Nowadays when a cruise ship starts to sink does the "women and children first" rule still apply?

Question

And if so below what age constitutes a child?

Thanks for all your answers guys, maybe I should be a little more specific though, I know that its mandatory now for all ships to carry enough lifeboats etc. But is it still generally accepted practise to take say families with young children first?

Answer 1

NO, the first order of business when all passengers are on board is a MANDATORY for everyone life boat/muster drill. EVERY passenger must get the life vest from his/her cabin and report to the muster station (location) identified on the back of their cabin door. On some ships this is a place on the promenade deck, on others it may be a show room or lounge. The crew then takes attendance by looking for cabin numbers on the life vests (they have a listing of who/how many are in each cabin) and they check off all those in attendance. If you skip the drill they will find you and make you go through it later. This lifeboat/muster drill is required by the US Coast Guard within 24 hours of the ships departure from port. And, yes they still do it when the departure is from a port outside the US.

The lifeboat drill gives absolutely no preference to women and children. They do make sure that each child, including infants, have a life vest and they require the parents to put the vest on the kid during the drill.

The women and children rule is no longer necessary because all of the current cruise ships have more than enough life boats for every passenger. In addition, most life boats these days are covered, are motor powered, have navigation equipment including radios, etc. and even have emergency provisions. The crew, on the other hand, usually have to use open life rafts in case of emergency. But regardless, there is always more than enough life boat space for all passengers.

Answer 2

To add to the above gentleman's post. Children under the age of 12 are issued a bracelet, similar to those you get at a park or bar, that has the muster station on it. If for some reason the boat does have issue and your kids are not with you they tell you to go to your muster station and the camp personnel will bring the children to you, rather than you looking all over for your kids

Answer 3

It does and it doesnt...

The rule still applies in a moral sense as an anachranistic abandonment of political correctness in crunch situatuons (like women in the front line or as top guns...) As such, a child is still taken to be anyone aged up to 18. Hhealthy middle aged men will never be first off a sinking craft if there is insufficient boats.

But legally it doesnt hold up.

Answer 4

No it does not, it is mandatory for cruise ships to have enough life boats so that all can be evacuated from the ship. Their concern is to quickly and efficiently get all persons off the ship. (passengers and required crew first) so they will not spend any time sorting passengers.

Answer 5

Probably so but it's not that important. Maritime laws now require enough lifeboats for all souls on board, during the days of the Titanic there were no such rules.

Answer 6

ask someone that was on the greek cruise. the ship went down and there are surviviors. i met one .

in a disaster , the cruise gets chaotic.

i don't know many men in todays world that are going to let kids or women get ahead of them. the newer generation of men are not like most of the older generation .

Answer 7

Unfortunately, I know many men who would push women and children out of the way to save themselves first. I've seen them on the buffet lines.

Answer 8

i dont think so.. lol
i think the "save your self" rule applies! lmao
jk i'm actually not sure, they do advise the parents of the childeren help them get out of the ship first but i'm not positive.

Answer 9

No. There are enough lifeboats for everyone nowadays.

Answer 10

THEORETICALLY yes,