Since Costa Concordia went down off the coast of Italy there has been much debate on cruise ship safety in particular and vacation safety in general.
Alan Whitt
I’ve reassured clients, friends and readers that cruising remains the safest form of transportation anywhere.
The cruise lines know an accident like the one that sank Costa Concordia is one too many. They all suffer when tragedy strikes, and keeping passengers safe is Priority No. 1.
However, when you talk about safety, it really begins with you. I cruise, fly and vacation on a regular basis and it always amazes me how lax we get simply because we’re vacationing.
The Golden Rule of travel is to always be aware of your surroundings … on a ship .. at a resort … a theme park … or the airport.
That includes having some type of knowledge about where you are. Laws and rights differ greatly in other countries than in the USA.
One thing that struck me about the Costa Concordia tragedy is that the muster drill – where passengers go to their lifeboat station for a brief safety education – was scheduled for the next day. I guess they thought disaster would make an appointment.
I consider muster drills a necessary annoyance that I need to attend. I’m not expecting disaster … but I still have to prepare for it.
I tell families to never allow children to roam a cruise ship or a resort by themselves. When you think about it, what are the odds that of the 4,000 people on a ship some not-so-nice people.
When my grandson was young, we would take him to the kids program and he couldn’t leave until we came to get him. As he got older and more mature we would allow him to check in on his own … but he could only leave with a pre-approved person.
Know your kids and their maturity level, and even with that you still have to keep close tabs on them. Royal Caribbean has a program on some ships where parents can GPS their kids through the wrist bands they all receive. You’ll know where junior is at all times.
Being aware of your surroundings begins even before you reach your destination. Always plan for what you would do in a worst-case scenario.
A flight attendant told a friend that when flying she always counts the rows to the nearest exit, just in case smoke fills the cabin.
You never know when that little mental note – and others like it – can save your life.
