Do cruise ships provide immersion survival suits?

[BoiiMcFly]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

[Ashland]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

No...just life vests for general population use along with life boats (they may have some onboard for certain designated rescue crew members use)...but if you have a survival suit you could certainly bring it ;)

[chengkp75]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

Short answer, no. As a professional mariner, I can tell you that we refer to immersion suits as "body bags", because while they do delay the onset of hypothermia, you really cannot hope to survive for long in them, and they are mainly to provide something to take back to the family. The other factor is that without a lot of training, donning a survival suit, and walking in one is very difficult. Add to this the need to "fart" the suit to remove the trapped air (which when you jump into the water tends to bring you up to the surface feet up), it really isn't practical. Besides, even cargo ships that are required to have immersion suits, will only have enough for the rescue boat crew, unless it is a US flag vessel. Unless you are planning on jumping into the water, an immersion suit is not worth the effort.

[navybankerteacher]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

If you are serious, your safety would boosted far more surely by staying ashore.

[fishywood]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

The only way having passengers don those suits could "boost safety records" were if it actually was a common and frequent occurrence for passengers to be ordered to abandon ship--and forced to take to the water--on cold weather itineraries. If this is your mindset then I must echo that cruising is probably not for you.

[Kartgv]

Thanks again to Chengkp75 for a very informed answer. And....can you imagine how long the pre-departure safety drill would take to try to teach all passengers how to use them? People complain now when they have to sit through instructions on how to put on a safety vest!

Edited January 3, 2017 by Kartgv

[sparks1093]

Short answer, no. As a professional mariner, I can tell you that we refer to immersion suits as "body bags", because while they do delay the onset of hypothermia, you really cannot hope to survive for long in them, and they are mainly to provide something to take back to the family. The other factor is that without a lot of training, donning a survival suit, and walking in one is very difficult. Add to this the need to "fart" the suit to remove the trapped air (which when you jump into the water tends to bring you up to the surface feet up), it really isn't practical. Besides, even cargo ships that are required to have immersion suits, will only have enough for the rescue boat crew, unless it is a US flag vessel. Unless you are planning on jumping into the water, an immersion suit is not worth the effort.

 

Having had to don them a time or two I can only agree.

[luddite]

. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

How do you figure that?

[donaldsc]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

Are you serious? You have to be kidding.

 

It would be the equivalent of wearing one of the Nomex fire protection suits -

 

http://www.profoxracing.com/1-piece-3-layer-auto-race-suit.html -

 

every time you get into your car just in case you have a crash w a fire.

 

DON

Edited January 4, 2017 by donaldsc

[AdGuyMG]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing .. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

How do you figure that?

 

I think this poster has watched Titanic a few too many times.

[Hlitner]

I think the OP is somewhat of a troll and perhaps should stick to rowboats in his backyard. If the OP is 100% real...then he sounds like a person that should avoid ships. And his next question, on the flying forums, should be about parachutes (with oxygen) on airliners.

 

Hank

[luddite]

I think this poster has watched Titanic a few too many times.

 

I was gonna watch 'Titanic' way back when. Then a neighbor spoiled things and told me the boat sinks in the end. Ruined it for me so I didn't see the movie.

[OCruisers]

Thanks again to Chengkp75 for a very informed answer. And....can you imagine how long the pre-departure safety drill would take to try to teach all passengers how to use them? People complain now when they have to sit through instructions on how to put on a safety vest!

 

. :D Funny Above! ^^^ :D

[leaveitallbehind]

Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests? Would be interesting to know. Survival suits would definitely boost a ship's safety record.

 

Please tell me you aren't really serious! Exactly what safety record are you referring to that would need boosting? Not aware of any transatlantic passenger ship sinkings in the past 100 or so years that would have benefited from this. :rolleyes:

Edited January 4, 2017 by leaveitallbehind

[AmazedByCruising]

Besides, even cargo ships that are required to have immersion suits, will only have enough for the rescue boat crew, unless it is a US flag vessel.

 

Please tell me you aren't really serious! Exactly what safety record are you referring to that would need boosting? Not aware of any transatlantic passenger ship sinkings in the past 100 or so years that would have benefited from this. :rolleyes:

 

Apparently, cargo ships are required to have them available, and I guess that has a better reason than the lobby skills of the immersion suit industry. Personally, if my ship was sinking I certainly would like to have the same gear the rescue people would wear even if it would take some training (there's plenty of time before a ship actually sinks) and most of the guests wouldn't even be able to use it.

 

OP is not asking a ridiculous question at all.

[Essiesmom]

on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing,

 

This is the part that confuses me... Hypothermia will set in at temps well above freezing....EM

[chengkp75]

Apparently, cargo ships are required to have them available, and I guess that has a better reason than the lobby skills of the immersion suit industry. Personally, if my ship was sinking I certainly would like to have the same gear the rescue people would wear even if it would take some training (there's plenty of time before a ship actually sinks) and most of the guests wouldn't even be able to use it.

