Ever had that sinking feeling? Though the likelihood of a cruise ship sinking is rare, here are some safety tips to keep in mind next time you're out on the high seas.
Photo © Getty Images/goinyk
- Is it safe to cruise?
- Polar cruising safety tips
- Read your cruise ship's safety plan
- Reduce panic in an emergency
- Never jump overboard a cruise ship
- Beware of stormy seas on a cruise ship
Is it safe to cruise?
Since the sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2012, the incident has prompted many people to ask this question. The simple answer is yes, it is safe to cruise if you're prepared and take reasonable steps to look after your own safety.
The Cruise Lines International Association has reported that there has been a 48% increase in cruising capacity between 2009 to 2017 and is one of, if not, the safest way to travel.
Sensibly, the cruise industry puts a great deal of effort into passenger safety. As part of its review of the Concordia incident on 10 February 2012, the Cruise Lines International Association released a new emergency drill policy for all of its members.
The voluntary code requires cruise companies to give passengers an emergency safety briefing prior to departure. Presently, maritime law states the lifeboat drill (also known as a muster) has to be held within 24 hours of departure. In the Concordia incident, many passengers had just boarded and had yet to attend a muster, which undoubtedly added to the confusion and panic.
Polar cruising safety tips
Fortunately, cruise ships don't sink all that often. Loss of life is rare and the chance you'll have to head for the lifeboats is pretty slim, but not unheard of.
The most significant cruise ship sinking prior to the Costa Concordia was the sinking of the Antarctic cruise ship MV Explorer in 2007: The icebreaker hit an iceberg a little too hard, started taking on water and listing while it was 400 nautical miles south of South America.
150 people onboard had to put on special cold-weather suits and take to the lifeboats. Fortunately, there were other cruise ships in the region and despite several hours in sub-zero temperatures, no one was lost.
Arctic and Antarctic waters are inherently dangerous, but also incredibly spectacular and are attracting more and more cruise ships. As the number of ships rises, the chances something might happen also rise. The MV Explorer was the most serious of 9 groundings and incidents in polar waters since 2008, although none of the other ships sank, and in most cases, the passengers were able to stay aboard.
Read your cruise ship's safety plan
When you get onboard for the first time, check out that evacuation map on the back of your cabin door. Physically follow the route to your lifeboat station, so you're familiar with where you're going if you have to do it for real.
Take an interest in the lifeboat drill on the first day. If you are in good physical shape, ask a crew member to show you how to operate the launching mechanism. If your ship really is sinking you may be facing a situation without much help from the crew they're as scared as you are and may already be directing the rescue from a lifeboat. It's more common than you'd hope! So knowing how to launch the lifeboat could save your life.
If the order comes to abandon ship, follow the instructions of the crew as calmly as you can. The captain knows that getting a few hundred people off a ship takes time, he won't wait until the last minute to get you off, so, no need to push and shove and panic.
Reduce panic in an emergency
One of the biggest problems with abandoning a ship is that many of the passengers are elderly. A younger fitter person may be confident they can get themselves into a lifeboat, but the elderly often aren't. This causes a lot of apprehensions and even panic. Do your best to assure those people, and help them when you can. Less panic means a better chance everyone will survive, so it's in your best interests to keep them calm.'
Never jump overboard on a cruise ship
Never jump overboard into the ocean. It's usually a long way down and water isn't soft when you're dropping like a stone. Out at sea, the deeper water will be colder than you expect, and that will affect your ability to survive. It will also be very hard for the crew to spot you and rescue you.
Beware of stormy seas on a cruise ship
And one other safety tip, cruise liners can take incredible punishment from the ocean and stay upright. But if you're aboard a liner during a severe storm it's sensible to take shelter.
Don't go to the piano bar where the chairs and tables and maybe the piano are sliding from side to side as they did on this cruise ship in 2008. Do not go out on deck, 50 knot winds will whip you off your feet and maybe even throw you overboard. It may be best to stay in your cabin and be comforted by the knowledge that modern cruise liners have to pass very strict stability tests before they're allowed to operate.
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