Our first official meeting onboard came just after we pushed away from land. It was the safety briefing that is mandated to occur within the first 24 hours of the expedition with the Chief Scientist onboard, Vladimir Ivanov. Here is what to keep in mind:
• When you see a “Don’t Enter” sign, don’t enter. (The sign may be in Russian, so pay attention, and use common sense).
• For mooring operation (moorings are structures that will secure the ship in a given location, and the operations can be complex and dangerous), the only ones allowed in the area are the mooring technicians. The rest of us should go to another deck to observe from above.
• A loudspeaker is piped throughout the ship, including our cabins. Announcements are in Russian, and will be translated to English for select important announcements (although if you go by tone of voice alone, they all sound important).
• Cabins have emergency life jackets (put them on while on the ship, don’t wait until you’re outside like they tell you on airplanes), and if we hear the ship’s horn signal with 7 short blasts and 1 long blast, that’s the emergency signal. If you hear a pattern of horn blasts that you don’t recognize, don’t do anything, because it doesn’t apply to you.
• My favorite question/answer of the meeting: Question: What do you do if you lock yourself out of your cabin? Answer: It’s best to keep your door unlocked.
• Emergency boat drill today at 5pm!