 

OP is not asking a ridiculous question at all.

 

Well, lets see. The passengers are loaded into a lifeboat at the promenade deck, lowered to the water and ride it out in a semi-enclosed boat that generally keeps the folks inside the boat. Comparing that to being lowered in an open rescue boat, and then travelling at speed in the open ocean with nothing to keep you in the boat, possibly jumping in the water to bring an unconscious person into the boat. And you feel it's justified to include this equipment for all souls onboard?

 

Also, one of the major drawbacks to immersion suits is the designed in flotation of the suit. This is typically more than the flotation provided by a lifejacket, so if someone wearing a suit is inside while the space is flooding, they can easily float to the ceiling, and not be able to fight the flotation to sink enough to get out the door. Trust me, I've tried this while doing offshore survival training, simulating exiting a helicopter with a suit on. And as I've said, improper use of the suit, particularly the failure to remove the air from inside, or the failure to keep from being driven to the bottom of the suit, causing the suit to flood, can result in more fatal consequences than merely using a lifejacket. If you want to try it, tie two lifejackets (SOLAS type I) to your feet and jump into a swimming pool. You will "surface" with your feet straight up and your head down, and it is almost impossible to counteract the flotation at your feet. The only way to really learn how to use an immersion suit is to be cast into the ocean in one. I don't see that being a practical proposition for passengers.

[chengkp75]

on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing,

 

This is the part that confuses me... Hypothermia will set in at temps well above freezing....EM

 

Yes, this is one of the common misconceptions about hypothermia. Even in water like the Caribbean, around 70*F, you will lose dexterity within an hour, and exhaustion in 2-12 hours. When immersion suits were first required, they were only for northern routes, but were soon required on all ships, as I say in limited quantities.

[navybankerteacher]

Apparently, cargo ships are required to have them available, and I guess that has a better reason than the lobby skills of the immersion suit industry. Personally, if my ship was sinking I certainly would like to have the same gear the rescue people would wear even if it would take some training (there's plenty of time before a ship actually sinks) and most of the guests wouldn't even be able to use it.

 

OP is not asking a ridiculous question at all.

 

Yes he is asking a rediculous question. It takes a lot of training to safely use a survival suit. The time necessary to put on the suits would be better spent in an orderly transfer to lifeboats. The additional cost of equipping ships with such equipment, the use of which is virtually inconceivable, is alone sufficient to insure that it will not happen.

 

No, OP's question is, in fact, very ridiculous.

[SPacificbound]

Wow, I have to say this is a question I have never seen here before. :eek:

 

 

chengkp75 Thank you for educating us again.

[mom says]

I read the OPs post to DH, who spent a couple of years teaching sea survival to naval helicopter crews. He laughed his head off, and had the same suggestion as a couple of PPs.: don't cruise.

 

Yep, just as likely as having everyone on a plane being issued their own personal parachute.

[sparks1093]

I read the OPs post to DH, who spent a couple of years teaching sea survival to naval helicopter crews. He laughed his head off, and had the same suggestion as a couple of PPs.: don't cruise.

 

Yep, just as likely as having everyone on a plane being issued their own personal parachute.

 

When I was aircrew in the Navy our plane would carry 12 to 16 people while on a mission and we always carried the same number of parachutes- 4. They were there in case a post maintenance check flight had to be conducted while we were deployed and 4 is the minimum number of crew for said check flight. At all other times we would all go down with the plane, hopefully in a controlled ditch.

 

And while they taught us how to don the immersion suits I don't recall ever having to get into the water in one and after reading Cheng's description I would probably have drowned in training.:o

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks again to Chengkp75 for a very informed answer. And....can you imagine how long the pre-departure safety drill would take to try to teach all passengers how to use them? People complain now when they have to sit through instructions on how to put on a safety vest!

 

 

Not all cruise lines have their life boat drills inside where passengers can sit.

HAL ships except one has them outside where you stand -- sometimes up to 1/2 hour. HAL's newest ship, the Koningsdam, does assign people to sitting areas inside.

[Pyrate13]

Besides the issue of training for their use, I'm trying to figure out where they would store them and how would they be able to make sure each cabin has the proper size suit for all occupants. Obviously an adult suit would be useless for a small child and vice-versa. Passenger mix per cabin changes with each cruise. Should they put a bunch of sizes in each cabin? I can hear the complaints about lacking storage space for guest clothes now.

 

I must say I find this a very odd question indeed and agree with others, if you truly fear this situation, don't cruise, but remember, the aircraft you use to fly to that other destination doesn't have a parachute for you. :confused::rolleyes:

[Nitemare]

When the water temps are below freezing you'll bounce, not sink, when you hit it.