Cruise Ship Lifeboat Tour. What Life Saving Equipment Is Inside? How Much Food & Water? 

From the bottom of my heart, a huge thank you. I’ve spent 400 days at sea on ships and this was by far the most comforting video you have ever done. I had no idea of the life boats contents or that we could last a week. They should show it on the entertainment system in the rooms. Please thank your officers for allowing you to show this. By far the best public relations video ever! I can’t wait to get back on a virgin ship..

I have been crew on multiple lines and gone through all kinds of safety training but NONE have given as much info as this video. Virgin needs to IMMEDIATELY add your video to Safety Training for all of their crew. GREAT JOB!

I didn’t expect the lifeboat to be that big inside and also with all that stored supply, the only thing missing was a restroom!

Im obsessed with the titanic. Amazing how modern technology has evolved.

Loved the tour. Where's the bathroom?

Best video ever! I can’t imagine sitting on metal that cramped for an hour, let alone days. I would imagine things would get tense fast. Maybe anti-anxiety drugs should be added!

I have tried those lifeboat biscuit rations - they flipping well work. Went 2 whole days with no hunger pains. No, this was on dry-land. Now have them in my disaster survivor's kit. Yep, totally agree with other comments. This sort of clip should shown on cruise ships the exact same way as airline show their safety videos. 🙂

That was very interesting, thank-you. But if there was ever a reason cruise ships are too big now, this is it. 300 people in a lifeboat is just too many. In the past people would still have been packed in like sardines, but all on the same level. The thought of ever being packed into one of those lifeboats is enough to put one off cruising altogether!

Interesting video, let's hope you don't have to use it! I have done distress flare training at an army base as I go sailing. One thing you didn't seem to have in the flare pack were heavy duty gloves. You should recommend it to your safety guy, put some thick riggers gloves in the canister. The hand held flares burn at 100s if not 1000 degrees and produce a lot of ash, gloves are a must if you want to hang on to them until they burn down. Handling the nylon rope on the sea anchor or other lines would be safer with gloves too. Deploying that in a heavy sea without gloves would be dangerous. Have gloves in the canister and you know where they are and would keep them dry for when needed.

Thanks for the tour. These boats look tiny when viewed on the cruise ship videos, but they are quite big! Very enlightening to see the various systems and way of packing as many people as possible within.

Fascinating! These lifeboats are small “ships” themselves. We’ve come a ways from the wooden, oar propelled, lifeboats of old, but I had no idea just how far we’ve come. But one thing missing is, how do we “go to the bathroom”?!

I'd have thought sanitation issues for 200 plus people would be a pretty important issue. Why no mention of it?

I was afraid 😳 to board a cruise ship until I saw this video. Hopefully soon I'll be booking my trip with family. This was very very informative and I'm so grateful for people like you.

I never knew these were this advanced. I would feel very safe taking a cruse after watching this. Thanks for posting. Jim

Thank you for inside look at the lifeboat. Very informative. Be sure to thank the Valiant Lady crew for helping and allowing this. MUCH Appreciated! Keep up the good work

Awesome! I always wondered what the inside looked like without having to actually never hopefully need them.

Great video as ever, Lucy! This one was particularly interesting and informative!

Thanks for sharing your video on the cruise ship's lifeboat, Lucy. It was pretty educational. Cheers!

I live by the Sea and have seen many Lifeboats but was surprised how big they are inside.

You're coverage of Virgin Crusises had been quite flattering. We are glad that you are enjoying your experience her. The satisfaction of your crew is just as important as the satisfaction of the guest.

This has to be the most educational video I've ever seen about cruising. Keep up the great work. My wife and I appreciate it and we can't wait to sale again on Virgin!!

This is probably my favorite video of yours yet! I've been on about 10 cruises and I've always been curious as to what's inside the lifeboats!

Thank you for the tour! I have seen these on the ships I've been on but never got a glance inside.

Great video! Where do people go to the bathroom? LOL just something silly that popped into my head. 😉

Now, this is a video I really wanted to see, but never want to experience on a cruise. A thankful sailor. Cheers

Outstanding overview of what’s in a lifeboat.

