Lessons for RCCL from Concordia

[Kruiser@]

My last 2 cruises were on the Epic and the Oasis. Our muster station was inside in a restaurant on both ships. I realize that it takes a long time for a ship to sink, so in theory this should be fine. After seeing a real emergency, it makes this plan seem ridiculous. If the ship is taking on water, who would be brave enough to go inside and wait at a restaurant? especially if the lights were flickering? People would head straight for lifeboats. And, since we don't know where our lifeboat is because we gather at the restaurant and not our boat, people would scramble for the nearest boat. Also, in a real emergency parents aren't going to let go of their children (as we practiced in the muster). So Norwegian and RCCL: you need to come up with a better plan!

[GXmanDC]

Your presumption should also include a captain who took an unauthorized route near a shallow, rocky coast. The captain had his girlfriend on the bridge who he was earlier seen drinking with. The captain decided to not send a distress signal and instructed his subordinate officers to lie to the passengers, telling them it was an electrical issue.

 

So yes, if all of this happens on a RCI ship, then they should come up with a better plan.

[Beachin2]

My last 2 cruises were on the Epic and the Oasis. Our muster station was inside in a restaurant on both ships. I realize that it takes a long time for a ship to sink, so in theory this should be fine. After seeing a real emergency, it makes this plan seem ridiculous. If the ship is taking on water, who would be brave enough to go inside and wait at a restaurant? especially if the lights were flickering? People would head straight for lifeboats. And, since we don't know where our lifeboat is because we gather at the restaurant and not our boat, people would scramble for the nearest boat. Also, in a real emergency parents aren't going to let go of their children (as we practiced in the muster). So Norwegian and RCCL: you need to come up with a better plan!

 

I think you raise a very valid point - if you muster somewhere inside - where IS your boat?

 

Muster inside is OK - but show me the route to the boat too.

[Big_G]

Your presumption should also include a captain who took an unauthorized route near a shallow, rocky coast. The captain had his girlfriend on the bridge who he was earlier seen drinking with. The captain decided to not send a distress signal and instructed his subordinate officers to lie to the passengers, telling them it was an electrical issue.

 

So yes, if all of this happens on a RCI ship, then they should come up with a better plan.

 

Good point. According to witness accounts this guy had plenty of time to launch the lifeboats before the ship began to list.

[funfamilyof6]

My last 2 cruises were on the Epic and the Oasis. Our muster station was inside in a restaurant on both ships. I realize that it takes a long time for a ship to sink, so in theory this should be fine. After seeing a real emergency, it makes this plan seem ridiculous. If the ship is taking on water, who would be brave enough to go inside and wait at a restaurant? especially if the lights were flickering? People would head straight for lifeboats. And, since we don't know where our lifeboat is because we gather at the restaurant and not our boat, people would scramble for the nearest boat. Also, in a real emergency parents aren't going to let go of their children (as we practiced in the muster). So Norwegian and RCCL: you need to come up with a better plan!

 

Totally agree!

[Iluvcruising2]

The Costa Concordia captain didn't launch life boats quickly because he didn't believe that his ship was sinking.

[The Big Booper]

When the flammable balcony furniture on the Star Princess caught on fire several years ago, I believe that the Captain sounded the alarm right away, everybody got to the life boat stations and then they waited to see if the fire got out of control.

[pcur]

Just ASK during or after your muster drill where your lifeboat is. Also, your boat number is on your life jacket and on your cabin door.

[Elaine0138]

No point going to a lifeboat if they are unable to launch that lifeboat.

[Merion_Mom]

I believe strongly in the safety drill. That said, no matter how often you go through the drill, the chances of an emergency unfolding exactly as "practiced" are very small.

 

Most people will be in a different place on the ship from where they were when they headed to their muster stations that first day. Most will not know how to get to their muster station from their present location. Everyone will try to head to the deck with the lifeboats, one hopes that staff will be there directing people where to stand, and when/if it becomes necessary, which boat to enter.

 

The Big Booper's statement was very true and very important.

 

(and if you can go back in the archives and find the contemporary posts on the Star's fire, you will see accounts that vary wildly. Some people said that their muster staff was calm and in charge. Some people said that their muster staff was panicking. Some people said that their muster staff was just plain incompetent.)

 

So, you pay your money and you take your chances, just like in other aspects of life.

