The five-star ocean liner Costa Concordia, after colliding with a reef, was driven aground, thereby avoiding a large number of casualties
However, as Itogi notes, all this turns out to be absolutely useless if people are not psychologically prepared to act in extreme situations.
So, when planning a cruise, read everything online about your liner and the company operating it. Do not get involved with organizations that charter ships. It is better if the steamship company is both the operator and the owner of the liner.
Once on board, you need to find out not only which lifeboat you are assigned to according to the emergency schedule, but also which one is closest to your cabin. In addition, you should plot at least two routes to the upper decks and memorize them on the first day by walking them two or three times.
After settling into your cabin, immediately prepare an "emergency kit", placing in a plastic bag an identification document (or a copy thereof), a small amount of cash, a credit card, a daily dose of medication (if essential), cigarettes, a lighter, a couple of chocolate bars, and a plastic bottle of drinking water. Additionally, a compact warm item (pullover, sweater) and a scarf or piece of cloth to protect your head from sun or cold would not hurt.
In case of emergency evacuation, do not put on all your outer clothing or drag all your luggage onto the deck. Wear warm clothing (jeans, turtleneck) and outerwear that is easy to remove if you fall into the water. Shoes should also be easy to take off. From your luggage, take a small waterproof waist bag with documents, money, and a mobile phone (such bags are now sold at any airport) and your emergency kit.
If you are traveling with a small child, ensure that a copy of his or her documents, sealed in plastic, is in the child's clothing pockets. Remember that when boarding lifeboats, a young child and the accompanying adult should be allowed among the first.
If you do not get a place in a lifeboat, do not rush to leave the sinking ship – it may remain afloat for a long time. If you do decide to leave, try to find a spot to enter the water as close to the surface as possible. Before abandoning ship, it is advisable to secure an additional flotation device by throwing a wooden lounger, an empty crate, or a wooden door torn from its hinges into the water. The life jacket should be worn from the moment the alarm is announced until you step onto dry land.
In any case, do not lose your composure and self-control. In the disaster off the coast of Italy, there were examples where ingenuity helped people survive. For instance, a passenger trapped in her cabin went online and wrote about it in a social network, posting photos. Thanks to this, rescuers were able to find her in time and evacuate her.
Grigory SANIN,
Yekaterina MASLOVA.