Those lifeboats are well thought out and designed in a neat way to fit as many people as possible

Thank you Lucy for another very interesting and informative video. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. It’s good to know the layout and content of a lifeboat.

Great vid! Thanks to Declan and the deck team too. Takes me back to doing my ‘lifeboat ticket’ as part of my initial STCW95 about 20 years ago! (Not much has changed!)

Im curious about things like insulin, heart medications, ssris, female hygiene etc. I would imagine those would be pretty important for survivors to keep the situation under control.

Very informative Video . It’s good to know what to expect in an emergency. A real public service. Excellent work .

Loved this video. I have always wondered about the lifeboats. Thanks for showing us.

Thank you! I was able to walk by the lifeboats and see inside them while on the Allure of the Seas as a passenger a few weeks ago. I couldn’t envision how it could fit the amount of passengers listed on the side. I also didn’t realize that it came with supplies or has a motor.

I was just watching a cruise video last night, where they talked about how many people fit in the life boats, and thinking “I wonder what those look like inside.” Talk about timing!

This is one of the better cruise videos I've seen, always wondered how they fit everyone in those and what it looked like.

After 41 cruises I never knew this stuff. Fascinating!

this was a great video! ive seen the life boats on the ships in cruise ship walkthrough videos and i always wondered what the inside looked like and how they managed to fit so many people inside them. well...now i know, i would not want to be on the bottom rows of the lifeboat!

Thank you so much for sharing this video!!! I've been to so many cruises (as a passenger) and always wondered what the inside of a lifesaving boat looks like and what the content is. Seeing your video really gives me peace of mind knowing we actually have a chance should something goes wrong. Thank you again and great job!!!

Thank you for the tour! Love the information!!

WOW! Cool! My father was a Merchant Marine. Back in the day, the life boats were not covered. And they had oars. Now a days, they are covered and a lot nicer. Well, as nice as they can be when your ship is going down. COOL VIDEO!

very informative lucy keep up the good work would you be able to do a tour or interview of the hospitial or nurses on board or about the engine room or where the lower the anchor or ropes when the dock

Fascinating. Great to know they’re there but I wouldn’t want to have to use one.

Thank you! this was very informative. While I hope I never have to use a lifeboat it is both interesting and reassuring to see all the items that are included.

Great video Lucy! Always been interested how they fit so many people in the lifeboats

Very interesting, Lucy! As always! Thanks a lot for this video 🙏

Great video! Thanks for sharing this with us! Never been in a lifeboat until now! ♥️🇺🇦🇺🇸

This was INCREDIBLY informative - thank you so much!

Nice job, Good lad for helping you make this. You presentation was nice and light enough to stay interesting.

I remember doing drills in a smaller version of these (150 pax). At full capacity it was quite uncomfortable. I do remember thinking that passengers are a bit bigger than crew as well. Thankfully never needed to get in for real.

At around 6:30, here we have 2 axes..? With no further explanation. LOL. I find the way you said it hilarious for some reason.

wow, this is one of the most interesting cruise information videos I have ever watched :) thanks for doing this video :)

eeeekkkk this is exciting. i have ALWAYS wondered about this. thank u!!!

Just curious….What would the bathroom situation be like?

I've always wondered what those lifeboats looked like inside. My only cruise decades ago was on a liner, and IIRC it used rafts.

Thank you posting this video. We cruise a lot and this is information I have always wondered about.

Thank you for this video, Lucy. It was very interesting and informative. Thank you to Virgin for allowing you to video this.

That is so fascinating! Those are so much bigger and more equipped than I thought. Good to know, though of course I hope they aren't called upon.

That was fascinating. I had no idea the seating was setup like that in 3 tiers. Thank you!

The way things have evolved in just 100 years is crazy

Just amazing! Thank you Lucy

One of the most comprehensive life boat tours I've seen so far good job Lucy and Declan. I also wonder were the loo is?

Very interesting and informative, however, you could have explained sleeping arrangements and bathrooms if one had to spend 3-6 days on this thing. Pray we never do.

Very informative video... I believe you are the first one who posted it. Loved it.

Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.

Super interesting. I didn't even know they had engines. How far is the range? Or are they just for short maneuvers?

