There is no doubt that sailing the world on a cruise ship is one of the most exciting and luxurious sounding types of holiday around. Seeing lots of different places from the comfort of a lovely cabin is a wonderful idea but what if you are worried about the safety of the vessel?
As a serial worrier I decided that before considering the idea of treating myself to a fantastic holiday I would find out just how safe an option this is.
Fire Risks
You will find that cruises have a large number of smoke detectors on it, as well as a top of the range sprinkler system which would react automatically in the event of any incident.
Falling Overboard
Maybe I am just too much of a worrier, but doesn’t anyone else think about this as a danger too? I did a bit of investigation and found that cruise vessels tend to have rails with a height of at least 42 inches, so I am guessing that the only way I am going overboard is if I really try to do it. Even if I do then the alarm system and search technology should ensure that I am rescued pretty sharpish.
Other Passengers
I am sure that the vast majority of other passengers just want a good time on their trip too. That doesn’t mean that you are entirely safe from coming across a bad apple though, does it? There is probably less chance of anything untoward happening to you onboard than in your home city but even if you are really unlucky then the ship’s surveillance systems will help the staff come to your rescue.
Crashes and Shipwrecks
The recent Costa Concordia disaster has made us all far more aware of the dangers of being at sea but I am strangely calm about this issue. After all, I never stopped flying after hearing about isolated accidents in different parts of the world. In the case of the Concordia we will need to wait to find out what the causes of the disaster were, but it is clear that there is a lot of safety technology at play on modern ships. The truth of the matter is that as passengers we never get to see any of this stuff and we probably never think about it much either. Perhaps we are all more familiar with the image of an airline pilot ensconced in the cockpit and surrounded by dials and instruments telling him how things are going. In the case of cruise vessels the same sort of approach applies, and the ships’ captains have access to a wide range of modern and sophisticated instruments which let them stay in control of the situation. I’ve gone a cruise holiday from Southampton and had the time of my life.