Do cruise ships provide immersion survival suits?

[navybankerteacher]

Given the indisputable fact that there is greater threat to life from falling/jumping off a cruise ship than from cold water exposure, a more effective investment in safety equipment would be the installation of safety nets just below the lowest open deck from which people might fall/jump.

[chengkp75]

And for the person that said they want the same equipment the rescuers are wearing I'm going to guess that they are wearing dry suits and not immersion suits. Our squadron required us to put the immersion suits on several times per year under timed conditions but after reading the comments on here I see now how woefully inadequate that training was and it's very fortunate we never had to wear them for real as we would have been completely unprepared for it.

 

And even some training is incorrect or incomplete. For instance, most maritime training tells you to wrap your arms with your hands under your armpits when jumping in an immersion suit, to keep from flailing around and maybe breaking an arm. However, the suits are in generic sizes, and for those of us who are "vertically challenged", there is a lot of loose leg in the suit. If you jump in with your hands under your armpits, you will be driven to the bottom of the suit, and that round hole where your face used to look out of the suit is now empty over your head, and flooding with sea water. Talk about a helpless feeling, you are trapped in a foam rubber bag that is flooding. Holding one hand under your chin keeps this from happening.

[Harry and Lucille]

The length of the muster drill while everyone is taught how to put on the life vest takes a while. How long would the drill be while folks were taught how to put a life suit on? Can't picture a large group trying to get into them.

[chengkp75]

The length of the muster drill while everyone is taught how to put on the life vest takes a while. How long would the drill be while folks were taught how to put a life suit on? Can't picture a large group trying to get into them.

 

The most efficient way is to roll the suit out on the deck, then sit down, take shoes off, and push your legs into it, stand up and push your arms into the sleeves. If folks think it's crowded with lifejackets, they ain't seen nothing yet, if you want immersion suits. ;)

[Elaine5715]

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!

 

Most of us could manage the "fart" part

[lady_cruiser]

......People complain now when they have to sit through instructions on how to put on a safety vest!

 

Sit :eek:? I've been on 20 plus cruises and I've always had to stand outside, even when it was cold and raining.

[Debbers]

The most efficient way is to roll the suit out on the deck, then sit down, take shoes off, and push your legs into it, stand up and push your arms into the sleeves.

 

Wait--we would have to STAND UP again? That's a problem for a lot of us!

[chengkp75]

Most of us could manage the "fart" part

 

Yeah, that's when, after zipping up the suit, you squat down quickly and the air in the suit rushes out around your ears. When you stand up, the suit "puckers" around your legs and torso due to the lack of air inside.

[chengkp75]

Wait--we would have to STAND UP again? That's a problem for a lot of us!

 

Tell me about it. The knees don't work like they used to, and then you have to struggle into clinging foam rubber, and once your hands are in the "elephant mitts" at the ends of the sleeves, your hands are basically useless, and old shoulders don't help either.

[Sea Hag]

Of course "freezing" might refer to 32 F - while seawater only freezes at 28.4F .

 

You're correct, of course! I spaced it on all that pesky salt in the sea water. Silly me. :)

[Shorex]

Sit :eek:? I've been on 20 plus cruises and I've always had to stand outside, even when it was cold and raining.

 

Depends entirely on the design of the ship. If I remember correctly, Seabourn has the drill in the main dining room, Silversea uses the theater and a lounge, Crystal musters outside on the Symphony and inside on the Serenity. On the ships that muster inside, at the conclusion of the informative demonstration, guests are lead by crew to where they would actually board the lifeboat. Remember, muster means to assemble and take roll call, not abandon ship.

[SPacificbound]

This turned into a very interesting thread.

 

Thank you chengkp75 for all of your time and information and BruceMuzz for the statistics.

[Elaine5715]

Yeah, that's when, after zipping up the suit, you squat down quickly and the air in the suit rushes out around your ears. When you stand up, the suit "puckers" around your legs and torso due to the lack of air inside.

 

I was thinking more dutch oven...

[AmazedByCruising]

OP's opener concerned trans-Atlantic, not Polar, cruises.

 

So asking "Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests?" justifies comments like "OP's question is, in fact, very ridiculous." or "[OP] is somewhat of a troll"?

 

First of all, there's no need to come up with hostile comments like that when it's obvious that it's a genuine question. And I'd like to point to the fact that it's not too far from current reality at all, albeit for new ships, in a relatively small area, and not necessarily exactly the suits OP described. Also, it makes for an interesting thread to read.

 

Compare "should I bring lanyards", for which the search button comes up with 498 threads, but 497 users apparently needed a more precise answer.

[BoiiMcFly]

So asking "Like on transatlantic cruises where water temps can be below freezing, do cruise ships carry survival suits or only life vests?" justifies comments like "OP's question is, in fact, very ridiculous." or "[OP] is somewhat of a troll"?

 

First of all, there's no need to come up with hostile comments like that when it's obvious that it's a genuine question. And I'd like to point to the fact that it's not too far from current reality at all, albeit for new ships, in a relatively small area, and not necessarily exactly the suits OP described. Also, it makes for an interesting thread to read.

 

Compare "should I bring lanyards", for which the search button comes up with 498 threads, but 497 users apparently needed a more precise answer.

 

Thanks for understanding! It was a legit question out of simple curiosity. I find cruise ships and everything about them quite fascinating.

Edited January 5, 2017 by BoiiMcFly

[mom says]

I find cruise ships and everything about them quite fascinating.

