News from and about Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

[ombugge]

I notice also in some of the images, there are a lot of liferafts on the Oasis: maybe even the more modern new system called MarineArk 100-150 persons liferafts with evacuation chutes/ slides.

Life rafts are only approved as complement - not substitute - for life boats except where it is impossible or impractical to fit life boats, so that is probably the 'excuse" applied here.

No doubt she is approved under SOLAS rules, I just didn't know that you could get certified for world wide trade without lifeboat coverage for the full complement (incl. Crew) with a ratio of 1.1 for inaccessibility.

I assume a well behaved cruise ship sink on even keel and doesn't burn in places where access to LSA gets impaired.

So who gets to go in the lifeboats with toilets in-situ and who is assigned to the liferafts do you think?

On the ferry I'm now presently working, the Fosen, we have MarineArk evacuation system and a light boat for towing the rafts and man over board situations. Our MarineArk's inflate in a group of 3 on either side and can carry a total of 100 persons each.

And how many pax is the FOSEN certified for???
Is it certified for open water routes with pax on board, or limited to inshore traffic in protected waters and limited duration?

[pakarang]

And how many pax is the FOSEN certified for???
Is it certified for open water routes with pax on board, or limited to inshore traffic in protected waters and limited duration?

Fosen is certified to carry a total of 315 passengers on inshore and coastal routes. Her LSA capacity is for almost twice this amount, not counting the number of lifejackets.

[ostafjells]

If the regulations haven't changed dramatically since I left ships, most crewmembers were assigned to life rafts in an event of an emergency. The life boats had a crew of 4 each, rest of the life boat capacity was for pax.

That being said, I'm not sure wether I'd prefer a lifeboat or raft if the ship was sinking, maybe with a heavy list, or the weather was terrible. My experience told me that it was during life boat operation an accident was most likely to occur.

[pakarang]

I think I'd rather be on a liferaft too...

I sent an e-mail to the Oasis asking them to include a presentation video of the ships LSA for the ship's website (they have after all, everything else)...

[pakarang]

I sent an e-mail to the Oasis asking them to include a presentation video of the ships LSA for the ship's website (they have after all, everything else)...

A reply was made today: maybe someone in the States could make the call, and ask them to include this in the ship's website?

Hello Jan-Olav, and thank you for your e-mail.

You would have to contact Miami for this request.

Thank you, and have a nice weekend!

[ombugge]

If the regulations haven't changed dramatically since I left ships, most crewmembers were assigned to life rafts in an event of an emergency. The life boats had a crew of 4 each, rest of the life boat capacity was for pax.

That being said, I'm not sure wether I'd prefer a lifeboat or raft if the ship was sinking, maybe with a heavy list, or the weather was terrible. My experience told me that it was during life boat operation an accident was most likely to occur.

This only serves to show my ignorance of passenger ship rules as it appears that "boats are for the pax and rafts for the crew" has been the norm for a long time. It just baffles me that rules for normal ships, with around 20-25 crew, appears to be more stringent than for a Cruise ship with something like 8-9000 people on board.

It also appears to me that a modern Cruise ship is likely to develop a heavy list quickly if holed in a collision or grounding, which may make the life boats on one side difficult/dangerous (if not impossible) to launch with a conventional Davit system. In case of a fire spreading through the vessel it could also be difficult/impossible to reach some of the LSA.

Drilling Rigs is what I know more about and the rules there has changed from very limited LSA to today's stringent MODU Code.
When most rigs were under US flag and USCG rules the requirement was 100%liferaft coverage only.
As rigs got under different flags, and with the capsizing of 3 rigs in a matter of a few years, IMO rules came into play. 100% lifeboat coverage + rafts became the rule, (50% on either side) which was a problem since some flag states only allowed half the crew to remain on board while moving between locations.

The latest rules call for 100% lifeboat coverage + rafts on either side. On Norwegian rigs the lifeboats has to be positioned such that they face away from the hull when launched, or be free fall type.

Here is a couple of pix showing life boat arrangements on new rigs:
Semi-submersible, 100% coverage at each end:

Jack-up Rig, 100% coverage on both sides:

[pakarang]

How it all started way back in the beginning.... a wonderful image of the Song of Norway from flickr member Glenmore1971:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincene...18795/sizes/l/

Wish we could get images like this filled in at our forum and main page. These are in a way, very romantic images from the heydays of cruising.

In this members album, there are also some wonderful images of the SS Norway in 1980 livery. The links to those images have been added to the main page, online cruising.

[pakarang]

Someone tell me, around the funnel: is that solar panels laid out?

... and second question if I may, on each side of the funnel there seems to be a large private pool on each side?

[Clipper]

Someone tell me, around the funnel: is that solar panels laid out?

... and second question if I may, on each side of the funnel there seems to be a large private pool on each side?

