Safe at Sea

After the muster drill on Allure of the Seas, I had that catchy “Wash Your Hands” tune stuck in my head for hours. And that’s a good thing. The ship wants to remind us early and often that washing our hands is a key way to stay safe at sea.

It’s also a reminder that staying safe during our cruise is everyone’s job—theirs and ours.

What they do

Guide and abide. The cruise industry is heavily regulated. Just a few of the agencies that set and enforce safety rules are the U.S. Coast Guard, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the International Maritime Organization.

Big on little boats. Cruise ships today have ample lifeboats; in fact, every ship must have enough life boats and rafts for at least 125 percent of the number of folks onboard.*

Teach and train. You can’t have missed the drills—they boom over the PA. That’s the crew going through yet more training on handling emergencies.

Poolside protection. Lifeguards are a visible presence today on Royal Caribbean ships at the pools and even the hot tubs.

 

Keeping watch over us in the Solarium on Allure of the Seas

Looking out for us. The ships have security personnel onboard who can step in when needed. There are also video cameras throughout to help spot and solve any issues.

What we can do

Master the muster. Every cruise kicks off with a lecture. Where to go in an emergency. Onboard do’s and don’ts. That sort of thing. Important stuff. It pays to listen.

 

Learning the drill on the Westerdam

Watch the signs. Many ships have alert and reminder signs posted—from slippery when wet to watch your children.

 

Advice from Allure of the Seas

Eat smart, drink smart. With all the tempting consumables onboard, it can be easy to overdo. Pace yourself. Know your limits. You’ll feel better for it.

 

Tastes great, but packed with punch, on Allure of the Seas

The banister is your barrier. Deck railing is for grabbing if you’re unsteady. Keeping you from going overboard. What it’s not is a balance beam.

Regal Princess reminder

Any other tips to help you stay healthy and enjoy your next cruise? Oh yeah—wash your hands!

For more on cruise ship safety, visit the website of the Cruise Lines International Association, the trade association for the cruise industry.

* Cruise Lines International Association

Muster Up! The Drill and What Else Will Keep You Safe Onboard

Sometimes, it’s in the casino. Sometimes, on the ice rink. And sometimes, it’s under the sun.

Wherever it is, you need to be there.

Here’s the drill and why it’s important. And what else will keep you safe in your new home on the sea.

If you’ve never been through one, know that the muster drill starts with a PA announcement that it’s coming. Then another one that it’s coming soon. And probably yet another that it’s really on its way.

Then, ear-splitting sounds. If you’re in your stateroom, you won’t be there for long. The crew will come banging on your door.

The good news? On many ships, you no longer need to drag along those massive orange vests, their cords dangling behind you like Linus’ dust.

You’ll come as you are, crew will be everywhere holding signs, and you’ll assemble someplace. It will be the first time—and maybe the last—that you’ll ever feel overwhelmed by the vast numbers of people on your ship.

Like the “seat-cushion-can-be-used-as-a-floatation-device” speech you tune out on the plane, you might feel like tuning out this one too. But don’t. Just in case.

Cruising is uber safe. In fact, more people are cruising than ever, but issues like fires and breakdowns are quite rare and have been declining.*

But they still can happen. And you want to be prepared in case they do.

Safe cruising, though, shouldn’t stop at the muster drill. Here are some other ways for you to stay ship-shape from when you walk up that gangway to when you walk back down:

Bring your own. First-aid stuff costs a lot on the ship. And some stuff you won’t find at all. I found out the hard way. Some good things to pack before leaving home are aspirin, cold medication, nose drops, digestion stuff, ear wax removal, first-aid ointment and band-aids.

Sea sickness remedies. While the cruise ships are massive and steady as tanks, you will, from time to time, be reminded that you’re not on land. If you’ve ever been prone to motion sickness, while you most likely won’t need it, just having it with you will give you peace of mind. My spouse has brought it on 19 trips. He has not used it once.

Wipe it clean. The crew, of course, work like crazy to keep the staterooms clean, but it never hurts to do a bit of your own cleaning too. Consider bringing some sanitizing spray or wipes to clean door handles, phone and TV remote—the areas that get a lot of hand holding.

Sanitize your hands. Often. While most of the ships have hand sanitizers near the eating areas, in the buffets, you’re holding the ladle, reaching for the salt shaker—and then handling the hot dog as it makes its way to your mouth. We bring our own wet wipes, and use them constantly.

Sun-bathing sense. We’ve seen it over and over again—folks with skin as pure as the driven snow spend their whole first day at the pool. The next day, they’ve traded that milky complexion with a bright red one. And spend the next several days burning up in pain.

Pool precautions. There are no lifeguards at the pools. When you swim, you’re on your own. And so are your kids.  

It’s wet on deck. With folks and kids coming in and out of the pools, showers and saunas, the decks can get pretty wet. Walk gingerly and watch your step.

Be a defensive diner. The buffet can be a treacherous place. Steaming hot coffee can be coming at you from one direction, and a crew member with a tray piled high with plates can be coming at you from another. Be a defensive diner and you’ll enjoy your food at the table—instead of taking a trip to the infirmary.

See the light. Having a flashlight by your bed will be invaluable for those night-time bathroom runs.

Don’t go overboard. The banisters on the decks and balconies are there for a reason: to keep a safe

distance between us and the water. Enjoy the drink packages. But we don’t want to fish you out of the sea.

* CLIA’s website, cruising.org, “Safety at Sea,” G.P. Wild International Limited  Report on Operational Incidents, 2009 to 2014.

How Do You Like Your Captain?

Old or young? Visible or invisible? Charming or all business?

On a recent cruise, our captain seemed to be everywhere—except, perhaps, the bridge. He was in port with us. Guest speaker. Game show panelist. Party host.

During the Q&A after his lecture, a guest commended him for being “the most approachable” of the captains he’d experienced.

Then, reading our thoughts, a woman asked, “Have you ever accidently fallen into a lifeboat?”

Today marks three years since the Concordia went down, taking 32 lives with it. Still we wait for a verdict in the trial of Captain Schettino. He’s doing a good job of keeping in the public eye, lecturing at college, going to parties and doing what he seems to do best—charming everyone around him.

The critics have been few, and perhaps it’s because more than ever, the captain has become the cruise line’s top PR guy. We’ve turned our man at the helm into a celebrity, and he’s responding in kind.

But they’re not all like that. One cruise, not so long ago, when we were doing a slow scenic circle around St. Lucia’s Pitons, a small local motorboat—really just a rowboat with a motor—pulled alongside our massive vessel and its passengers, a group of young men, began calling up at us. Our captain got on the PA to caution us against engaging them, suggesting that the proximity of their boat to our 80,500-ton behemoth could bring them harm.

And on yet another voyage, our captain was a no-show at the Welcome Toast, because the business of running the ship kept him away.

Clearly, there are some captains out there who take their role as Safety Officer #1 quite seriously. But in this age of celebrity obsession, the more we demand to see of our captain, the more he’s going to feel the need to be seen. And the less he’s going to give to commandeering the ship. Personality shouldn’t be a prerequisite for a captain. Competence should be all that counts.

But that’s my opinion. What’s yours?