Saw an "open" Lifeboat last week on Fantasy

[Uncleromulus]

Interesting--shows what CAN happen.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

FYI....All the passingers and crew were transferred from the lifeboats and lifrafts to onboard the Lastral, a vessel in the area.

AKK

 

[preciouspups]

Just got off the fantasy. Every time I saw the life boats I tried to figure out how they would get 200 people in it. Lol!

 

[preciouspups]

Our tender boat to grand Cayman said it held 200 passengers. Then it said "138 adult life vests and 18 kid life vests". So, who doesn't get one?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Our tender boat to grand Cayman said it held 200 passengers. Then it said "138 adult life vests and 18 kid life vests". So, who doesn't get one?

That's what available onboard the life boat. For those people who make it into the boat without one. The muster stations also have life vests that will be handed out before loading the boat.

 

[preciouspups]

That's what available onboard the life boat. For those people who make it into the boat without one. The muster stations also have life vests that will be handed out before loading the boat.

This was the tender... not the cruise ship. There is no muster station with extra vests.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This was the tender... not the cruise ship. There is no muster station with extra vests.

Oh, OK. Maybe they figure that, if they did indeed have 200 passengers onboard, at least 50 of them could swim well enough to survive. It's not that far from the ship onto land there.

 

[C6PT7]

THanks for the math correction Are we sure the rafts are for crew only???

Unless you know different, and the math above of "270 x 16 is 4320
So with a max pax occupancy of 4000, 2500 double occupancy, there is more than enough room in the 4320 spaces in the lifeboats for a further 320 crew to be the driver and lifeboat command crew with out using the liferafts." isn't enough for a stable, level floating vessel that needs to be abandoned, can you say why you think the crew would be the priority?
It does sound like you know something, or are especially suspicious!

This is interesting and something i never thought about. IN an actual event, arent you supposed to arrive at the muster station wearing a life vest? This just doenst seem right that they wouldnt warn against jumping into the water wearing a lifevest.

There are lockers near deck 4 with the same amount of lifejackets needed. So that in the unlikely and very unlucky event that something should happen and you cannot get back to your cabin, you still have one.
If it were an emergency in the middle of the night, and you are in your cabin, then yes they ask that you bring it. Depending on the severity of the emergency, they may ask you to return to your cabin, for your safety.
So, it covers both scenarios. If you can or cannot get your cabin lifejacket, you will have one, if needed.

Our tender boat to grand Cayman said it held 200 passengers. Then it said "138 adult life vests and 18 kid life vests". So, who doesn't get one?

If you doubt the safety of the vendors dcl use, i would certainly raise this with the crew aboard, and if you do not receive a satisfactory explanation, then raise it with corporate hq.
It could also be that dcl only allow 130 people aboard this tenders in light of the fact they display that they carry less than needed life jackets?

 

[C6PT7]

This is interesting and something i never thought about. IN an actual event, arent you supposed to arrive at the muster station wearing a life vest? This just doenst seem right that they wouldnt warn against jumping into the water wearing a lifevest.

They wouldn't warn you against jumping from deck 4 wearing your lifejacket because you wouldn't be asked to!
You would be in a lifeboat, or last resort in a liferaft. If the brown stuff had really hit the fan, and your were like the Concordia pax, they still had crew directing them what to do, even without the captain, and you would be able to jump safely from the very much keeled over vessel wearing your lifejacket.
If the vessel is still upright and at regular draught, there would be no reason to abandon ship unless there were a fire nearby and no lifeboats or liferafts available.
The crew cannot and will not tell you every scenario. They will tell you what to do if that situation occurs, and they need to.

 

[DisneyQuartet]

I have this unpleasant vision that all those who have their lifeboat drill on deck at their lifeboat stations would be assigned a regular, rigid, fully enclosed lifeboat. Then everyone who does their lifeboat drill in the comfort of a theatre or restaurant would be relegated to an inflatable. This is hopefully not fact, but my imagination on a rampage. I've always wondered about being assigned to a theatre or restaurant to head to if the ship was sinking. I shall be very happy to never experience what might occur under those circumstances.

