Speaking as a life-long boater and former Safety and Emergency Response Manager for one of the largest chemical companies in the US, I've been a bit startled at the inadequacy of the emergency preparedness procedures I've observed on the two cruises I've been on. As noted above, drills conducted under ideal conditions are next to worthless for actually preparing passengers and crew to deal with real emergencies. That said, designing and carrying out effective and realistic drills would require a great deal of the passengers time as well as undoubtedly scaring the hell out of them in the process.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do as a passenger is to pay close attention to the information you are in fact given during the perfunctory drills, and then augment that with your own observation of the location of ALL emergency exits and stairways anywhere you may find yourself on board. Take that first afternoon to explore and give thought to alternate routes, etc. ALWAYS carry a small flashlight with you (the new LED lights are incredibly tiny but sufficiently bright) regardless of time of day, the interior of a ship can get really dark really fast when the power fails. If you're a boater and own a CO2 inflatable life vest, take it with you. It packs flat and allows you to grab it and evacuate as you see fit without having to find and secure one of the ship's vests.

These are just a few suggestions, you get the idea. Bottom line is, you cannot necessarily rely on the crew and/or ship's procedures to save you in a real emergency. You must be personally prepared, aware of your own surroundings at all times, and ready to improvise if the need arises. Just doing these things will drastically improve your chances of surviving a disaster such as this.