Are We Really Safe On A Cruise Ship???

One of the objections to cruising we often get has to do with the perception that it is an unsafe mode of transportation.  Compared to what. . . automobile safety, airline safety, motorboating, horseback riding???  Cruising continues to be one of the safest and most regulated modes of transportation today.

Any country to which ships sail has the right to board vessels at any time unannounced for inspection. 

Each and every crewmember is required to receive training in emergency procedures, safety, security and first aid, and to participate in the abandon ship drill and fire drill once every month.  Lifeboats are checked monthly as to their sea worthiness and drills are engaged to make sure they can be dispatched and loaded quickly.

When an engine fire occurs on a ship, crew members are armed with the necessary training and equipment to quickly ensure all passengers and crew are safe.  The average cruise ship typically has five firefighting teams whose main members have advanced shipboard firefighting training.  Sprinklers and smoke detectors are required by international regulation.  The average ship has 4,000 smoke detectors, 500 fire extinguishers, 16 miles of sprinkler piping, 5,000 sprinkler heads, and 6 miles of fire hose

In the five years between 2005 and 2010, there were 16 marine casualty-related deaths out of nearly 100 million passengers carried worldwide.

All ships are required now to engage all passengers in a “muster drill” before departure.  Names are checked electronically as each passenger enters the muster station and if there is someone missing from the drill, a crew member is dispatched to their room to inquire the reason for their absence. 

All that said to encourage our guests to plan on taking one of the outstanding cruise vacations The Travel Factory is offering in 2015.  High on the list is our 21^st trip to Alaska on June 29-July 11, 2015.  Princess Cruise Line has a great sale going on right now, but it ends on November 20, so time’s a wastin’ if you don’t get it reserved.

An excellent cruise out of Galveston awaits the smart vacation planner for Sept. 20-27 on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Navigator of the Seas.  A balcony room is only $840 a person; an inside room only $640.

Cruising on the Romantic Danube in November 14-21 will be a fantastic European river cruise experience.  Their sale expires Dec. 20, so the smart traveler makes advance preparation.

            Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, cruising, flying or driving, our number one priority is always our clients’ safety and well-being, so consider contacting the experienced travel agents at 698-1421 or 800-760-4040.