Great video! Curious, how much fuel does the boat hold?

I'm going on a cruise next year. Just checking out the lifeboats and such...you know, the important stuff ☝🏻

My understanding is that a modern cruise ship has double the lifeboats it needs. The only time you would need to absolutely fill the lifeboats to capacity is when the ship is capsizing (rolling sideways) and one whole side's worth of lifeboats cannot be launched because they are no longer over water (reference: Costa Concordia). This does happen, of course. Also, cruise ships are rarely that far from land or other ships, so you will usually be able to disembark from the lifeboats within a few hours. The scenarios where you might be in the boat for days are rare, like on a repositioning cruise or adventure travel or the sea is so rough that they cannot recover the boats - in which case nobody is eating much anyhow, but simply wishing for death. However, we have seen cases, again and again, where the crew delays the evacuation long past time. Be alert to what is going on when the ship seems in trouble. If it starts pitching to the side, get to the low side and try to get on a boat if they start loading - time may be short. And you may need to decide on your own to either go to the high side and try to walk the hull as the ship rolls over or find somewhere you and your lifejacket can enter the water. In the cases I have read, nothing happens for a long time, then things disintegrate fast. Don't be cattle, think for yourself.

Great tour. I wondered though what if persons in the lifeboat have to relieve themselves? I know with the ration amounts they wouldn't likely have as much waste to eliminate but what do they do?

I grew up in a landlocked area, was terrified before my 1st cruise. Still intimidating to me every time, this was so helpful. Thank you.

Although I doubt I'll ever need to know, I'm jolly glad TO know! Very interesting and potentially useful. Many thanks!

So great and informative video

Love this video. I hope to never have to use an emergency lifeboat for anything more than tendering but if I do I really hope that I do not have to sit on the bottom row after hearing your description of what I may “face” ;)

Thanks! Very interesting. I was imagining deploying this w panicked people in rough seas/whether maybe escaping a fire on board, and getting that many people seated in such an organized pattern; bouncing up and down on waves, banging against the hull, pulling the release at the right time and hope nothing binds as the ship sinks😮. Worst case yes, but hope crew is well trained for that situation. Airline crew w fewer passengers practice evacuation extensively so I wonder how ship crew do.

Very informative tour beautiful thank you much!

I saw another video by Casual Navigation listing these items, but it was very nice to see those items in the real world!

Days of K-rations and crotch staring. Excellent. Where does one relieve oneself aboard the lifeboat?

Very informative, (But what about the bathroom?? I know what you might say, but just asking.) Thank You it was a great video.

This is a wonderful presentation. GREAT JOB!

For get the life raft that view is amazing.

The electrostatic release indicator was added because panicing designated pilots were accidentally releasing the life rafts from the ship, while still midair (which is not good.) Then the thing they pointed out after was a pin and hook in addition to the electrostatic release because there were cases where the electrostatic release would accidentally retain water and remain releasable even above water, or in other cases the emergency override glass would fall off the release, and people would press it not knowing it was an emergency override , once again releasing the life boat midair. It's a case of a safety measure (the release lever) needing to add like 5 other safety measures to make it foolproof.

Thank you so much for this awesome tour! It was one of the most informative cruise videos I've ever come across. I've always been curious about what was inside of the lift boats, and you've definitely satisfied that curiosity for me. Past that, it's incredibly comforting to know that the life boats are so well equipped to receive and respond to passengers and their needs in an emergency while at sea. Thank you again!

Wow these things are pretty handy. Interesting video. Thanks Lucy

Such a nice video. Keep up the good work!

Fascinating. Thank you! One question, what is the plan of you need to relieve yourself?

