Life jackets in cabins- good idea ?

[FannyLiz]

On my first cruise (SofD / Nov ‘23) my muster station was on deck 7 and my cabin on deck 11. My lifejacket was in my cabin wardrobe.

 

Had there been an emergency necessitating us wearing lifejackets I would have had to go from wherever I was on the ship, to my cabin and then back down to my muster station. I assume all lifts would be closed in the circumstances. I am reasonably fit but slow going downstairs. There were many on board who, were a lot slower or less active than I was but not booked for crew assistance. Given that sea conditions are likely to be rough and people frightened, it seems like this could be more dangerous than necessary.

 

Wouldn’t it be more sensible if life jackets were stored on decks close to the lifeboats or muster stations, as they are on most of the ferries I have travelled on all over the world ?

 

Am I missing something ?

[LandC]

My understanding is that if people are not in their cabins when emergency occurs, they should go straight to their muster station where life jackets will be provided.

[Lady Meer]

16 minutes ago, LandC said:

My understanding is that if people are not in their cabins when emergency occurs, they should go straight to their muster station where life jackets will be provided.

That’s my understanding too and is the same on all cruise lines we have sailed.

[nosapphire]

They are also stored on deck by the liferafts. There are large boxes containing lifejackets - I was told that there are sufficient for all persons on board.

I recall one sea day (Saga Ruby, I think) with a crew exercise and passengers were invited to join in (if they wished.) In those days, our muster station was at our life raft, those of us who had gone straight to the muster were issued with life jackets from the lockers.

 

[FannyLiz]

Thank you all. I didn’t know that. Clearly I missed the instructions and am much relieved by your answers.

 

The first hours of a first cruise are a little like first day at school: so many new things to remember and places to be.

Edited June 17 by FannyLiz

[Ladycommonsense]

I have found the answers to this question very interesting as - after 35 years of cruising, my thoughts were the same as those of FannyLiz. I am currently on SOA and listened very carefully to the drill statement which did indeed say ‘ in the event of an emergency return to your cabin and collect your life jacket’. 

[nosapphire]

Plus any medication and warm clothing.

BUT if you cannot - for any reason at all - return to your cabin, there are sufficient life jackets in the bins by the lifeboats for everybody.

The only time a lifejacket would be really needed would be in the event of having to abandon ship.

Instructions to return to cabin, collect lifejacket etc and go to muster are so that everybody is ready in case of need, but the likelihood of such need is vanishingly rare.

 

The ship itself is the biggest and safest lifeboat there is, and the one thing that a ship - any ship - really, really, really wants to do is float.

Passenger ships take evasive action for weather more often than any other type, simply because they have passengers, not because the ship itself will have any problems.

I have seen photos and read reports from cargo ships that arrived in port very late, very battered, and minus quite a lot of cargo after battling through seriously bad weather it has made me aware of just how well a ship can cope.

[Ladycommonsense]

19 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

Plus any medication and warm clothing.

BUT if you cannot - for any reason at all - return to your cabin, there are sufficient life jackets in the bins by the lifeboats for everybody.

The only time a lifejacket would be really needed would be in the event of having to abandon ship.

Instructions to return to cabin, collect lifejacket etc and go to muster are so that everybody is ready in case of need, but the likelihood of such need is vanishingly rare.

 

The ship itself is the biggest and safest lifeboat there is, and the one thing that a ship - any ship - really, really, really wants to do is float.

Passenger ships take evasive action for weather more often than any other type, simply because they have passengers, not because the ship itself will have any problems.

I have seen photos and read reports from cargo ships that arrived in port very late, very battered, and minus quite a lot of cargo after battling through seriously bad weather it has made me aware of just how well a ship can cope.

Great answer - thank you. However you have clearly never been in an emergency situation when life jackets were called for. I have, on three occasions and all of them were on ‘new’ large ‘unsinkable vessels’. ….  and the average passenger walks around like a headless chicken.

 

[FannyLiz]

15 hours ago, LandC said:

My understanding is that if people are not in their cabins when emergency occurs, they should go straight to their muster station where life jackets will be provided.

Why are lifejackets provided in cabins anyway ?  They are bulky and, I imagine, not easy to move around in when worn. In a crowd, on stairs, they would be a real nuisance and, if carried rather than worn, are likely to get dropped or snagged. 
 

If there are sufficient near muster stations then surely there is no need for duplicates ?

[nosapphire]

3 hours ago, Ladycommonsense said:

Great answer - thank you. However you have clearly never been in an emergency situation when life jackets were called for. I have, on three occasions and all of them were on ‘new’ large ‘unsinkable vessels’. ….  and the average passenger walks around like a headless chicken.

 

Fortunately, not. But as you (happily) do not mention having to use the lifeboats, it sounds as if this was one of the precautionary situations - i.e, "let's make sure everybody is ready in case we cannot get the situation under control."

Your final comment sums up the need to get people ready earlier rather than later....surprising how many people do not bother to read the safety notice on ship, plane or hotel.

 

2 hours ago, FannyLiz said:

If there are sufficient near muster stations then surely there is no need for duplicates

Could be that, in most situations, there is time to go to the cabin, which would save crew time doling them out. Or could simply be a hangover from the "old days".

I have a photo somewhere of everybody trying to leave an embarkation muster drill still wearing old-style lifejackets.. we looked like a lot of bright orange pumpkins wedged together in the doorway.

[nosapphire]

Bit of a thread drift, but the most memorable safety talk I heard was many years ago on a Virgin Atlantic flight. The attendant maybe wanted to see how many people were actually listening.

It finished the description of the life vest with:

"... a light to attract the sharks, and a whistle in case they are looking the other way".

[JoJo1947]

21 hours ago, FannyLiz said:

On my first cruise (SofD / Nov ‘23) my muster station was on deck 7 and my cabin on deck 11. My lifejacket was in my cabin wardrobe.

 

Had there been an emergency necessitating us wearing lifejackets I would have had to go from wherever I was on the ship, to my cabin and then back down to my muster station. I assume all lifts would be closed in the circumstances. I am reasonably fit but slow going downstairs. There were many on board who, were a lot slower or less active than I was but not booked for crew assistance. Given that sea conditions are likely to be rough and people frightened, it seems like this could be more dangerous than necessary.

 

Wouldn’t it be more sensible if life jackets were stored on decks close to the lifeboats or muster stations, as they are on most of the ferries I have travelled on all over the world ?

 

Am I missing something ?

Yes you are as you go to your Muster point and there are life jackets 🤷

[JoJo1947]

8 hours ago, Ladycommonsense said:

I have found the answers to this question very interesting as - after 35 years of cruising, my thoughts were the same as those of FannyLiz. I am currently on SOA and listened very carefully to the drill statement which did indeed say ‘ in the event of an emergency return to your cabin and collect your life jacket’. 

Depends if you can but if you can't you go straight to your Muster station.