Allure - life jackets

[fdthird]

Yea, that's what I want to do! You have a whole ship full of crew (in the case of the Allure and Oasis over 2700 crew) who have all been trained in safety and emergency procedures, state of the art rescue vessels, a officer corps who are well trained professionals and a well thought out, organized safety plan and you want to put a life jacket on and jump off your balcony??? Perhaps that exactly why they don't have life vests in each cabin on these ships? How about the fact that if you don't show up at your muster station crew members will have to waist time looking for you? How about the possibility that as you jump off your balcony you will slam into (A) the side of the ship, (B) another cabin's balcony or © YOUR lifeboat? How about the fact that the 25 year old kid jumping around the stage in Blue Planet knows more about ship emergency procedures than you do???

 

Sorry, but if that was my mind set, I wouldn't cruise with Royal or anyone else!

[smc99]

Storing them at both places on the Allure would require over 12,000 life vests.

[cruisemama1]

Storing them at both places on the Allure would require over 12,000 life vests.

 

.....the price of cruisefare for what, 5 people maybe....lol. That is not my concern.:rolleyes:

[cruisemama1]

Yea, that's what I want to do! You have a whole ship full of crew (in the case of the Allure and Oasis over 2700 crew) who have all been trained in safety and emergency procedures, state of the art rescue vessels, a officer corps who are well trained professionals and a well thought out, organized safety plan and you want to put a life jacket on and jump off your balcony??? Perhaps that exactly why they don't have life vests in each cabin on these ships? How about the fact that if you don't show up at your muster station crew members will have to waist time looking for you? How about the possibility that as you jump off your balcony you will slam into (A) the side of the ship, (B) another cabin's balcony or © YOUR lifeboat? How about the fact that the 25 year old kid jumping around the stage in Blue Planet knows more about ship emergency procedures than you do???

 

Sorry, but if that was my mind set, I wouldn't cruise with Royal or anyone else!

 

Who's on planning on jumping from their balc? Not me unless I absolutely have to!:eek:

 

Not sure if you are talking to me but I have extensive safety training. I was a flight attendant for many years hence my concern about this whole issue.

[cruisemama1]

Think about for a minute, you will have a much easier time getting to your muster station without the life vest. When you did theres your life jacket

 

 

This is assuming that you CAN GET to your muster station.once again. Dang, why can't I leavethis thread alone! lol.

 

I really dont enjoy debating, but I am really passionate about CYA! Now I know what some of you are thinking.....she should just carry a vest aroundwith her the whole cruise. Right? But that's where I draw the line. Im not THAT paranoid...yet....lol

[temple1]

 

Not sure if you are talking to me but I have extensive safety training. I was a flight attendant for many years hence my concern about this whole issue.

 

That makes your issues about the life vests even more confusing.

 

Did you second guess the safety training you were provided as a flight attendant? Or did you accept that the instructors and TPTB who developed the procedures knew what they were doing and went along with the plan? If the Coast Guard has reviewed the plans and have signed off on them - I do not understand the need to feel we can do a better job of determining evacuation needs.

 

If you had only been on cruise ships without life vests in the cabins - would it be an issue today?

 

I doubt it would go over very well on an airplane if I told the flight attendent I would prefer my oxygen mask to be extended during the flight, because I don't trust that it will be there in case the cabin loses pressure. :eek:

 

About your last comment - There are many muster stations, as has been explained a number of times - many of the muster stations are simply gathreing places before you go to a life boat if needed. Primarily a place for the crew to determine if all passengers from certain groups are accounted for. I can visualize if there is a problem and I can not get to muster station 6 there will be crew members stationed to direct passengers to safety.

 

Perhaps I'm too much of an optimist as far as the training of the staff on the RCCL ships. But at least there are a lot of them, more so than on an airplane so more hands to help in an emergency.

[setsail]

I was a flight attendant for many years hence my concern about this whole issue.

 

Then you should be well aware that when passengers get on an airliner they are only instructed as to where your Lifejacket is. where the exit is, and how to put the jacket on and ALL other emergency actions taken will be done so at the direction of the crew of the airliner.

 

Fastforward to a cruiseliner- You board, you have the muster drill, you learn about your lifevest,exits, and lifeboats. All other emergency actions are handled by the well trained crew(just like a flight crew).

[cruisemama1]

Temple1:

 

Sorry my reply function is whack today. Anyway...

 

#1 If vests in the cabin are not a big deal, then why have they been there up until now? This is a NEW or updated decision that was made, and I think it was a bad one.

