Thomson Majesty Disaster

[clive and anne]

Thanks Nik for your update.

At least the situation appears to be resolving itself.

We know of at least 4 contributers nto Cruise Critic, Would be nice to think you are all in touch with each other and giving support to each other.

[ladyjayneq]

Whilst I am extremely upset over what has happened, I am also concerened, we are due to be joining the Majesty on Friday the 15th. Can you advise if she will be in service and the cruise will go ahead.

[Vitalsign]

What a terrible tragedy and my partner's and my condolences to the families of those lost.

Having read various threads I am surprised that crews still board lifeboats when doing safety drills when it would appear unnecessary according to the merchantseamens union.

My partner an engineer thought the ship wouldn't sail again for a while as it is very difficult to check steel cables without stress testing which will take time. Unfortunately he says the cables although greased regularly can corrode from the inside due to sea water getting in and therefore from the outside the cables would appear to be ok - unlike rope which would generally fray/weaken from the outside. The only way any deterioration can be detected is by a 2.5 stress test being done regularly - he compared this to what he has to do at work and what they do on the Humber Bridge!! I hope that as the ship is 22 years old that all the steel cables are replaced before she sails again.

I was on Ocean Village just off the island of Mayreau a few years ago and the crew had already taken the barbecue/booze ashore before the passengers went. Unfortunately the sea became very rough and the whole trip was abandoned. We watched in horror as two tenders struggled to be lifted aboard which took over an hour - the captain turning the ship a few times in his efforts. The hooks which had been lowered to raise the boats were swinging all over and the swell was such that the boats disappeared out of sight even to us from the deck. Once or twice the crew standing outside the boats trying to catch the hooks were very nearly hit by them. God knows what would have happened if they had been or had fallen into the sea. We considered them very brave and when back on board they were applauded by all who had seen their trial. Of course, as you would expect from some idiots on board, there were complaints about not going to the island that day!!!

Our thoughts also go out to the rest of the crew and passengers who have had to witness this terrible tragedy and lets hope it NEVER happens again.

 

Thomson Spirit Palma to Sharm el Sheikh Oct 2005

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic Jan 2007

Ocean Village Caribbean & Central America Feb 2008

Ocean Village Eastern Med August 2008

Ocean Village 2 Caribbean Feb 2009

Ocean Village Caribbean Mar 2010

Thomson Dream Cuba & Caribbean Feb 2011

Thomson Celebration Eastern Med August 2011

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic April 2012

Thomson Eastern Wonders Red Sea Repo to Med April/May 2012

Thomson Dream Caribbean Feb 2013

[Nix111]

Hi Dan

 

I don't think the 15th sailing will go ahead to be honest, I don't think the ship has been signed off as safe as if it was we'd be sailing back to maker our homeward flights. As it stands currently Thompson are spending a fortune on rearranged flights & hotels which I'm sure they'd avoid if they could.

 

The guests who were booked on a two week cruise have already flown to Tenerife to hotels and apparently will be told more in a few days so its possible you may sail but not likely I suspect

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, rest assured If you don't Thomsom will look after you I'm sure.

 

It looks like we are on for another night as they can't fly us today, I can think of worse places to be stuck for a night!

 

Nix

[clive and anne]

Thanks nix,

Has the mood on board improved any? Are there any works going on around the remaining lifeboats?

I have taken the liberty of copying your updates to facebook in order to keep as many people as possible informed, including many who are booked on future cruises.

Thanks again

Clive

[geomagot]

I believe the falls (steel cables) are replaced every 2 (or so ) years on board passenger vessels?....I may be wrong?

 

yes...imagine how difficult and dangerous this task would be in the event of a real emergency.....trying to deploy a full to capacity lifeboat in open seas while the ship is foundering....doesn’t bear thinking about, thankfully its incredibly unlikely that such events happen (especially to passenger vessels) but is precisely why so many drills and crew exercises are practiced so regularly

 

and I for one feel very thankful for that

 

i would imagine (but may be wrong) that it is possibly even more dangerous for deck hands to have to climb down ropes to access the lifeboat once it has been deployed in the water?

 

I am sorry to say that I am rather guilty of not appreciating how physical and dangerous this work can be for seafarers

[timespliters]

Just hope they check other ships before this happens again

[clive and anne]

I know Thomson are looking in here. Could I ask them to let us know ASAP what is happening to the cruise due to start 15th Feb. There are a lot of anxious people here and on Facebook who are booked on this cruise and dont know whats happening.

