Life jackets on Oasis

[Host Jacquelyn]

I just read on a review of Oasis that there are no life jackets in the room; that they are all stored in a closet near the theater. That is insane. Please tell me this reviewer was completely out to lunch, and that there are life jackets in every room on Oasis (perhaps in addition to extra ones elsewhere on the ship)?

[Dinkachu]

The poster was correct - on Allure and Oasis (not sure of any other ships) you no longer have life jackets in your room. They are stored somewhere near your muster station.

 

Our last muster was in the dining room and the life jackets were in closets near there. The trip before that, on Allure, we mustered in the theater and were told the lifejackets were stored near the lifeboats we were assigned to.

 

I think they did this as a convenience and to give people more room in their closets. We used to have to go back to our cabin and put on our life jackets for muster drill and we actually mustered near the lifeboats.

 

The lifeboats on Allure and Oasis hold well over 200 people each - in a real emergency it seems it will be chaotic to get everyone's life jacket out of the common storage area, but I guess we have no choice but to trust they have this figured out. My great-great uncle was Captain Smith of the Titanic, so I am thinking I might carry our own life jackets from home - just kidding - maybe.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Dinkachu

[cruisinfanatic]

I just read on a review of Oasis that there are no life jackets in the room; that they are all stored in a closet near the theater. That is insane. Please tell me this reviewer was completely out to lunch, and that there are life jackets in every room on Oasis (perhaps in addition to extra ones elsewhere on the ship)?

no life jackets in cabins. All at your muster station

[maureencruiser]

 

I think they did this as a convenience and to give people more room in their closets.

 

The lifeboats on Allure and Oasis hold well over 200 people each - in a real emergency it seems it will be chaotic to get everyone's life jacket out of the common storage area, but I guess we have no choice but to trust they have this figured out.

 

I think it would be more chaotic for everyone to run to their cabins in an emergency, can you imagine? Everyone streaming out of the dining rooms and casino, etc. I can imagine people grabbing lifejackets from other people, fighting, etc. Just get yourself to the lifeboats and there they are. It makes more sense to me, wish they did this on every ship.

[Host Jacquelyn]

Thanks for the quick replies. OK, having them at the muster station makes sense. Storing all life jackets in a closet by the theater didn't compute at all.

 

By the way, interesting personal fact, Dinkachu!!

[bouhunter]

I hate to think what it would actually be like in a true emergency with a large ship going down in the open sea - chaos beyond belief. Who really knows how many passengers (and staff) would actually follow directions to muster stations, and what it would be like where those vests are stashed around the ship.....:rolleyes:

 

If something happened at 3:00AM, I think it would still make sense to also have life vests in the rooms.

Edited August 20, 2015 by bouhunter

[bouhunter]

I think it would be more chaotic for everyone to run to their cabins in an emergency, can you imagine? Everyone streaming out of the dining rooms and casino, etc. I can imagine people grabbing lifejackets from other people, fighting, etc. Just get yourself to the lifeboats and there they are. It makes more sense to me, wish they did this on every ship.

 

I'm pretty sure every ship has always had life jackets at the muster stations also.

[maureencruiser]

I hate to think what it would actually be like in a true emergency with a large ship going down in the open sea - chaos beyond belief. Who really knows how many passengers (and staff) would actually follow directions to muster stations, and what it would be like where those vests are stashed around the ship.....:rolleyes:

 

If something happened at 3:00AM, I think it would still make sense to also have life vests in the rooms.

 

Look at the Concordia, the Captain was practically the first one off the ship, announcements were being made that everything was fine, do not report to muster stations, etc. How many people died? And, the ship was still in sight of land!

 

[maureencruiser]

I'm pretty sure every ship has always had life jackets at the muster stations also.

 

Yes, I've been told there are extras there, but, the protocol is still return to your cabin and retrieve your own.

[uksimonusa]

Makes it a lot easier to get to the muster stations, without having passengers running the halls wearing lifejackets and tripping up over the straps.

[Paulxyz2004]

To answer the OP first. It´s correct on Oasis and Allure there are no life vests in the room, they are provided at the muster stations as well as at the life boats. There are many storage rooms around which are stuffed with life vests i.e. in the Royal Promenade and on the outside Promenade deck.

 

As for the discussion how much sense this makes, you have to Keep in mind that inside the ship a life vest actually does not do you any good.

 

The life vest is nothing else but a Floating device and only useful in the water outside the ship. The life vest will reduce your mobility when moving around onboard. As a matter of fact People can get trapped inside the ship due to wearing their life vests. If you are at a Point where already some floading has occured you might not be able to reach an Exit because you can´t get through because your life vest keeps you Floating on top while the Exit might be in the water already, but still a quick easy dive through without the vest.

 

Have you ever thought why they tell you to NOT inflate your life vest in case of an emergency on a plane until you have exited the aircraft?