 

It kinda like having one fire extinguisher in your house and saying that's enough for the whole house. It wont be enough if you cannot GET TO that extinguisher right? That's how I see it.

 

Comparing this scenario to an extended oxygen mask on a plane is not valid to me because clearly that could be a choking hazard. I'm not asking them to have my vest hanging in the doorway to my cabin. Im asking them to put it somewhere where I can get it in moments should I be in my cabin versus having to walk BLOCKS to get it.That O2 mask is inches away from you face, and you want my vest to be hundreds and hundreds of feet away from me potentially? Sorry I aint buying that I dont care.

 

I say put them in both places and I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. Charge me for it!!

[temple1]

Very interesting post from the other - Life Vest Topic on the boards:

 

Below is information about the muster procedures on Oasis and Allure. I'm not trying to convince anyone to cruise on Oasis and Allure if they are uncomfortable with the muster procedures and life jacket location.

 

I just read a blog about the life-boat set up on Oasis/Allure. I can't post a link because it is on a travel agency website. The article is called "oasis-of-the-seas-reveals-her-secrets." It explains why they do not muster right at the life boats. They muster and load life boats from four locations on the ship, which I assume are forward port, forward starboard, aft port and aft starboard. This leaves the area in between the forward and aft locations clear for crew to move back and forth.

 

They also explain electronic mustering. By scanning the seapass as each passenger arrives at the muster station, the Captain has a real time view of which stations have their passengers present and accounted for. It allows the bridge to have an immediate count of missing passengers. It also allows the captain to see if children are at their correct stations with their parents. All of this is monitored from a safety center adjacent to the bridge which has redundant systems.

 

This is a link to Richard Fain's blog describing the change to the life jacket storage location. According the the article mentioned above, moving the life jackets to the muster stations was Richard Wright's idea, the maritime VP of RCI and the first captain of Oasis.

 

http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/chairmans-blog/?p=411

This was written a few years ago.

[Paulxyz2004]

There are a number of posters on here who have developed what I think is an irrational fear about having lifevests in their staterooms. Especially those with small children - the staff will have had more experience in putting the vests on children correctly than any of us so I think of that as another reason to let the staff do their jobs.

 

If the US Coast Guard found fault with not having the life vests in the cabins (and they are not known for their foolish indifference to life and limb) I think the procedures have been pretty well vetted.

 

Personally I would prefer to just get out the door and get to where I need to be without having to think about it. But suggesting they think logically about it - too little too late. IMHO

 

 

Well said !!!

[TWELVEOHONE]

Since the Costa Cruise Line problem RCCL (RCI & Celebrity) and other cruise lines have been giving seminars on their safety. One of the safety issues was life jacket locations. It is safer having life jackets at the mustard station. People going back to cabin for life jackets and then trying to get down hallways and stairs with everyone carrying a life jacket is in itself a danger. All new ships (Oasis & Allure) are being built with space at mustard station to hold more than enough life jackets.

 

If their is an emergency at night and no power do you want to spend time in the dark trying to find you life jacket or get to your lifeboat station fast where you will have a ltfe jacket handed to you.

 

I prefer the latter

[cruisemama1]

Then you should be well aware that when passengers get on an airliner they are only instructed as to where your Lifejacket is. where the exit is, and how to put the jacket on and ALL other emergency actions taken will be done so at the direction of the crew of the airliner.

 

Fastforward to a cruiseliner- You board, you have the muster drill, you learn about your lifevest,exits, and lifeboats. All other emergency actions are handled by the well trained crew(just like a flight crew).

 

Whatever. The first thing people try to do is disqualify a person when they try to qualify themselves on these boards. I respect other people's feelings and you should respect mine, not try to disqualify me. I dont like debating when it turns rude which is most of the time. Have a nice day and happy cruising..:o

[TWELVEOHONE]

I hate to point this out but a few of the passengers who died on the concordia were found with life jackets on. Good luck.

 

They believe that some of the dead went back to get their life jackets and got caught unble to get out

[GXmanDC]

According to Fain and Capt. Wright, life vests were stored in cabins because there was not room at the muster stations. Oasis and Allure are huge and there is room for everything. They keep all of the life vests at the muster stations because it is now possible.

[TWELVEOHONE]

for those who are in favor of no life vest in the rooms, you are making 2 assumptions:

 

1) you will be able to make it to a muster station and/or:o

 

If you have to go back to you cabin for a life jacjet then you reduced chances of getting to muster station. If you can't get to a muster station then you cannot get into a life boat and will have a far lesser chance of survival

 

2) you will not be in your room when an emergency occurs:o

 

Outside of sleeping most of your time is spend outside of your cabin.

