Originally Posted by MIKESILV
I too have posted on these boards that these Mega-ships are a disaster waiting to happen and you could'nt pay me enough money to sail on them.
Getting 5000+ pax off in a real emergency is going to be like the WTC lying on its side.
Just look at the ( useless IMHO) lifeboat drill, they are conducted only by sections of the vessel at time and often the large amount of pax/crew do not allow a full drill.
One major factor which the public is unaware is that with the enclosed decks as is common with most modern cruise-liners in the event of a major fire all the passengers will be crowded in internal enclosed passageways leading to the lifeboat stations as opposed to "less modern vessels" with open decks.
Most wont be even get to an opening to jump over the side if they though that would increase their survival chances.
I sincerely hope my fears dont come to fruition but I see nothing preventing that with modern cruise-liner construction.
mike
Mike, when we used to 'escort' my very elderly MIL on cruises, we were told that she didn't NEED to attend life boat drills as she could not climb the stairs to get to her boat station. We always took her to boat drills by starting the journey early enough to get her on to an elevator. In a real emergency, she knew what her chances were.
I absolutely agree with you about the enclosed decks and can picture passengers jumping from private balconies. I also hope it never happens.
I love being at sea, but choose my ships very carefully. I've been on nearly all of the Severn Seas often in small ships, ice breakers and one air craft carrier.
I avoid the 'big white boats' and leave the opportunity to people who don't know or don't care.