First Thought:
I found some pictures of the lifeboat drill that I’d forgotten I’d taken. This first one is of the crew members near me, mustered, ready and waiting.
I forgot yesterday that, in addition to warm clothing, passengers were to retrieve the life vests from their cabin and bring them to the muster station. (We were also told that if we forget our life vest, there are more stored near the boats.)
Apparently, I also misremembered how much the lifeboats were lowered. This looks almost ready for boarding.
Disney ships have yellow-colored lifeboats, rather than the traditional regulation color of orange. We were told that Disney went to court to prove that yellow lifeboats are easier to see than orange and won the right to use Mickey’s yellow Pantone 99, a patented color used only on Disney lifeboats.
Disney Wonder lifeboats can accomodate 125% of the ship’s passengers and crew.
The Titanic’s lifeboats could accommodate 1,178 people, just over half of the 2,209 individuals on board during its maiden voyage.
Which brings me to my second thought, sparked by this lifeboat quote.
“The Earth,” he said, “is a large and very complex lifeboat.
We still do not know what can or can’t be done
with a proper distribution of resources and it is notorious
that to this very day we have not really made an effort to distribute them.
In many places on Earth, food is wasted daily,
and it is that knowledge that drives hungry men mad.”
Isaac Asimov, The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories
First, I would hate to have to estimate the amount of food waste on each cruise. Portions are large and courses keep coming. It would be uncomfortable to eat everything that is offered. A lot gets sent back.
Second, the Disney Wonder has about 950 crew members representing more than 86 different nationalities. That is approximately one crew member for every three guests. The deck crew (besides officers) are generally Filipino, wait staff typically Asian or European, and Youth, Entertainment, and Cruise Staff are largely Canadian, English, Australian, or American (note all are natively English-speaking countries). They work long, hard hours, usually to send money home to their families.
So, how does the undeniable waste of food affect those who come from places where hunger is an ongoing reality?