Will you bother to turn up for the lifeboat drill next time?

[Jimbo]

When we were on Ecstacy, we met in the theater and saw a movie while waiting...then they gave the drill demonstration and then asked that a section of the theater go to their life boat. We looked at each other and said, where is ours? But they did not require us to go...so I made sure we knew which one to go to. On RCCL the location is on your cabin door so you look at it every time you go out the door.

 

Could use your help on this?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=31812707&postcount=9

 

Jimbo:)

[cruise pup]

To have the drill before sailing or not... the truth is the drill is an insignificant part of the picture and in the end won't ensure the safety of a single person if the people conducting the drill are inadequately trained or don't respond appropriately in an emergency, from the Captain on down. It is too early to say that is what happened in this case, but from what I have read it does not look encouraging that the crew acted in a professional manner. Don't be lulled into thinking you are safe because they have a drill and make tote your life jacket and stand at attention like a boot camp recruit, too many times this is only the appearance of safety.

 

The last thing that is needed now is a boat load of knee jerk regulations come down the pike that in the end just make safety harder to ensure.

 

I couldn't agree with you more. Now that we see what happens in a real emergecy, I would say that the safety drill is too general to address situations like the Concordia. And also, giving a list of instructions one day doesn't mean everyone will remember them 5 days later when they're panicking. The fact is the passengers really are dependent on having competent crew members who can act accordingly in an emergency and this was obviously not the case.

 

By the way, the safety drill is broadcast through the p.a. system and there is no way anyone will miss these instructions whether or not they're at the safety drill. About all they'll miss is how to put on the life jacket. Now that you are no longer required to bring it to the drill on certain cruise lines, you don't even get a chance to practice putting it on in front of a crew member for guidance.

[Miss Fig]

Costa seems like such a disorganized, disreputable cruise line. I'd never cruise with them. From the captain on down, what a terrible, shameful mess! My first cruise over 20 years ago was on Costa & I have a weak spot for Italians - but never again!!!

 

And for the person who says, don't put your life jacket on until the end - no thanks! I'd like to have 2 hands free to make my way to the lifeboats.

[Wilda]

I wonder on my/your next cruise will everyone will turn up the the drill?

 

 

Not stay sat down to breakfast, or guarding their sunbeds for dear life, or pretend this is the second week of their cruise and they did the drill last week.... llike people do now.

 

It has never been an option to skip, and we wouldn't anyway. Much as I fuss about it...I always attend.

 

From the sounds of your post...you have skipped in the past?

[megr1125]

the cabin attendants have to check all their cabins and put little signs in them that say "CLEARED" or something to that effect...

 

yes i will attend muster.....Face it, there are only TWO things you MUST do on a cruise...

 

1) attend the mandatory safety briefing and 2) get off at the end of your cruise(s). I will argue about #2, but as for the first one, yup-I am going......in a coat, hat and gloves if necessary!

[north29]

After reading all the excerpts/media I could find and seeing the pics, there was so much time lost to bad/false information given to the cruisers to allow them to be at some what ease with the harrowing situation. Also given the capsized, position of the ship, not many life boats on either side could be deployed and the sheer angle of escape routes would have caused extreme panic from everyone, including it seems the Captain, no muster drill would have helped much in this unusual situation. I just thank the sea gods that the Captain had enough sense to steer her to shallow waters, if not, potentially there may have been a Titanic level tragedy.

 

Oops, Yes, We always attend the Muster Drills

[critterchick]

We always attend & will continue to do so. My only problem is with the inconsiderate passengers that arrive 15 - 20 minutes late & think it's a big joke.

 

We also always attend. We don't go until they actually sound the horn, per the instructions. I think that makes us on time.

[bigizbootiful]

My experience is that drills are compulsary on RCL and they always happen before we set sail. Also I have completed numerous b2b cruises and still have to attend. There has never been an option, and I must say upon reflection, I am glad RCL are so focused on this.:)

[mjldvlks]

I couldn't agree with you more. Now that we see what happens in a real emergecy, I would say that the safety drill is too general to address situations like the Concordia. And also, giving a list of instructions one day doesn't mean everyone will remember them 5 days later when they're panicking. The fact is the passengers really are dependent on having competent crew members who can act accordingly in an emergency and this was obviously not the case.

 

By the way, the safety drill is broadcast through the p.a. system and there is no way anyone will miss these instructions whether or not they're at the safety drill. About all they'll miss is how to put on the life jacket. Now that you are no longer required to bring it to the drill on certain cruise lines, you don't even get a chance to practice putting it on in front of a crew member for guidance.

 

In my opinion, the big advantage to the safety drill [as with fire drills in schools and other buildings] is getting people used to moving to designated locations with a minimum of panic and disruption. Obvioulsy there are things about this specific event that raise questions about how effective the drill would have been if it had taken place on this ship. (There had been no safety drill for many of the passengers on this cruise) First, there was a delay in getting the passengers to muster stations (don't really know why). Second, the ship was listing so some of the stations became un-usable (and fairly quickly it sounds like). Third, passengers report crew were reluctant to launch the boats even when it became obvious how serious things were.

 

These items seem to me to be primarily items of crew training. The crew should have some idea of how to react to emergencies of the nature encountered here. The crew should know what to do if the ship begins to list. At some point, it may become necessary to divert passengers to different stations. Somebody should have the responsibility to make that call. [and not the Captain -- he is probably too busy and not in a good position to determine when that might become necessary] Lists do not happen every day, but they are relistic enough possibilities that the crew should be drilled on the possibility. There could be other resons certains tations become unusable. A fire in that area for one example. A fuel spill for another. The station crews should know when to launch the boats and there should be someone in the vicinity of each station with the authority to launch the boats on his or her own judgment. The bridge may now be able to see the specific situation for a specific station or may not be able to communicate to the stations.

 

It sounds like the crew here was not well trained. Hopefully, other ships and cruise lines are better prepared. [From what I have read about the event on Carnival Splendor last year, I suspect the situation would have been handled much differently by that crew the Captain appeared to keep the passengers foremos tin his decision making process and it appears they tried to keep the passengers as informed as possible]. I strongly suspect that, after this event, crews and cruise lines will be better prepared. I doubt much (if anything) in the way of ne regulations is necessary. Just more training by the crew and safety officer and perhaps a simple warning to the passengers to follow instructions when the crew tells you to go somewhere beside your normal muster station in the event of a list or some other situation that makes your designated station un-usable. One or two sentences in addition to the normal briefing.

 

Yes I will participate in muster drill after this event. Of course I participated even before this event. I think I will probably listen a little more carefully though.