chengkp75

You don't need to. And you know this is more efficient for the crew how? And whether it is more effective for the crew doesn't seem to influence your decision.

Haven't looked at the deck plans, but for the most part, the large "white spaces" running down the center of passenger cabin decks are AC fan/air handler rooms.

In addition to limiting access as passenger occupancy goes up, it may be that NCL is seeing a rise in problems with alcohol consumption by crew. The statutory limit for any crew member at any time while on the ship, on or off duty, is 0.05%, well below most states' DUI limit. Crew are subject to random testing at any time, and when the limit is suspected of being exceeded (i.e. from surveillance cameras, or from the crew member's onboard charging of drinks.

Unlike the USPH, which does not announce it's inspections, the USCG inspections are well known in advance. As noted above, the ships know that when arriving at the first US port, after an absence, that they will have a USCG inspection.

Those large spaces, in those places you ask about, are either the engine room exhausts leading to the funnel, or an AC fan room. Most of the large centerline spaces are AC fan rooms.

And, perhaps the Captain has seen the benefits of the traditional muster from an actual emergency. Hopefully, then, comfort will also trump should you experience a real emergency.

Yes, when a ship clears in the US for the first time, after an absence, every crew member has to have a face to face meeting with CBP, as well as the USCG inspection, and if they are really unlucky, there will be a USPH inspection as well.

Show cast are typically granted status similar to a one-stripe supervisor, so they could have access with their department head permission, though apparently under current rules they would not even need that. Those who have "passenger status" are not limited in anyway from passenger venues, even crowded ones.

Yes, the passenger may try to go the way he did during the drill, but that is where the crew training aspect of the muster drill comes in, as the crew will redirect. So, in an emergency, since the passenger would not be confused going through doorway A, then he should do that, even if it leads to a fire? Really?

And your qualifications in maritime safety are what? You may feel that the drill is useless, but maybe the Captain does not. Have you studied an entire muster drill to determine whether it is poorly implemented or not? Sorry, everything you say comes down to your comfort.

While the crew get a "salary", it is calculated by hours worked, both straight time and overtime. The hours of work are fixed, and controlled by law. However, the law also says that safety training and drills can be in excess of regulated hours, and that no compensation is given for these training hours.

I guess that you wouldn't mind then having mandatory training and drills at your local fire department, without pay? Maritime crews receive no compensation for the time they are involved in drills and training, and on a cruise ship, the vast majority of that time is training to save passengers, not the crew. If you don't respect the time and effort the crew put into trying to save your life, then I hope that the crew don't reciprocate in an emergency. So, how should they have "practiced the way things should be", other than actually setting fire to the space? And, if there was an actual fire, wouldn't that be confusing to the passengers? Part of my training of crew, when I ran crew and passenger drills, was to "kill" crew who had failed to remember where the fire zone was, and had "passed through" the fire. We then had to practice rescuing those crew.

That depends on what entertainers you are talking about. Feature singers and piano players, for instance, and magicians and comedians are granted "passenger status". Casts of shows are not.

If it is a USCG inspection, that is running late, there is really no telling how long it can be. If at any time during the crew fire and boat drill, if the inspectors are not satisfied with the response, actions, training, or enthusiasm of the crew to the drill, they can stop the drill, and restart it from the beginning again, or even require a different scenario, if they feel this is a "canned" scenario the crew trains specifically for use during inspections.

I believe that the restrictions were relaxed during covid when passenger occupancy was low and the line was struggling to retain crew, because what they are going to is the way it was forever. Now, with passenger occupancy up (meaning bars and venues are fuller), the line does not want crew affecting the passenger experience. So, they are returning to the old requirements. And, the vast majority of crew, have never had access to passenger areas when off-duty. I remember lists that each department head had, that listed what positions in their departments had privileges in what venues, and how often. Even back then, with limited access, and even if you had permission from your department head, it was up to the venue manager to determine if crew were allowed in that evening, or not, based on passenger attendance.

Fair enough, if you're willing to compensate the crew for their many hours of unpaid training to save your life. There is really nothing to hear. The "safety briefing" is merely to fill the time. Your job is to "show up, shut up, and listen up" And, I will confidently say that this was further crew training in directing passengers around a fire zone. Something else that folks never take into consideration: how do I get there if there is a fire between me and my muster station. And, fortunately, the maritime safety experts at the IMO don't care about "passenger satisfaction", and certainly less efficient in time required by crew.

As I've stated many times in the past regarding the new muster drill, what the old muster drill provides is "muscle memory" for the passengers. Not only for where the muster station is, but also how to handle hundreds or thousands of people all moving (some reluctantly, some clueless) towards their muster station, just as it would be for a real emergency. The mantra of "train as if your life depended on it" or "train the way you'd respond" holds true for cruise ship passengers just as much as for military and first responders. Secondly, the drill allows the crew to learn how to deal with recalcitrant passengers (which would translate to frightened passengers during an emergency) en masse. Crowd and crisis management is a skill best taught practically. Further, the lack of a time when every passenger is in known locations removes the training of those crew who passengers never see during the muster drill, which is the searching, clearing, and marking of every cabin and public space, collapsing down from the upper decks towards the muster locations. When could this be accomplished without the in person muster drill?

All cabins and public spaces (including restrooms) are "cleared" by designated crew during the muster. Some of the things passengers don't see happening during the drill.

Correct. In port, the ship will normally be able to reduce to one generator on line, at a fairly high load, so very fuel efficient. While underway, the ship's automation is hard-wired to require a minimum of 2-3 generators, regardless of how slow you steam, so you have excess capacity, running at low load, so you not only burn more fuel over more hours, you do so less efficiently. Unless there are required "full speed" transits between ports in the original itinerary, that allow for a slower speed without the port call, you won't save fuel. And, even then, unless the "full speed" run is more than 2-3 days, the fuel savings from slow steaming is marginal.

Bingo.

Actually, this is not true. Every vessel has to establish a "working language", that is spoken by everyone onboard, so that emergency instructions can be understood. Most of the mainstream cruise lines use English as the "working language". Does this mean every crew is "completely fluent" in English? No, but they can read, speak, and understand English. Imagine an engine crew member sent to open a specific valve, but he cannot read the valve tag that is in English.

I've posted these facts for years, and most times been argued to death, and told I don't know what I'm talking about, so I tend to be very wary of tipping threads.

The crew are in whatever country the ship is in, on a crew visa. Whether this allows for joining/leaving the ship is a different question. In the US, crew only transiting US ports, require a D visa. If they plan on joining/leaving the ship in the US, they need a C1 visa as well. The terms of the C1 visa are that the crew member will be escorted at all times by a bonded security guard from the ship to the airport security line. Further, if the crew has little cash on hand, as most of their salaries are sent home, how is he/she to pay for transportation to the airport. When a crew member leaves a ship normally, they get an entrance stamp from CBP. Without that, the airline may not allow the crewmember to check in. Without completing the contract, the crew member is liable for the cost of the airline ticket. In short, the crew member who leaves without notice would be entering the country illegally. This is the same for all crew on all foreign ships, not just cruise ships.

Further to my comments in that post, it was always, even for 3 stripe and above officers, that access to a particular venue would be restricted by the venue supervisor, based on whether or not the crew would impact the passenger experience. I think, reading this article, that during times of very low occupancy (post pandemic) and crew contract extensions, that the privileges were extended, and they are now returning to prior, as the passenger use of venues increases.

Well, since a good portion of the DSC goes to crew that you never see (not saying whether this is right or wrong, it just is), and given that enforcement of turning in cash tips can be difficult, some of the "back of house" staff could suffer from your #2, while front of house benefits.