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

[Kimosabe]

On a somewhat related note, I was very glad to see the lifeboats being tested while we were docked at St. Thomas last week. I had never seen this happen before, and it's pretty comforting to know that it occurs on a very regular basis.

 

[Stitchie13]

Being prepared for a possible emergency is not being paranoid. It's being smart. When I go anywhere like the movie theater, mall, plane, where ever, I look around and make a quick mental note of where my closest exit would be in case of an emergency. That's all. I dont obsess over it. I just make sure that I am aware of my surroundings. In the day and age of terrorists I think it's ignorant to bury your head in the sand and sleep walk through life. So when i go on a ship, I also like to know in the 1% chance of an emergency, what are my options to save my family and myself. It's ignorant to say that if we are so afraid of sinking then we shouldnt go on cruises. "rolling eyes" We or at least, I am not "so afraid of sinking". I am just aware enough to want to be educated and prepared for an emergency. So when I was put into the theater i our drill, I questioned it. There is nothing wrong with questionning something and not blindly following just because that is what you're told. This doesnt mean that I plan on doing my own thing if we were to sink. I will probably go to my assigned muster station and do what I am told. But only after questionning it as I am doing here and researching the reasons behind it. Information is power. Many of you get upset when questions like these are posed and say that we shouldnt even ask such things. How dare we question Disney or any authority? Sorry but I disagree.

OK I get it - you're vigilant and that's great and sensible but dear god using the phrase "I will probably go to my assigned muster station and do what I am told" strikes the fear of god into me if I was a fellow passenger on your cruise in the case of an emergency and if you start being the one to question authority in the middle of an evacuation and you're in mine and my families way whilst you are checking all your options then... well ... I shall probably stand behind you patiently or probably not!

So, I'm all for being prepared and feeling that my family will be safe in an emergency. Amber brought up some good points about managing chaos in an emergency.

But... For those who have stated or suggested that they wouldn't report to inside muster stations, but would instead go the the lifeboat area-

What do you do next? Do you jump into someone else's lifeboat? Ignore the CM's trying to manage an orderly evac? Take the space of a family who reported to their assigned station?

There's a big difference between being proactive and being dangerous.

Right and we all saw what happened to the ones in the movies who either a) questioned the right thing to do, b) ignored it or c) put themselves first..... it wasn't pretty... Karma and all that!!!

 

[E ticket rider]

Being prepared for a possible emergency is not being paranoid. It's being smart. When I go anywhere like the movie theater, mall, plane, where ever, I look around and make a quick mental note of where my closest exit would be in case of an emergency. That's all. I dont obsess over it. I just make sure that I am aware of my surroundings. In the day and age of terrorists I think it's ignorant to bury your head in the sand and sleep walk through life. So when i go on a ship, I also like to know in the 1% chance of an emergency, what are my options to save my family and myself. It's ignorant to say that if we are so afraid of sinking then we shouldnt go on cruises. "rolling eyes" We or at least, I am not "so afraid of sinking". I am just aware enough to want to be educated and prepared for an emergency. So when I was put into the theater i our drill, I questioned it. There is nothing wrong with questionning something and not blindly following just because that is what you're told. This doesnt mean that I plan on doing my own thing if we were to sink. I will probably go to my assigned muster station and do what I am told. But only after questionning it as I am doing here and researching the reasons behind it. Information is power. Many of you get upset when questions like these are posed and say that we shouldnt even ask such things. How dare we question Disney or any authority? Sorry but I disagree.

It's arrogant presumption on your part to think they you should know all of the evacuation options up front (just in case you need to decide). And evacuating a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean is not even remotely similar to evacuating a mall, movie theater or plane. You can't exactly run out into the parking lot through the nearest door in the middle if the ocean. The crew is constantly drilled on how to safely and efficiently evacuate their ship. You're on the ship for anywhere from 3 to (let's say) 14 days, they're on the ship every day for 9 months. By fostering anarchy among the passengers over your dissatisfaction over mustering in a theater, you put others at risk. Maybe you will report to your muster station, but perhaps your ill-advised conversation will incite another passenger to ignore safety protocol and "save" himself and his family. That creates a delay at your muster station, putting you (assuming you do follow directions) and everyone else who properly followed crew member instruction at further risk. Now the passengers at that station will wait a bit longer while the crew searches for the missing passengers. Also, how exactly do you propose to "research the reasons behind" your muster station location in the event of an actual emergency? You're right in that information is power, but without proper context it can also be very dangerous. People aren't disagreeing with you about questioning "Disney or any authority", it's you belief that you are entitled to do your own thing because you don't feel comfortable mustering in a theater. The muster drill is required under SOLAS and most modern cruise ships carry more passengers than they can safely (or comfortably) muster on the boat deck while conducting evacuation procedures. Hence, passengers are mustered in interior public areas that have relatively direct access to the boat deck. The Captain and his officers will be on the bridge coordinating the evacuation and they have more than a century at sea combined in just that handful of men and women. The crew is trained to follow their orders and safely get their passengers and crewmates to the lifeboats and off the ship if necessary. You'll have to forgive me if I place my trust in the maritime professionals with the list of contingencies over a self-centered passenger who has openly implied that lives of their family are more important than the lives of everyone else on the ship.

