One other thing - why on earth are lifeboat drills not held BEFORE the ship and her new passengers sails? People who boarded the ship yesterday, were not due their drill for nearly 24 hours! If a drill is required, then it is required immediately I think.
On my QE2 trips this was done before the ship sailed - what is the practice now? What is common practice on Cunard cruises these days? I'm guessing the drill is still before sailing in Southampton? But what about if you're joining the ship elsewhere?
Rob, as Louis writes, on Cunard's ships, Muster Station drills (with life-jackets on) as well as the Captain's (live) message and explanation re. the whistle, warm clothing and medication, are definitely compulsory for any new passengers joining the ship - anywhere in the world.
However, in exceptionally few cases, when the ship was late leaving a port (QM2 WC 2011), the safety drill for those very few, who had just joined (crew and passengers) happened at 10.00 am the following morning.
A weekly safety drill for crew members also takes place - life jackets worn when necessary, and no crew-member involved is allowed off the ship until this has been completed.
During the WC, as well as talks in the Illuminations auditorum, there were also demonstrations relating to safety and fire-fighting on Deck 1, run by the Chief Officer and the safety crew.
As you mention, there are some reports online that the drill for passengers joining in Civitavecchia wasn't due to take place till 17.00hrs today. If this is the case, it will be another issue to be taken seriously into consideration by the IMO et al.
Interestingly, our sail in to Civitavecchia last April was delayed by almost a couple of hours. Locally there was a stiff breeze, the waters were disturbed. Queen Elizabeth was due in port before QM2, we watched her struggling a bit while Commodore Warner turned QM2 into the wind and sailed her out to sea. We circled and waited, until it was our turn to take a couple of tugs into the port.
We were followed by a Thomson ship (if I remember correctly) - this ship was having a really difficult time - with wind across her beam, she was really struggling. A week or so later, Commodore Warner said that this situation had been worrying at the time, he'd feared that we wouldn't make it into the port.