 

Just out of curiosity, have you ever been on a cruise ship? Or any ship?

Edited January 6, 2017 by mom says

[BoiiMcFly]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever been on a cruise ship? Or any ship?

 

I have been on several ferries, and on Queen Elizabeth 2 back in the 90's. I don't remember too much of it, but I definitely enjoyed QE2. I was amazed at how big and luxurious it was.

 

Looking forward to these new ships.

[navybankerteacher]

I have been on several ferries, and on Queen Elizabeth 2 back in the 90's. I don't remember too much of it, but I definitely enjoyed QE2. I was amazed at how big and luxurious it was.

 

Looking forward to these new ships.

 

The more you appreciated Queen Elizabeth 2, the more likely you are to be flabbergasted (not necessarily in a positive way) when you step aboard the Momstrosity of the Seas and get lost among your 5,000 + fellow passengers.

[Bizmark'sMom]

if the questions seems ludicrous to most people. It was just out of curiosity. Maybe I should have done more research on the immersion suits, I didn't know they were that complicated to use. I know that cruise ships visiting the arctic are required to be outfitted with immersion suits for every passenger, which led me to wonder if regular cruises had them as well. That's all, sorry if it caused any confusion. Didn't think my question was that unrealistic when I wrote it, I just figured the more safety features the better. But if the suit is actually counter-productive then it wouldn't make sense. I do wonder, if they are so hard to use, why would they enforce them on any cruise ship to begin with?

 

I know for a fact immersion suits were not present for passengers on my recent Arctic cruise. Nobody was allowed to get onto a Zodiac and go ashore without a waterproof layer over all of the other clothing, along with our life jackets. Those were the only different requirements.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Depends entirely on the design of the ship. If I remember correctly, Seabourn has the drill in the main dining room, Silversea uses the theater and a lounge, Crystal musters outside on the Symphony and inside on the Serenity. On the ships that muster inside, at the conclusion of the informative demonstration, guests are lead by crew to where they would actually board the lifeboat. Remember, muster means to assemble and take roll call, not abandon ship.

 

On Princess, the muster drills are inside, usually in a lounge or the Princess theater (once we were in the art gallery, which was definitely not big enough for everyone squeezed in there). On five Princess cruises, we have never been taken outside to the lifeboats.

 

I prefer being inside as opposed to outside -- way too noisy with the wind blowing to hear the explanation...at least on those muster drills.

[BlueRiband]

I did a search for "ocean survival suit" and got numerous hits including this one: https://mustangsurvival.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product_large/products/images/MIS210%20HR_4.jpg. Now imagine the average cruise ship passenger trying to don one of these things - and in an emergency when the adrenaline is surging. (And if you're over 6' 3" you're too tall for even an oversize suit.)

 

When Concordia could not launch some of her life boats due to the severe list some called for self launching life boats like those used on commercial vessels and oil rigs: https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M8d2af0e61c134ee0abd4536799ba1230o0&pid=15.1 About 50% of the passengers would lack the physical ability to climb into a boat pitched at such an angle.

 

Commercial ships go in all kinds of weather and the crew must have a reasonable level of physical fitness and mobility. When one factors in the young children and mobility challenged adults on a typical cruise any equipment of this kind would seriously hinder the transfer of passengers to survival craft.

Edited January 6, 2017 by BlueRiband

[chengkp75]

I did a search for "ocean survival suit" and got numerous hits including this one: https://mustangsurvival.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product_large/products/images/MIS210%20HR_4.jpg. Now imagine the average cruise ship passenger trying to don one of these things - and in an emergency when the adrenaline is surging. (And if you're over 6' 3" you're too tall for even an oversize suit.)

 

When Concordia could not launch some of her life boats due to the severe list some called for self launching life boats like those used on commercial vessels and oil rigs: https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M8d2af0e61c134ee0abd4536799ba1230o0&pid=15.1 About 50% of the passengers would lack the physical ability to climb into a boat pitched at such an angle.

 

Commercial ships go in all kinds of weather and the crew must have a reasonable level of physical fitness and mobility. When one factors in the young children and mobility challenged adults on a typical cruise any equipment of this kind would seriously hinder the transfer of passengers to survival craft.

 

Not to mention that the free-fall lifeboats are only installed directly on the stern, so you can imagine how much room these would take up if you fitted 18-20 of these along the sides of the ship.

 

And note, that the Concordia did in fact launch 23 of 26 lifeboats successfully.

[CantanaLobo]

Folks have trouble getting from/to muster without tripping over the vest straps. Be amusing if these suits were mandated.

Edited January 7, 2017 by CantanaLobo

[FredT]

1. Some time ago the Louis Diamond sank off Santorini - in warm water, near shore. At first it was thought that 2 passengers had died. Then it was discovered that they were pulling an insurance scam. They are now alive and well in a prison in Eastern Europe. No fatalities. So far so good.

 

2. Then there was the Costa Concordia. She ran aground and capsized in shallow (warm) water, near the coast of Italy. Over 30 people died. This was terrible - but none of them died from exposure.

 

That's it. With hundreds of millions of passengers over 60 years, just over 30 people died on one sinking cruise ship. If those 30 or so people had been wearing immersion suits, they would still have died, trapped below decks.

 

Bruce... Dont forget the HAL Princendam, sinking off the coast of Alaska in 1980... About as remote as you could get, (and a fire to boot) and still, no fatalities,... and no survival suits!