The reasons for this are exact the same as above. Reduced mobility, but more important in case of a plane Crash in the water there have been cases where People got trapped in the cabin as they couldn´t dive through the Exits due to their inflated life vests.

[johnstoc13]

The lifeboats on Allure and Oasis hold well over 200 people each

 

370 if I remember correctly! It's crazy how many they hold! I agree with the mobility issue brought up. Easier for all life vests to be at muster stations which is where you're supposed to go in an emergency. The last thing they want is people scrambling to their rooms when they should be reporting to muster IMO.

[LMaxwell]

Makes it a lot easier to get to the muster stations, without having passengers running the halls wearing lifejackets and tripping up over the straps.

Or returning to cabins first before reporting to muster stations.

 

My only fear on a ship is not sinking, it is the ship listing while sinking and not being able to launch boats from one side. The sooner they can get those big life boats filled the sooner they can launch.

Edited August 20, 2015 by LMaxwell

[Eng23]

Yes, I've been told there are extras there, but, the protocol is still return to your cabin and retrieve your own.

Not on Oasis or Allure. Protocol is to go directly to your muster station as there is no vest in your cabin to retrieve.

[OCruisers]

We love not having to wag life jackets to our muster station! :)

[Paulxyz2004]

We love not having to wag life jackets to our muster station! :)

 

This however has nothing to do with life jackets being in the room or not.

 

Even on RCI ships which still have life jackets in the cabin, you don´t take them to Muster anymore.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Paulxyz2004

[Havingfun2010]

I might want to point out, that during the Muster drill, they tell you in the event of an emergency go to your station. Without elevators, everyone would be running down the hall to get a life vest and running back up? What is the fastest way to get 6000 people off? Go straight to the muster station! So on the ships with them in the room, you still go straight to the muster station. The way I see it, the faster I get on that life boat, the better I will be.

[leisuretraveler223]

Have you ever thought why they tell you to NOT inflate your life vest in case of an emergency on a plane until you have exited the aircraft?

The reasons for this are exact the same as above. Reduced mobility, but more important in case of a plane Crash in the water there have been cases where People got trapped in the cabin as they couldn´t dive through the Exits due to their inflated life vests.

 

What are you talking about???? They tell you not to inflate your life vest, because there are many things between your seat and the open water than can snag and potentially DEFLATE your life vest.

 

Could you please give references to one of these "cases" to which you refer? I've never heard of that actually happening.

[Hotel CA]

No matter where the life jackets are located, quickly evacuating 5000 to 6000 of your closets friends has always worried me about the larger ships. My guess is the location of life jackets is directly related to quickly (and safely) moving and if needed evacuating a large group of people more efficiently and effectively. Whatever the reason though as was said before. Life jackets are not as necessary IN the ship than off the ship

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I might want to point out, that during the Muster drill, they tell you in the event of an emergency go to your station. Without elevators, everyone would be running down the hall to get a life vest and running back up? What is the fastest way to get 6000 people off? Go straight to the muster station! So on the ships with them in the room, you still go straight to the muster station. The way I see it, the faster I get on that life boat, the better I will be.

 

However, if you're talking the wee hours of the morning when the vast majority of passengers are in their cabins, you've now added time where they and everyone else at that muster station have to stop at the closet and get their lifejacket from probably 2 or 3 crew members (there aren't that many assigned to each station, and 1 or 2 of them would be working to load the lifeboat) whereas if it was in the cabin you could grab it on your way out and be that much more prepared to board the lifeboat.

[MedicKen]

If you have been on the Promenade Deck (i.e. Lifeboat Deck) there are white cabinets up by the ceiling (overhead for you Navy folks) If you look at the label you will be the number of Adult and Child life jackets in each cabinet. BTW they are also under seal to keep folks from tampering with them but to allow read access to them in case of need.

[Arzeena]

I just read on a review of Oasis that there are no life jackets in the room; that they are all stored in a closet near the theater. That is insane. Please tell me this reviewer was completely out to lunch, and that there are life jackets in every room on Oasis (perhaps in addition to extra ones elsewhere on the ship)?

 

Going on the Oasis on Saturday. Will check and post.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Arzeena

[billsgal]

Was on Oasis August 1. The life jackets are NOT in the rooms, they are stored at the muster stations.

[Tony O]

Was on Oasis August 1. The life jackets are NOT in the rooms, they are stored at the muster stations.

 

Same as our August 8th sailing

[AWOL]

What are you talking about???? They tell you not to inflate your life vest, because there are many things between your seat and the open water than can snag and potentially DEFLATE your life vest.

 

Could you please give references to one of these "cases" to which you refer? I've never heard of that actually happening.

 

For my job as mariner, we had to take a aircraft escape, water survival course. One of the things they made us do was escape from an overturned aircraft which was around 12 feet under water. It was boarded above water and then lower into the water and it was then turned upside down. We had to leave it using the windows while under water.

Is that reference enough for you!!!