[TWELVEOHONE]

there personally i would prefer to just get out the door and get to where i need to be without having to think about it. But suggesting they think logically about it - too little too late. Imho

 

amen

[TWELVEOHONE]

[quote;32131819Originally Posted by GXmanDC

Below is information about the muster procedures on Oasis and Allure. I'm not trying to convince anyone to cruise on Oasis and Allure if they are uncomfortable with the muster procedures and life jacket location.

 

I just read a blog about the life-boat set up on Oasis/Allure. I can't post a link because it is on a travel agency website. The article is called "oasis-of-the-seas-reveals-her-secrets." It explains why they do not muster right at the life boats. They muster and load life boats from four locations on the ship, which I assume are forward port, forward starboard, aft port and aft starboard. This leaves the area in between the forward and aft locations clear for crew to move back and forth. :

 

My last two cruises on Princess did the same thing, mustered in a lounge WITHOUT life jackets.

Some asked the crew about this and were told that carrying a life jacket to the muster station drill caused many injuries with people tripping over straps and being bumped into by others with life jackets.

[Maya57]

Life vests can't help someone trapped in their room if they need to duck under the door jam. A life vest actually prevents you from diving at all.

So if a room suddenly filled with water and you had your life vest on, unless you took that vest off, you'd probably drown.

[gizfish]

You all do realize that whether you have your life vest with your or not, you are not in anyway getting off the ship without going to a muster station first right? So, obviously a life vest in your room is pretty useless, since you still have to walk "blocks" to get to the muster stations. It's not like you will have your life vest with you and happen upon a lifeboat and just be able to fall into it (well unless you are the captain of the Concordia of course.)

[time4u2go]

Life vests can't help someone trapped in their room if they need to duck under the door jam. A life vest actually prevents you from diving at all.

So if a room suddenly filled with water and you had your life vest on, unless you took that vest off, you'd probably drown.

Not if you exited via the balcony.

 

You all do realize that whether you have your life vest with your or not, you are not in anyway getting off the ship without going to a muster station first right? So, obviously a life vest in your room is pretty useless, since you still have to walk "blocks" to get to the muster stations. It's not like you will have your life vest with you and happen upon a lifeboat and just be able to fall into it (well unless you are the captain of the Concordia of course.)

Wrong. In many rooms, there's a balcony.

[Phillies14]

We were just on the Oasis and there were about 700 people with us at our muster station at the Aqua Theater. A good percentage did not speak English and many were not paying attention to the instructions. I cannot imagine having 700 people flocking to the aqua theater and, in an orderly fashion, receiving their life jackets. I agree that on a ship as large as the Oasis it might not be practical to return to your cabin. I am thinking an emergency is more likely to happen at night (not sure if that is true or not).

 

I'm just not convinced that it is the best approach.

The muster drill is given in at least three languages maybe more, so not speaking english is not an argument, sorry. And if people are not paying attention to the instructions....oh well.....K.O. Near Philly

[Phillies14]

Who's on planning on jumping from their balc? Not me unless I absolutely have to!:eek:

 

Not sure if you are talking to me but I have extensive safety training. I was a flight attendant for many years hence my concern about this whole issue.

If you've had "extensive training" then you should know better!! The crew "all of the crew" is trained extensively in safety training and I agree completely with the post that there is absolutely no need whatsoever for 12,000 life jackets, sorry:rolleyes:

[galavant3]

The muster drill is given in at least three languages maybe more, so not speaking english is not an argument, sorry. And if people are not paying attention to the instructions....oh well.....K.O. Near Philly

 

Not that it is really the issue but we were told there were 42 different languages represented on board. My point really is that I have a hard time visualizing an orderly muster based on what I witnessed. Hopefully I will never need to find out first hand.

[Big_G]

I don't understand the criticism of passengers that want extra life jackets in their room. I don't think it's a game breaker for most and it's more of a security blanket. For those that have put their complete faith in the training that the crew gets in safety, I'm sure the Costa crew had safety training and it sounds like, with exceptions of course, it went to the dogs.

[TWELVEOHONE]

Not that it is really the issue but we were told there were 42 different languages represented on board. My point really is that I have a hard time visualizing an orderly muster based on what I witnessed. Hopefully I will never need to find out first hand.

 

The 42 languages are representive of the crew from 42 different countries

.

But a requirement for all crew members is the ability to communicate in English.