Why does DCL have us congregate inside the theater instead of outside by the lifeboats?

[TDC Nala]

if you don't go to your station, some crew member will probably be sent to look for you, which places them at risk also.

Even with the egregious behavior of the Concordia's captain, all but 32 people made it off that ship. And a few of those were like the musician who went back for his violin. and they list only 64 injuries.

 

[FlagTechMgr]

if you don't go to your station, some crew member will probably be sent to look for you, which places them at risk also.

Even with the egregious behavior of the Concordia's captain, all but 32 people made it off that ship. And a few of those were like the musician who went back for his violin. and they list only 64 injuries.

Thanks to the Chief Mate ... the infamous "Plan B"

 

[jetskigrl]

20 degrees. Regulations require that the lifeboats be able to be launched at a 20 deg list angle. Regulations also require that there be life saving capacity for 100% of persons on board on each side of the vessel. If your lifeboat can't be launched, there is a life raft waiting for you on the other side.

Due to the length of the typical cruise ship voyage (always less than 24 hrs from land) they may be authorized to have less lifeboat space than passengers. In which case, those of you mustering in the theater are likely pre-designated for a life raft. Again, read the station bill on the back of your door.

20 deg. may not sound like a lot, but its massive, you would see a lot of scared faces at even 5-10 degrees of list. It only takes about 3-4 degrees before your inner ear notices and your mind is telling you that was a "big one"

I can't imagine a 20 degree list. On our Alaska cruise last summer, as we were leaving the Port of Vancouver and turning to go under the bridge, I felt one of those lists for the first time. I don't know if that is a common experience at that point (while making that turn) or if we just hit some unusual current but it was a very creepy feeling, especially since the water was so calm. We were up on deck and all of us just stopped and my DS's eyes got really big, LOL. It was definitely an unsettling feeling. Not the list itself, but wondering how much further it was going to list before the ship righted itself.

After reading this, I would be curious to know how much of a list it was. But I'm guessing it was less than 5 degrees. Just enough to really notice

 

[FlagTechMgr]

I can't imagine a 20 degree list. On our Alaska cruise last summer, as we were leaving the Port of Vancouver and turning to go under the bridge, I felt one of those lists for the first time. I don't know if that is a common experience at that point (while making that turn) or if we just hit some unusual current but it was a very creepy feeling, especially since the water was so calm. We were up on deck and all of us just stopped and my DS's eyes got really big, LOL. It was definitely an unsettling feeling. Not the list itself, but wondering how much further it was going to list before the ship righted itself.

After reading this, I would be curious to know how much of a list it was. But I'm guessing it was less than 5 degrees. Just enough to really notice

I remember like it was yesterday that first really rough day at sea, it felt like a fairly severe walk "uphill" to the other side of the vessel. I thought the rolls were going to be about 30 deg but when I looked at the inclinometer it was only 10. Even 10 deg is pretty severe.

I found this on the internet, the caption says the ship is listing at 10 degrees.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/10/05/article-2045497-0E3BD81D00000578-864_634x373.jpg

For the Disney Magic with a beam (width) of 100', at a 10 degree list one side is 17 feet higher than the other.

 

[Eeyorebabies]

Oh my goodness! Has anyone seen this video of the cruise ship in rough seas? No amount of Dramamine in the world will help lol!

http://1079ishot.com/watch-this-cruise-ship-survive-extremely-rough-seas-video/

 

[artnerds]

Oh my goodness! Has anyone seen this video of the cruise ship in rough seas? No amount of Dramamine in the world will help lol!

http://1079ishot.com/watch-this-cruise-ship-survive-extremely-rough-seas-video/

I love that it's a Princess ship and they played the theme from The Love Boat.

 

[artnerds]

I love that it's a Princess ship and they played the theme from The Love Boat.

Also, I would die a thousand deaths if I were on that ship, and would likely never leave my home again.

 

[C6PT7]

Well, I don't know. After all, someone taking the drill 100% seriously will go about their business UNTIL they hear the alarm. And then at that point they will start making their way to their station. We tried that once (against DH and DS's wishes, because I read some really interesting thread about it on cruisecritic and it made total sense to me to practice it as it would happen in an emergency). People didn't appreciate it. About 3/4 were already there, and we were looked on as slackers. (then the other 1/4 of the people came slowly to the station so we definitely weren't last)

If *everyone* did it that way and then shushed and listened, it would be over quickly. But if some get there before the alarm has gone off (impossible in an emergency situation) and some get there as it goes off and some get there after making their way to the stations after the alarm has gone off, those first people are going to feel like it's taken an awful long time for the drill to be done!


Do YOU appreciate people asking you plan B, C, etc? Would you appreciate 4000 people (or even one person from each group) asking you for that information?

I agree if someone is taking the drill seriously they will wait until they are instructed either verbally or by the emergency alarm to go to their muster station.
If you think some people didn't appreciate you turning up when you were supposed to, as a posed to them turning up early, well thats their problem if they perceive the drill to take a long time! They chose to get there early and before, you did as directed.

Why would I appreciate being asked about a plan B, C, etc?
In my job I'm not responsible for knowing or answering questions like that. The fire marshal is.
If a pax has concerns about a plan B or C, then they should ask to speak to someone about that.
I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time someone has asked that as there will have been military personnel and first responders cruising before, and I very much doubt a thread on the DIS is going to encourage or cause an influx of people that now want to ask questions.
I would think and would hope that DCL would take the time to speak to anyone about this, and of course, the DCL officer only has to say sorry, we cannot discuss this due to xyz, or that there are several other muster stations you could be sent to depending on the location and severity of the emergency, and only once the the situation has been assessed would that decision be made. Or they could say we have alternate muster stations such as deck 5 atrium balcony, oceans club, or even a hallway etc.
The officer being spoken to would be able to speak to that person and provide them with whatever information they felt they could provide and some comfort to them.

Just because it isn't a concern of yours doesn't make it less of a concern for others, and I think you should appreciate that others careers and training may make them see certain situations differently than you or I would.

 

[C6PT7]

20 degrees. Regulations require that the lifeboats be able to be launched at a 20 deg list angle. Regulations also require that there be life saving capacity for 100% of persons on board on each side of the vessel. If your lifeboat can't be launched, there is a life raft waiting for you on the other side.

Due to the length of the typical cruise ship voyage (always less than 24 hrs from land) they may be authorized to have less lifeboat space than passengers. In which case, those of you mustering in the theater are likely pre-designated for a life raft. Again, read the station bill on the back of your door.

20 deg. may not sound like a lot, but its massive, you would see a lot of scared faces at even 5-10 degrees of list. It only takes about 3-4 degrees before your inner ear notices and your mind is telling you that was a "big one"

Does the station allocation sign on the back of the cabin door detail if you are in a lifeboat or liferaft? I never noticed.
Also does that mean those in animators palate and other indoor spaces are in liferafts?

From your experience, do you think my calculations in head are correct?

I'm sorry Prose but when I read that I found that not possible in my mind in this day and age, so I did a little googling and I think you are incorrect. Here's why.

If you look at the side of the Disney Wonder, one of the lifeboats is smaller than the other, 4th in.

Here is a picture of it close up

It states 58 persons, but it is a lot smaller than the others

So that larger lifeboat is easily twice as large as the smaller one they seem to use for rescues if they do not launch the RIB rescue boat.

The Wonder has a max 2400 pax, 20 lifeboats, 2 with 58 pax capacity.
So 2400 less the 116 for the smaller lifeboats leaves 2342 pax.
2342 between the remaining 18 large lifeboats is 113 pax per large lifeboat.

I can easily see 113 pax fitting in the large boat if 58 fit in the small boat.

If you are referring to the inflatable rafts like these, they are for the crew from everything I've read

 

[phinz]

I'm wondering if they have changed the muster stations around. When we were Concierge on the Dream in July 2013 (cabin 12028) our muster station was on the deck.

My next 2 cruises - Dream cabin 9000 and Fantasy cabin 5044 - were both in the WDT. 9000 was in the balcony and 5044 was on the main level.

I think the cutoff for WDT balcony is 020/520 or 018/518. We have been in the WDT in 12004 and 10514, but out on deck in 12022 whenever we've been forward. Does anybody remember where the watertight bulkhead door is on each deck? That may determine it.

 

[C6PT7]

Watertight bulkhead on deck 10 or 12??????

Things have gone very very wrong if you are relying on water tight bulkheads and doors on deck 10 or 12!

I think you mean fire doors!

 

[phinz]

Watertight bulkhead on deck 10 or 12??????

Things have gone very very wrong if you are relying on water tight bulkheads and doors on deck 10 or 12!

I think you mean fire doors!

Of course I did.

 

[Prose]

C6PT7, Thanks for the photos! I am more familiar with the Fantasy, so I was thinking in terms of 4000-some pax plus crew.

 

[C6PT7]

It's great to hear that there is no class system in muster station allocation between concierge and regular pax!

 

[C6PT7]

C6PT7, Thanks for the photos! I am more familiar with the Fantasy, so I was thinking in terms of 4000-some pax plus crew.

I doubt unless one side of the ship became unusable, say a fire on deck 4 or the lifeboats above that Disney would put pax in liferafts.
If the post I quoted from 2010 is correct, then there is more than enough capacity for all pax in lifeboats!

 

[phinz]

It's great to hear that there is no class system in muster station allocation between concierge and regular pax!

I'm always reminded of Titanic . "Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?"

 

[C6PT7]

I'm always reminded of Titanic . "Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?"

There are too many disaster movies out there about everything from flying to driving your car, to your house being robbed, being held hostage in bank during a robbery, being caught in a terrorist bomb plot, for anyone to make something in their mind that could happen to them.

I get irrational fear. I get preparedness.
I do not get "I just watched Titanic the week before my cruise! Will I be safe" posts though. Sorry. Suck it up and grow up. It was a movie.

And I am glad the concierge pax do not get preferential assignments.

 

[C6PT7]

I did think that @Tonka's Skipper and @truck1 would have given their opinions thou!

 

[Eeyorebabies]

We were in 12516 last cruise, and we were in the theater for our muster station. That was on the Dream. We will be in the same cabin number for our cruise in December (creature of habit lol) on the Fantasy. We were in a full theater for the drill. So no, they do not place people according to class, I would hope history would have taught people a lesson on that one. I do not feel my life is any more important than the person sitting 5 rows down. I do believe children are the absolute priority though, everyone's children, not just mine other than that, class does not matter.

 

[FlagTechMgr]

Does the station allocation sign on the back of the cabin door detail if you are in a lifeboat or liferaft? I never noticed.
Also does that mean those in animators palate and other indoor spaces are in liferafts?

From your experience, do you think my calculations in head are correct?

Realize I am only saying what "could" be and what the regulations allow. I am not in any way trying to state what "is". I haven't been on a Disney cruise since 1999 so I don't recall what my station bill said, but if you were on a vessel where your primary Life Saving Appliance was a life raft, it would be stated so on the station bill.

I count 10 lifeboats per side so you would need a capacity of around 100 per boat to have a lifeboat space for each passenger so yes, your math looks about right. I would go so far as to put a specific number on the capacity by eyeballing a picture, but you are probably in the right ballpark. Yes that is the life rafts I was speaking of, and according the math it looks like they would in fact be for the crew.

A little bit of trivia ... Disney had to get special permission from the Bahamas to paint the lifeboats that color of yellow.