This is a drill, this is a drill, this is a drill

No! Not that sort of drill! (That is a different post - Handyman).

This post is about our emergency drills which we do weekly. To start with we practised all mustering on the dock but for the last couple of weeks we have been practising onboard mustering, including donning life jackets and then all holding on to one another as we make our way to the lifeboats.

It is very reassuring to know how seriously it is all taken onboard. Because the crew come and go the need for regular practising is really important, both for us (to evacuate and be in the right place), but also for the emergency fire teams who every week will attend their fire station, don their emergency gear and then deal with a different scenario somewhere on the ship. Also they make it realistic for them; they filled our corridor with smoke from a smoke machine last week. It helps you to feel confident that the teams are ready to deal with any emergency.

As we set sail today, our drill this morning included the opportunity to get into a lifeboat and see what it might be like. The answer is probably rather frightening and claustrophobic, but hopefully that is the only time we will get into one.