How is it determimed who is sent to a theatre or restaurant?

 

[DisneyQuartet]

I am glad I stumbled upon this thread. I never knew to not wear the life jacket if you need to jump. When you say to step...what does that mean exactly? Just literally take a step off the ship?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Now sometimes they do things differently on a cruise vs other vessels. However I never heard of anyone ever being told to take your life vest off before entering the water. If jumping you hold, your hands on the opening in the top front of the life vest and hold it down, so it doesn't push up around your neck as you enter the water. If the vest gets pushed up around the neck it could be dangerous and effect your breathing.

You step off, trying to get as far away from the side of the vessel as possible. Leaving the vessel from the lowest/closest point to the water possible.

Every situation is different and as C6PT7 said, the CMs cannot tell you in advance every possible action to be taken

If there is any question on this, it is best to check with the CW's in charge of your boat station.


Your Boat Station is on a large card on the back of the cabin door. It has a wealth of information on what to do and when. Including the location of your muster station.

Read it first thing!

It also has directions on how to put on your life vest. Take the vests out and make sure every one in the cabin as th vest of the correct size..PUT IT ON!.....to make sure. They will go over this at the muster.



AKK

 

[perky]

What happens when people have to poop?

I imagine one would have already pooped one's pants.

The shape of those black spots - what is that supposed to be? I mean, why not a circle? They look like a hoof print. I guess they do indicate direction -- here is your butt, here are your legs.

 

[RedSox68]

They have used the lifeboats for tendering -- and they do pack them in. At times you are almost sitting on each other's laps and just when you think they cannot fit another person, they let people in to stand in any open floor space. So beating out at sea packed like sardines with no land in site -- UGH.

 

[Expatriat]

How is it determimed who is sent to a theatre or restaurant?

Cabin location. DCL designates a specific muster location for each cabin. That is the same on every cruise.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/dream-fantasy-muster-stations.2639344/

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

They have used the lifeboats for tendering -- and they do pack them in. At times you are almost sitting on each other's laps and just when you think they cannot fit another person, they let people in to stand in any open floor space. So beating out at sea packed like sardines with no land in site -- UGH.

Beleive me a trip on a crowded lifeboat is not fun. A whole lot of rocking and rolling.

AKK

 

[RedSox68]

Beleive me a trip on a crowded lifeboat is not fun. A whole lot of rocking and rolling.

AKK

The worst tender experience we've ever had in 16 cruises was last year on Princess in Guernsey. It was a stormy day to gender anyway, but when we returned to the ship, the tender was rolling side to side -- people were actually falling off the benches. When it got to the ship it crashed several times into the side. The crew members were asking people to jump from the tender to the ship until an officer yelled out no way! (nobody jumped -- it was impossible). They finally got it tied tight enough to get off, but it took them more than 20 minutes to stabilize it. It was very scary -- especially crashing into the ship. I hate tendering even on a good weather day!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The worst tender experience we've ever had in 16 cruises was last year on Princess in Guernsey. It was a stormy day to gender anyway, but when we returned to the ship, the tender was rolling side to side -- people were actually falling off the benches. When it got to the ship it crashed several times into the side. The crew members were asking people to jump from the tender to the ship until an officer yelled out no way! (nobody jumped -- it was impossible). They finally got it tied tight enough to get off, but it took them more than 20 minutes to stabilize it. It was very scary -- especially crashing into the ship. I hate tendering even on a good weather day!

Lucky that Officer was paying attention. Someone slip between the tender and the vessels side, it would likely kill them. *Tonka* in the avi, is designed for rough weather, I have even had her to sea 10 miles off Montuck. She handles the seas well, but there reaches a point where you should just not be out in those type of seas.

AKK

 

[dhardawa]

They go to the poop deck, of course.

Best response EVER.

 

[dhardawa]

The good news is that it's 2016. We have things like GPS, cellular, Coast Guard, etc. I can't imagine you'd be in the lifeboat too long, especially in the Carribbean where there are lots of other boats close.