Both theories look viable but difficult to say for certain.

In their deck plans, they studiously avoid detailing the "fiddle deck" (Deck 18).

This page purports to show 18 but in fact is a thinly disguised repeat of Deck 17.

Maybe CV will recruit an Oasis crew member one day.

Clipper

[pakarang]

Thank you for pointing out that link... In the link, I read that these staterooms are two story high loft-suites:

Two deck high stateroom with panoramic views. Master bedroom and bath on second level. Bedroom has two twin beds (can be converted to Queen). Bath has a shower for two. Bath with shower on main level. Private balcony with chairs, dining area with dry bar, table/desk. Living room sofa converts to double bed. (545 sq. ft., balcony 114 sq. ft.)

I think we might be having to do with two very private pools here... I have seen another aerial shot of the funnel area, and I could clearly see the deck loungers and the cyan blue which I think looks like a pool of some kind..

The black squares thrown around the funnel appears to me as if they couldn't be anything else than solar panels... but then, I can not find any reference to them anywhere on the net. Strange. If they indeed were solar panels, I'm surprised the cruise line hasn't bragged about their clean-powered ship...

[Clipper]

Well spotted Pakarang. I managed to miss that text. It explains the similarity between Decks 17 and 18.

I must agree that the black objects look like solar panels. The only alternative suggestion I can come up with is air-conditioning heat exchangers, which would explain why the owners have not bragged about them - aircon is not so green.

Clipper

[pakarang]

Oasis of the Seas: What It Takes to Keep a City Afloat

How do you keep more than 6,300 people fed, housed and having the time of their life while floating in the middle of the ocean?

The Oasis of the Seas -- the world's largest cruise ship -- aims to accomplish that feat nearly every week. Almost five times as large as the Titanic, it has a population during its seven-day Caribbean sailings that is larger than many....

>>> The rest of the story here....

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home...=family-travel

[ehp]

VEEERRRYYY Interesting. I love things like supply figures....

A few phrases stick out to me..

"I kind of look at her [the Oasis] like the Mall of America."
"It's kind of like a train wreck you want to go see."
"It was amazing," said ...the first time cruiser
2,000 to 3,000 meclizine
More Corona beer is loaded than any other alcoholic drink, followed by Budweiser and Bud Light

I also had a very tacky thought about the mention of life support capabilities...but I'm such a LADY I will refrain from mentioning it......

[Clipper]

Things I learned:

1. The word "longshoremen". I think we tend to say "stevedore" in UK but maybe we have longshoremen too. Anybody?
2. That there is a "Corona beer". When I was little, Corona was a sweet fizzy pop for kids.

Clipper

[ehp]

Yeap-- (This is my opinion only mind you...)

Corona is a basic little-flavor Mexican beer that usually accompanies Mexican food around the US....It's most Americans idea of throwing back a fancy imported beer. Almsot as cheap as Bud... Usually served in the bottle with a lime wedge squeezed down the bottle neck. If you look at the top three beers- Corona, Bud and Bud Lite (bud lite is just like Bud, but with fewer calories...for those watching their weight...LOL--we call is "girl beer") --well, you sorta get the palate of the LV of the Sea's crowd....no flavor, 3.2% alcohol, pale, rice-added beer, served ice-cold with no head......but hey, I'm a beer brewer, what do I know?? Dane, as the other resident brewer, would you like to weigh in???????

[pilotdane]

Dane, as the other resident brewer, would you like to weigh in???????

I tend to drink wine on cruises. The selection of beers onboard has always been disappointing.

[Ralf__]

...you know, in Germany we are much more severe using the word "beer" for drinks. Deutsches Reinheitsgebot! So i think i would have some preparations to do before cruising with a U.S. Cruise company...

[Clipper]

...you know, in Germany we are much more severe using the word "beer" for drinks. Deutsches Reinheitsgebot! So i think i would have some preparations to do before cruising with a U.S. Cruise company...

Same here. I would need to smuggle a crate or two of good German weizen on board. Once discovered, never forgotten.

Clipper

[Ralf__]

How i love to go OT in a thread about such an ugly ship!

I can recommend these ones:

http://www.rothaus.de/html/01brauere...rauerei_fs.htm
...this brewery is owned by our government, so for me the friendliest way to pay taxes...

http://www.primator.cz/en/prehled_piv_foto.html
...Czech beers are also outstanding. This brewmaster is very creative and is brewing Weizen, Pale Ale and Stout. And they are all very tasteful!

[ehp]

OH MY HEAVENS!!! We have pulled RALF off-topic!!!!!!!!!! Someone mark this date on a calendar!!!!!

Let's here it for Reinheitsgebot! Noble law!!!

Dane- I love your diplomacy.

However, I do love Clippers idea...Weizen. Yummy yummy yummy.

Off to go check out your links, Ralf...