life jacket or not?

[Mytime2014]

Somewhere, I thought I saw someone mention that they did not have to take lifejacket to life boat drill. Was just having this conversation at work and I hate to be wrong. But if I am....so be it!

[Dayenu]

It probably depends on the cruise line, on some we were told to leave them in the cabin, on some to bring with us to the meeting place.

[Mytime2014]

thank you. somedays I think I am losing my mind!!!

 

I've read so much information on here I wouldn't be surprised if some started leaking out of my brain when my mouth starts

[CruiserBruce]

I can see from your signature (not everyone can see signatures with your upcoming cruises listed) you are on a Holland America ship. Holland America no longer requires you to bring your life vest to the drill. Other cruise lines may. This is discussed on the Holland America board all the time.

[W5KAP]

Somewhere, I thought I saw someone mention that they did not have to take lifejacket to life boat drill. Was just having this conversation at work and I hate to be wrong. But if I am....so be it!

 

I'm sure it depends on which line you are sailing. I note your cruise is on HAL and since I haven't cruised them, I can't answer specifically. BUt I can tell you that if you were on Princess, ot only would you be taking your life jacket with you to Muster Frill, you'd be putting it on if only for a minute. I have no problem with this as I'd rather take ten minutes at the beginning of a cruise (and it's always an ice breaker) than be worrying about how to put it on, where to go and what to do if we ever had a true emergency. That's just me though. If HAL decides that taking it to Muster Drill isn't required, so be it.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

Cheers, Kenn

[Mytime2014]

I can see from your signature (not everyone can see signatures with your upcoming cruises listed) you are on a Holland America ship. Holland America no longer requires you to bring your life vest to the drill. Other cruise lines may. This is discussed on the Holland America board all the time.

 

I couldn't remember where I saw it - thanks. I'm a newbie but my fellow traveler [shipmate?] sailed last about 4 years ago.

[leaveitallbehind]

RCI does not require them either.

[Capt_BJ]

a change was made to the SOLAS rules and wearing the jacket to the drill is no longer required and ships can store all life jackets at the boats rather than in your rooms. Most ships that have a few years on them will need adjustments to find the storage space near the boats but all in all ... too many folks tripped over the straps!

[navybankerteacher]

HAL stopped requiring that life jackets be worn to drills - but they still muster at life boat stations.

[Hlitner]

Many lines have requested that passengers no longer take their lifejackets to the muster drills. The reason is quite interesting. There were apparently numerous passenger injuries due to folks tripping over lifejacket straps which were dragging on the floor and steps. For many years the cruise lines would warn passengers not to allow straps to drag...but there are always those who either do not listen or who have no clue.

 

Hank

[Ehpride]

Carnival does not make you bring your life jacket to muster drill either.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BlueRiband]

Cunard requires passengers to bring life jackets and the end of the drill is an exercise in putting it on. Makes sense to me that one should learn how to do this before there is an emergency.

[OCruisers]

Many lines have requested that passengers no longer take their lifejackets to the muster drills. The reason is quite interesting. There were apparently numerous passenger injuries due to folks tripping over lifejacket straps which were dragging on the floor and steps. For many years the cruise lines would warn passengers not to allow straps to drag...but there are always those who either do not listen or who have no clue. Hank

 

Agree and feel this is a big reason life jackets are no longer required at muster drills on some cruise lines.

