Fantasy Lifeboats?

[kmitchel]

Does anyone know how many passengers each of the Fantasy lifeboats hold? I think there are 16 of them (8 on each side) and with over 5,000 passengers and crew on board, it doesn't look like those boats could hold 300 people! I'm sure Disney far exceeds any standards required by maratime law, but I was just wondering.

 

[ludari]

You probably cannot fit 300 in those lifeboats especially after eating all that food.

 

[mmouse37]

The capacity is actually written on them and I forget what that number is but they also have other lifeboats in those white canisters that are onboard as well.

MJ

 

[BigRed1]

Everything I find says 325. I think it was one of the questions they asked during the drill on the Dream last year.

 

[disneyxperts]

Don't forget that there are also inflatable rafts for the crew too - they're in the white barrels on the same deck as the life boats...

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

I'm pretty sure it's 270. I have a picture from the Dream or I recorded it but I can't put my finger on it now. They go over this in the muster drill - or they did specifically on the 8/15 Dream sailing for us - and mentioned how many boats, how many rafts, and how many they hold and bottom line ~ more room than people!

I know they practice quite a bit too. In Nassau they lowered a lifeboat and practiced several times and they also had a crew meeting and they were having a briefing on one of the rafts and had the section closed off on deck 4 as they had their meeting.

Heather

 

[Disney Dreams]

Disney (and the maritime organizations that clear them) is not going to mess around with safety. It would be akin to questioning an airline regarding their emergency equipment. No need.

However, that said, you will probably feel more at ease after reading this thread, in particular post 13.

Also keep in mind, that the lifeBOATS do not account for staff and crew (unless they are the one in charge of that lifeboat). The staff and crew go on life rafts.

- Dreams

 

[dclcruiser88]

Don't forget that there are also inflatable rafts for the crew too - they're in the white barrels on the same deck as the life boats...

Thats what I've been told before when I asked.
The majority of the crew members actually have to go in a inflatable life raft, not life boats.
The life boats have a driver, commander and assistant commander to deal with the passengers.
The rest of the crew including the Captain are in inflatable rafts in the white canisters as MJ said.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I assume they have extras in case some of the life boats/rafts are inaccessible due to unthinkable circumstances, such as the ship listing too far to one side before the life boats are deployed, or part of the ship being on fire.

 

[lbgraves]

If you have seen the inside there are rows of benches close together. I was told that each spot on the bench is for a person. It would be a tight fit, but they plan for more than enough space for everyone.

 

[dclcruiser88]

I assume they have extras in case some of the life boats/rafts are inaccessible due to unthinkable circumstances, such as the ship listing too far to one side before the life boats are deployed, or part of the ship being on fire.

From what I understood there are extra life rafts, not life boats so one would hope after the Concordia disaster that the new ships either had them before, or added them afterwards and the same for the Magic class. (life rafts that is, obviously they cannot add life boats)

 

[peachygreen]

They had a couple boats open on the Magic when I was there in July. I never ever want to have to get on one of those life boats. I'm glad they are there in case of an emergency, but just the thought of sitting in one of those makes me feel claustrophobic.

Again I'm glad they are there. I am glad the crew practices. I hope they are never needed. And I hope to never have to get on one.

 

[SuperDry]

Disney (and the maritime organizations that clear them) is not going to mess around with safety. It would be akin to questioning an airline regarding their emergency equipment. No need.

I wouldn't assume that. Although every cruise line is going to say "Safety is our #1 priority," they sometimes make other decisions when they see fit. The Costa Concordia disaster is a perfect example. At the time, the muster drill was required to occur within 24 hours of initial departure. Well, what happens if disaster strikes during those first 24 hours? It was quite predictable: many passengers won't know what to do. On the Costa Concordia, many passengers reported that they didn't know where their muster station was when told to report to it, and some didn't even know what a "muster station" was so they didn't even know what they were supposed to be looking for.

