where the lifevests are stored. They are kinda obvious. As are the strobe light and whistle. Hopefully, people will try them on and adjust them on their own. At least their first cruise or two.

 

"Hopefully" pretty well reinforces what I was saying.

 

• Hopefully nothing will ever happen that requires the vests.
  
• Hopefully some percentage of the passengers will know how to use them if needed.
  
• Hopefully it will be a very calm and controlled environment if and when they are needed, and nobody panics.
  
• Hopefully the adults will have shown the little kids where they are, made sure they were the right size for the children, exchanged them if they were not, and shown them how to use them.
  
• Hopefully nobody ends up in the ocean.
  
• Hopefully nobody will die unnecessarily.
  
• Hopefully the survivors (if there are any) won't sue because DCL negligently didn't show them how to use life safety equipment.
  

Hopefully I'll win the lottery. But is that guaranteed just because I buy a ticket ?

[CaseyJr]

It is much smarter to have passengers practice with the vests than to just stand and listen. If nothing else, they can adjust sizes of vests as needed (ex. my 10 year old needed an adult vest).

 

That said, airlines don't make passengers practice. I don't know the stats but I think there have been more instances where air passengers have needed to use life vests or put on oxygen masks than there have been cruise incidents.

[wcook]

Hopefully the survivors (if there are any) won't sue because DCL negligently didn't show them how to use life safety equipment.

 

They can *show* people how to use the safety equipment without making them actually put on the vest and wear it around for 1/2 hour. Airlines do it. Are the airlines making a "huge" mistake?

[PopFla]

You're totally missing the point. Never mind.

 

I just hope that you and your family and friends never need to use any kind of life safety equipment that they're totally unfamiliar with.

[Brandis]

One of the main reasons for not having to wear the life vests is that on the newer bigger ship there are enough life vests available right at the muster stations.

 

Having everyone to wear the vest from their cabin might reinforce the thought that in case of an emergency everyone everyone should go to their cabin first no matter where they are at the time of an alarm.

 

Another point: I find it strange that most cruise lines do not allow passengers to use the closest emergency exit for the drill but have them only use the public stairwells. Shouldn't the passengers learn to use their nearest emergency exit, even if it is going through a crew area. I remember at least one Carnival cruise where we were asked to use the nearest available emergency exit, no matter if it was going through crew areas or not.

[Brandis]

One of the main reasons for not having to wear the life vests is that on the newer bigger ship there are enough life vests available right at the muster stations.

 

Having everyone to wear the vest from their cabin might reinforce the thought that in case of an emergency everyone everyone should go to their cabin first no matter where they are at the time of an alarm.

 

Another point: I find it strange that most cruise lines do not allow passengers to use the closest emergency exit for the drill but have them only use the public stairwells. Shouldn't the passengers learn to use their nearest emergency exit, even if it is going through a crew area. I remember at least one Carnival cruise where we were asked to use the nearest available emergency exit, no matter if it was going through crew areas or not.

[mikewrit]

I'm lurking over here because my 10-year-old grandson is on a Disney cruise with a school chum and his parents. I am delighted that Nathaniel will get the experience of boat drill with a vest on. I found it exciting the first time, entertaining the second and was happy that, by the third time out, we didn't have to drag our vests with us to the muster point.

[Crazy Gramps]

Ok to be morbid.

Did you ever look around during the drill and try to figure out who wouldn't survive?

 

I have.

 

Gramps

[PopFla]

Ok to be morbid.

Did you ever look around during the drill and try to figure out who wouldn't survive?

 

I have.

 

Gramps

 

Me, too.

 

I usually pick the ones who are moaning, groaning and complaining the most about such a "stupid" thing as requiring people to wear vests to the drill.

[jkrislc]

I don't see the need to actually wear the vest. They can be shown at the muster station and can even be tried on if desired there. As for knowing where they are, I'd assume they'd keep them on the bed for you to stow. Every time I've cruised, the vests have always been laying on the bed.

 

As for the muster drill, couldn't the same argument be said about meeting at a muster station in doors? How am I going to know what to do or how to get to the life boat if I'm not actually shown where to go during the drill?

[shoppgirl]

One of the main reasons for not having to wear the life vests is that on the newer bigger ship there are enough life vests available right at the muster stations.

 

Having everyone to wear the vest from their cabin might reinforce the thought that in case of an emergency everyone everyone should go to their cabin first no matter where they are at the time of an alarm.

 

Excellent point!!! I was on RCI's Liberty of the Seas this past summer and I thought it was so refreshing not to have to go BACK to my cabin to grab my lifevests and stop to put them on to walk to my muster station. Some of the hikes from the cabin to the actual station can be long, navigating multiple levels of stairwells. I could hang out where ever I wanted until I heard the drill begin and make my way straight to the station. This is probably the most likely scenario for many in the unlikely event of an emergency. At the muster station I looked around and noticed a huge supply of life vests everywhere near the life boats. No need to grab the vests in your cabin. I had the family practice putting them on in the cabin. But was thankful to not have to take them to the practice muster drill. It made it less stressful for my children too to not have to wear them.

[rrfsteve]

Ultimately the drills will take place, so why not go the extra step and put the vests on? People seem to enjoy them - just look at the number of pictures found online with people in their vests. Secondly, if having a drill where you put a vest on could, possibly, save one extra life - then surely it is worth it.