Lucy, Thank You! I love your videos! :) You are so happy, I can't help but smile! And, a tour of the lifeboat is great. Thanks for this! If I knew Sir Richard personally, I'd send him this video and ask 'em to run it on the all of his ships' internal TV system, so that all the "sailors" AND crew could see it! Just awesome! (In fact, I just may send a link off to Virgin myself, if you'd like?) {BTW, with 2023 being the 50th anniversary of his founding of Virgin Records / release of their first album, rumor has it that "Virgin" might be cooking up some special events / special promotions for next year, from Virgin Air, to Virgin Voyages, to Virgin Galactic...so, you never know....if you know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, etc., maybe send 'em this video and links to your channel, and you could end up being the voice and face of the modern 21st Century Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, with the famous tag line "Hey sailors, welcome back". :) } Lucy, continue to travel, have fun, and make wonderful videos....and enjoy life! :) No need to change anything! But if you do desire changes, in the future if you ever wish to "branch out" into other jobs, from what I can see here (it's edited, we know) your GENUINE friendly personality could be a big plus in "promotions" and "PR"! (where unfortunately many in those fields are rather "fake") And, your passionate love of travel / adventure could be a wonderful motivator if you ever wish to pursue being a ship's officer / bridge officer....just some food for thought, to chew on while dreaming. :) It's weird that I was looking for an old fellow sailor's videos (yacht / sailboat sailor, not Cruise Ship "sailor"), and came across yours. And, now I've watched more than a dozen of your videos! How wonderful. Since, I sail my own sailboat (across oceans and thru the islands, etc.), and run my own electronics business, there is little chance that I'd ever take a "cruise" as a passenger, let alone work on-board a cruise ship. ru-vid.com/group/PLnN6ygtZ3h2nbwAGh5DKgTCj15iyl6qoY ru-vid.complaylists ru-vid.com/group/PLnN6ygtZ3h2naJDoHElLlF4WJm0sQUhDs ru-vid.comvideos But, I found myself loving your videos! (And, kudos to you for knowing about "Dazzle Camouflage", you're one of the few people I've ever seen that knows what that is! Awesome!) I'm sure your videos are a lot of work to put together, and I suspect what you painstakingly edit-out leaves us with the wonderful results. But, don't be afraid to let us see some more of the "raw footage", too. :) I too, love to travel (obviously), love dance, love history, nature, the ocean, etc. As well as I love people, I especially appreciate the wide variety of people/cultures/ideas that make up this wondrous world, I get the feeling you do as well, so fair winds and following seas to a fellow lover of life! You know Lucy, in my almost dozen years on RU-vid, I only "subscribed" to one channel (of one of my good friends and fellow sailors), but I'm now subscribing to your channel, too! :) You always ask for suggestions for future videos, so here are just a few of my humble ideas. (even if some might not be your channel's focus, you never know): a) More "life lessons learned"-type videos. b) Behind-the-scenes of your recording and editing, including some tech info on your camera set-up, software, etc., even some more raw footage. c) Some details of the "Marine" crew side, a tour of the bridge, radio/comms areas, views (or just mention of) passing smaller vessels (like sailboats). d) Of course an interview with the radio officer would be great, but these days many ships don't have a chief radio officer, but rather a chief IT officer / chief electrical engineer, so if you don't have a radio officer, anyone of these or bridge officers, will do. :) Lucy, please continue to travel, explore, have fun, learn, teach, and enjoy life! And, get in-touch if you desire. All my best! John MacDougall ka4wja

Am William from Kenya and am learning a lot from your videos continue educating us Lucie, I request that you do one video on life raft

I had no idea they had made all these strides with lifeboats. That’s amazing!

OMG! You missed out the most important thing-where’s the loo?

Great video!! Always wanted to know what the inside of the lifeboats were like.

What a fascinating video Lucy. Thank you.

Good job on this video. I have always wondered about this.

More of Declan please ❤

What about bathroom facilities? Do you hang off lifeboat to go?

Wow, that was a great video, very important to know, what to do, in an emergency situation, great job, keep up the great work 💯

that was so good! loved this video

An excellent video; one of your bests. I heard these lifeboats can handle a couple of hundred passengers, and to be honest from the outside I couldn't tell how that was possible. But then you showed the seating arrangements, and while it's certainly not ideal (between other passenger's legs, sitting in front of someone's crotch), it definitely beats going down with the ship, every single time. Very well done!

How often does safety crew inspect the boats? how often is food and water replaced if not used? im sure that's a full time job for many people to keep those boats up to date and operational.

I like that the fishing kit is just for entertainment. Even without food you would be found found before it was a problem.

Very interesting video, Lucy, great job!