Common sense tells you that the muster drill should occur before the ship leaves the dock, yet that was not standard practice in the industry. And, the Costa Concordia was operated by a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines, so it's not like it was run by some rogue operator that cut corners that the main lines wouldn't. Why were these drills not done before sailing? There had to be some reason, such as convenience to the crew or passengers, or cost. In any event, whatever the reason was was put ahead of safety, since had safety been #1, they would have occurred before departure.

Only after the Costa Concordia disaster did it become accepted practice that the muster drill occur before the ship leaves the dock. So, the notion that the safety organizations or the cruise line are not going mess around with safety was proven incorrect less than a year ago.

Having said all of that, I feel quite safe on the Disney ships. But I don't think it's unreasonable to ask questions.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Wow! This got resurrected out of nowhere. I was thrown for a loop when I got notification from a post four months old. Just to clarify... If what you quoted from my reply is kept in the context I wrote it, it has nothing to do with when muster drills take place, but specifically safety equipment.

I wouldn't assume that.

If you read the post I referenced above, I was not assuming anything. I was basing it in hard numbers.

- Dreams

 

[SuperDry]

Wow! This got resurrected out of nowhere. I was thrown for a loop when I got notification from a post four months old. Just to clarify... If what you quoted from my reply is kept in the context I wrote it, it has nothing to do with when muster drills take place, but specifically safety equipment.

Fair enough, although I don't know how you can separate safety procedures from safety equipment when you're talking in the context of the regulatory framework or ship line implementation.

 

[sayhello]

I wouldn't assume that. Although every cruise line is going to say "Safety is our #1 priority," they sometimes make other decisions when they see fit. The Costa Concordia disaster is a perfect example. At the time, the muster drill was required to occur within 24 hours of initial departure. Well, what happens if disaster strikes during those first 24 hours? It was quite predictable: many passengers won't know what to do. On the Costa Concordia, many passengers reported that they didn't know where their muster station was when told to report to it, and some didn't even know what a "muster station" was so they didn't even know what they were supposed to be looking for.

Common sense tells you that the muster drill should occur before the ship leaves the dock, yet that was not standard practice in the industry. And, the Costa Concordia was operated by a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines, so it's not like it was run by some rogue operator that cut corners that the main lines wouldn't. Why were these drills not done before sailing? There had to be some reason, such as convenience to the crew or passengers, or cost. In any event, whatever the reason was was put ahead of safety, since had safety been #1, they would have occurred before departure.

Only after the Costa Concordia disaster did it become accepted practice that the muster drill occur before the ship leaves the dock. So, the notion that the safety organizations or the cruise line are not going mess around with safety was proven incorrect less than a year ago.

Having said all of that, I feel quite safe on the Disney ships. But I don't think it's unreasonable to ask questions.

The Costa Concordia was kind of a special situation because people embarked and debarked the ship at each port. It wasn't like most cruise ships where there's a "beginning" and an "end" to the cruise. It was pretty much on a "continuous cruise" with people coming and going constantly. So the muster drills were held I think it was every second or third day to "catch up" with the folks who joined the ship since the last muster drill. I don't know if that's the best way to handle things, but for whatever reason, that was the procedure that Costa chose to implement. I'd assume they're re-evaluating that procedure if they have any other ships that follow the same pattern.

Sayhello

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I wouldn't assume that. Although every cruise line is going to say "Safety is our #1 priority," they sometimes make other decisions when they see fit. The Costa Concordia disaster is a perfect example. At the time, the muster drill was required to occur within 24 hours of initial departure. Well, what happens if disaster strikes during those first 24 hours? It was quite predictable: many passengers won't know what to do. On the Costa Concordia, many passengers reported that they didn't know where their muster station was when told to report to it, and some didn't even know what a "muster station" was so they didn't even know what they were supposed to be looking for.

Common sense tells you that the muster drill should occur before the ship leaves the dock, yet that was not standard practice in the industry. And, the Costa Concordia was operated by a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise Lines, so it's not like it was run by some rogue operator that cut corners that the main lines wouldn't. Why were these drills not done before sailing? There had to be some reason, such as convenience to the crew or passengers, or cost. In any event, whatever the reason was was put ahead of safety, since had safety been #1, they would have occurred before departure.

