Yep. The investigation of the Conception fire showed that the crew was never put through the required fire-fighting training. It showed that crew members during the fire ran back and forth next to hoses that could have been used to fight the fire, but they did not know anything about them. That training would not have cost them a dime.Certification or not, your safety largely hinges on whether the crew has the knowledge, skills, training and equipment to effectively respond to an emergency. That plus the overall engagement and commitment by the operator sets the tone for each trip...
On my last liveaboard trip, when we were introduced to the crew, we were told we would rarely see one of them, because his duties had been structured so that he could do many of them at night, when he was also the official roving watch. He would be sleeping through much of the day. Our understanding was that it was just a matter of restructuring his duties, so it would not have cost them a dime.
The Conception bunk room had triple-decker bunks, with only a couple feet between the top bunk and the ceiling. The ceiling over one of them is where they put the emergency escape hatch. Think about it. It would take a contortionist to get out quickly, and one portly passenger would have plugged the escape for everyone. The boat was not full for the fateful fire, and my understanding is that it was rarely 100% full. The annual cost of the lost revenue for replacing that bunk area with a decent ladder would have been negligible.
My last liveaboard trip featured a fireproof charging station with ample outlets and plenty of space for everything being charged. That would be a one-time cost that might have resulted in an almost negligible per customer cost for the first year only.
Those basic safety features should be an expectation of any boat at any price.