When should lifeboat drills be held?
In accordance with the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention, which was enacted after the sinking of the Titanic , all cruise ships are required to conduct lifeboat drills, also called passenger drills or drills, within 24 hours of the departure from the port.
After the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster, the International Cruise Lines Association and the European Cruise Council agreed to implement stricter rules. Lifeboat drills will be conducted before the ship leaves port. If passengers board after the drill has been conducted, they will receive a special safety briefing, either as a group or individually, as conditions require.
What Happens During a Lifeboat Drill?
Typically, a lifeboat drill includes a demonstration of how to properly don and secure a life jacket, an explanation of what to do in an emergency, a demonstration of the emergency alarm (seven short tones and one long), a description overview of lifeboat boarding and evacuation procedures and a discussion of muster stations and how to find them. A muster station is the place where designated groups of passengers gather in the event that lifeboat evacuation is necessary.
Some cruise lines require passengers to bring life jackets from their cabins and put them on at their assembly stations, while others simply explain how life jackets should be worn and where they are stored. In some cases, the crew members responsible for each lifeboat introduce themselves and explain their duties. In others, passengers gather in the ship’s theater and watch a security video.
Who should attend a lifeboat drill?
All passengers must attend the mock meeting, no matter how many times they have sailed. While this may seem, from the experienced cruiser’s perspective, a waste of time, the muster exercise is essential for the safety of everyone on board. Each cabin is assigned a specific muster station, and the only way to know where to go and what to do in the event of a disaster is to attend the drill and find out where your muster station is located. It is essential that each passenger take the lifeboat drill seriously.
On some cruise lines, crew members take roll call at each assembly station. In others, crew members search for stragglers in public spaces and cabins while the lifeboat drill is being conducted. Some cruise lines have been known to harshly treat passengers who try to evade lifeboat exercise. If you try to skip it, they will eventually find you and you will be responsible for making your fellow passengers await your arrival, which they will not appreciate if they are standing in the sun wearing life jackets.
They may even put you off.
Special circumstances
Wheelchair and scooter users should speak with their cabin attendant or other crew member before the lifeboat drill begins. During the drill, the ship’s elevators will likely be closed, and this means that transit between decks will be difficult for wheelchair and scooter users. Depending on the cruise line, wheelchair and scooter users may meet at a specific location for instructions, or they may need to arrive at their assembly stations before the elevators close. The drill itself is less important than understanding and knowing how to implement the procedure for moving wheelchair and scooter users between decks if an actual emergency occurs.
If you are traveling with children or grandchildren, ask about evacuation procedures, especially if your children or grandchildren will be participating in childcare or youth activity programs. Many cruise lines issue children’s wristbands that display the assembly station numbers so that crew members and adult passengers can help children get to the correct station in an emergency. Your cruise line may also establish special evacuation pickup areas for children participating in activities on board sponsored by the cruise line.
Passengers traveling with younger children should ensure that smaller life jackets are issued that adequately fit their charges as minors. Stateroom attendants should be able to provide youth and toddler life jackets upon request.
The bottom line
The purpose of the lifeboat drill is to inform passengers of emergency evacuation procedures and give them an opportunity to find their assembly stations. You should definitely attend the lifeboat drill and pay close attention to all the information provided. If an emergency were to occur, the information provided during the lifeboat drill could be the difference between life and death.