LuLu

~~~

[Honolulu Blue]

Carnival does not make you bring your life jacket to muster drill either.

 

This was also my experience.

 

To bend the topic around a bit, I actually took the two minutes to read the instructions and put on one of the lifejackets (the room had four, its capacity) before the drill. I didn't take it with me. I found it a straightforward experience and don't recall any dangly straps. Does anyone else do this?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Somewhere, I thought I saw someone mention that they did not have to take lifejacket to life boat drill. Was just having this conversation at work and I hate to be wrong. But if I am....so be it!

 

It does depend on the cruise line.

For the last couple of years or so, HAL has stopped having people take their life jackets to the lifeboat drill.

HAL used to require you to wear them when you went to your assigned lifeboat for the drill. But too many people did not know how to put them on and the straps dragged on the floor. People did not see them dragging and a couple of people had very bad accidents.

[Aquahound]

Of the 5 cruise lines I've sailed in the past couple years, only Princess still required life jackets be brought to the muster.

[Ty Olwen]

Do P and O require you to take them with you ?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[fortinweb]

.... I'd rather take ten minutes at the beginning of a cruise (and it's always an ice breaker) than be worrying about how to put it on, where to go and what to do if we ever had a true emergency.....

 

Putting on a life jacket is not difficult. If a person can't figure it out, they probably shouldn't be allowed out in public without adult supervision.

 

Besides, people who find it an "ice breaker" have turned it into a social event and probably won't remember how to put it on if they need to. Too many people take the muster drill much too casually to have it be the learning experience it should be.

Edited April 16, 2014 by fortinweb

[Mytime2014]

Putting on a life jacket is not difficult. If a person can't figure it out, they probably shouldn't be allowed out in public without adult supervision.

 

.

 

 

I felt the same way about people dragging the cords/cables/straps. Really - you can't observe basic safety around your own feet?

 

My friend says you are ALL WRONG because when she sailed they DID require the life jackets at muster and they still should. I'm just gonna hush and try not to say I told you so about a lot of things when we board;)!!! I will admit to going overboard just a little on my research in hopes that I'm not the obvious 1st timer.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Mytime2014

[John Bull]

I felt the same way about people dragging the cords/cables/straps. Really - you can't observe basic safety around your own feet?

 

My friend says you are ALL WRONG because when she sailed they DID require the life jackets at muster and they still should. I'm just gonna hush and try not to say I told you so about a lot of things when we board;)!!! I will admit to going overboard just a little on my research in hopes that I'm not the obvious 1st timer.

 

The problem is folks' straps tripping others. And when you're packed tight leaving a drill (same as say, leaving a theatre), you're shuffling along & can't see your feet. And that includes on stairways.

I wouldn't dare say this line does require & that line doesn't, because things can change.

 

But a couple of things I will say

- watching some folk put jackets on is hilarious. :D Inside out, back-to-front, etc. I guess it's not so hilarious in a real situation.

- in order to stow the jackets neatly, stewards adjust the straps to bind the stored jackets neatly, so anyone & everyone would have to adjust the length to suit their own size.

- sometimes a jacket may have a defect.

These are things best sorted at a drill, or at least by trying on the jacket in the cabin, rather than when in panic mode.

 

Just my fourpenn'orth ;)

 

JB :)

[boogs]

I'm sure it depends on which line you are sailing. I note your cruise is on HAL and since I haven't cruised them, I can't answer specifically. BUt I can tell you that if you were on Princess, ot only would you be taking your life jacket with you to Muster Frill, you'd be putting it on if only for a minute. I have no problem with this as I'd rather take ten minutes at the beginning of a cruise (and it's always an ice breaker) than be worrying about how to put it on, where to go and what to do if we ever had a true emergency. That's just me though. If HAL decides that taking it to Muster Drill isn't required, so be it.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

Cheers, Kenn

 

Rare indeed is the situation where you might have to rush to save yourself. A cruise ship is large. Even if it was struck by another ship, it would not sink in mere seconds. In an emergency you will most likely be asked to report to your muster station, and then be directed to the lifeboat you will be using. This will take at least a few minutes - plenty of time to figure out how to put your life jacket on and get it adjusted properly. It's not like you will only have seconds to respond. The Titanic took 2 hours and 40 minutes to sink. The Andrea Doria took 11 hours. The Oceanos took about 18 hours.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Putting on a life jacket is not difficult. If a person can't figure it out, they probably shouldn't be allowed out in public without adult supervision.

Not all life jackets are identical. Maybe if you were put on a sloping deck on a cold dark night, you'd be confident of putting your life jacket on without difficulty. I wouldn't.

[Warm Breezes]

Our experience over the last year:

 

Princess: Yes

NCL: No

CCL: No

[John Bull]

Not all life jackets are identical. Maybe if you were put on a sloping deck on a cold dark night, you'd be confident of putting your life jacket on without difficulty. I wouldn't.

 

Agreed.

And add emergency lights only or no lights at all, add heavy seas, add a degree of sleepiness or intoxication, add rounding-up all in your herd, add seasickness, add anxiety, add any number of other factors which don't apply when trying on your jacket at a drill or at some convenient time in your cabin.

 

It's never going to happen.

Except, very very rarely, it does.

And its best to be prepared.

 

JB :)

[lady_cruiser]

Somewhere, I thought I saw someone mention that they did not have to take lifejacket to life boat drill. Was just having this conversation at work and I hate to be wrong. But if I am....so be it!

 

We did not need our life jackets on our last two cruises on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas .