Tips for a shipboard emergency while on a cruise.

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Excellent point.

Sorry I disagree on two point's.

Firstly the point of bringing the lifejacket from the Stateroom to the drill serves two purposes. One to ensure Guest's know where they are kept, and second to make sure that the Lifejackets fit the Guest's.

Secondly, during the drill, Guest's are instructed not to return to their Stateroom if the Alarm is sounded IFAIK.

Someone else suggested that due to the noise of the loud hailers at each station along with Guest's talking that it was inaudible.
Also that the instructions should be done at once over the P.A System.
This makes complete sense to me. Instructions over the P.A and demonstrated by the CM's in front of everyone.
Hell they used to record a separate CD announcement about the drill taking place specific to the CD so easily achievable.

I really hope DCL listen and adopt new practices to make their ship's even safer than they already were.

Ex Techie

 

[jlima]

Just curious, but I find this hard to picture - there are 8 lifeboats per side on the Dream. With full capacity (4000 guests) that would mean 500 people per lifeboat. They just don't look that large. Are there two levels inside?

The lifeboats aren't the only life saving vessels on the ship; there are also rafts that are in metal "canisters" adjacent to where the boats are on the promenade deck. I took this pic from the gangway when we walked onto the ship on our Dec 24th cruise; and I've circled these life rafts:

I believe they are pressurized; and they inflate on contact with the water. Does anyone know exactly how these work?

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

The lifeboats aren't the only life saving vessels on the ship; there are also rafts that are in metal "canisters" adjacent to where the boats are on the promenade deck. I took this pic from the gangway when we walked onto the ship on our Dec 24th cruise; and I've circled these life rafts:
I believe they are pressurized; and they inflate on contact with the water. Does anyone know exactly how these work?

The raft's in the plastic cylinders would be opened by the crew.
Despatched over the side to the deck level, then the crew or Guest's as well if needed board them.
A handle above is pulled and the raft descends to the water where a hook automatically releases when there is no weight on it, or by hand if necessary.
There is also a rope, called a "painter line" that is attached to the ship and god forbid the ship should sink, the painter line would be pulled and the raft inflates automatically anyway.

Ex Techie

 

[Liandro]

Not sure what's so funny. But this is from IMO regulations. Lifeboats have to equal at least 100%.

I just know many many times all these rules are just paper tigers.
Not saying a wrong word about the Fantasy but in real life we very often see with our own eyes that what is supposed to be lifesaving just is not working.

 

[insureman]

The raft's in the plastic cylinders would be opened by the crew.
Despatched over the side to the deck level, then the crew or Guest's as well if needed board them.
A handle above is pulled and the raft descends to the water where a hook automatically releases when there is no weight on it, or by hand if necessary.
There is also a rope, called a "painter line" that is attached to the ship and god forbid the ship should sink, the painter line would be pulled and the raft inflates automatically anyway.

Ex Techie

Also those rafts have a hydrostatic release mechanism that that will actuate automatically and release the canister from the the ship if it sinks allowing the canister to float to the surface.

 

[glasslipper]

Also, I can see why they got rid of the rule to bring the lifevest to the drill, it implies you always should return to your cabin first to get your lifevest before going to the muster station. Now think you are on Deck 11, your cabin is on deck 1, as you are not allowed to use elevators in an emergency, first, you walk down 11 floors to your cabin, the last 4 floors, fighting against people who come up the stairs from their cabins to the muster station. Once you are in the cabin, you grab the vest and then have to get up 4 or 5 floors to get to the muster station. Just think how much valuable time you lose. Time which might decide over life and death.

As there are enough lifevests at the muster stations, just get there from wherever you are and get a vest there. Of course, if you are in the cabin at the time of an alarm, take the vest from there.

When you enter your cabin for the first time, it should be in your own interest to check if you have all the vests in the sizes you need, if they are in good order and also put them on at least once so you know how they work.

I saw a story on one of this morning's early shows basically giving the same advice. There are reports of bodies being recovered in staterooms wearing life vests! as well as some at the muster stations wearing vests as well. The main advice was to just immediately go to the highest deck and get your life vest at the stations.

 

[insureman]

I saw a story on one of this morning's early shows basically giving the same advice. There are reports of bodies being recovered in staterooms wearing life vests! as well as some at the muster stations wearing vests as well. The main advice was to just immediately go to the highest deck and get your life vest at the stations.

What was the reasoning for going to the highest deck? Are they saying to do this in any abandon ship emergency?

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

What was the reasoning for going to the highest deck? Are they saying to do this in any abandon ship emergency?

Ill educated newscasters IMO.
The same reasons's some have called her a ferry.

Ex Techie

 

[truck1]

In fact you are wrong. Its 120 percent
I just got pictures from my friend working on the Fantasy were they do the drill for the CM.
I'm very sorry I cant post this pictures because it would get my friend in trouble but believe me those pictures tell more than thousand reassuring words.

I am afriad you and your friend are very wrong and glad you think its so funny considerating the recent loss of life......please refer to Truck 1 post....he is the real expert on the regs.

PS pictures are also very subjective...

AKK

150%. The DCL ships and most ships in general fall into the (1) part(ii) section since its unfeasible to move a liferaft from 1 side to the other in a timley manner. Exceptions to the rule would be container ships, freighters, tankers etc.


(1) On each side of the vessel—

(i) Liferafts are carried with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board and are stowed in a position providing for easy side-to-side transfer at a single open deck level; or

(ii) Liferafts are carried with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate 150 percent of the total number of persons on board. If the rescue boat required under §199.202 is also a lifeboat, its capacity may be included to meet the aggregate capacity requirement.


Now back to the thread already in progress.

 

[mousetrip]

I used to tell my daughter (when she was old enough be be on her own) that I would meet her at the muster station and not to go look for me anywhere else. I changed that after this story. I talked to her and told her I would meet her on land. Most important to me is that she is safe, if she is going to panic because I am not there, I want her to panic on safe, dry land. I also told her that if - and how extremely unlikely the IF is, but if we are ever on a ship that is listing like the recent one, she should not worry about her muster station if it is on the low side and just get to the high side and to a life boat station.

The likelihood of this happening on a cruise ship is so small, how many people are on ships everyday and come home safe? Many, many people. I believe in having a plan and then stop worrying about it.

So off I go, in just a few days for my next Dreamy 3 day with my daughter. IF she behaves!

Thank you for that. Excellent points.

 

[mousetrip]

About the cell phones on the Dream, in theory, my husband and I will have ours, and about our DD8, we are still on the fence of whether to rent her one or not (just $20 for 4 days), but I think that we will as this is just another reason why it might be a good thing. If she's in the kids' club and the alarm sounds, it would be nice to just be able to call her to make meeting arrangements or confirm that she will be at the muster station. I've already purchased her a lanyard/pouch that should hold the phone and she's a reasonably responsible type so I'm not TOO worried about her losing it (slightly worried though!) What do you veteran cruisers with children think of this? This is our first one... leaving in one week!

Or, in the event of a power outage, would our phones still work?

Thank you for this thread... glad to know we are all thinking/wondering the same things! I'm not worried, but of course we just need to think about this stuff!

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

If I'm honest, I think the Wave Phone repeater cell's most likely will not work if the power goes out.
The walkie Talkie Radios have capability of using their repeater cell's or if switched to a different channel use point to point communication.
The emergency P.A is battery backed up so emergency pages "should" still happen and be possible.

The likely hood of the General Alarm being sounded before Guest's being asked to return to their Stateroom/Stay where they are/Parent's of children in the Youth Activities please make you way there to meet and collect them is incredibly unlikely IMO.

Certain procedures need to be carried out before the General Alarm is sounded and there will be plenty of time to collect children and get to a Muster Station and evacuate if the need be.
Even the Concordia's case, there was plenty of time for everyone to evacuate, even go back to their Stateroom and collect their lifejacket IF the Captain had made the decision to 'Abandon Ship' earlier.

Ex Techie

 

[insureman]

If I'm honest, I think the Wave Phone repeater cell's most likely will not work if the power goes out.
The walkie Talkie Radios have capability of using their repeater cell's or if switched to a different channel use point to point communication.
The emergency P.A is battery backed up so emergency pages "should" still happen and be possible.

The likely hood of the General Alarm being sounded before Guest's being asked to return to their Stateroom/Stay where they are/Parent's of children in the Youth Activities please make you way there to meet and collect them is incredibly unlikely IMO.

Certain procedures need to be carried out before the General Alarm is sounded and there will be plenty of time to collect children and get to a Muster Station and evacuate if the need be.
Even the Concordia's case, there was plenty of time for everyone to evacuate, even go back to their Stateroom and collect their lifejacket IF the Captain had made the decision to 'Abandon Ship' earlier.

Ex Techie

The other issue in an emergency as I have seen in the past with cell phones is the amount of bandwidth available for the frequency that these phones operate when everyone tries to use them at the same time. I'm not sure of the technology of the Wave phones but they would probably have the same problem. Texting might work better than using voice.

 

[insureman]

150%. The DCL ships and most ships in general fall into the (1) part(ii) section since its unfeasible to move a liferaft from 1 side to the other in a timley manner. Exceptions to the rule would be container ships, freighters, tankers etc.


(1) On each side of the vessel—

(i) Liferafts are carried with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board and are stowed in a position providing for easy side-to-side transfer at a single open deck level; or

(ii) Liferafts are carried with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate 150 percent of the total number of persons on board. If the rescue boat required under §199.202 is also a lifeboat, its capacity may be included to meet the aggregate capacity requirement.


Now back to the thread already in progress.

Thanks for the clarification Truck1

 

[glasslipper]

What was the reasoning for going to the highest deck? Are they saying to do this in any abandon ship emergency?

Yes, in an abandon ship emergency.

 

[Deb in IA]

Back to the original topic -


As a medical person, I have these to add:

1. Know the names (preferably generic) and doses of your medications.

I can't stress this enough. Please. If you tell me you take a "yellow and green capsule" every day, that doesn't help me.

2. If you have a chronic or serious medical condition, wear a Medic Alert.

Bracelet, dog tag, whatever. This should apply for anyone who is diabetic, epileptic, has cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, or allergies. I personally think that anyone on medications should have one too.

3. Be sure your family is aware of your advanced directives.

Sorry if that is disturbing, but it is a fact that we all will face someday.

 

[insureman]

Yes, in an abandon ship emergency.

How do you get in a lifeboat if you're on the highest deck?

 

[insureman]

Back to the original topic -


As a medical person, I have these to add:

1. Know the names (preferably generic) and doses of your medications.

I can't stress this enough. Please. If you tell me you take a "yellow and green capsule" every day, that doesn't help me.

2. If you have a chronic or serious medical condition, wear a Medic Alert.

Bracelet, dog tag, whatever. This should apply for anyone who is diabetic, epileptic, has cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, or allergies. I personally think that anyone on medications should have one too.

3. Be sure your family is aware of your advanced directives.

Sorry if that is disturbing, but it is a fact that we all will face someday.

Great additions!

 

[mellers]

One other thing I do when we go on vacations is I have a document for each of with our full medical history, the names and phone numbers of all of our doctors, all of our prescriptions, and regularly-taken non-prescription medications and dosages, and our health history. I update it regularly.

We all have serious health conditions, so I didn't think of it as general purpose, but it really could be a good thing.

It's also very handy if I go to see a new doctor. It saves a lot of time filling out paperwork.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

How do you get in a lifeboat if you're on the highest deck?

I was kinda wondering that myself......