I thought they must have as many seats as there are passengers and crew - well, not so!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...?newsfeed=true

"maritime law only requires lifeboat capacity for 75% of passengers – 50% in traditional boats hanging off the side, 25% in inflatables on board"

True since the days of the Titanic
You think they would have changed that by now.
But profit trumps safety almost always.

Where did you get that quote? That's not what the linked article says.

And no, not since the Titanic. Rules were changed (for instance) after the sinking of the Andrea Doria in 1956 when one whole side of life boats couldn't be used due to a severe list.

JP, looks like the Guardian corrected their article. I clicked through Dayenu's link yesterday, and it had exactly the quote she provided, which I found utterly amazing (and disagreed with what I had vaguely remembered hearing elsewhere). Clicking through now gives what I think is the correct answer, worded rather oddly to describe the 75% being available on each side of the ship, for 50% of the passengers...

I think it's the New York Times that always notes exactly how they changed/corrected articles if they change over time. It's rather nice of them to do that -- otherwise, with everything on-line, it's hard to keep track which of Eurasia and Eastasia are supposed to be the bad guys at the moment...

There was a similar thread on Cruise Critic, they said the journalist had mis-read the law/rules? Should be 75% boats, 25% raft.

Well... when I grow up I will learn not to trust newspapers

Sorry, All!