Life At Sea

Once each week a Fire and Boat Drill is conducted on board ship. The purpose of this weekly drill is to make sure that each crew member knows exactly what to do in case of a fire or other disaster that would require a person to leave the ship.

The fire fighting equipment on board the ship is taken out and tested. The lifeboats are lowered to make sure they are in proper working order and everyone knows how to operate them. Every crew member and passenger has an assigned place to report to on deck wearing their life jacket. These drills while quite routine, keep our American Flag ships, their crews and passengers safe.

Should you have to abandon ship and spend time at sea in your lifeboat, you would find that your lifeboat is supplied with packets of water and packets of sweet wafers. The water is very tasty, just like yours at home. It comes in a sealed packet. Only a few sips are taken periodically so as not to run out of it, should your stay be prolonged. The wafers are sweet and very filling. A few bites could satisfy your appetite for quite awhile. The wafer resembles a sweet cookie and is very filling. The amount of food found in the lifeboat is sufficient for the number of people the lifeboat can hold.

It is important to know that American Flag vessels carry enough lifeboats on both the starboard and port sides of the ship, so that everyone can be rescued should it become necessary to abandon ship.

When and if crew members have leisure time on board ship, you may find them in the lounge reading, watching a movie, or playing cards or a board game. If the vessel has a gym, the crew may be working out there.