The Icon of the Seas, pictured, is apparently the world's largest cruise ship. It has just recently been placed in service, embarking on its maiden voyage from the Port of Miami, on January 27, 2024.
When I saw the news article announcing this, my mind leaped to lifeboats.
According to Wikipedia, the ship has a crew of 2,350, and a capacity of 5,610 passengers at double occupancy, or 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity. Does the ship have lifeboats that could accommodate, essentially, 10,000 people, if the worst came to the worst?
Those who have ever listened to Bob Dylan's song, "Tempest," will consider that to be a legitimate question. If you click the link to the title, you will be able to read the lyrics. Click right here for a video that will provide you with the lyrics and the music both.
It has always seemed to me that Dylan's song is about more than the sinking of the Titanic. In other words, Dylan (I think) wants us to consider the Titanic as a metaphor - perhaps for civilization in general, or maybe for the United States, by itself.
Let's think of the Icon of the Seas in the same way. If we do, the question I raise seems pretty important. If things go really wrong, do we have lifeboats available and at the ready?
Probably not. That is what I think, and that means that an earlier advisory might be remembered. If there is a chance that civilization, or the nation, might founder (and I'm telling you I think there is, just like I think Dylan was telling us the same), then we ought to be thinking about what sort of lifeboats we might be able to deploy.
Find some friends, is what I have previously advised. The launching of the Icon of the Seas reminds me of that message!
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