SHIPS MAIL
Are cruise ships too big?
Having just returned from a lovely two-week cruise, I am pleased to say that most of my prejudices about large cruise ships were disproven. However, my concern is evacuation. When we embarked, it was mandated that we attended our allotted muster station (this was logged) and we were encouraged (not mandated, which was surprising) to listen to the safety video in our cabins.
The cruise ship I was on had over 5,000 passengers and crew over 18 decks. Imagine trying to traverse at least eight staircases, in a darkened, listing ship, along with other able bodied but also some disabled or elderly passengers, many of whom, because it was not mandated, did not watch the safety video. Stairwells were busy anyway and would be busier if the lifts were shut down.
I have read that the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) looked at the increasing size of cruise ships in 2000 and agreed that in future large passenger ships should be‘a ship is its own best lifeboat’. While this is logical, it feels rather like a ‘Titanic’ comment to me.
