Cruise Liners

[John Albert Evans]

Whilst looking at all manner of shipping on here, I have been amazed at the size of the modern day cruise liners and one thing keeps comming to me is the amount of lifeboats or lack of them that they are carrying, surely there cannt be enough of them to carry all the passengers on board these ships should something terrible happen. I have always counted the ones showing in their davits and there does not seem to be enough. I would be obliged if someone who has sailed on them could maybe explain to me what the situation is regarding them.

Thank you.

John Evans

[Doc Vernon]

A good point there John
Funnily enough i had also wondered about that in the past!
It looks as though if there were to be a bad incident on one of those Huge Giants (God Forbid there wont be) it would be a catastrophe!(spelling Mmm!)
Cheers

I think Happy Daze John will come to our rescue on this ,as he does a lot of Cruises on these Monsters!

[Chris Allman]

I think THIS answers most of our questions

Chris

[John Albert Evans]

I think THIS answers most of our questions

Chris

Chris,

Thanks very much for that information, it clears up all my concerns. Lets hope that they never have to be used for real.

John

[happy daze john in oz]

I think THIS answers most of our questions

Chris

Most of the life boats will hold about 150 persons and must have enough diesel on board to run at 4 knots for 24 hours. Not sure what happens after that. I have often studied them when going ashore as some are used as tenders. No doubt the crew would know but there is no obvious marking of drinking water, food, or first aid equipment.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Chris.
After reading that article I have come to this conclusion, it did not take into consideration. Panic unfamiliarity with their boat or life raft positions. Crew training which I doubt would be as rigorous as we had to go through at training schools. I remain sceptical about how many would survive if one of those giants got into trouble. Having, as many of the members would have expierenced, some realy bad hurricane weather,one in which the Queen Mary nearly capsized after being hit with a 90 foot wave I shudder to think at what would happen if {And I pray it will not} one of them capsised.
Cheers Des

[Captain Kong]

I have seen many almost in a state of panic, big FAT American ladies jamming the stairs trying to get down to the embarkation deck, pushing and shoving everyone aside in a mad rush to get into the boats just to go ashore and gorge themselve in some dodgy restaurant. I have often thought that in a real emergency there is no such thing as survival. Only luck, or bad luck .
Cheers
Brian

[Chris Allman]

Hi Chris.
After reading that article I have come to this conclusion, it did not take into consideration. Panic unfamiliarity with their boat or life raft positions. Crew training which I doubt would be as rigorous as we had to go through at training schools. I remain sceptical about how many would survive if one of those giants got into trouble. Having, as many of the members would have expierenced, some realy bad hurricane weather,one in which the Queen Mary nearly capsized after being hit with a 90 foot wave I shudder to think at what would happen if {And I pray it will not} one of them capsised.
Cheers Des

Des couldn't agree more, would hate to be there if anything did happen. Long gone the women and children first, I dont somehow think it would apply these days with some of the selfish people in our world, including the crews I am afraid. As Brian says it would be one mass panic were 50,000 were killed in the rush. Would think the same thing would happen on the cross channel ferries as well these days. Puts you off going anywhere afloat really.

I wonder if the lifeboats still carry the cases of Conny Onney these days, I must say I doubt it

Those were the days. Put the lifeboat in the water ( thats of course if you could get it out of the skids ) and it immediately filled with water as it had not been near the oggin for years. Couldnt find the bungs either, motor wouldnt work, water never been changed in the freshwater tanks, testing of lifeboat radio resulted in Sparks having to strip it, but hey ho, fresh case of Conny Onny put in every trip, along with a fresh coat of paint too.

Chris.

[Ivan Cloherty]

fresh case of Conny Onny put in every trip, along with a fresh coat of paint too.[/B]

Chris.

Don't know what ships you sailed on Chris but I never painted a tin of conny-onny on any of mine.!

First thing I do on boarding a ferry or ship is check the lifeboat station or nearest liferaft, always have a small torch by the bunk, old habits die hard. But it does worry me how you woulde get past some of the wider passengers to reach your alloted station. Also when travelling by air, I always try for an aisle seat as have been penned in too many times by overflowing passengers sitting next to me.

[Captain Kong]

but hey ho, fresh case of Conny Onny put in every trip, along with a fresh coat of paint too.

Chris.

Good one Ivan, I also have never given a tin of Conny Onny a fresh coat of paint, maybe it was to stop it going Rusty, nothing worse than a tin of rusty Conny Onny.
Sorry Chris, but it got a laugh.
,
When cruising I always weigh up the best way to get off and always carry two torches , one each, when the power goes off, on a big ship you would need a Sat Nav to find your way around when the light is on, worse when it is dark.
Cheers
Brian