 

[C6PT7]

I'd also be worried that a pax who choses to deviate from the muster plan, also then deviates from being told what to do once in a lifeboat!
Can you imagine the confusion and distress already without someone trying to control or contradict the crew and endangering everybody?

 

[jrabbit]

I had never seen this before - until cruise #14 - up until then I had seen one or two ships off of the boat at a time... all of the boats from one side of the ship were out in the water.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

*All* the boats on one side being launched and operated was most likely a crew training exercise and/or boat inspection/testing. These practice sessions and testing happen more often is noticed.

Please note they are Mickey yellow!

AKK

 

[C6PT7]

Would they have to adjust the ballasting of the ship to compensate for the weight being taken off one side Tonka's Skipper?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Hi C6PT7

No, not likely.......those boats weight only about 4 or 5 tons each, the vessel/passengers would not feel the very slight change in list/trim.

AKK

 

[E ticket rider]

*All* the boats on one side being launched and operated was most likely a crew training exercise and/or boat inspection/testing. These practice sessions and testing happen more often is noticed.

Please note they are Mickey yellow!

AKK

I watched them launch the lifeboats in Nassau from my verandah on Monarch of the Seas... It's very cool to watch this happen, but I must say that it was a little disconcerting to see one of them being lowered with the wisecracking Cruise Director in the pilot's seat ... I don't know that I'd feel safe with the Cruise Director driving a lifeboat, but at least I'd be entertained!!!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I watched them launch the lifeboats in Nassau from my verandah on Monarch of the Seas... It's very cool to watch this happen, but I must say that it was a little disconcerting to see one of them being lowered with the wisecracking Cruise Director in the pilot's seat ... I don't know that I'd feel safe with the Cruise Director driving a lifeboat, but at least I'd be entertained!!!

Good Day Sir,

Well all I can point out is, there times to be a wise cracking cruise director/entertainer and times to be a boat commander, using your skills and training to save lives. However I do see your point!

PS They are clumsy *eggs* on the water to handle!

AKK

 

[E ticket rider]

Good Day Sir,

Well all I can point out is, there times to be a wise cracking cruise director/entertainer and times to be a boat commander, using your skills and training to save lives. However I do see your point!

PS They are clumsy *eggs* on the water to handle!

AKK

Sorry, it was a bad joke... I have no doubt that any crew member placed in command of a lifeboat has been properly trained and checked out prior to assuming that role.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Sorry, it was a bad joke... I have no doubt that any crew member placed in command of a lifeboat has been properly trained and checked out prior to assuming that role.

Not a problem, I can see the humor in it.

I guess what worries me is some of the comments others have made in this thread. Where some people don't understand how important it is for passengers to take the muster drills seriously and that the rules and procedures are life saving important!

I know my opinion that everyone should wear vest to the drills is not a popular one, but I believe it is important.

Where in todays day and age, for a disaster like the Concordia to happen, where so many things went wrong, for so many reasons...........its really unbelievable.

AKK

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I know my opinion that everyone should wear vest to the drills is not a popular one, but I believe it is important.

I totally agree with you on this.

 

[Kenny1113]

On a somewhat related note, I was very glad to see the lifeboats being tested while we were docked at St. Thomas last week. I had never seen this happen before, and it's pretty comforting to know that it occurs on a very regular basis.

Yes! We saw them doing it at CC too!

 

[E ticket rider]

Not a problem, I can see the humor in it.

I guess what worries me is some of the comments others have made in this thread. Where some people don't understand how important it is for passengers to take the muster drills seriously and that the rules and procedures are life saving important!

I know my opinion that everyone should wear vest to the drills is not a popular one, but I believe it is important.

Where in todays day and age, for a disaster like the Concordia to happen, where so many things went wrong, for so many reasons...........its really unbelievable.

AKK

I can't agree with you more. The people who think that they know better than the trained professionals are just insane. I know there is a Plan B, C, D etc etc etc... But I'm guessing the each of those plans are based upon the type of emergency at hand and are not necessary look upon in a linear fashion. I also realize that I am not necessarily privy to everything going on around me even though it may impact me.

I can't say that I mind not wearing a vest to muster drill, but I had been on enough cruises prior to this being the norm that I am comfortable in my ability to don a life vest in the event of an actual emergency. I actually do locate and count the vests in our cabin just in case...

Concordia was caused by an act of stupidity and compounded by an act of cowardice... If the idiot Captain had mustered his passengers when reports that the ship was flooding reached the bridge and launched the boats sooner, perhaps no one would have died and he would merely be unemployed rather than in prison. Instead, he just ignored the problem and lied to his passengers right up until he conveniently "fell" into a lifeboat.

 

[FlagTechMgr]

The boats are required to be launched and maneuvered in the water every 90 days, so yes it happens a lot more than most cruisers realize.

There is also an annual requirement for an Inspection and Servicing that is fairly in depth.

One of the ships I sailed on always made the the cooks and messmen launch the boats for drills. It was both comical and scary watching them try it the first time, but after a couple months they were actually pretty good at it.

 

[MousseauMob]

I can't say that I mind not wearing a vest to muster drill, but I had been on enough cruises prior to this being the norm that I am comfortable in my ability to don a life vest in the event of an actual emergency. I actually do locate and count the vests in our cabin just in case....

I locate and count our vests as well, even though I've sailed multiple times. I remember being surprised that they stopped having people wear the vests during the drill. They used to have so many warnings about tripping, it makes me wonder if that isn't why they stopped. It's too bad, because I think it is good practice to put one on - even though they aren't the most comfortable to wear.

Maybe it's just me, but when I have looked inside the lifeboats, I just can't imagine that many people in them all wearing life jackets... .

 

[Dug720]

I locate and count our vests as well, even though I've sailed multiple times. I remember being surprised that they stopped having people wear the vests during the drill. They used to have so many warnings about tripping, it makes me wonder if that isn't why they stopped. It's too bad, because I think it is good practice to put one on - even though they aren't the most comfortable to wear.

Maybe it's just me, but when I have looked inside the lifeboats, I just can't imagine that many people in them all wearing life jackets... .

It would be tight for sure, BUT keep in mind those are not intended to continue the cruise but to get you to the nearest land or responding boat, which ideally will not take a huge amount of time.

 

[kiford]

On a somewhat related note, I was very glad to see the lifeboats being tested while we were docked at St. Thomas last week. I had never seen this happen before, and it's pretty comforting to know that it occurs on a very regular basis.

I've seen it on probably more than half of the DCL cruises we've been on, most frequently at Castaway Cay.

I know my opinion that everyone should wear vest to the drills is not a popular one, but I believe it is important.

I personally agree with you - I'd prefer that people put on the vest just to simulate what it's like in a real emergency. However, when you were supposed to wear the jackets, I saw people just carrying them, dragging them along behind them, etc. I can see how they were likely to get damaged. I guess they had look at the potential for damaged jackets versus lack of practice and decide on which was the riskiest situation.

We always go back to our stateroom after the drill, take out the life jackets, put them on and properly strap them up to make sure they aren't damaged, fit, and get a bit of practice. I always suggest to anyone who is cruising that they take this very seriously. At our muster station, I always look for where the additional jackets are stored just in case. Of course, I'm also the same person who actually pays attention to the safety drill on the plane, reads the safety brochure, looks for where the lights are in the floor, looks up to see where oxygen masks will drop down from, and ensures that I wear only natural fabrics when I fly just in case there's a fire (some synthetics can melt at relatively temperatures and burn you). I fly at least a couple of times per year and I still pay attention.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I can't agree with you more. The people who think that they know better than the trained professionals are just insane. I know there is a Plan B, C, D etc etc etc... But I'm guessing the each of those plans are based upon the type of emergency at hand and are not necessary look upon in a linear fashion. I also realize that I am not necessarily privy to everything going on around me even though it may impact me.

I can't say that I mind not wearing a vest to muster drill, but I had been on enough cruises prior to this being the norm that I am comfortable in my ability to don a life vest in the event of an actual emergency. I actually do locate and count the vests in our cabin just in case...

Concordia was caused by an act of stupidity and compounded by an act of cowardice... If the idiot Captain had mustered his passengers when reports that the ship was flooding reached the bridge and launched the boats sooner, perhaps no one would have died and he would merely be unemployed rather than in prison. Instead, he just ignored the problem and lied to his passengers right up until he conveniently "fell" into a lifeboat.

All agreed E ticket!

I would add while the Concordia Master holds most of the blame, there are a number of other reasons. There is the Costa line rules and regs., including not having boat drills after each port where passengers were boarded and permitting fly byes. To me one of the worse is the hour the Master spent on the phone with the Costa office/vessel manger deciding what to do, when passengers should have at least been getting mustered at stations.

As to the Master and jail time.......I'll bet a months pay he doesn't serve much time in the end.

AKK