Only after the Costa Concordia disaster did it become accepted practice that the muster drill occur before the ship leaves the dock. So, the notion that the safety organizations or the cruise line are not going mess around with safety was proven incorrect less than a year ago.

Having said all of that, I feel quite safe on the Disney ships. But I don't think it's unreasonable to ask questions.

Solas and the IMO did do not reqiure lifeboat drills except for 1 per week. The Concordia and many cruise ships on a loop criuses, where passingers boarded and left in each port often did them only every few days and it was legal.

Most if not all cruise ships running in the US waters did do lifeboat drills prior to leaving port, if for no other reason then to make the USCG happy!

Since the Concordie, the Crusie line operators group now reqiure all cruise ships to have lifeboat drill prior to sailing.

Now I totally agree with you that is is common sense to do it prior then sailing and I think it was criminially wrong not to have passingers wearing thier lifevests as so many people never so much as look for the life vests in thier cabins!

At this time Carnivail Corportation which owns a number of lines(including Carnival lines and Costa) is under investigation by a international group due to the Concordia and them being called a rogue outfit may not be so off the mark. After the major fires on the QMII,splendour, Allega( and a few others) and the sinking of the Concordia, questionable vessel design and operational and safty practices. There are alot of questions to be answered.

I will not permit my family to sail those lines due to safety issues.


Just a retired Ship Masters opinion...AKK

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

From what I understood there are extra life rafts, not life boats so one would hope after the Concordia disaster that the new ships either had them before, or added them afterwards and the same for the Magic class. (life rafts that is, obviously they cannot add life boats)

Since the Concordia there is alot of new rules and reqiurements being discussed.

1. Designing a lifeboat system that can be launched regardless of vessel list or trim.

2. New reqiurements for lifeboat drills, returning to reqiuring lifevsts to be worn, having 1 or more lifeboats opened and passingers shown how to enter them and where to sit, etc.

3. New reqiurements for the amount and positions of lifeboats and liferafts, ei life rafts that can be moved from port to starboard and reverse!

4. Reqiuremnents when the muster alarms are to be sounded.


These are just a few.............we will see what happens.

AKK

 

[E ticket rider]

Since the Concordia there is alot of new rules and reqiurements being discussed.

1. Designing a lifeboat system that can be launched regardless of vessel list or trim.

2. New reqiurements for lifeboat drills, returning to reqiuring lifevsts to be worn, having 1 or more lifeboats opened and passingers shown how to enter them and where to sit, etc.

3. New reqiurements for the amount and positions of lifeboats and liferafts, ei life rafts that can be moved from port to starboard and reverse!

4. Reqiuremnents when the muster alarms are to be sounded.


These are just a few.............we will see what happens.

AKK

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I read somewhere that under SOLAS, modern cruise ships are required to carry a combination of enough lifeboats and life rafts on each side of the ship for the entire ships complement. I believe that this was done as a result of the sinking of the M/V Oceanos where the lifeboats on one side of the ship were unable to be launched due to her extreme list. It didn't help the situation that the Captain and bridge crew of the Oceanos were on the first lifeboats launched from the ship.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I read somewhere that under SOLAS, modern cruise ships are required to carry a combination of enough lifeboats and life rafts on each side of the ship for the entire ships complement. I believe that this was done as a result of the sinking of the M/V Oceanos where the lifeboats on one side of the ship were unable to be launched due to her extreme list. It didn't help the situation that the Captain and bridge crew of the Oceanos were on the first lifeboats launched from the ship.

You are correct, this was just one rule change that if the liferafts could be moved form one side to the other, they would be counted in the totals for both sides. I don't say I agree, it was just one idea I saw in reading here and there.

That Captain and some of the Officers, (I beleive the chief engineer was also in the lifeboat), did jail time and rightfully so! If it wasn't so terrible it would be a joke, but both the Captians (the Oceanos and the Concordia) tried to justify leaving there vessels so early by saying they were *directing rescue operations* from dry land, safe and sound!


AKK