 

:)

[sparky-elpaso]

Just ASK during or after your muster drill where your lifeboat is. Also, your boat number is on your life jacket and on your cabin door.

 

Or you could just go for a walk and find your lifeboat while exploring the ship. Don't leave everything up to the crew - it's the passengers responsibility to find out where things are.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

If you remember with the Star Princess fire, there was no need to abandon ship. I think lines such as RCI which muster in lounges presume that should something happen to the ship, it won't be life threatening. In my opinion a muster need not be an abandon ship signal- as in, ''the muster has been sounded, run for your lives ! ''.

 

It should work in such a way that should there be something wrong going on, or even if the Captain does as much as to assume all is not well, and would want all passengers/crew to be at his disposal in case the worst happens, he can sound the muster.

 

For example, if the Viking Crown on Oasis started to burn, you wouldn't want a run on the lifeboats. You'd want all passengers at muster stations, relaxing in relative comfort- should it all go down the drain, then you can announce abandon ship.

 

The best muster I have ever been on was aboard the Marco Polo. They took us all to lounges in the ship and they did the usual information. Then they lead all the passengers to their respective life boats, and included information on how to board the lifeboat, etc. Granted that was an Antarctic sailing (where the risk of sinking is at its highest) and the ship only carried 387 passengers, and on Oaisis it'd take a lot, perhaps too much time. But Oasis is huge, and in the event of a Concordia-esque emergency, it could turn into a disaster. Taking a bit more time on sailing day to go through procedures might not be such a bad idea after all.

 

So in the Concordia disaster, even with the late sounding of ''abandon ship'', had a muster been sounded an hour before then at least all passengers would have congregated rightfully in their pre-assigned locations, being lead into the lifeboats by crew who have had ample time to prepare. But as on Costa (as it does on say, HAL) the muster means ''abandon ship'' the Captain would have struggled to sound it.

 

Just a thought.

[CaptData]

As stated above, your mustard station is listed on your sea pass card and the back of your door. Also on the back of your door is your boat number. I always go look for my boat the first day when I am looking around.

 

This way I know where my boat is. On air craft I look for all exits (4-6 in most cases).

 

On ship they have arrows down on floor level which light up in emergency (not connected to main electical things, battery operated good for abourt 4-8 hours). They blink in the direction to the nearest exit and life boat.

[Ander026]

Also remember when the guest accidentlaly released an anchor on the HAL Ryndam. Those guest did Muster then were released.

[uksimonusa]

Muster means to gather. So a Muster Station is just an area to get everyone together in the right place. From here if an abandon ship call is made, you will be lead to your lifeboat, that has previously been made ready for launch. Without the crew you can't make your way to "Your" lifeboat, as you have no idea which boat is yours, you will not be assigned a boat until the captain gives the abandon ship order and the order in which the muster stations will abandon, and this will vary dependent on the location and type of problem that has caused the Abandon Ship order. If the back of the ship is on fire, you do not want to evacuate the front of the ship first! Your seapass card and cabin door have your muster station on them, they do not show your life boat.

 

I would rather have an inside muster station, this keeps the LB embarkation deck clearer for the crew to work and ready the lifeboats without interruption.

 

The captain should have issued a muster alarm as soon as the ship started taking on water, as happened on Monarch of the Seas and during the Princess Fire. Doing this would have had everyone ready to evacuate when he made the call and not back in their cabins or walking the hall as directed by crew

[marci22]

Your presumption should also include a captain who took an unauthorized route near a shallow, rocky coast. The captain had his girlfriend on the bridge who he was earlier seen drinking with. The captain decided to not send a distress signal and instructed his subordinate officers to lie to the passengers, telling them it was an electrical issue.

 

So yes, if all of this happens on a RCI ship, then they should come up with a better plan.

 

Well, the things demonstrated by the captain were human failings and Royal Caribbean does hire humans as captains...so...

 

I'm not criticizing Royal; hopefully this will show all cruiselines that the person in charge might react inappropriately in a crisis situation, and hopefully they all have (or will have) a Plan B in place for that.

[bajathree]

One thing that I think you will see put in place from all this...is the 24/7 monitoring of all ships at a corporate level. Whether it be the individual CL or done for them by an outside company.

