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Emergency lights


sjpo

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Hi All,

 

I have done quite a few cruises but just yesterday I caught myself asking if ship's corridors would have some kind of emergency lights just like airplanes do. Just wondering what would happen in the case of a black out. I know there are emergency lights specially near exits but do they exist as well along the corridors? Hope it is not a too silly question

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Just off the Eurodam. During our 22 day cruise there were three crew emergency drills. During each, and for a number of hours after the drill was complete, emergency hallway lighting, like seen on airplanes was on on all the hallways we used, as well as the staircases. It would seem airplane style emergency exit lighting is certainly used, but can't answer if it is required. Eurodam is 5 years old, so that gives an idea on the dates of the technology.

 

In the event of a total and complete blackout- all generation systems fail (unlikely until the ship is deep in the water), battery backup provides power to exit lighting systems. This is true in building on land as well.

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I always carry a tiny, pocket flashlight (torch) that weighs almost nothing but has a switch that you can leave it turned on. After the Concordia, I think it is a good thing to be prepared. You never know where you might be when the lights go out!

 

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Hi All,

 

I have done quite a few cruises but just yesterday I caught myself asking if ship's corridors would have some kind of emergency lights just like airplanes do. Just wondering what would happen in the case of a black out. I know there are emergency lights specially near exits but do they exist as well along the corridors? Hope it is not a too silly question

 

I would call the cruise line you plan to cruise with and ask them that question.:)

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The Sept issue of Professional Mariner has (yet another) article on the Coast Concordia investigation.

 

"The report raises concerns about the loss of emergency power in the vessel. The emergency generator ran for 41 seconds before shutting off. As a consequence, there was no power for emergency bilge pumps. The rudder became completely blocked starboard and no longer handled.

 

The UPS batteries did kick in, powering internal communications and some emergency lighting. However, several passengers said their cabins were in total darkness and they had to use their cellphones to find their life jackets.

 

Dodge said that there should be emergency lighting that runs off individual batteries.

 

... "

 

{Professional Mariner is not widely found .... but sometimes you can get an article or two from their website}

 

Function of the emergency generator is a standard test as is checking certain systems that are required to be connected to emergency power. What happens when the emergency power fails? Less tested 'twood appear and one of the lessons being learned from this incident and those of Carnival recently . . .

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Ships' passageways do have emergency lights. Often cabins do not.

 

There are some scenarios where emergency generators could be lost, though the Costa Concordia was a truly bizarre, once-in-a-lifetime (or more likely less frequent), crazy event.

 

It cannot hurt to have a small flashlight in your cabin -- there are tons of very small LED flashlights out there for very low cost.

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Ships do have emergency lighting in the hallways and stairwells.

I have always carried a small flash light for years. About 15 years ago we were in a post-cruise hotel when the fire alarms went off. The stairwell had DIM lights. Really hard to see the steps. That's when I got a small flash light.

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