Mythbusters: Cruising has Become Dangerous

I've been on many cruises on several lines from bothproblematic, for some reason. But these modes of
coasts. All that time at sea, I felt relatively safe. Alltransportation can kill far more easily if one is involved
passengers and crew members are required toin a crash. Has anyone ever heard of a cruise ship
participate in a muster drill that acquaint the travelershitting another, flipping over, or falling to the bottom of
with their life vests and lifeboat stations. Every crewthe ocean?
member has been trained in emergency procedures.Today, it's a physical impossibility. With
But all the most recent news is troubling.compartmentalized structure that isolates troubled
A man falls overboard, apparently drowning. A tourareas, a whole ship can't go up in a fire or explosion.
group from a ship is killed when the bus goes off theThe primary suspect spot is cordoned off allowing the
road. A ship catches on fire. These are the headlines,remaining structure to survive. In addition, the lifeboats
but, what about the rest of the story?are also state-of-the-art and provide shelter and
The man overboard was also drunk, according toreliable escape.
friends. The tour bus was unlicensed to carryMost of the ships cruise warmer waters, because of
passengers and not associated with the cruise line.passenger demand. Island hopping is fairly common.
Someone was smoking a cigarette illegally in the cabin.With the exception of Alaska and other northern
There have been other problems over the years withpoints, ships sail in tepid water and therefore, even if
engine failure and electric systems gone awry.one had to end up in the ocean, their survival chances
But look at the statistics. There are now over 180are quite high. Compare that to a damaged airplane,
cruise ships carrying an average of 1500 passengersplummeting toward earth.
weekly. That's 270,000 people or 14,000,000I would feel safer on a cruise ship than almost any
passengers. Assuming some travel multiple times, it'sother way to travel. Read mortality rates on
still a huge number of travelers that, more times thanmotorcycles, of course cars, and even bicycles. The
not, arrive safely. Only 52 people have gonetour buses are less safe as they have to deal with
overboard in the past 10 years while cruising. Thoseunpredictable traffic and weather conditions. A sudden
are the facts.rainstorm or high wind has little effect on a 70,000 ton
Commercial airplanes, railroads, and buses havevessel, although most newer ships boast over 90,000
mishaps quite often. Yet, when something happens ontons. Since the 'Titanic' days, the hulls are more
a cruise ship, it makes news for days. Perhaps it'sprepared to counter any impact. And don't forget that
because these massive luxury yachts aren't expectedmost newer ships have a space on deck to
to have any problems. Since the 'Titanic,' safety hasaccommodate a helicopter for medical emergencies.
been a key issue. Adequate lifeboats, drills and newThey also have a doctor, nurse and pharmacy on
fire-fighting equipment, provide higher levels of safety.board. Can you say that about any other form of
Add to that, GPS, (global positioning systems) radar,travel?
and hi-tech azipod propellers and stabilizers that offerIn conclusion, I'll take my chances onboard a
unparalleled maneuverability for smooth andworld-class cruise ship when planning my next
worry-free, sailing.vacation. The few rare instances I mentioned in the
Getting on an airplane is easily done and taken forfirst paragraph are anomalies. For the most part,
granted. Yet falling from over 30,000 feet doesn'tcruising will always provide a safe haven as you move
seem to phaze anyone. Trains and buses zoomingtoward that next tropical isle. So for now, it's a 'Bon
around at fifty miles and hour over high cliffs isn'tVoyage' rather than a 'Bad Voyage.' Myth busted!