Cruise ship-7000 souls-18 lifeboats

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Doug Lord, May 16, 2016.

  1. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 1,957
    Likes: 176, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 304
    Location: SF bay

    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    Does sound like its a Titanic repeat waiting to happen, since anything that would sink a ship would also likely take out a good % of lifeboats: collision with other ship, especially a glancing blow that might take out a whole side of boats (similar to how the iceberg took out a long row of compartments BECAUSE it was glancing), getting strafed by pirate boat, fire (especially from after collision with other ship and oil burning on water), listing, major systems failure, large scale mutiny by crew, terrorism and hostage situation gone wrong, tsunami, etc.
     
    Dejay likes this.
  2. Ike
    Joined: Apr 2006
    Posts: 2,677
    Likes: 476, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 1669
    Location: Washington

    Ike Senior Member

    You couldn't get me or my wife on one. The only cruise we went on (on a much smaller ship) was just a gambling cruise to nowhere and it was a disaster. The only real entertainment on board was a troop of Girl Scouts doing karaoke. You had to wait in long lines for just about everything, and the slots paid nothing. And then someone died on board and they ended the cruise.
     
  3. Rurudyne
    Joined: Mar 2014
    Posts: 1,170
    Likes: 40, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 155
    Location: North Texas

    Rurudyne Senior Member

    It has been pointed out that cruises are less expensive than retirement homes, have better food, more things to do and see, have medical facilities etc.
     
  4. Angélique
    Joined: Feb 2009
    Posts: 3,003
    Likes: 336, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 1632
    Location: Belgium ⇄ The Netherlands

    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    A tsunami isn't a problem when in deep water, as it doesn't break there, the whole ship is then just raised and lowered, whenever docked and there's a tsunami warning, then rush to high land. And always stay away from the big windows in storms at sea . . .

    The Independent: UK weather - February 15, 2014
    [​IMG]
    — a not to the reported incident related photo of the Marco Polo by Luca Riva in Bergen in Norway, 2010 picture source Wikimedia Commons —
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2019
  5. Village_Idiot
    Joined: Oct 2007
    Posts: 382
    Likes: 18, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 138
    Location: USA

    Village_Idiot Senior Member

    I have cruised on the Paul Gauguin twice - that is my idea of a cruise. You sail amongst the Tahitian islands, mostly at night, and awaken at a different island each morning. The Gauguin is one of the smallest cruise ships, IIRC. Very European (French). They do have muster drills (practice donning life jackets and disembarking toward meeting areas to board life boats).
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2019
  6. Angélique
    Joined: Feb 2009
    Posts: 3,003
    Likes: 336, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 1632
    Location: Belgium ⇄ The Netherlands

    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    I like the lowerable aft platform with access from inboard on the Paul Gauguin, seems to be for active people who love to do water sports during the stopovers at the medium south pacific islands, they might want to inflate their RIB #4 a bit though . . .

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    ‘‘ The watersports marina (the lowerable aft platform) is available in select ports (bays I think) and subject to weather conditions and local restrictions. Swimming from the watersports marina is prohibited. Our watersports equipment is also available when we call upon our private beaches. Plus, if you plan on snorkeling in multiple ports (bays I think), you’re welcome to check out snorkeling gear from the marina for the duration of your cruise. ’’ (added by the copyist)
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2019
    Village_Idiot likes this.
  7. fallguy
    Joined: Dec 2016
    Posts: 7,596
    Likes: 1,674, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: usa

    fallguy Senior Member

    My wife loves cruises.

    I'll pass on the massively high headcount.

    Imaging trying to board that lifeboat in 5 minutes?

    That is one second per person at 300 heads.

    Ain't gonna happen. So, lets say fast at 15 seconds per person to board and take a seat. A number I find unlikely...

    That is 4500 seconds friends or and hour and fifteen minutes.

    Pass.
     
  8. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 1,957
    Likes: 176, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 304
    Location: SF bay

    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    I gotta assume that its more like a movie theater where its loaded at much higher rate via at least two entrances several people wide, but of course "ABANDON SHIP!" ain't gonna be like a bunch movie goers that have done the drill 100x.

    I wonder if a captain will be looking far enough ahead and give the order in time, given that during last cruise ship semi-sinking the captain jumped ship ahead of everyone, and once things go bad they often start going bad faster than first thought.

    This kinda reminds of when they figured out how to build skyscrapers and started seeing economies of scale and asked "how big could we go?" Answer was really, really big, but the problem was being able to fill it with office workers in under a day, or even under a week. IIRC it was something like 4 RR lines with 12 car trains would take weeks. They didn't discuss evaluation during fire.

    I like my idea of a cruise ship that is less of a factory-farm live-stock holding/feeding pen, and more of a mother-ship and amphibious assault vessel, with a bunch of large dual purpose lifeboat/excursion boats. The main attraction would be ability to visit places that can't dock a ship. So I'm wondering what is biggest size boat that is currently routinely launched from a mother-ship and recovered, besides military style ships with open stern well-decks. How about a system similar to hook & trapeze used to re-capture "parasite fighters" on air-ships.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2019

  9. fredrosse
    Joined: Jan 2005
    Posts: 439
    Likes: 81, Points: 38, Legacy Rep: 56
    Location: Philadelphia PA

    fredrosse USACE Steam

    I consider myself a fairly active retired person, launching my boats frequently from trailers, repairing roof parts on our 1693 house, etc. Looking at the video (early in this thread) for the use of lifeboat escape chutes, I see that they are absurd for able bodied men to use without injury. The young man demonstrating use of the chute is probably somewhat injured when they video recorded the use of the chute, and he used it under ideal conditions. If I used it my back would probably be injured, and a 200 pound 75 year old person, NFW! The chutes surely would be a prime disaster if people typically on board these cruise ships were to attempt using them.
    How on earth did this safety plan get approved, I guess money/profit motive overrides everything?
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.