Many Thanks

[timespliters]

Hi Dan

 

I don't think the 15th sailing will go ahead to be honest, I don't think the ship has been signed off as safe as if it was we'd be sailing back to maker our homeward flights. As it stands currently Thompson are spending a fortune on rearranged flights & hotels which I'm sure they'd avoid if they could.

 

The guests who were booked on a two week cruise have already flown to Tenerife to hotels and apparently will be told more in a few days so its possible you may sail but not likely I suspect

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, rest assured If you don't Thomsom will look after you I'm sure.

 

It looks like we are on for another night as they can't fly us today, I can think of worse places to be stuck for a night!

 

Nix

 

 

 

Thompson has no other choice as it can not sail with a lifeboat missing.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

On our second ever cruise, we were on the Ocean Village 2 and anchored off Villefranche. It was our first experience of tendering. We had gone over on the tender OK, been on a lovely trip along the coast to Monte Carlo, and come back about 4pm, by which time the sea had got really rough. It was terrible going back. A man sitting by the door of the tender was clinging on to his young daughter as the waves soaked him. I was glad to get back on the ship, but even that was fraught with danger as the tender heaved up and down horribly. The crew were grabbing you by both arms and hauling you on the ship.

 

After a cuppa I went up on deck to see the tender boats being put back in their place. They got some back OK, but there was a big problem with one of them and as with vitalsign's experience the hooks were swinging wildly about and the crew who were standing on the boat were trying to catch them. Then suddenly I heard someone shout that someone had fallen in and indeed one of the crew was foundering in the water. Another boat swiftly sped across and managed to haul him on board. The Captain came on the PA system and told us that he was OK, to which we all heaved a sigh of relief. Eventually they had to turn the ship around, so they could get the remaining tenders back on board on the leeside.

 

That time it ended happily, but sadly, as we have seen, that is not always the case. I think I read that 12 people have died in lifeboat drills in the last 10 years.

 

I think we all underestimate the dangers that the crew have to face. We see them smiling at us in the corridor, we see them serving us a table or making up our cabins, always cheerful, but we forget all the other jobs they have to do, some of them very dangerous.

[Geraintw]

Thompson has no other choice as it can not sail with a lifeboat missing.

 

Not true, there are not enough spaces on life boats to accommodate all of the passengers on board. They utilise life rafts should an emergency arise which automatically inflate when dropped into the water. There are enough life boats AND life rafts combined to accommodate everyone on board and more. In fact, if the ship had continued with the cruise, they would be forced to decommission a life boat on the opposite side of the ship to the damaged one since it is maritime law that the ship must have symmetry in the number of life boats in use on its port and starboard sides. In this instance, life rafts would be used, and passengers originally assigned to these muster stations would be reassigned to another location.

 

This is my understanding anyway!

[CRUISIN LINDA]

I know the lifeboats have to be symmetrical, but does anyone know why? Seems a bit strange to me :confused:

[Geraintw]

According to SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) treaty, each side of the ship must carry enough enclosed power driven lifeboats to handle over 50% of the total number of the people on board AND each side of the ship must carry inflatable liferafts to handle over 50% of the total number of the people on board.

 

This means that even if the ship is listing to one side so as to make the lifeboats inaccessible, or the deck in question is unavailable for any other reason, the cruise ship will still enough lifeboats and liferafts to accommodate the whole ship.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Thanks geraintw - that makes perfect sense :)

[sodafountain]

According to SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) treaty, each side of the ship must carry enough enclosed power driven lifeboats to handle over 50% of the total number of the people on board AND each side of the ship must carry inflatable liferafts to handle over 50% of the total number of the people on board.

 

This means that even if the ship is listing to one side so as to make the lifeboats inaccessible, or the deck in question is unavailable for any other reason, the cruise ship will still enough lifeboats and liferafts to accommodate the whole ship.

 

Although that doesn't answer this question:

 

I know the lifeboats have to be symmetrical, but does anyone know why? Seems a bit strange to me :confused:

[ladyjayneq]

Still awaiting news on whether this will take place - getting desperate to know if we need to make other arrangements for a holiday.:confused:

[3globetrotter3]

According to SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) treaty, each side of the ship must carry enough enclosed power driven lifeboats to handle over 50% of the total number of the people on board AND each side of the ship must carry inflatable liferafts to handle over 50% of the total number of the people on board.

 

This means that even if the ship is listing to one side so as to make the lifeboats inaccessible, or the deck in question is unavailable for any other reason, the cruise ship will still enough lifeboats and liferafts to accommodate the whole ship.

 

 

My heart goes out to the families and friends of all involved in this terrible tragedy. I was on the Majesty in December and felt uneasy about the fact that there is not enough space on deck to hold the Safety Drill. Our muster station was in the Jubilee lounge. We all just stood around in our life jackets and no one called our name or cabin number at any time during the drill which was over before we even knew it had begun.

On previous cruises the drill took place on deck and was very strict. Everyone stood in line and a crew member called out names or cabin numbers, ticking them off as passengers responded. An officer then walked past the orderly lines, and if all was well, instructed the crew to stand down. I understand some people had their drill in other lounges on different decks including Frame 52 which many people couldn't even find after being on the ship for a week.

I hope for the sake of future passengers and the wonderful crew who work so hard in difficult circumstances that all aspects of safety will be examined very carefully, not just on the Majesty but on all ships.

[sodafountain]

Still awaiting news on whether this will take place - getting desperate to know if we need to make other arrangements for a holiday.:confused:

 

I assume Thomson will let you know when they know, it's not something they can sort or decide "just like that".

 

After all, the ship can be in Tenerife within 24 (probably quicker) hours, so they have until Thursday really to get it released.

 

I expect you will hear something tomorrow though.

[Dalesbred]

Globetrotter - I cruised on Majesty from 25th January which was a Friday, joining the ship in Tenerife. We had the proper drill as described by yoursleves - whole ship with announcements, on deck, lined up with a roll call etc. We then sailed and another smaller group of passengers joined in Gran Canaria on Saturday, but their drill seemed a lot more casual - there were no PA annoucements (that I heard anyway) and I saw them in the lounges with life jackets on, whilst life on the rest of the ship went on as normal (bars open, loungers on deck etc). I wonder if this was about not disturbing the Friday joiners too much whilst ensuring that the drill went ahead for each group before sailaway? Before Concordia I've experienced a whole-ship drill on day 2 but now that's not possible they had to somehow accommodate two changeover days which may be a bit unusual.

[3globetrotter3]

Globetrotter - I cruised on Majesty from 25th January which was a Friday, joining the ship in Tenerife. We had the proper drill as described by yoursleves - whole ship with announcements, on deck, lined up with a roll call etc. We then sailed and another smaller group of passegers joined in Gran Canaria on Saturday, but their drill seemed a lot more casual - there were no PA annoucements (that I heard anyway) and I saw them in the lounges with life jackets on, whilst life on the rest of the ship went on as normal (bars open, loungers on deck etc). I wonder if this was about not disturbing the Friday joiners too much whilst ensuring that the drill went ahead for each group before sailaway? Before Concordia I've experienced a whole-ship drill on day 2 but now that's not possible they had to somehow accommodate two changeover days which may be a bit unusual.

 

Hi Dalesbred, We also joined the ship in Tenerife. The weather was perfect. That is why I was so surprised at the drill being held inside. I can only remember on one other occasion a drill being held in the lounges, and that was on the second day of the cruise and the sea was very rough so it was considered safer to have it inside. It was our first time on the Majesty so I just wondered if this was the norm.

[Little Nell]

We were onboard May/ June and the muster was also in the Jubilee Lounge but our cabin numbers were called out and ticked off.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Last week, we were muster station B and we all stood on the promenade deck and were all checked off, but some muster stations were inside.

 

When we were on the Eclipse,we went to the theatre (I think there was another muster station as well) We were told we were not allocated lifeboats, but in an emergency, we would be led to the next available boat. This makes sense really, as if you had to wait for everyone to turn up for their specific boat, the ship could have sunk!

 

I have always thought Thomson drill to be very thorough. On Celebrity you don't even have to take your lifejacket and on Princess they didn't even check if everyone was there!

[Ballroom dancer]

Does it bother anyone else that when the crew does a lifeboats drill they are required to limit it to a minimum number of crewmembers onboard. If the lifting system failed with only 8 crewmembers what would happen with the designed load of 150. I wonder if they have EVER loaded the lifeboat to its capacity and lowered it? After using the lifeboats as tenders with a limit of 80 people I can't see any way 150 people could fit.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

After using the lifeboats as tenders with a limit of 80 people I can't see any way 150 people could fit.

 

I have often thought that!

 

I believe it is recommended that the lifeboats are lowered with no crew in them when testing them, but surely as you say this is no test at all, if it is meant to hold 150 people.

[happy v]

I must admit when I've been in a tender I've always thought there's no way you could get 150 people in. Hubby says "if the ship was sinking - you would!"

 

I'm pleased Thomsons have made the right decision to cancel this cruise. I do feel sorry for everyone whose holiday has been spoilt but I don't really see how they could have had a good time after this. Well done Thomson, it's not always about the money, and this will have gone a long way in customer satisfaction.

 

I hope Infoqueen is alright though because she booked her own flights and I don't think she's due back until Saturday.