[Missus Makkem]

Your presumption should also include a captain who took an unauthorized route near a shallow, rocky coast. The captain had his girlfriend on the bridge who he was earlier seen drinking with. The captain decided to not send a distress signal and instructed his subordinate officers to lie to the passengers, telling them it was an electrical issue.

 

So yes, if all of this happens on a RCI ship, then they should come up with a better plan.

 

Please do not second guess things, the young lady was a crew member who spoke a few languages and was on the bridge doing translation work or so she said in her interview on BBC news last night but of course if you know better thanks for the insight.

[Cruise_Kitten]

Having done both an inside muster drill on P&O and an outside muster drill, i felt safer doing the outside muster drill.

But honestly do people expect everything to be done for them? Instead of complain that you don't know where the lifeboats are or how to get to them, why don't you go look for them.

I find my way around ships by memorizing things that I won't forget, like on my last cruise to get from my cabin to the closest set of stairs I had to walk past some art. The pictures were of a woman crying in a kind of comic book style and a picture of a really nice pair of red shoes. Even a year on I still remember it. I also know on my last cruise if i had to evacuate and make my way to my life boat, I had to go to the Schooners bar, out the door that opens up their and walk down past 6 lifeboats to get to my station. Yes I admit I have a slight OCD problem but at least I knew where I was going and it was off my own back.

It's the same as flying. I have been flying since I was 3 years old and have heard the safety drill well over 100 times yet I always pay attention and I always read the safety card.

 

It's my life and my responsibility to take care of it not others!

 

CK x

[bajathree]

Please do not second guess things, the young lady was a crew member who spoke a few languages and was on the bridge doing translation work or so she said in her interview on BBC news last night but of course if you know better thanks for the insight.

 

Actually it has been stated many times that while she is an employee of Costa she was actually NOT employed by them for this particular sailing.

[silentbob007]

It has been my impression that when I've had an "inside" muster station, it has been a place that had "emergency" exit doors outside (or down a stairwell and then outside). Honestly ... I believe that mustering away from the lifeboats is actually safer. It clears passengers out of the way.

 

Also, let's be honest here ... the mob is unruly, and I truly believe in a real emergency, at least a small percentage of people are going to lose their cool and rush the boats (especially if they are in sight). Heck, on other threads on this site, I've seen people saying that they would skip going to whatever room they are assigned and head straight to the boat. There will always be people who decide either that they are more important or that they know better. At least a central muster station would give you the chance to meet and go to a different side in case of a severe list.

[tahqa]

The emergency plans are created by people that are well versed in that discipline as well as the ship that the plan is created for. AND they are approved by the Coast Guard. And RCI has already stated that the Costa event has them re-evaluating those plans....

[wwcruisers]

In ten years of cruising RC and X, I've always felt safe on their ships. I'm one of those folks who finds muster drills strangely reassuring -- even back in the "old days" when we had to line up on the hot sun, wearing those goofy life vests! ;) Over the years, I've also watched the crew doing their various drills, including deployment of the lifeboats -- very impressive.

 

In light of this recent tragedy, I would like for RC to thoroughly review their emergency policies / procedures, and make a statement as to any changes they may find necessary for improvement. Even for the cruise lines that have never experienced anything like this disaster, this is a "teachable moment". :cool:

[Phillies14]

My last 2 cruises were on the Epic and the Oasis. Our muster station was inside in a restaurant on both ships. I realize that it takes a long time for a ship to sink, so in theory this should be fine. After seeing a real emergency, it makes this plan seem ridiculous. If the ship is taking on water, who would be brave enough to go inside and wait at a restaurant? especially if the lights were flickering? People would head straight for lifeboats. And, since we don't know where our lifeboat is because we gather at the restaurant and not our boat, people would scramble for the nearest boat. Also, in a real emergency parents aren't going to let go of their children (as we practiced in the muster). So Norwegian and RCCL: you need to come up with a better plan!

Your route in case of an emergency is located on the back of your stateroom door and your seapass card;)

[Phillies14]

As stated above, your mustard station is listed on your sea pass card and the back of your door. Also on the back of your door is your boat number. I always go look for my boat the first day when I am looking around.

 

This way I know where my boat is. On air craft I look for all exits (4-6 in most cases).

 

On ship they have arrows down on floor level which light up in emergency (not connected to main electical things, battery operated good for abourt 4-8 hours). They blink in the direction to the nearest exit and life boat.

Didn't read the whole thread....K.O. Near Philly;)